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REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies JPMorgan Chase & Co FollowWASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Two former precious metals traders at JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) were sentenced on Tuesday for engaging in fraud, attempted price manipulation and spoofing, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement. Gregg Smith, 59, of Scarsdale, New York, was sentenced to two years in prison and a $50,000 fine while Michael Nowak, 49, of Montclair, New Jersey, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and a $35,000 fine, the Justice Department said. Last year, Smith and Nowak were found guilty of fraud and other charges but acquitted of racketeering and conspiracy in a trial. Nowak was convicted on over a dozen charges including fraud, spoofing and attempted market manipulation, and Smith was convicted on 11 charges. JPMorgan agreed in 2020 to pay more than $920 million and admitted to wrongdoing to settle with the Justice Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over these and other traders' conduct.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Gregg Smith, Michael Nowak, Dodd, Frank, Smith, Nowak, Kanishka Singh, Andy Sullivan Organizations: United States Department of Justice, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase, WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice Department, Justice Department, U.S, Congress, JPMorgan, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Scarsdale , New York, Montclair , New Jersey, Washington

☆ US lawmakers are calling for a Department of Labor investigation into $12B HR startup Deel over its use of independent contractors, citing Insider's investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Democratic lawmakers are demanding a Department of Labor investigation into HR startup Deel. In March, Insider reported on internal concerns at Deel over its use of independent contractors. A group of Democratic congresspeople led by California representative Adam Schiff are calling for a federal investigation into the $12 billion HR startup Deel for allegedly misclassifying employees as independent contractors. Insider's March 2023 story found the startup, which helps large organizations hire and manage workers around the world, classified at least half of its workers as independent contractors. Deel workers who are hired as independent contractors do not receive certain employment rights that they would otherwise be entitled to if they were full-time employees.

Persons: Adam Schiff, Democratic congresspeople, Julie Su, Deel, Alex Bouaziz, Bouaziz, Schiff, Bill Pascrell, Raúl, André Carson, John Garamendi of, Haley Stevens of, Red Bull, Stephen Padilla Organizations: Department of Labor, Morning, Democratic, Labor, United States Department of Labor, Bloomberg, Insider's, Haley Stevens of Michigan, Nike, state's Labor, Workforce Development Agency Locations: California, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Greece, Brazil, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Nigeria, New Jersey, Arizona, André Carson of Indiana, John Garamendi of California

☆ Walmart cuts price of Walmart+ for households that receive food stamps, other government aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The nation's largest retailer said Thursday that it will cut the price of Walmart+ in half for those low-income households. Walmart has not disclosed total Walmart+ subscribers, but said about a quarter of its members get government assistance. Walmart launched Walmart+ in 2020 to hook shoppers and increase the likelihood of them spending more on its website and in stores. Along with the Walmart+ discounted price, Walmart said it has made it easier for families receiving food aid to shop online. It said it now accepts SNAP online in all 50 states.

Persons: Doug McMillon, Morgan Stanley Organizations: Walmart, Nutrition, SNAP, United States Department of Agriculture, Amazon Prime, Costco, Sam's, Paramount, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Walmart Connect Locations: U.S, Alaska

☆ While the Russian invasion has shown the world the next generation of high-tech warfare, old-school tactics are decimating Ukrainian troops: land mines, booby traps, and tripwires
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mines cause more wounds among troops than artillery, a Ukrainian medic told the NYT. At the same time, fiberglass rods are used instead of metal detectors to find electrically triggered mines, Insider previously reported. Wounds caused by plastic mines are particularly difficult to treat, as medics cannot locate where plastic shrapnel is embedded in the body using traditional methods like X-rays. Russian troops aren't the only ones deploying antipersonnel mines as they continue their invasion of Ukraine. Insider previously reported Human Rights Watch this month urged Ukrainian officials to investigate reports of butterfly mines being used against Russian soldiers.

Persons: Valery Zaluzhny, Maksym Prysyazhnyuk, Prysyazhnyuk, Mark Kimmitt Organizations: Service, Washington, Troops, Mines, New York Times, Times, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, of, Russian Federation, United States Department of Defense, United Nations Commission, Rights Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Brig

☆ Space photos show over 1 trillion gallons of water flooding crop fields in California, and it could mean higher food prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Rebecca Strong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Tulare Lake used to be the largest lake west of the Mississippi River. This year's rain and snowmelt have replenished the lake, flooding many of the region's farms. And here's what it looked like on April 30:This is how the area looked on April 30, after Tulare Lake flooded. As of June, the flooded parts of Tulare Lake spanned about 178 square miles, or 113,920 acres — almost the size of Lake Tahoe. Tulare Lake began to reappear this March, before the Sierra Nevada snowpack started meltin.

Persons: Lauren Dauphin, NASA EOSDIS LANCE, Brad Rippey, Rippey, Dennis Hutson, Hutson, Nicholas Pinter, University of California Davis, — Organizations: Farmers, Service, NASA, U.S . Geological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture, Atmospheric Administration, TAC Farm, for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Agriculture Assembly, Southern Sierra, Southern Sierra Nevada snowpack, San, Sierra, Sierra Nevada snowpack Locations: Tulare, Mississippi, Wall, Silicon, California, U.S, San Joaquin, Tulare Lake, Lake Tahoe, Tulare County, San Joaquin Valley, Tulare Lake ., Southern Sierra Nevada, Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada, Central

☆ What is Wagner Group doing? Operations in Africa and rest of world explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Several hundred Wagner fighters were killed by U.S. forces during a confrontation in Syria in 2018. U.N. sanctions monitors reported in 2020 that Wagner had deployed up to 1,200 people in Libya and the U.S. military Africa Command said Russian military aircraft were supplying Wagner fighters there. As well as bringing in Syrian fighters as mercenaries, Wagner worked alongside foreign fighters from Sudan, Chad and elsewhere. Russian mercenaries including from Wagner intervened in 2018 on the side of the government to quell a civil war that has raged since 2012. Wagner fighters have been accused of involvement in an incident last year in Moura, in central Mali, where local troops and suspected Russian fighters allegedly killed hundreds of civilians.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Wagner, UKRAINE Wagner, BELARUS Wagner, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, LIBYA Wagner, Khalifa Haftar's, Haftar, U.N, Omar al, Bashir, Angus McDowall, Alison Williams Organizations: Defence Ministry, Evro Polis, United States Department of Defense, United Arab Emirates, U.S ., Africa Command, CENTRAL, Central African, Reuters, Russian, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters newsrooms, Thomson Locations: Europe, East, Africa, UKRAINE, Ukraine, Bakhmut, BELARUS, Belarus, Asipovichi, Minsk, SYRIA Russia, Syria, U.S, Syrian, Libya, Hmeimim, Russia, LIBYA, Tripoli, Egypt, UAE, Russian, Sudan, Chad, Republic, Central African Republic, States, MALI, Mali, Moura, SUDAN, Moscow, Middle East

☆ Swine fever: World's first vaccine against deadly animal disease nears approval in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

African swine fever has for years disrupted the $250 billion global pork market. The next step will be nationwide authorization, the first ever for an African swine fever vaccine, and possible sales overseas. Use of unlicensed live-virus vaccines in China in past years raised concerns they caused the emergence of new strains of swine fever. Only limited data are available from China’s trials on a live-virus vaccine against swine fever. NAVETCO, AVAC and Vietnam’s agriculture ministry, which is responsible for approval of veterinary vaccines, did not respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Gregorio Torres, “, ” Torres, ”, Thomas Vilsack, ” Vilsack, WOAH Organizations: World Organization for Animal Health, Reuters, Rabobank, United States Department of Agriculture Locations: Vietnam, China, United States

☆ World's first vaccine against deadly swine fever nears approval in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Francesco Guarascio | Thomson Reuters | Francesco Leads A Team Of Reporters In Vietnam That Covers Top Financial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

African swine fever has for years disrupted the $250 billion global pork market. The next step will be nationwide authorisation, the first ever for an African swine fever vaccine, and possible sales overseas. "There will be a specific interest obviously," Vilsack said in an interview with Reuters in April, speaking about possible purchases of the Vietnamese vaccines. Use of unlicensed live-virus vaccines in China in past years raised concerns they caused the emergence of new strains of swine fever. Only limited data are available from China's trials on a live-virus vaccine against swine fever.

Persons: Gregorio Torres, Torres, Thomas Vilsack, Vilsack, WOAH, Francesco Guarascio, Phuong Nguyen, Khanh, Dominique Patton, Sonali Paul Organizations: Organisation for Animal Health, Reuters, Rabobank, United States Department of Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Vietnam, Hanoi, world's, HANOI, China, U.S, United States, Khanh Vu, Beijing

☆ A pristine region of the Pacific Ocean targeted for deep-sea mining contains 5,000 new marine species, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists have discovered thousands of new species in an area of the Pacific Ocean. They found 5,578 species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a 1.7 million square mile region. Of the 5,578 new species discovered, around 88% to 92% were "new to science," the report says. An array of crustaceans found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. A discovery in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

Persons: —, Adrian Glover, Muriel Rabone, Glover Organizations: Service, Privacy, United States Department of, Natural Environment Research Council, Guardian, International, Authority Locations: Hawaii, Mexico, Clarion, Zone

☆ Got milk? Not chocolate, as USDA considers banning flavored milk options in school cafeterias
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Flavored milk, like chocolate milk, could be limited to high schoolers under the new guidelines. A second proposed rule change would allow allow flavored milk for all grade levels, but the added-sugar levels would be limited. "I feel very strongly that flavored milk should continue to be offered in all grades k-12. Chocolate milk has been banned in San Francisco for elementary and middle schoolers since 2017. Correction: May 16, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated which organization published a study regarding added sugar.

[1/2] The United States Department of the Treasury is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. In her second letter to Congress in two weeks, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen confirmed that the agency will be unlikely to meet all U.S. government payment obligations by early June, triggering the first-ever U.S. default. The debt ceiling could become binding by June 1, she said. She said she will provide an additional update to Congress next week as more information becomes available. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office last week said the United States faces a "significant risk" of defaulting on payment obligations within the first two weeks of June without a debt ceiling hike, with payment operations uncertain throughout May.

April 27 (Reuters) - As wildfire season approaches, U.S. officials along the West Coast are working hard to mitigate risks with prescribed burns, while a widespread educational campaign is underway to create buffers around fire-prone homes. In Washington state, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Hillary Franz is working on reversing negative perceptions surrounding prescribed fires. The test fires were lit ahead of a full prescribed burn. "It's a frustrating emotional roller coaster," said Stenbeck, standing on top of Bogg's Pit, the DNR-owned land that has been the focus of a prescribed burn since late last year. "It's important that people make sure there is space between their vegetated fuel and their homes ... once we have a wildfire, embers move quickly.

HOW DID THE CASE GET TO THE SUPREME COURT? The Biden administration and Danco immediately asked the Supreme Court to overrule the 5th Circuit and impose an emergency stay. WHAT DID THE SUPREME COURT DO? The injunction was not at issue before the Supreme Court, and remains in effect. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

HOW DID IT REACH THE SUPREME COURT? Whether or not the Supreme Court decides to stay Kacsmaryk's order, it will not decide the merits of the case. The Biden administration said in its petition to the Supreme Court that the FDA cannot comply with both orders. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULES? Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ Explainer: U.S. Supreme Court presses pause on abortion pill case for 5 days, What happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Brendan Pierson | Thomson Reuters | Brendan Pierson Reports On Product Liability Litigation | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

HOW DID IT REACH THE SUPREME COURT? Circuit Court of Appeals for an emergency stay putting his injunction on hold. Whether or not the Supreme Court decides to stay Kacsmaryk's order, it will not decide the merits of the case. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULES? Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

An appeals court put part of that decision on hold late Wednesday, preserving access to the pill for now, with significant restrictions the Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to lift. Neither Kacsmaryk's order, known as a preliminary injunction, nor the 5th Circuit's emergency stay is a final ruling on the merits of the case. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinThe Biden administration said on Thursday it will appeal to the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of Kacsmaryk's order in full. If the FDA wins a stay from the Supreme Court blocking the injunction, mifepristone will remain available with no new restrictions. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ Ex-DOJ lawyer tells jury he met with Chinese to further illegal lobbying campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

George Higginbotham testified that he made money on the side while working at the Justice Department by offering legal advice to Michel, a long-time friend. But he did so anyway, telling the jury he let his friendship with Michel cloud his judgment. "This could get me in a lot of trouble," he told the jury he recalled thinking, adding that his actions were "definitely outside of official lines." Higginbotham, who pleaded guilty in 2018 for his role in the foreign influence campaign, testified that Justice Department investigators later found out about his meeting and questioned him. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Flowers decorate the fence around the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs where 26 people were killed a week earlier on Nov. 5, 2017, as the church opens to the public as a memorial to those killed, in Sutherland Springs, Texas, U.S. November 12, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File PhotoCompanies The United States Department Of Justice FollowApril 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice reached a $144.5 million settlement with survivors and families of victims of the 2017 mass shooting at a Texas church that killed 26 people, for which a judge had found the Air Force primarily responsible. Wednesday's settlement with more than 75 plaintiffs requires approval by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in San Antonio. It would end the government's appeal of Rodriguez's order that it pay approximately $230 million over the Nov. 5, 2017 massacre by former Air Force airman Devin Patrick Kelley at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. "No words or amount of money can diminish the immense tragedy of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs," Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement.

☆ AUKUS needs to pool tech resources as US edge erodes -Australian intelligence chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Andrew Shearer, the director-general of the Office of National Intelligence, said the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region was starting to "shift away from the United States and its allies, undermining deterrence". "We are seeing our longstanding technological edge start to erode, and in some cases that edge is totally gone," he added. Schmidt, who has advised United States Department of Defense on artificial intelligence, said China is organised around drones, hypersonic and automation technology, and this should influence Australia's military spending decisions. Although it was likely there would be decoupling between China and Western allies in critical technology, China was not an enemy and the could work together in other areas, he added. He criticised the U.S. government for restricting Chinese researchers from moving to the United States to work on technologies like quantum computing.

☆ Shipbuilder Austal sinks on former U.S. executives' indictment for financial fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 3 (Reuters) - Australian shipbuilder Austal Ltd (ASB.AX) sank as much as 8.4% to its lowest level in more than four years on Monday after the United States Department of Justice indicted three of its former U.S. employees on manipulating financial information. Austal, which builds ships for the U.S. Navy and is working on parts of the Virginia class submarines, plunged to its lowest level since October 25, 2018, and marked its worst intraday drop since January 17. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also filed civil charges against the three individuals, Austal said. Austal is down 17% so far this year, as of last close, compared with a 2.1% increase in the ASX All Ordinaries index (.AORD). Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies United States Department of Agriculture FollowWASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - Rural small businesses and farmers will be eligible to apply for $1 billion in grants to invest in clean energy beginning Saturday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the White House announced on Friday. The money, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will be distributed through the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and is meant to further the Biden administration's efforts to cut climate-harming emissions across the American economy. The grant money can be used to install renewable energy systems - like solar panels, wind turbines, or biomass projects like anaerobic digesters that process animal manure to generate renewable fuels like biogas - or to make energy-efficient improvements, the USDA said. The funded projects will create jobs, reduce emissions, and improve rural resiliency in the face of a changing climate, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the press call. The IRA provided more than $2 billion for REAP, which the administration anticipates will fund projects for 41,500 farms and small businesses, according to the USDA website.

☆ Premarket stocks: Silicon Valley Bank left a void that won't easily be filled
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There’s no doubt that the failure of Silicon Valley Bank left a large void in tech. To find out, Before the Bell spoke with Ahmad Thomas, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. Before the Bell: What’s the feeling on the ground with tech and VC leadership in Silicon Valley? Ahmad Thomas: Silicon Valley Bank has been a key part of our fabric here for four decades. FDIC sells most of failed Signature Bank to FlagstarFrom CNN’s David GoldmanA week after Signature Bank failed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said it has sold most of its deposits to Flagstar Bank, a subsidiary of New York Community Bank.

To help you get started, CNBC Select rounded up a list of the best mortgage lenders first-time homebuyers should consider. Types of loans offered: The most common kinds of mortgage loans include conventional loans, FHA loans and VA loans. The most common kinds of mortgage loans include conventional loans, FHA loans and VA loans. Fees: Common fees associated with mortgage applications include origination fees, application fees, underwriting fees, processing fees and administrative fees. Common fees associated with mortgage applications include origination fees, application fees, underwriting fees, processing fees and administrative fees.

☆ Ponzi schemers who raised $650 million on cattle, pot profit promises get 6 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stachniw, 71, of Galensburg, Illinois, and Throgmartin, a 59-year-old Buford, Georgia, resident, were convicted at trial in August of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit both wire fraud and money laundering in the scam. Two people whose Ponzi scheme raised a stunning $650 million from investors by falsely promising them profits from cattle and marijuana businesses were sentenced Friday to six years in prison. Prosecutors said that the defendants operated the Ponzi scheme from late 2017 through early 2019, along with a co-conspirator, Mark Ray of Denver. Ray pleaded guilty in February 2020 in Illinois federal court to wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with the scheme. In reality, the profits paid to investors came from money placed in the Ponzi scheme by other unwitting investors, authorities said.

☆ Meta's chief business officer will leave the company after 13 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Marne Levine, vice president of global partnerships and business development for Facebook Inc., speaks during the Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019. Meta 's Chief Business Officer Marne Levine is stepping down after 13 years with the company, Meta announced in a release Monday. Levine previously served as vice president of global public policy at Facebook, chief operating officer at Instagram and vice president of global partnerships, business and corporate development at Facebook. Levine was named Facebook's chief business officer in the summer of 2021, a few months before it changed its name to Meta to indicate its focus on the yet-to-be-developed metaverse. "I'm grateful for our partnership, her commitment to Meta, and the energy she brought to the company every day."

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