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☆ South Korea opposition leader avoids jail after court rejects warrant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lee Jae-myung, leader of South Korea's Democratic Party, speaks at campaign rally PHOTO:while campaigning for the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea March 8, 2022. The Seoul Central District Court ruled against prosecutors who sought Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung's arrest, saying there were insufficient grounds to support their argument that he may try to destroy evidence. Lee welcomed the decision and thanked the court as he walked out of a holding centre soon after the ruling, which came well after midnight. Lee had narrowly lost to conservative Yoon, a career prosecutor, in the presidential election last year. Some members of Lee's party joined the conservative ruling party in voting last week to lift Lee's immunity from arrest as a member of parliament, drawing criticism within the party.

Persons: Lee Jae, myung, Kim Hong, Lee, Han Dong, hoon, Yoon Suk, Yoon, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South Korea's Democratic Party, REUTERS, Rights, Seoul Central, Court, Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, North Korea, Gyeonggi Province, Seongnam

Bottles of prescription painkiller OxyContin made by Purdue Pharma LP sit on a shelf at a local pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S., April 25, 2017. The settlements, which require a judge's approval, were disclosed in papers filed on Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco. The money is on top of $641.5 million that McKinsey already paid to resolve claims by state attorneys-general. McKinsey will pay $207 million to resolve claims by counties and municipalities, and another $23 million to resolve claims by public school districts. Aelish Baig, a lawyer for the local governments, in a statement called the deal "a strong outcome for the communities harmed by this crisis".

Persons: painkiller OxyContin, George Frey, Aelish Baig, McKinsey, Joe Biden's, Purdue Pharma's, Nate Raymond, Miral Organizations: Purdue Pharma, REUTERS, Companies Mckinsey, Company, Consulting, McKinsey, Co, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, U.S, Supreme, Purdue, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, San Francisco, United States, Boston

☆ Arab family of five shot dead as crime rates in Israel soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] People attend a protest against a spike in deadly crime-related violence in Israel's Arab communities after a family of five, including a woman and two teenagers, were shot dead in their home in Basmat Tab'un, northern Israel September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Five members of an Arab family were shot dead in their home in Israel, police said on Wednesday, in the latest in a wave of crime-related killings in Israel's Arab communities that has reached a new peak this year. Arab mayors have accused the government and police of deliberately neglecting their communities and of enabling criminals to act with impunity. "As police, we will do everything to get to the killers," police spokesman Eli Levi told reporters at the scene of Wednesday's crime. Arab citizens, most of whom are descendants of Palestinians who remained in Israel during the mass exodus of refugees in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, make up about a fifth of the country's population.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Basmat Tab'un, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Mansour Abbas, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Netanyahu, Eli Levi, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National, Israel, Jewish, Thomson Locations: Basmat Tab'un, Israel, Basmat

☆ US admits Israel into visa waiver program
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Some Palestinians have protested against Israel's entry into the program, saying Israel for decades has discriminated against Arab Americans and harassed them at its borders. They also must treat all U.S. travelers equally, so Israel must allow free passage for Palestinian Americans at Ben Gurion airport. In a pilot period since July 20, Israel has eased access for Palestinian Americans through its borders and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. According to Israel's Interior Ministry, more than 130,000 Americans entered Israel since the pilot began, including 6,070 Palestinian Americans. Between 45,000 and 60,000 Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, a U.S. official estimated.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ronen, Chris Van Hollen, Alejandro Mayorkas, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, David Shepardson, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Henriette Chacar, Clarence Fernandez, William Maclean, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S, Israeli, White, Consulate, REUTERS, Rights, Visa, Arab, . Four Democratic U.S, Israel, U.S . Homeland, West Bank, Palestinian, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Israel's Interior Ministry, Homeland Security Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Israeli, Tel Aviv, Israel, Washington, United States, Ben Gurion, Croatia, Palestinian Territories, American, Detroit

The New Mexico Supreme Court gave the state district judge overseeing the case until Oct. 6 to come to his conclusions in an order that can be reviewed by the high court. They control every statewide elected office, command majorities in the state House and Senate, and make up the five-member Supreme Court. The Supreme Court did reject a late effort by Gov. The court has yet to decide on another petition that challenges an earlier denial by the state district judge to dismiss as defendants the governor and lieutenant governor. The New Mexico Supreme Court in an opinion issued last week explained its reasoning for allowing the gerrymandering challenge to be heard by the lower court.

Persons: Gabe Vasquez, Yvette Herrell, Kevin McCarthy, Michelle Lujan Grisham's, Lujan Grisham, Vasquez, C, Shannon Bacon Organizations: SANTA FE, Democratic, New Mexico’s, U.S . House, Republican, U.S ., New, New Mexico Supreme, Republican Party, Democrats, Senate, Gov, The New, The New Mexico Supreme Locations: SANTA, U.S, Mexico, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas , Kentucky, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas, Utah, In New Mexico, Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Lovington, New Mexico, Mexico's, The, The New Mexico

☆ Spain's right-wing leader fails in first bid to become prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Spain's right-wing opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo on Wednesday failed to gain the absolute majority of parliamentary votes needed to become prime minister. Feijóo received 172 votes in favor of his mandate in the Wednesday session — four short of the absolute 176 majority needed from the 350-strong parliament. Despite his electoral win over the summer and support from hard right party Vox, Feijóo's Popular Party has so far failed to stitch together the critical support. Should he fail, acting Prime Minister and Spanish Socialist Workers' Party leader Pedro Sanchez has two months to undergo a similar two-vote process in a bid for investiture, before parliament dissolves on Nov. 27 and elections are called on Jan. 14. A potential pardon could bring on the side the support of self-exiled former Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya.

Persons: Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Feijóo, Vox, Feijóo —, Felipe VI, —, Pedro Sanchez, Sanchez, Carles Puigdemont's Junts, Puigdemont, Raquel Sans Organizations: Feijóo's Popular Party, Spanish Socialist Workers ' Party, Popular Party, Reuters, Republican Left Locations: Spanish, Spain, Catalan, Catalonia, Catalunya, Madrid

☆ Arab Family of Five Shot Dead as Crime Rates in Israel Soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Five members of an Arab family were shot dead in their home in Israel, police said on Wednesday, in the latest in a wave of crime-related killings in Israel's Arab communities that has reached a new peak this year. Arab mayors have accused the government and police of deliberately neglecting their communities and of enabling criminals to act with impunity. With Israel facing its worst political crisis in decades, over Netanyahu's drive to push through divisive changes to the judiciary, Arab citizens say the collapse of personal safety in their communities must receive more government attention. "As police, we will do everything to get to the killers," police spokesman Eli Levi told reporters at the scene of Wednesday's crime. Arab citizens, most of whom are descendants of Palestinians who remained in Israel during the mass exodus of refugees in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, make up about a fifth of the country's population.

Persons: Basmat Tab'un, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Mansour Abbas, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Netanyahu, Eli Levi, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie, William Maclean Organizations: National, Israel, Jewish Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Basmat

☆ Israel’s Supreme Court to decide on law that could determine Netanyahu’s fate
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jerusalem CNN —Israel’s Supreme Court is having a busy month hearing challenges to actions by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. On Thursday, arguments will be heard again, this time in front of 11 of the 15 Supreme Court justices. Normally the attorney general would put forward the government’s case in a Supreme Court hearing, but AG Gali Bahrav-Miara will not. The Supreme Court could also declare that the law “is not active right now,” and would only be active once the next parliament takes over. Additionally, the Supreme Court is due to hear a challenge to the justice minister delaying convening the committee to select new Supreme Court justices.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ”, Yariv Levin, Amir Fuchs, ” Fuchs, Fuchs, “, Levin, couldn’t, I’d, – Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Jerusalem CNN — Israel’s, Justice, Israel Democracy Institute’s Center, Democratic, CNN, Gali Locations: Jerusalem, Israel

U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash during a hearing denied a request by Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights for a preliminary injunction blocking Fearless Fund from considering applications for grants only from businesses led by Black women. Blum's group had asked the judge to temporarily block the Fearless Fund's "racially exclusive program" while the court considered the merits of the case. Fearless Fund founders Arian Simone and Ayana Parsons in a joint statement said they were pleased that Thrash rejected Blum's attempt to shut down their grant program. According to the Fearless Fund, businesses owned by Black women in 2022 received less than 1% of the $288 billion that venture capital firms deployed. It also provides grants, and Blum's lawsuit took aim at its Fearless Strivers Grant Contest, which awards Black women who own small businesses $20,000 in grants and other resources to grow their businesses.

Persons: Edward Blum, Thomas, Edward Blum's, Blum, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, Simone, Parsons, JPMorgan Chase, Strivers, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Fair, Harvard University, Supreme, U.S, District, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, Circuit, Appeals, University of North, JPMorgan, Bank of America, MasterCard, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Atlanta, Texas, University of North Carolina, Black, U.S . Civil, Boston

"With its missionary zeal for consumers, Amazon has marched toward monopoly by singing the tune of contemporary antitrust," Khan, then 29, wrote in the Yale Law Journal. Six years later, Khan, who became the FTC's chair in 2021, is leading the agency's antitrust charge against the online retailer. The FTC's lawsuit filed on Tuesday asks a court to consider forcing the company to sell assets to stop what it said was ongoing harm to consumers. Amazon has fought back and rejected the antitrust lawsuit filed on Tuesday. "By contrast, the FTC's 2021 budget topped out at only $351 million, or slightly more than 1% of Amazon's earnings."

Persons: Lina M, Khan, Bill Nelson, Graeme Jennings, Lina Khan, Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, David Shepardson, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Commerce, Science, NASA, Capitol, Rights, Federal Trade, Amazon.com, Amazon, Yale Law, FTC, Apple, Facebook, Google, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Washington

Demonstrators hold placards next to a banner as they attend a protest against the sharing of Cauvery river water with neighbouring Tamil Nadu state, in Bengaluru, India, September 26, 2023. Schools and colleges were shut in the capital of the southern state of Karnataka, home to more than 3,500 tech companies. "I can shed my blood but I don't want to give water to Tamil Nadu," said one protester, Ravi Mallikarjuna. The delay provoked small demonstrations near a railway station in Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery river originates in the Karnataka region of Talakaveri, flowing through Tamil Nadu into the Bay of Bengal.

Persons: Dhanya, Santosh Babu, Ravi Mallikarjuna, Shivakumar, Ramachandra, Rupam Jain, Miral Fahmy, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Inc, Walmart, Police, Farmers, Google, Schools, Supreme, Tamil, Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Thomson Locations: Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru, India, BENGALURU, India's, Karnataka, Farmers, Bengal

☆ Israeli tech firms raised $1.7 bln in Q3 in sign of stabilisation -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israeli high-tech firms raised $1.7 billion in the third quarter, preliminary data showed on Tuesday, in a sign that investment in startups is stabilising. The amount raised in the third quarter was down 38% over the same period in 2022 but only 14% lower from the second quarter, the IVC Research Center and LeumiTech said in a report. Israeli tech companies have raised $5.3 billion so far this year, with $1.9 billion coming in the second quarter. In all of 2022, tech firms raised nearly $16 billion, mainly in the first half before the global economic slowdown, higher interest rates and weak stock markets hit. The Israeli government's plan to overhaul the country's judiciary has also harmed fundraising, with many investors wary and vocal about the country's democratic health.

Persons: LeumiTech, Maya Eisen, Steven Scheer, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: IVC Research, Thomson Locations: Israeli

☆ Supreme Court returns for first private meeting of the term amid even more controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Ariane De Vogue | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The Supreme Court returns to Washington to face a new term and the fresh reality that critics increasingly view the court as a political body. Earlier this year, Roberts declined an invitation to appear before the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss Supreme Court ethics, citing separation of powers concerns. Even if he did believe a formal ethics code is necessary, it’s unclear whether he would need a unanimous vote to move forward. Instead, they say, critics of the court are manufacturing a controversy to delegitimize the institution and staunch the flow of conservative opinions. Last week, she told an audience in Indiana that she thought it would be a “good” idea if the court were to adapt the ethics code used by lower court justices to fit the Supreme Court.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Roe, Wade, John Roberts, Roberts, Joe Biden’s, ”, Justice Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, “, ” Kagan, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, ” Cate Stetson, Hogan Lovells, Dick Durbin, Durbin, recuses, Carrie Severino, Alito, forthrightly, ” Alito, “ I’ve, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Conservative, Cato Institute, Democrat, Judicial, Crisis Network Locations: Washington, Congress, Indiana, Lake Geneva , Wisconsin, Ohio

Those lawsuits accuse all three of violating Section 1981 of the 1866 Civil Rights Act, a law enacted after the Civil War that guarantees all people the same right to make and enforce contracts "as is enjoyed by white citizens." "All of our nation's civil rights laws - including the 1866 Civil Rights Act - enshrine the command that someone's race and ethnicity must never be used to help or harm them in public and private employment and contracting," Blum, who is white, told Reuters in an email. FREE SPEECH ARGUMENTFearless Fund has brought in prominent lawyers to defend it, including civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Alphonso David, who during a news conference called Blum's use of the Civil War-era law "cynical." They argue that the rules for the grants are merely criteria for being eligible for a "discretionary gift" and do not create a "contract" subject to the civil rights law. Blum's group countered that Fearless Fund's argument would ironically undermine the very causes it favors by essentially invalidating Section 1981 and deeming racial discrimination protected by the First Amendment.

Persons: Edward Blum, Morrison, Foerster, Edward Blum's, Thomas, Fearless Fund's, Bill Clinton, Blum, Sarah Hinger, Hinger, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, Blum's, Strivers, Ben Crump, Alphonso David, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Will Dunham Organizations: Fair, Harvard University, Supreme, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, University of North, U.S, District, Democratic, Reuters, American Civil, Racial, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, University of North Carolina, Atlanta, Black, Blum's Texas, Colorado, Boston

☆ Israel says US to announce it has joined Visa Waiver Program
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen speaks during a press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, Greece, July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it expects the United States to announce this week that it will be admitted to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which would allow Israeli citizens visa-free entry to America as of November. "Israel joining the Visa Waiver Program is a diplomatic achievement and good news for all Israeli citizens," said Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. In Israel's case, that would mean free passage for Palestinian Americans at its airports and when travelling into and out of the occupied Palestinian territories. Between 45,000 and 60,000 Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, a U.S. official estimated.

Persons: Eli Cohen, Giorgos Gerapetritis, Louiza, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Israel, Henriette Chacar, Simon Lewis, Caitlin Webber, James Mackenzie, Mark Heinrich, Sonali Paul Organizations: Israel, Greek Foreign, Foreign Ministry, REUTERS, Rights, Visa, Israeli, U.S . State Department, Homeland Security, State, Palestinian, West Bank, U.S, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, United States, America, Israel, U.S, Washington, Palestinian, Croatia

☆ DOJ says Hunter Biden prosecutor David Weiss can testify to House Judiciary Committee in 'near term'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Attorney David Weiss speaks during a press conference on May 3, 2018, at his district office in Wilmington, Del. The Department of Justice said that David Weiss — the special counsel prosecuting Hunter Biden — in the "near term" will be able to testify to the House Judiciary Committee as part of its own probe of the son of President Joe Biden. But the DOJ in a letter Friday to the House panel did not commit to making Weiss available by mid-October, as committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has asked. And it is not clear when Weiss will be allowed to appear by the DOJ. "However, any additional testimony and documents shared at this early juncture must continue to be appropriately limited to protect the ongoing matter and important confidentiality interests."

Persons: David Weiss, David Weiss —, Hunter Biden —, Joe Biden, Weiss, Jim Jordan, Biden, Carlos Uriarte, Uriarte Organizations: The, Justice, DOJ, Department Locations: Wilmington, Del, Ohio

Federal agencies will stop all actions deemed non-essential, and millions of federal employees, including members of the military, won't receive paychecks. A shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass some type of funding legislation that is signed into law by the president. Millions of federal workers face delayed paychecks when the government shuts down, including many of the roughly 2 million military personnel and more than 2 million civilian workers across the nation. Nearly 60% of federal workers are stationed in the Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security departments. Beyond federal workers, a shutdown could have far-reaching effects on government services.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy's, Goldman Sachs, “, General Merrick Garland, Donald Trump, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Trump, Republicans defund, Benjamin Civiletti, Bill Clinton's, Newt Gingrich, isn't, Fatima Hussein, Lindsay Whitehurst, Josh Boak, Lisa Mascaro Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Republican, WHO, Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, Transportation Security, Postal Service, U.S . Travel Industry Association, Lawmakers, U.S . Chamber, Commerce, Republicans, U.S, Democrats, Senate, Associated Locations: shutdowns

☆ The U.S. federal government is headed into a shutdown. What does it mean, who’s hit and what’s next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Persons: Samuel Corum, Kevin McCarthy's, Goldman Sachs, General Merrick Garland, Donald Trump, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Trump, Republicans defund, Benjamin Civiletti, Bill Clinton's, Newt Gingrich Organizations: Getty, Democratic, Republican, Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, Transportation Security, Postal Service, U.S . Travel Industry Association, Lawmakers, U.S . Chamber, Commerce, Republicans, U.S, Democrats Locations: Washington , DC, shutdowns

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Pakistan’s interim prime minister said he expects parliamentary elections to take place in the new year, dismissing the possibility that the country’s powerful military would manipulate the results to ensure that jailed former premier Imran Khan’s party doesn’t win. Kakar resigned as a senator last month after outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raza Riaz chose him as caretaker prime minister to oversee the elections and run the day-to-day affairs until a new government is elected. “The most important player in this dispute is the Kashmir people," Kakar said. “It is neither India or Pakistan,” but the Kashmiri people who "have to decide about their identity" and their future. It’s just a divine blessing.”By law, he can’t contest the elections when he’s interim prime minister, but Kakar said in the future he hopes “to play a constructive political role in my society.”

Persons: —, Imran Khan’s, Haq Kakar, Khan, Kakar, Shehbaz Sharif, Raza Riaz, ”, ” Kakar, Imran Khan, I’m, that’s, — Kakar, Karar, “ Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Associated Press, United Nations, NATO, Taliban, Islamic Locations: Pakistan, Kashmir, India, “, Ukraine, Europe, North America, Afghanistan, Islamic State, Kabul, Pakistan's

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The looming U.S. government shutdown that some hardline Republicans, including Donald Trump, are cheering for could slow one of their other priorities: The recently launched impeachment inquiry of Democratic President Joe Biden. In 2018-2019 shutdown, the White House furloughed 1,100 of 1,800 staff in the Executive Office of the President. House Republicans alleged that the elder Biden benefited from his son's work but have produced no evidence of that. The White House says President Biden has done nothing wrong and that Republicans have no basis for the inquiry. House Republicans say they plan to seek personal and business records for Hunter Biden and James Biden, the president's brother, and to seek testimony from certain officials.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Hunter Biden, McCarthy, " McCarthy, Hunter, Biden, James Biden, Troy Nehls, Darrell Issa, Makini Brice, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell Organizations: Democratic, Republican, White, Fox News, Republicans, Judiciary, Thomson Locations: U.S, House

☆ Menendez Indictment Appears to Undercut Claims of ‘Two-Tiered System’ of Justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Glenn Thrush | More About Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Wednesday, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee repeatedly accused Attorney General Merrick B. Garland of singling out former President Donald J. Trump for selective prosecution, slamming him for what they call a “two-tiered system” of justice. Forty-eight hours later, the Justice Department indicted one of the most powerful Democrats in the Senate — Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee — on bribery charges, making public a trove of evidence, including cash and gold bars stashed at his house. The department’s aggressive pursuit of Mr. Menendez appeared to undercut claims that Mr. Trump is the victim of pervasive political bias that targets leaders on the right while shielding transgressors on the left. The entanglement of electoral politics and law enforcement is becoming the norm, and the prosecution of a top Democrat up for re-election in 2024 has political as well as legal reverberations. And the indictment, brought by federal prosecutors in Manhattan with limited participation from the Justice Department’s national security division in Washington, comes at a politically opportune moment for the besieged department.

Persons: Merrick B, Garland, Donald J, Trump, Bob Menendez, Menendez Organizations: Justice Department, Bob Menendez of New, Foreign Relations, Justice Department’s Locations: House, Bob Menendez of, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Manhattan, Washington

She refers to the overhaul as a “judicial coup,” saying it risks facilitating the “de facto annexation of the West Bank without any critique or any review” from the Supreme Court. The cabinet includes a number of West Bank settlers in powerful positions, and the agreement that brought together the government calls for extending Israel’s sovereignty in the West Bank, effectively a call for annexation. Under Netanyahu’s far-right government, Israel has approved a record number of housing units in West Bank settlements, Peace Now said in a July report. “Did the Supreme Court protect Palestinian rights in the West Bank? More recently in 2017, Israeli security forces bulldozed nine homes built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank settlement of Ofra.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, West Bank haven’t, Sawsan, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Israel, Israel doesn’t, ” Zaher, Eliav, ” Lieblich, Zaher, Ahmed Tibi, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, Tibi, ” Tibi, ” Gershon Baskin, Bond, ” Baskin, “ Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Legal Center, Arab, Rights, United Nations, Israel Democracy Institute, Tel Aviv University, Palestinian Authority, Supreme Court, Court of Justice, Israel’s, Israeli, Court Locations: Palestinian, Israel, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Jerusalem, West, The Hague, Dura, Qara, Ofra

☆ Analysis-Amid Israel turmoil, markets want continuity at central bank helm
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Financial markets are hoping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu keeps Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron for a second term to safeguard the bank’s independence and provide reassuring stability to an economy rattled by political turmoil this year. FILE PHOTO: The Bank of Israel building is seen in Jerusalem June 16, 2020. “Therefore, markets and credit rating agencies are reading more into the question of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a second term. “Who will be governor is a major concern for investors abroad,” said Leader Capital Markets Chief Economist Jonathan Katz. Israeli media have reported that Netanyahu is considering Efraim Benmelech - a professor of finance at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Amir Yaron, Ronen, Netanyahu, Yaron, Karnit Flug, Fitch, ”, Jonathan Katz, “, ” Katz, Nadine Baudot, Jacob Frenkel, ” Frenkel, Netanyahu’s, Flug, Stanley Fischer, Fischer, Efraim Benmelech, Benmelech, Andrew Abir Organizations: Bank, Israel, Bank of, REUTERS, Netanyahu’s, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Reuters, ”, Capital Markets, Bank of Israel, Israel Democracy Institute, U.S . Federal Reserve, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Locations: JERUSALEM, Bank of Israel, Jerusalem, Israeli, United States, Ukraine, Russia, “ Israel, Israel

☆ Analysis: Amid Israel turmoil, markets want continuity at central bank helm
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] The Bank of Israel building is seen in Jerusalem June 16, 2020. "Therefore, markets and credit rating agencies are reading more into the question of 'yes' or 'no' to a second term. "Who will be governor is a major concern for investors abroad," said Leader Capital Markets Chief Economist Jonathan Katz. A few years earlier in 2010, Stanley Fischer accepted a second term and helped Israel weather the global financial crisis. Reporting by Steven Scheer Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ronen, Amir Yaron's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Amir Yaron, Yaron, Netanyahu, Flug, Fitch, Jonathan Katz, Katz, Nadine Baudot, Jacob Frenkel, Frenkel, Netanyahu's, Stanley Fischer, Fischer, Efraim Benmelech, Benmelech, Andrew Abir, Steven Scheer, Maayan, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank of, REUTERS, Bank, Israel, Netanyahu's, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Reuters, Capital Markets, Bank of Israel, Israel Democracy Institute, U.S . Federal Reserve, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Thomson Locations: Bank of Israel, Jerusalem, JERUSALEM, Israeli, United States, Ukraine, Russia, Israel

☆ FTC sues Texas anesthesiology provider to bust monopoly
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission," on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 13, 2023. The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday sued the largest anesthesiology provider in Texas, claiming the company has wielded monopoly power to drive up prices for patients and boost its profits. The FTC asked a federal judge in Houston, Texas, to break up U.S. Anesthesia Partners alleged monopoly power and permanently bar the company from engaging in anticompetitive practices. The agency claims that New York-based private equity firm Welsh, Carson and Stowe founded U.S. Anesthesia Partners in 2012 to pursue an aggressive consolidation strategy that exploited Texas' fragmented market for anesthesiology providers. The FTC complaint says that Welsh Carson sought to make USAP the dominant provider in Texas by hoovering up the numerous independent practices that previously competed against each other, keeping prices lower.

Persons: Lina Khan, Stowe, Welsh Carson, hoovering Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Anesthesia Partners Locations: Washington, Texas, Houston , Texas, New York, Carson

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