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☆ Taylor Swift didn't sign $100 million FTX sponsorship because she was the only one to ask about unregistered securities, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Taylor Swift pulled out of a $100 million sponsorship deal with Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX. The lawyer suing other celebrities for promoting FTX says she was the only one to ask about unregistered securities. Taylor Swift managed to avoid signing a $100 million sponsorship deal with FTX because she was reportedly the only celebrity to question the crypto exchange, according to the lawyer handling a class-action lawsuit against several FTX promoters. "The one person I found that did that was Taylor Swift," Moskowitz told The Scoop's Frank Chaparro. "In our discovery, Taylor Swift actually asked them: 'Can you tell me that these are not unregistered securities?'"

☆ Fugees star says money from Malaysian financier was for Obama photo, not campaign donation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | 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

Michel faces criminal conspiracy, foreign lobbying and campaign finance charges for allegedly plotting with Low to attempt to influence the administrations of Obama and former President Donald Trump. Michel said he used some of the funds for three friends to attend $40,000-a-plate fundraisers for Obama. "When you received the money from Jho Low, you used it to make political contributions," federal prosecutor John Keller said in a Washington court. "Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how I spent the money because it's my money." Michel is accused of involvement with Low in three schemes, for which prosecutors say he was paid millions of dollars.

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - A 21-year-old member of the U.S. Air National Guard who is facing criminal charges for leaking top-secret military intelligence records online will remain in jail for now, according to court filings. It remains to be seen whether Teixeira will opt to challenge the government's detention request or not. Teixeira appeared very briefly in court on Wednesday, wearing an orange jumpsuit, where the judge accepted his request to waive his right to a preliminary hearing. Legal experts expect he will likely face more charges down the road as additional evidence is presented over time to a grand jury. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WWE taps Fanatics to sell merchandise at live events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That means Fanatics will now operate all of the on-site retail at the WWE's more than 300 events throughout the year, including its premier live events like WrestleMania and the Royale Rumble. Fanatics became WWE's global e-commerce partner in 2022, a deal that later grew to include licensed merchandise, memorabilia, trading cards and collectibles. WWE has seen its live-event merchandise business grow as the company has returned to a fuller slate of events and shows as the pandemic has waned. In 2022, WWE reported that it had $23.8 million in venue merchandise revenue across 231 live events in 2022, up from $10.1 million the previous year when the company only had 101 live events. Fanatics' existing relationships across sports could also further benefit WWE, Varga said.

☆ Opinion: How Sudan went from revolution to civil war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Justin Lynch | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Four years ago, almost to the day, the people of Sudan were celebrating a revolution after overthrowing longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. On one side are the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. On the other side are the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti. Hamdok found that the legacy of 30 years of dictatorship meant that Sudan’s political and economic models were dilapidated. The lesson from Sudan is that a revolution is only the start of change, not the end.

☆ Amazon's worker safety hazards come under fire from regulators and the DOJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In 2021, Amazon's injury rate was almost 1.5 times the industry average. Jennifer Crane works through pain at an Amazon warehouse in St. Peters, Missouri, after hurting her wrist in October. Amazon worker Jennifer Crane at her house outside St. Louis, Missouri, in 2022. OSHA also cited Amazon for 14 record-keeping violations, finding that the company failed to properly report worker injuries and illnesses. If you're rushing, you're going to make mistakes and someone's going to get hurt."

That makes the business less than half the size of Bank of America Corp's (BAC.N) Merrill Wealth Management arm, the $18-billion behemoth Sieg ran until he left last month. Another challenge is that Citi has historically been undersized and a bit of a laggard in the space...especially in the wealth business where it’s all about existing relationships." In some ways, Citigroup is playing catchup after selling its old wealth business, Smith Barney, a decade ago to Morgan Stanley, which then leaned heavily into wealth management. That bet paid off - Morgan Stanley's wealth unit, led by Andy Saperstein, brought in record revenue last year. Two years ago, Citigroup unified its various wealth businesses into a single organization led by Jim O'Donnell that included its private bank and personal wealth division.

BOSTON, April 14 (Reuters) - A 21-year-old member of the U.S. Air Force National Guard suspected of leaking highly classified military intelligence records online will make his initial appearance before a federal judge in Boston on Friday. Jack Douglas Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was arrested by the FBI at his home on Thursday without incident. Anyone convicted of willfully transmitting national defense information can face up to 10 years in prison. Reuters has reviewed more than 50 of the documents, labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret," but has not independently verified their authenticity. The U.S. is still fighting to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from London to face criminal charges in connection with the 2010 leak.

☆ BlackRock is open to a major deal. Here's where it could look to expand as the banking crisis emboldens the world's largest money manager.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The banking crisis that unfolded last month has created opportunities for BlackRock. The potential for a "transformational" deal would expand the world's largest money manager. The banking crisis that unfolded last month with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has emboldened BlackRock, the world's largest money manager with some $9 trillion of assets. The Financial Times reported last December that BlackRock had "discussed whether to pursue a takeover of private markets manager Carlyle but decided against it," citing three people with knowledge of those discussions. "We are asking ourselves to reimagine BlackRock," Fink said on Friday.

☆ U.S. arrests Jack Teixeira in connection with classified defense information leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - The United States arrested Air National Guard employee Jack Teixeira on Thursday in connection with transmission of classified defense information, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said. "FBI agents took Teixeira into custody earlier this afternoon without incident," Garland said at a brief statement at the Justice Department. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Doina ChiacuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - The FBI on Thursday arrested an employee of the U.S. Air Force National Guard over the leaks online of classified U.S. documents that embarrassed Washington with allies around the world. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI arrested the man, Jack Teixeira, "in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information." The FBI said its agents had made an arrest and were conducting "authorized law enforcement activity at a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts." The leaks were a "deliberate, criminal act," the Pentagon said. President Joe Biden earlier on Thursday said investigators were closing in on the source of the online leaks in what is believed to be the most serious security breach in years.

Reuters has reviewed more than 50 of the documents, labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret" but has not independently verified their authenticity. This could help investigators focus their effort, though many people could have had access to these documents. Some images also depict printouts of documents with time stamps at the top right corners showing when they were printed. One of the leaked documents rests on a table and in the right corner of the picture is what appears to be a bottle of Gorilla super glue. U.S. officials told Reuters on Sunday that they have not ruled out the possibility that the documents may have been doctored.

☆ Proud Boy tells jury he had no plan to attack U.S. Capitol before Jan. 6
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | 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: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - A former leader of the far-right Proud Boys testified to a jury on Wednesday that he had no plan to attack the U.S. Capitol before he entered it with hundreds of Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, attempting to overturn his election defeat. "Never did it cross my mind ever to attack the Capitol," Rehl said on Wednesday. A second member of the Proud Boys, Dominic Pezzola, is also expected to testify in his own defense before the trial concludes. Prosecutors allege that Tarrio, Rehl, Nordean and Biggs were part of group called the Ministry of Self Defense, which allegedly helped mobilize the Proud Boys to travel to Washington. Answering questions from his lawyer, Rehl was careful in how he described his decision to enter the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Deal Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (256GB) Amazon’s $200 deal on the Galaxy S23 Ultra is an all-time low price for Samsung’s most powerful smartphone to date. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Performance and battery lifeBoth the Galaxy S23 Plus (left) and Galaxy S23 Ultra (right) have the same performance, but the Galaxy S23 Plus surprisingly has better battery life. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: CamerasOne of the Galaxy S23 Ultra's main differentiating factors is its camera system. Galaxy S23 Plus Galaxy S23 Ultra 256GB $999.99 $1,199.99 512GB $1,119.99 $1,379.99 1TB N/A $1,619.99To be sure, Samsung and carriers (especially carriers) offer tempting trade-in deals for your old phone to offset the cost of a new Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which should you buy?

April 11 (Reuters) - Mark Shafir, one of Citigroup Inc's (C.N) top dealmakers, is retiring after a career spanning over three decades during which he advised some of the world's largest corporations on several landmark deals. Shafir, who has led Citi's global mergers and acquisitions unit since joining the bank in 2008, will stay on till mid-May to help with the transition, according to an internal memo sent on Tuesday by Tyler Dickson and Manuel Falco, Citi's global co-heads of banking, capital Markets and advisory. Cary Kochman, who has served as co-head of global M&A at Citi alongside Shafir since 2017, will continue to lead the franchise. "(Mark) has been one of the lead drivers of our M&A business and has played a central role developing the franchise, which grew significantly under his leadership," Dickson and Falco said in the memo. Shafir was instrumental in shaping Citi's M&A franchise during his tenure and advised on several landmark transactions.

☆ How two of North America's richest families came together to fortify Greg Fleming's Rockefeller Capital Management
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A firm owned by one of Canada's richest clans has invested $622 million in wealth firm Rockefeller. Two of North America's richest families have partnered up to invest in wealth management powerhouse Rockefeller Capital Management. The Desmarais family invested $622 million through the Power Corporation of Canada, the financial services conglomerate the family controls, for a 20.5% stake in Rockefeller Capital Management. Paul's son and deputy chairman of Power Corp., Andre Desmarais considered the late David Rockefeller Sr. as a mentor. Courtesy of Rockefeller Capital ManagementThe Desmarais family has worked with Rockefeller on big dealsRockefeller chief executive Fleming also has a two-decade-long relationship with the Desmarais clan.

☆ Scoot Henderson on being a projected top pick in the 2023 NBA draft and his endorsement deal with Puma
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( John Lynch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Scoot Henderson is projected to be one of the top draft picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. So, you know, I'm just blessed that I came here and made the right decision. So I knew it was gonna be pretty tough, and I knew I was gonna really develop from it at a high level. And, uh, like I said, like I'm gonna keep saying, I'm blessed that I came here. And Puma, they gave me that confidence that I needed in a group, and in a brand like Puma, man.

☆ A 31-year market vet who called the current bear market says the S&P 500 has another 45% downside as investors remain blind to signs that a recession is hurtling toward the US economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Yet, stock market investors remain bullish, he said. He's been warning of a significant stock market decline since late 2021,"People are ignoring all the lessons of history," Wolfenbarger told Insider on Friday. His bearish outlook stems from how high stock valuations are relative to 10-year Treasury yields. Wolfenbarger also has company in thinking that stock market investors aren't heeding the warnings of a coming downturn. Yet, the stock market doesn't seem to reflect this uncertainty, he said.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 6 (Reuters) - Republicans in control of the Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two Democratic representatives on Thursday for breaking decorum during a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week in the wake of the latest school shooting. The resolution to oust a third Democratic member who stood with them during the protest on the House floor, Gloria Johnson, a white woman, came up one vote short. That protest came four days after a Nashville school shooting killed three 9-year-old children and three school staff members. [1/10] Protesters gather in the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 6, 2023. Johnson, Jones and Pearson have said that taking part in the protest was within their First Amendment rights - the constitutional right to freedom of speech.

Samsung's Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus only differ in size, battery life, and storage options. If you prioritize battery life, though, you should opt for the larger Galaxy S23 Plus. Choosing between the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus can simply boil down to size preference — if you prefer smaller phones, the Galaxy S23 is your champion, and those who prefer larger screens should gravitate toward the Galaxy S23 Plus. Just know to expect longer battery life on larger phones, like the Galaxy S23 Plus. Deal Samsung Galaxy S23 (128GB) Amazon is taking $100 off the Galaxy S23 (2023), the entry model in Samsung's flagship smartphone series.

☆ 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.

☆ Trump, newly charged, urges defunding US Justice Department and FBI
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Rami Ayyub | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But Trump faces two Justice Department criminal investigations led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. "REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS SHOULD DEFUND THE DOJ AND FBI UNTIL THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES," Trump wrote on his social media platform. The FBI, part of the Justice Department, is the U.S. domestic intelligence and security agency. Trump backed spending increases for the Justice Department while serving as president from 2017 to 2021. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Why two of North America's richest families are coming together to fortify Greg Fleming's Rockefeller Capital Management
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A firm owned by one of Canada's richest clans has invested $622 million in wealth firm Rockefeller. Two of North America's richest families have partnered up to invest in wealth management powerhouse Rockefeller Capital Management. The Desmarais family invested $622 million through the Power Corporation of Canada, the financial services conglomerate the family controls, for a 20.5% stake in Rockefeller Capital Management. Paul's son and deputy chairman of Power Corp, Andre Desmarais considered the late David Rockefeller Sr. as a mentor. Courtesy of Rockefeller Capital ManagementThe Desmarais family has worked with Rockefeller on big dealsRockefeller chief executive Fleming also has a two-decade-long relationship with the Desmarais clan.

Sentencing Commission approved new guidelines on Wednesday that will expand federal inmates' ability to qualify for compassionate release from prison. The First Step Act, signed into law by former President Donald Trump in 2018, expanded compassionate release criteria for sick and elderly federal inmates. Requests for compassionate release then surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 7,014 motions filed in fiscal year 2020. The new compassionate release guidelines approved on Wednesday expanded the criteria for what can qualify as "extraordinary and compelling reasons" to grant compassionate release, and it will give judges more discretion to determine when a sentence reduction is warranted. Among the new categories that could make an inmate eligible for compassionate release is if he or she becomes the victim of sexual assault by a corrections officer.

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