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Baldwin, who is also a producer on the film, was charged with two counts of manslaughter in the death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Though Baldwin's manslaughter case has been dropped, the actor still faces other legal woes as a result of the accidental shooting. In early February, Hutchins' parents and sister filed a lawsuit against Baldwin, "Rust" producers and other crew members, accusing them of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other charges. Halls' hearing was the first to be conducted under the supervision of special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis. In her place, she appointed Morrissey and Lewis as special prosecutors.

April 19 (Reuters) - Fox News on Tuesday disposed of one legal threat with its $787.5 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, but the network still faces a $2.7 billion lawsuit from another voting technology company, Smartmatic USA, over its coverage of debunked election-rigging claims. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File PhotoSmartmatic is seeking $2.7 billion in damages from Fox and five individuals, including former Trump lawyers and hosts. Smartmatic alleges in its lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court that the defendants knowingly spread false claims that its software was used to flip votes. Conspiracy theorists erroneously claimed Smartmatic owned Dominion, and the companies mounted similar allegations in their lawsuits. Fox denies the allegations, saying in a recent statement the network had a right to report on highly newsworthy allegations of voter fraud.

☆ Supreme Court says Turkey-owned Halkbank not immune from prosecution for Iran sanctions violations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Halkbank, which is owned by the government of Turkey, is not immune from prosecution in New York federal court for allegedly violating U.S. economic sanctions on Iran. The indictment alleges that high-ranking Turkish and Iranian government officials participated in the sanctions evasion scheme with Halkbank and its officers. However, the Supreme Court told the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a request by Halkbank to toss out the prosecution based on an argument of common-law immunity. The Supreme Court previously recognized that a civil lawsuit not governed by the FSIA law may still be barred under by foreign sovereign immunity under so-called common law. The U.S. government has argued that the bar would not apply to criminal prosecution of a commercial entity such as Halkbank.

Dominion accused Fox and its parent company Fox Corp (FOXA.O) of ruining its business by airing claims that its machines were used to rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election in favor of Democrat Joe Biden and against then-president Donald Trump, a Republican. Smartmatic alleges in its lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court that the defendants knowingly spread false claims that its software was used to flip votes. Conspiracy theorists erroneously claimed Smartmatic owned Dominion, and the companies mounted similar allegations in their lawsuits. Fox denies the allegations, saying in a recent statement the network had a right to report on highly newsworthy allegations of voter fraud. Fox has said the allegations are “baseless” and were immediately investigated by outside lawyers.

☆ Fox News is about to enter the true No Spin Zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Good progress was made and the presiding judge noted that there were “more than enough jurors” to start the trial as scheduled on Monday. I’ve watched thousands and thousands of hours of the right-wing channel’s programming. Fox News is about to enter the true No Spin Zone, where deception is strictly prohibited. The case hasn’t even started and the presiding judge has already lost his patience with Fox’s legal team and put them on notice. But if they play out like the last few weeks of court have, Fox News is in for a brutal ride.

Mehta pressed him, for example, on if being dominant in search means that Google's search engine will improve faster than its competitors. In particular, he said, Google should not have made agreements with Apple that requires that Google be the default search engine. Google argued in court filings that the payments at issue are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business.

Mehta pressed him, for example, on if being dominant in search means that Google's search engine will improve faster than its competitors. Google's Schmidtlein replied: "Offering a superior product, winning business on the merits is never unlawful." Google has argued in court filings that the payments at issue are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business.

Google has argued in court filings that the payments are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. The case is being heard by Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business. A group of states led by Texas also sued on ad tech in 2020 while states led by Utah filed a lawsuit in 2021 saying the company broke antitrust law in handling its play store.

April 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday approved a $75 million settlement between Smithfield Foods Inc and a class of consumers who accused the pork producer of conspiring to restrict supply in order to keep prices artificially high. Pork consumers last year settled with Smithfield rival JBS SA for $20 million. The judge in a separate order on Tuesday awarded nearly $25 million in legal fees to the plaintiffs firms representing the consumer class. The consumer class attorneys said in a court filing in January that they'd spent more than 37,000 hours pursuing antitrust claims over four years. The case is In re Pork Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, No.

☆ Djokovic needs time to adapt after 'ugly' start on clay
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MONTE CARLO, April 12 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic returned to the ATP Tour with an "ugly" straight-sets win over Ivan Gakhov at Monte Carlo and while the world number one has had extended preparation on clay this year he said he needs more time to adapt to the surface. "Throughout my career I needed one, two weeks of tournaments to really start to play the way I want to. It's the case again this year, though I trained for three weeks and felt good playing practice points," Djokovic told reporters. "All these things play a factor in the way you feel on the court. I'm really glad I overcome the first step, because I hope things will be better and easier from this point."

☆ What is a red flag warning? What to know as fire weather conditions affect more parts of the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what to know when you see a red flag warning in your area, and how to protect yourself. Red flag warnings indicate dry, arid weather and strong wind conditions that increase the possibility of dangerous wildfires. One map shared on Twitter by climate reporter Dave Levitan shows the latest range of red flag warnings stretching from New Mexico to Massachusetts. Be careful with cigarettes during a red flag warning. Lastly, the NWS has some basic guidelines to avoid igniting fires during a red flag warning:

☆ World stocks cling to upbeat mood, dollar stalls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Dhara Ranasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

European stocks added 0.5% (.STOXX), U.S. equity futures pointed to a positive Wall Street open , and Japan's blue-chip Nikkei rallied over 1% (.N225). Markets price in a roughly 70% chance of a May hike, having last week priced such a move as a coin toss. Traders still price in rate cuts by year-end as the economic growth outlook weakens, exacerbated by banking turmoil. U.S. March inflation data on Wednesday could provide the next steer for markets on the rate outlook. U.S. Treasury yields edged down on Tuesday, however, , with rate sensitive two-year yields 4 bps lower at 3.96%.

☆ World stocks hold on to upbeat mood, dollar stalls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Dhara Ranasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

European stock markets opened broadly firmer (.STOXX), U.S. stock futures pointed to a positive open for Wall Street shares , and Japan's blue-chip Nikkei rallied over 1% (.N225). Friday's non-farm payrolls suggested labour markets remain resilient, boosting expectations for a 25 basis point (bps) U.S. rate increase in May. NEW BOJ CHIEFIn Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.57%, while MSCI's world stock index was up 0.3% (.MIWD00000PUS). U.S. Treasury yields edged down in European trade , with rate sensitive two-year yields last down 3 bps at 3.96%. Brent crude futures rose 61 cents, or 0.74%, to $84.81 a barrel, while U.S. WTI futures gained 68 cents, or 0.83%, to $80.41 a barrel.

☆ Dollar pauses after strong gains on hawkish Fed bets; bitcoin hits $30,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Leading cryptocurrency bitcoin briefly touched $30,000 for the first time since June. The U.S. dollar index - which measures the greenback against six major counterparts, including the yen - slipped 0.06% in early Asian trading, following a 0.39% advance at the start of the week. The consumer price index (CPI), due on Wednesday, will be the next major clue for Fed policy direction. The dollar index dropped to a two-month low of 101.40 on Wednesday. Bitcoin touched a fresh 10-month high at $30,000 in early Tuesday trade before last fetching $29,787, after breaking free of recent ranges on Monday.

Companies Johnson & Johnson FollowApril 10 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's renewed effort to resolve talc lawsuits through an $8.9 billion bankruptcy settlement must be dismissed as a "fraudulent scheme" that defies a court order rejecting the company's previous attempt to settle the litigation, according to a court filing from lawyers representing cancer victims. Circuit Court of Appeals that it was not in sufficient "financial distress" to qualify for bankruptcy. J&J maintains that its talc products are safe and do not cause cancer. J&J did not provide an estimate of the total number of talc claims it faces when asked. That's especially true for J&J talc cases, because LTL's first bankruptcy stopped new lawsuits from being filed after October 2021, he said.

☆ Stock futures rise slightly ahead of key inflation data and the kickoff of earnings season: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S equity futures rose slightly Sunday evening as investors looked ahead to key inflation data and the start of first-quarter earnings season. Futures tied to the broad market S&P 500 rose 0.2% and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures edged up 62 points, or 0.2%. The market was volatile as economic data showed signs of a weakening labor market. The March jobs report on Friday showed a resilient economy and moderate inflation, however, which pushed stock futures and Treasury yields higher. "It's still probably a toss-up as to whether the Fed hikes by another 25 basis points at its next meeting and stands pat; the next set of inflation data will probably be the deciding factor."

☆ Asian stocks slide, bond yields depressed as recession worries weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Asia-wide index had surged more than 5% since mid-March to close at a 1 1/2-month high on Tuesday. E-mini futures for the broader S&P 500 indicated a 0.24% decline at the reopen, extending Wednesday's 0.25% slide. As signs have built this week for a sharp U.S. slowdown, traders have been pricing for a more dovish Fed. That helped the yen, which is highly sensitive to U.S. yields, gain against fellow safe haven the greenback. The dollar index rose 0.12% to 101.99, continuing its bounce from a two-month low.

☆ Mountain Valley Pipeline's West Virginia water permit tossed by court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Circuit Court of Appeals found several defects in the review the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection conducted before issuing the permit. They told the court the agency ignored Equitrans' history of violating state water regulations when it issued the permit under the Clean Water Act. A spokesperson for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection said they're reviewing the decision. The permit is one of the last remaining hurdles for the multi-billion dollar project, which would carry natural gas between West Virginia and Virginia. For West Virginia: Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Michael Williams and Lindsay See of the state attorney general’s office and Jason Wandling of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

There are uncertainties," Boston Fed President Susan Collins said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Friday. Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin struck a similar note last week. "When you raise rates there's always the risk of the economy softening faster than it might have otherwise. "People will continue to spend as long as they get paid," said Yelena Shulyatyeva, senior U.S. economist with BNP Paribas. It will, but only at the point at which they stop getting paid" because of a slowing economy and rising unemployment.

Niche cryptocurrency dogecoin spiked more than 30% on Monday after Twitter CEO Elon Musk replaced the blue bird on his company's website with an image of a shiba inu, the digital coin's logo. After the Twitter logo was altered to a shiba inu image, Musk shared a meme about the change to his 133.5 million followers on Twitter. But Musk's public endorsement of the coin goes further than social media messages. In January 2022, when Musk announced on Twitter that dogecoin payments were live, the cryptocurrency jumped as much as 15%. "We have not sold any of our dogecoin," Musk said on an earnings call last year.

☆ Dogecoin soars 20% after the token's Shiba Inu mascot replaces Twitter's bird logo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Dogecoin jumped 20% on Monday after Twitter users noticed the token's Shiba Inu mascot on Twitter's website. Elon Musk, who's regularly pumped the meme coin, also brushed off a lawsuit related to the token. Musk's lawyers defended his "silly" tweets about the coin, asking a judge to toss a $258 billion suit. The jump occurred as Twitter users noticed Dogecoin's distinctive Shiba Inu logo had replaced the bird icon on Twitter's website, per Decrypt's report. The coin's valued peaked around $0.74 in mid-2021, but has since spiked periodically, often on comments from Musk.

☆ Uber drivers say loud friends, leaving crumbs on seats, and loading the car with bags might be why I don't have a perfect 5-star rider rating
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Four Uber drivers revealed why some passengers have lower ratings than they expected. Loading cars with bags and making drivers wait could also bring ratings down. An Uber driver previously told Insider that people with ratings of between about 4.7 and 4.79 were decent riders, but had "questionable history." Uber drivers have to wait two minutes until they start receiving payment for a ride. Uber introduced the in-app tipping feature in July 2017, allowing passengers to tip drivers after each trip.

☆ Banking turmoil means recession fears are creeping back
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here's what some closely watched market indicators say about recession risks:1/ CRUNCH TIME? Central bankers are closely monitoring the potential for banking stress, on top of lending conditions that were already tightening, to trigger a credit crunch. European Central Bank boss Christine Lagarde has also said the market turmoil may help fight inflation. Reuters Graphics3/ BANK STOCK ROUTWorld shares down just 0.1% in March and still sitting on gains this year seem to signal little recession risk, but worries are mounting under the surface. Global bank stocks, which had outperformed the MSCI World Stock Index before the turmoil, are down nearly 15% this month (.dMIWO0BK00PUS).

However, the trade’s recent track record with March corn acres suggests the possibility of a big miss on corn should stay on the table. On average, analysts peg 2023 U.S. corn plantings at 90.88 million acres and soybeans at 88.24 million acres, up 2.6% and 0.9%, respectively, from last year. The five-year average range is 4.5 million acres, including 6.2 million last year and 5.5 million in 2021. USDA’s Outlook Forum last month tentatively pegged 2023 U.S. corn and soy acres at 91 million and 87.5 million, respectively, combining for 178.5 million. USDA’s wheat area would be a seven-year high and up more than 8% from last year, the biggest year-on-year rise in wheat plantings since 1996.

☆ Mike Pence must testify before grand jury investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge ruled that Pence must provide testimony in the federal investigation into January 6. A federal grand jury is investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in January 6. Trump had similarly invoked executive privilege, but a federal judge dismissed his claims. Smith had subpoenaed Pence for testimony and documents related to the probe in February. As vice president, Pence played a mostly ceremonial role overseeing the certification of the 2020 election results as Congress met on January 6.

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