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☆ Supreme Court Weighs Purdue Pharma’s $6 Billion Opioid Settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Purdue Pharma headquarters in 2019; a Purdue lawyer said in court Monday that if a settlement with the company didn’t go forward, opioid-crisis victims might not see compensation. Photo: timothy a. clary/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—Supreme Court justices wrestled Monday with the uncomfortable bargain struck between most victims of the opioid crisis and the Sackler family, whose Purdue Pharma promoted the addictive painkiller OxyContin: providing timely compensation for survivors in exchange for granting the wealthy family immunity from future civil lawsuits. That settlement was reached before a bankruptcy judge and approved in May by a federal appeals court in New York. It would see the Sacklers pay $6 billion to individual victims and state governments in exchange for eliminating potential liability for additional claims, such as fraud—even though they, unlike Purdue, haven’t sought bankruptcy protection. The deal was made under a catchall provision of federal law authorizing bankruptcy judges to issue orders and judgments that may be “necessary or appropriate” to resolve cases.

Persons: timothy, clary, Sackler, haven’t Organizations: Purdue Pharma, Purdue, Agence France, Getty, WASHINGTON Locations: New York

☆ A 401(k) rollover is 'the single largest transaction' many investors make, expert says. What to know before doing it
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That's largely because IRA investors are "retail" investors while 401(k) savers often get access to more favorable "institutional" pricing. "Are you able to pay less by staying in your 401(k) plan?" The bottom line: Compare annual 401(k) fees — like investment "expense ratios" and administrative costs — to those of an IRA. And your current employer may not accept rollovers into your 401(k) from a previous employer's plan. Many 401(k) plans may not allow retirees as much flexibility.

Persons: Ellen Lander, Lander, Carolyn McClanahan, Ted Jenkin, Jenkin, you'd Organizations: Investment, IRA, Renaissance, Planning Partners, CNBC's FA, of America, Company, Workers Locations: IRAs, Jacksonville , Florida, CNBC's, Atlanta

☆ FBI chief to urge Senate panel to renew US global surveillance power
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FBI Director Christopher Wray attends a House Homeland Security Committee hearing examining worldwide threats to the U.S., on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2023. “Stripping the FBI of its 702 authorities would be a form of unilateral disarmament,” Wray will tell the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee during an oversight hearing, according to excerpts of his testimony released by the FBI. A bipartisan team of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation last month to impose new limits on searches of Americans' communications and prohibit so-called "backdoor" searches which invoke foreign intelligence justifications to spy on Americans. Wray plans to tell the Senate panel that the FBI will be “good stewards of our authorities,” citing reforms he said the FBI has already made in response to criticism of law enforcement’s use of the law. Reporting by Andrew Goudsward Editing by Don Durfee and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Elizabeth Frantz, ” Wray, Wray, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, Andrew Goudsward, Don Durfee, Kim Coghill Organizations: Homeland Security, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Foreign Intelligence, Democratic, FBI, U.S, U.S . Capitol, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington , U.S, United States, Iran, China

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A planned high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area got a Biden administration pledge on Tuesday of $3 billion to help start laying track, Nevada elected officials said. But Rosen said electric-powered trains could be carrying passengers by the time Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics in 2028. “Connecting Las Vegas and Southern California by high-speed rail will create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs, boost our Southern Nevada tourism economy, and finally help us cut down on I-15 traffic," Cortez Masto said Tuesday in a statement. Calls for a high-speed rail line whisking tourists through the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas date at least to 2001, said U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Democrat who represents the Las Vegas Strip. Other places where high-speed trains have been proposed include the 240 miles (386 kilometers) in Texas between Dallas and Houston, and a 500-mile (805-kilometer) system linking Los Angeles and San Francisco that has faced swelling costs, funding questions and other delays.

Persons: Sen, Jacky Rosen, Rosen, “, ” Wes Edens, Joe Biden, Catherine Cortez Masto, Biden, Cortez Masto, Dina Titus Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Brightline, Angeles, Nevada -, U.S, Rep, Democrat, Las, Brightline Holdings Locations: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nevada, U.S, Florida, California, Victorville , California, San Bernardino County, Rancho Cucamonga, Nevada - California, Southern California, Southern Nevada, Florida's, Miami, Orlando, Texas, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco

☆ How Mark Cuban forced the biggest US pharmacy to upend its business
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The new program includes a set markup for medication costs, a step toward drug pricing transparency. The retailer has been facing pressure from new models like Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs. They've been especially focused on pharmacy-benefit managers and the lack of transparency around how much drugs cost. How Mark Cuban changed drug pricingCuban's pharmacy buys drugs directly from manufacturers and sells them to consumers at a 15% markup, plus pharmacy fees. AdvertisementBut the announcement looks to be a step in the right direction for drug pricing transparency.

Persons: —, Mark, Prem Shah, Mark Cuban, GoodRx, PBMs, Kroger, it's Organizations: CVS, Cuban, Plus, Service, Mark Cuban, Federal, US Federal Trade Commission, CVS Health, Kroger, Walgreens, Drug, Wall Street Locations: California

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing arguments over a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would shield members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The agreement hammered out with state and local governments and victims would provide billions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic. Sackler family members no longer are on the company's board and they have not received payouts from it since before Purdue Pharma entered bankruptcy. In the decade before that, though, they were paid more than $10 billion, about half of which family members said went to pay taxes. A decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, 22-859, is expected by early summer.

Persons: Sackler, Biden, Trump, ” OxyContin Organizations: WASHINGTON, Purdue Pharma, U.S, Bankruptcy, Justice Department, Purdue Locations: Stamford , Connecticut, Harrington

☆ Trump is showing how a second term would rewrite the rules of presidential power
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Donald Trump is underscoring the profound choice that voters could face next year with expansive claims of unchecked presidential power alongside increasingly unapologetic anti-democratic rhetoric. This has huge consequences not simply for the courtroom accounting that is yet to take place over his first turbulent term. If the twice-impeached former president wins the Republican nomination and the presidency, it is already clear that a second term would risk destroying the principle that presidents do not hold monarchial power. “Joe Biden is not the defender of American democracy,” Trump said during a campaign stop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday. And if he succeeds in 2024, his legal arguments will have been a warning of a second term that he envisions with almost no guardrails.

Persons: Donald Trump, – he’s, Joe Biden, ”, He’s, Tanya Chutkan, Trump, Chutkan, Biden, “ Joe Biden, ” Trump, … it’s, –, Trump’s, Ron DeSantis, “, ” DeSantis, Liz Cheney, Mike Johnson, ” Cheney, Washington , South Carolina Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham, CNN’s Dana, Cheney, ” Graham, Liz Cheney's, Sri Srinivasan, Steven Sadow, ” Chutkan Organizations: CNN, Republican, US, GOP, Florida Gov, Trump –, Trump, Republican Party, CBS, Washington , South Carolina Republican, Union ”, ”, Capitol Locations: Cedar Rapids , Iowa, Iowa, Florida, Wyoming, Congress, United States, Washington , South, “ State, Washington , DC, ”, Fulton County , Georgia

Jones mandated Black majorities in one additional congressional district, two additional state Senate districts and five additional state House districts. Political Cartoons View All 1277 Images“A minority opportunity district must be a district where a single racial group is a majority," Echols said Monday. “District 7 was a minority opportunity district in our view. Besides congressional districts, minority coalitions could also be an issue in Georgia’s new state legislative maps, which are moving toward final passage. “And it’s all over this map from District 10 to congressional District 7.

Persons: Rep Lucy McBath, Steve Jones, Jones, Shelly Echols, Echols, ”, Ken Lawler, McBath, Carolyn Bordeaux, Sen, Tonya Anderson Organizations: ATLANTA, Georgia Republicans, U.S, Supreme, Democratic U.S, Rep, District, Gainesville Republican, Circuit, Appeals, Democratic, Republicans, Democrat Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia's, ”, Gainesville, U.S, Florida, Alabama, Hardee County , Florida, Gwinnett County, Fulton County, Cobb, Douglas, Fulton, Fayette counties, “, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Galveston County , Texas, Michigan, Atlanta’s, Five

☆ Biden administration announces new financial strike force to curb deadly fentanyl trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The Treasury Department’s Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force will allow us to bring the Department’s unrivaled expertise in fighting financial crime to bear against this deadly epidemic. The strike force will be led by the department’s top sanctions official, Brian Nelson, and the chief of the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigations unit, James Lee. It will “redouble Treasury’s existing work streams, including using financial intelligence to understand risks and map transnational criminal organization (TCO) financial networks,” according to a news release. Several key units within the Treasury Department that specialize in financial crimes, sanctions, and tracking terrorist and illicit financing will be part of the new strike force. The new strike force will also help streamline the Treasury Department’s efforts to coordinate with local and federal law enforcement bodies on potential financial leads.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Brian Nelson, James Lee, ” Nelson, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Biden, Yellen, Nelson, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Monday, Treasury Department, Treasury, Network, Foreign Assets Control, of Intelligence, US Treasury Department, Strike Force, Department, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN, Mexican, Biden Locations: United States, China, Ukraine, Mexico

One of the people said the Justice Department case accuses Rocha of working to promote the Cuban government’s interests. The Justice Department declined to comment. It was not immediately clear if Rocha had a lawyer and a law firm where he previously worked said it was not representing him. Following his retirement from the State Department, Rocha began a second career in business, serving as the president of a gold mine in the Dominican Republic partly owned by Canada’s Barrick Gold. Foley & Lardner said Rocha left the law firm in August.

Persons: —, Manuel Rocha, Rocha, Fidel Castro’s, Evo Morales, “, ″ Rocha, Morales, Rocha’s, ” Rocha, Karla Wittkop Rocha, ”, Canada’s Barrick, he’s, Foley, Lardner, ” Dario Alvarez, ____ Tucker Organizations: MIAMI, Associated Press, Justice Department, AP, Democratic, Republican, Yale, Harvard, Georgetown, Bolivian, National Security Council, State Department, Canada’s, Clover Leaf, Llorente, Cuenca’s Locations: American, Bolivia, Miami, Cuban, America, Cuba, U.S, Colombia, New York City, Argentina, Washington, United States, Italy, Honduras, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Pennsylvania, Spanish, Cuenca, “, Investigative@ap.org

☆ At Core of Purdue Pharma Case: Who Can Get Immunity in Settlements?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Abbie Vansickle | More About Abbie Vansickle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For years, Purdue Pharma, the maker of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, had been entangled in lawsuits seeking to hold it to account for its role in the spiraling opioid crisis. A pathbreaking settlement reached last year appeared to signal the end to thousands of those cases, funneling billions of dollars toward fighting the epidemic in exchange for exempting members of the billionaire Sackler family, which once controlled the company, from civil lawsuits. But on Monday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether the agreement is a violation of federal law in a case that could have ramifications not just for Purdue but also for organizations that turn to bankruptcy court, as the company did, to resolve claims of mass injury. “There’s huge implications for all of corporate bankruptcy,” said Anthony J. Casey, a law professor at the University of Chicago. “I think this is probably the most important bankruptcy case before the court in 30, maybe 40 years.”

Persons: Sackler, “, ”, Anthony J, Casey Organizations: Purdue Pharma, Purdue, University of Chicago

☆ The oxycontin-peddling Sackler family has tried to get immunity from civil lawsuits by filing for bankruptcy. That might be illegal.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US Supreme Court will decide whether Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement will stand. Officially referred to as third-party nonconsensual releases, the legal maneuver allows organizations to settle personal injury claims in bankruptcy court instead of civil court. Legal experts say companies are more often relying on bankruptcy court than civil court to settle claims, The New York Times reported. Opponents of the practice say it robs regular people of their day in civil court. The Sacklers' settlement deal did not require the Sacklers themselves to declare bankruptcy, just Purdue Pharma, according to the Times.

Persons: Sackler, — Organizations: Purdue, Service, Purdue Pharma, Reuters, The New York Times, Times

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three senior members of a super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis left the group on Saturday, the latest sign of instability within the 2024 hopeful's political operation just six weeks before the Iowa Republican caucuses. Longtime DeSantis ally Scott Wagner, who had been a member of the group's board, was named interim CEO and board chairman. DeSantis' campaign has relied heavily on Never Back Down for basic campaign functions, though the two sides cannot directly coordinate under federal campaign finance rules. Never Back Down has more staff working in Iowa, more than two dozen, than any campaign or super PAC and have been organizing ahead of the precinct-level caucuses since June.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Kristin Davison, Chris Jankowski, Erin Perrine, Matt Palmisano, Scott Wagner, Donald Trump's, Nikki Haley, DeSantis, Jankowski, Adam Laxalt, DeSantis ’, Jeff Roe, Texas Sen, Ted Cruz, Glenn Youngkin, Perrine, Matt Wolking, Jessica Syzmanski, Roe, David Polyansky, Polyansky, Casey, “ Scott Wagner, Trump, Ron DeSanctimonious, ”, ___ Peoples, Meg Kinnard, Michelle L, Price Organizations: DES, Florida Gov, Iowa Republican, Saturday, Politico, United Nations, Former Nevada, Republican, Texas, Virginia Gov, PAC, Florida, Gov, ___, Associated Press Locations: DES MOINES, Iowa, United States, New York, Columbia , South Carolina, Des Moines , Iowa

☆ A Democratic congressman convicted of tax evasion, bribery, and 8 other criminal charges was the last House member expelled before George Santos
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

GOP Rep. George Santos of New York was expelled from Congress on Friday. The last congressmen who was expelled was Democratic Rep. James Traficant of Ohio in 2002. AdvertisementNew York Rep. George Santos was expelled from Congress on Friday after House members voted 311-114 to remove the scandal-ridden GOP congressman from his seat. AdvertisementInstead, Santos was removed after a damning House Ethics Committee report said there was "substantial evidence" that he violated federal laws. "Every member expelled in the history of this institution has been convicted of crimes or confederate turncoats guilty of treason.

Persons: George Santos, He's, James Traficant of, —, Santos, turncoats, James A, Traficant Jr, Gary A . Condit, Traficant Organizations: Democratic Rep, Service, New York Rep, Democrat, Federal Bureau of Prisons, CNN Locations: George Santos of New York, James Traficant of Ohio, Ohio, Gary A . Condit of California

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's decades-old aggravated prostitution statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday after an investigation, warning that the state could face a lawsuit if officials don't immediately cease enforcement. LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates have long criticized the measure as discriminatory, making it almost impossible to find housing and employment due to the restrictions for violent sex offenders. The DOJ letter details several of the struggles of those with aggravated prostitution convictions. A lifetime sex offender registration can stop people from visiting with their grandchildren, revoke job offers, and severely limit housing options. Plaintiffs who had filed a lawsuit seeking to block the aggravated prostitution law in October said the DOJ's letter only further supports their efforts.

Persons: —, ”, Bill Lee, “, Kristen Clarke, Jonathan Skrmetti, David Rausch, Steven Mulroy, it's, Mulroy, ” Brandon James Smith, Skrmetti, “ OUTMemphis, Molly Quinn, OUTMemphis, Adrian Sainz Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, American Civil Liberties Union, Transgender Law Center, Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, of, DOJ, Associated Press Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, United States, Shelby County, Memphis, Memphis , Tennessee

After months of congressional hand-wringing, Mr. Santos finally met his demise on Friday, after Republicans and Democrats each offered separate expulsion resolutions. The resulting debate on the House floor on Thursday captured the absurdity and unseemliness of Mr. Santos’s scandals. Mr. Santos is only the sixth member of the House to be expelled in the body’s history. Mr. Santos must still contend with the federal indictment in which prosecutors have accused him of multiple criminal schemes. (That company, Harbor City Capital, has been accused of operating a Ponzi scheme by the Securities and Exchange Commission, though Mr. Santos has not been implicated.)

Persons: George Santos, Santos, Mr, “ George Santos, ”, Anthony D’Esposito, Santos’s, Mike Johnson of, Kevin McCarthy of California, Kathy Hochul, Thomas R, Suozzi, Goldman Sachs, Nancy Marks, Marks, Nicholas Fandos Organizations: New York Republican, Queens, Republican, Republicans, World Trade, House, Local, Democratic, New York Times, Baruch College, Citigroup, World Trade Center, Devolder Organization, Harbor, Harbor City Capital, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: Orlando, Long Island, New York, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Nassau County, Queens, New York City, Orlando ., Florida, Harbor City, United States

The jury ruled last week that the egg producers used various means to limit the domestic supply of eggs to increase the price of products during the 2000s. The damages verdict was reached Friday in the Northern District of Illinois. According to federal antitrust law, the damages are automatically tripled, bringing the total to over $53 million. Court documents on the verdict were not readily available Friday evening, but statements from the manufacturers' attorney and one of the egg producers confirmed a total of about $17.7 million. Email messages sent to the United Egg Producers and United States Egg Marketers representatives were not immediately returned Friday.

Persons: —, ” Brandon Fox, John Rust, Rust, General Mills, “ Rose Acre, ” “, Jim Banks, ”, Banks, ” Rust, Donald Trump, Republican Mike Braun Organizations: INDIANAPOLIS, —, U.S, Northern District of Illinois, U.S . Senate, Kraft Foods Global, Inc, Kellogg Company, General, Nestle USA, Maine Foods, United Egg Producers, United, United States Egg, Rust ., Cal, Company, Rep, “, Hoosiers, Indiana’s, State, Republican, GOP, Indiana Republican Party Locations: Illinois, Northern District, Indiana, Cal, United States, Acre, U.S, ” “ Cal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. George Santos of New York is facing a critical vote to expel him from the House on Friday as lawmakers weigh whether his actions, fabrications and alleged lawbreaking warrant the chamber's most severe punishment. “I will not stand by quietly,” Santos declared on the House floor Thursday as lawmakers debated his removal. But some Republicans, including Santos' colleagues from New York, said voters will welcome lawmakers being held to a higher standard. In early March, the House Ethics Committee announced it was launching an investigation into Santos. ___Follow the AP's coverage of U.S. Rep. George Santos of New York at https://apnews.com/hub/george-santos.

Persons: — Rep, George Santos, Santos, “, ” Santos, Mike Johnson, ”, Anthony D’Esposito, Clay Higgins, Higgins, Susan Wild, brazenly, ” Wild, “ Mr, Hakeem Jeffries, Marjorie Taylor Greene, “ George Santos, ” Jeffries, Farnoush Amiri, george, santos Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Third, Union, Republican, Republicans, Wall, Eastern, of New York, Prosecutors, Justice Department, Federal, Commission, Democratic, New York, Associated Press, U.S . Rep Locations: George Santos of New York, New York, Santos, U.S, lawbreaking, New, Georgia

☆ Trump doesn’t have presidential immunity from lawsuits over January 6, appeals court rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Katelyn | Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —Former President Donald Trump isn’t immune from being held accountable in civil lawsuits related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot in a long-awaited, consequential decision from the federal appeals court in Washington, DC. The decision arises out of lawsuits brought by Capitol Police officers and Democrats in Congress. The district court did find that Trump was protected by presidential immunity from the claim that he failed to stop to the riot, saying that he would be acting in his official presidential powers in that instance. Trump still will be able to contest the facts of the case as the lawsuits move forward. The appeals court said Trump also may be able to make more arguments around immunity before the January 6 lawsuits move into extensive evidence-gathering phases.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sri Srinivasan, “, Greg Katsas, Judith Rogers, Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, Capitol, Trump, Capitol Police, Congress, DC, Appeals, Democratic House Locations: Washington ,, Washington, DC

☆ Penguin Random House, Authors Sue Iowa Officials Over School Book Ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kim Reynolds, seen with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, signed a state law earlier this year that bans books in school libraries or classrooms that depict or describe sex acts. Photo: rachel mummey/ReutersPenguin Random House has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block school book banning in Iowa, the latest effort by publishers, authors and teachers to counter the removal of works from school classrooms and libraries. The legal action, filed Thursday in federal district court in the Southern District of Iowa, was prompted by a state law passed earlier this year that bans books in school libraries or classrooms that depict or describe sex acts. The law also bans books that address gender identity or sexual orientation for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Persons: Kim Reynolds, Ron DeSantis, rachel mummey Organizations: Iowa Gov, Florida Gov, Random, Southern District of Locations: Iowa, Southern District, Southern District of Iowa

Struggling to energize his campaign, DeSantis this week privately encouraged his donor network to support a newly formed super PAC that's taking over advertising responsibilities. The super PAC has also paid for the bulk of his TV ads and almost all of his organizing. On Aug. 8, the DeSantis campaign announced a staff shakeup, replacing its campaign manager and hiring Polyansky from the super PAC to serve as deputy campaign manager. Polyansky is an Iowa campaign veteran who has worked on several presidential campaigns in the state. DeSantis spokesman Andrew Romeo said it was “totally false” to assert that DeSantis coordinated any campaign strategy with the super PAC.

Persons: scrappy, Koch, Trump, “, ”, Bob Vander Plaats, DeSantis, Jasper County —, David Polyansky, Polyansky, Andrew Romeo, James Uthmeier, Right's, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, ” Uthmeier, ” Haley, Haley, Nachama Soloveichik, Emily Seidel, Drew Klein, ___ Peoples Organizations: DeSantis, Republican, Supreme, GOP, PAC, The Associated Press, “, Iowa Caucus, WIN, ”, Trump, Haley, SFA Fund, Haley SFA, Prosperity, ___ Locations: Iowa, U.S, Jasper, Washington, ” Ports, New Hampshire, South Carolina, New York, Meredith , New Hampshire

[1/2] Migrants, most from Venezuela, stand near razor wire while surrendering to authorities after wading across the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 30 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday rejected a bid by Texas to block federal immigration authorities from destroying razor wire fencing that the state placed along the border with Mexico to deter illegal border crossings. Moses denied the state's motion to block federal officials from destroying the wire fencing pending the outcome of the state's lawsuit filed in October. The judge last month had ordered the federal government to temporarily refrain from cutting or removing the razor wire while she considered the state's motion. A federal judge at the Biden administration's request in September ordered the 1,000-foot (305-meter) barrier removed, but an appeals court allowed it to remain in place temporarily while Paxton's office pursues an appeal.

Persons: Adrees Latif, Alia Moses, Biden, Moses, Ken Paxton, “, ” Paxton, Greg Abbott, Daniel Wiessner, Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department of Justice, Republican, Texas National Guard, Lone Star, Republican Texas, Customs, Border Protection, Biden, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Rio Grande, United States, Mexico, Eagle Pass , Texas, U.S, Texas, Del Rio , Texas, Rio, Albany , New York

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted a Las Vegas man arrested last month on suspicion of making antisemitic threats against U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen and her family, along with the family of another U.S. senator, according to court records. Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, is Jewish and has maintained a vocal pro-Israel stance, including support for U.S. aid to Israel. Miller is also accused of threatening the family of another unnamed U.S. senator, according to court records. “Senator Rosen trusts the U.S. Attorney’s office and federal law enforcement to handle this matter.”Miller's trial is scheduled for January, and he is currently in custody.

Persons: Jacky Rosen, Rosen, John Miller, Miller, Biden, ” Organizations: LAS VEGAS, —, U.S, Democrat, Associated Press, Defamation Locations: Las Vegas, Nevada, Israel

NEW YORK (AP) — Most drivers would pay $15 to enter Manhattan’s central business district under a plan released by New York officials Thursday. Officials say that in addition to funding needed transit improvements, congestion pricing will result in improved air quality and reduced traffic. Opponents include taxi drivers, who had pushed for a full exemption. Phil Murphy criticized the traffic mobility board's proposal after some news organizations reported on it Wednesday ahead of its official release. The MTA board will vote on the plan after a series of public hearings scheduled for February 2024.

Persons: ” Carl Weisbrod, Bhairavi Desai, Phil Murphy, George Washington, Murphy Organizations: New, Revenue, Traffic, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Government, MTA, New York City Taxi Workers Alliance, ” New, ” New Jersey Gov, George Washington Bridge Locations: New Jersey, United States, Manhattan, London, Stockholm, New York City, U.S, New York, ”, ” New Jersey

As the House of Representatives opened the floor on Thursday to debate the fate of George Santos, Republican of New York, the arguments over whether to expel him took an immediate and indecorous turn. Mr. Santos’s use of Botox was invoked several times, even by those defending him. His detractors pointed to falsified ties to the Holocaust and to his claims, contradicted by paperwork, that his mother was at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. The final speaker calling to expel Mr. Santos concluded with the briefest of remarks: “You, sir, are a crook.”The dramatic floor debate was, perhaps, a fitting culmination to a political career that has been defined by spectacle, scandal and lies. All that could come to an end on Friday, when the House is scheduled to vote on a resolution to expel Mr. Santos, 35, following the release of a damning and detailed report from the House Ethics Committee that found “substantial evidence” that he had violated federal law.

Persons: George Santos, Botox, Mr, Santos, “ Organizations: Republican, World Trade Locations: New York

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