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☆ News startup Messenger launches with Trump 'exclusive' while advertisers expressed skepticism ahead of debut: 'We can't have another Quibi'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Jimmy Finkelstein's startup The Messenger launched today with a Trump interview leading the site. Advertisers said it'll be tough to sell ads on a site without an established audience. The site led with an interview with former President Donald Trump and ads from the American Petroleum Institute. The Messenger said it'll roll out seven other verticals including business, entertainment, and sports later in the year. Image from The Messenger's launch ad campaign.

☆ New Jersey senators seek to delay New York City congestion pricing plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - New Jersey's two Democratic senators and the state's governor said on Monday they are seeking to halt a plan by New York City to adopt a congestion pricing plan in Manhattan, which would be the country's first. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker urged U.S. Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg not to grant final approval to environmental reviews needed to implement the congestion pricing plan after his department gave a key approval on May 5. Governor Phil Murphy said he would work "to halt implementation of this misguided tolling plan" and said the state is assessing legal options. Earlier this month, USDOT approved release of the final environmental assessment for New York's congestion pricing plan for public review. New York said drivers could face a traffic congestion charge of up to $23 a day.

Some Chinatown residents benefited from the development boom, selling properties to developers or drawing more customers from increased foot traffic. Some residents have shown tentative support for the luxury buildings, saying they might make the neighborhood safer or bring in wealthier Asian residents who could boost Chinatown's economy. Manhattan Chinatown's housing stock is "really aged," which has led to costly fires, according to Thomas Yu, executive director of Asian Americans for Equality. Chinatowns and the pandemicMany debates surrounding luxury development and affordable housing were accelerated by the pandemic, which shuttered hundreds of businesses across Chinatowns. However, business owners who spoke with CNBC said Chinatown's businesses, though still recovering, are keeping the city's culture alive.

☆ The Messenger, Jimmy Finkelstein's digital news startup, meets advertiser skepticism ahead of May 15 launch: 'We can't have another Quibi'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Jimmy Finkelstein's startup The Messenger will roll out an ad campaign touting its mission to provide unbiased news. An ad campaign by Publicis unit Le Truc will kick off May 22 and is designed to provoke, with copy like "Agendas are for meetings. Image from The Messenger's launch ad campaign. The Messenger said it'll have three to four big advertisers at launch as well as a significant amount of programmatic advertising. The Messenger's ad campaign promotes its ambitions to provide unbiased news.

☆ Trump's rape trial defense? His accuser and her friends have Trump Derangement Syndrome
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Donald Trump's lawyers have tried to undermine E. Jean Carroll, who accuses him of rape. Just moments later, Trump's lawyers rested their case as well, without presenting any evidence. Carroll and her friends, Trump's lawyers suggest, all have Trump Derangement Syndrome. According to Trump's lawyers, the whole lawsuit is a conspiracy schemed up by ardent Trump critic George Conway. AP Photo/John MinchilloTrump's attorney pointed out that Birnbach had said Trump and his allies had symptoms of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

☆ New York City congestion pricing plan clears tall hurdle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Friday approved the release of the final environmental assessment for New York City's congestion pricing plan for public comment, a key step before the project can be green-lighted. In August, New York said drivers could face a traffic congestion charge of up to $23 a day in late 2023. New York, which has the most congested U.S. traffic, would become the first major U.S. city to follow London, which began a similar charge in 2003. New York lawmakers approved the plan in 2019, and it was originally projected to start in 2021. The environmental assessment found the charge would cut traffic, improve air quality, make buses more reliable and increase transit use by 1%-2%.

☆ New York City congestion pricing plan clears key hurdle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ A New York couple who saw their cupcake empire soar to a $66 million business in 2011 before going bust paid $350 to revive the brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jason and Mia Bauer, who founded Crumbs Bake Shop in 2003 are now back with an online cupcake store. Crumbs Bake Shop, a hugely popular cupcake store founded in 2003, has been revived by founders Jason and Mia Bauer. They bought back the brand last year — seven years after it filed for bankruptcy, the New York Post reported on May 2. "We felt we left it in the hands of people who would grow it," Jason told the New York Post on Tuesday. "Fast forward to 2023, and we now have the ability to communicate with our consumers via social media without having to be in a physical store," Jason told the media outlet.

☆ Trump won't call any witnesses to defend him in E. Jean Carroll rape trial, his lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump's lawyers won't call witnesses in his defense in his rape and defamation trial. E. Jean Carroll sued the former president for allegedly raping her and then trashing her in public. Trump hasn't personally shown up to the trial, which has been going on for a week in Manhattan federal court. That means Trump won't present any case at all in the ex-president's defense. The attorney also said witnesses will see videos of a sworn deposition Trump took for the case prior to the trial, where he denies Carroll's allegations.

☆ Trump lawyer says jurors should dismiss rape case even if they 'hate' ex-president
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawyers made opening statements in E. Jean Carroll's rape trial against Donald Trump. Trump's lawyer asked jurors to dismiss the case even if they "hate" Trump. "She struggled to break free, but she couldn't," Crowley said in her opening statement. Despite the charged nature of the case, jurors were seated in the span of several hours, shortly before the court's lunch break on Tuesday. In one video, Tacopina, said, jurors may observe that Trump appears angry.

☆ Inside Kendall Roy's $29 million NYC 'Succession' apartment: We went to 'great lengths to create something truly unique'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

One of the many, many highlights of tuning in to HBO's "Succession" every week is getting to see how the other half lives. Unlike Logan and Marcia Roy's home, also featured prominently in the episode, Kendall's stunning space is not a set. For one fan of the show, seeing this penthouse apartment featured in prime time was a gratifying experience. McMillan is the founder and CEO of DDG, the developer of 180 East 88th Street in New York City, where the luxury apartment is located. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom, 5,508 square-feet "triplex" apartment, which is in Manhattan's tallest tower north of 72nd Street, is listed for $29 million.

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - China and Iran are becoming increasingly brazen in their attempts to silence dissidents on American soil and influence U.S. policy, the FBI warned on Wednesday. In a news briefing with reporters about transnational repression, FBI counterintelligence officials urged victims to come forward, saying the bureau is tracking a growing trend of foreign authoritarian regimes breaching U.S. laws to intimidate certain communities. "A lot of these are new tactics and lines that are being crossed that we have not seen China and Iran do on U.S. soil in previous investigations," one FBI counterintelligence official said. Officials said the goals of transnational repression schemes are multifaceted, and at times also aim to influence U.S. policy decisions through "malign influence tactics." FBI officials declined to comment on the New York case or speak about any other open investigations.

☆ U.S. charges two with setting up Chinese 'secret police station' in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement officials have arrested two New York residents for allegedly operating a Chinese "secret police station" in Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood, the top federal prosecutor in Brooklyn said in a statement on Monday. "This prosecution reveals the Chinese government's flagrant violation of our nation's sovereignty by establishing a secret police station in the middle of New York City," Breon Peace, the top federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, said in a statement. Prosecutors said Lu in 2018 sought to persuade an individual considered a fugitive by China to return home, prosecutors said. China's government in 2022 asked Lu to help locate an individual living in California who was considered a pro-democracy activist, prosecutors said. He said the Chinese government setting up a police presence in the United States "violates sovereignty" and circumvents law enforcement cooperation.

☆ Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan holds Manhattan hearing to blast DA's record on crime despite 73% higher murder rate at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Rep. Jim Jordan held a Manhattan hearing criticizing its 'soft-on-real-crime' DA. The House Judiciary Committee hearing was met with pushback about crime in red states like Jordan's. NYPD stats show that the first three months of 2023 have seen a decline in Manhattan crime compared with the first three months of last year. The chairman is doing the bidding of Donald Trump," Nadler said. Bragg responded by suing Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee; his lawsuit seeks to block the subpoena and to stop Jordan's investigation.

☆ The 'Robinhood of passports' says it's a mistake to ban golden visas — make them fund affordable housing and refugee programs instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Portugal and Ireland recently announced they are shutting down their "golden visa" programs. Their less-advantageous siblings, "golden visas," provide temporary residence permits in exchange for investment, as opposed to permanent citizenship. A golden taxInstead of banning golden passports and visas outright, countries should adjust the investment requirements to match their current needs, Arton says. A scandalous historyBut golden passports don't only raise the issue of inequality, the European Commission argues, they also pose a threat to national security. Last year, 282 of Ireland's 306 golden visa applications came from Chinese citizens, The Irish Times reported.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Bill Gates' daughter reportedly paid $51 million for this NYC penthouse—it comes with 3,400 square feet of outdoor space
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Gates' eldest daughter, Jennifer Gates, might now be calling a $51 million New York City penthouse home. 443 Greenwich Street is known for being home to other celebrities like Meg Ryan, and Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold. The penthouse apartment is 8,900 square feet and has a 3,400 square-foot outdoor space with a plunge pool. Gates' penthouse apartment is 8,900 square feet and has a 3,400 square-foot outdoor space. 443 Greenwich Street was designed with an indoor courtyard, which is rare for buildings in New York City.

☆ Manhattan real estate sales plunge 38%, but cash deals hit all-time record
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Manhattan real estate sales fell 38% in the first quarter, as buyers and sellers battled over prices and mortgage rates remained volatile, according to new reports. The average sales price fell 5% to $1.95 million and the median sales price fell 10% to $1.075 million, according to the report. The average discount from the initial list price to sales price in the first quarter price was 7%, up from 5% in the fourth quarter, according to Serhant. Overall, cash deals rose to a record 57% of all sales in the quarter, Miller said. "It's not by any stretch a seller's market, but it's getting busier each month."

☆ An NYC couple accidentally 'picked quite a day' for their courthouse wedding: the same time as Trump's arraignment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Talia Lakritz | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A couple married at the Manhattan courthouse faced some unexpected chaos as Trump was arraigned. The historic event brought hoards of protestors, politicians, and media to the area, creating a circus that few would have anticipated on their wedding day. "My fiancée and I picked quite a day to get married at the Manhattan courts," Dean captioned the video, which went viral with over 300,000 views. "Everyone who noticed that folks were getting married were really kind and congratulatory," he added. Carolina Treviño and Chandler Dean celebrate after their courthouse wedding.

☆ Factbox: From Bragg to Tacopina: Who's who in Trump hush money case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg leaves after former U.S. President Donald Trump's indictment by a Manhattan grand jury following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in New York City, U.S., March 30, 2023. At issue is a $130,000 hush payment to an adult film star made in the waning days of the 2016 election campaign. Allegedly the payment was hush money paid to benefit Trump's presidential campaign, to cover up a 2006 sexual encounter. ALVIN BRAGGTrump's indictment has thrust New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg into the spotlight. He has represented rapper Meek Mill, former Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez and Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Trump, the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges, is due to be arraigned, fingerprinted and photographed at the downtown Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday. A court official said the arraignment is planned for 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) on Tuesday. Trump then will return to Florida and deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), his office said. Other courtrooms on the courthouse's higher floors will be shut down ahead of the arraignment as part of the security precautions, a court official said. U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted an invitation on Sunday to join her at a protest near the courthouse on Tuesday, saying "They’re not coming after President Trump, they’re coming after us, he’s just in their way."

On Friday, Trump, who was not charged in his company's case, lashed out at Merchan on his Truth Social platform. "The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME," wrote Trump, who has launched a campaign to regain the presidency in 2024. Merchan has been a Manhattan criminal court judge since 2009 after prior stints on the state's Court of Claims, which hears cases against the state and its agencies, and family court in the Bronx. Merchan presided over the 2012 case of the so-called "Soccer Mom Madam" Anna Gristina, which garnered lurid headlines in the New York media. Gristina sued Merchan in 2021 to unseal records in her case as part of an effort to vacate her record.

☆ Ivanka Trump offers up blandest statement possible about Donald Trump’s indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ivanka Trump officially broke her silence on Donald Trump's indictment — but it wasn't a long statement. Ivanka Trump's Instagram story. Ivanka Trump's Instagram story. On Thursday, Manhattan's district attorney and Donald Trump's lawyer confirmed that a grand jury had indicted the former president. Ivanka Trump's short statement shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise.

☆ A gag order for Donald Trump is 'extremely likely' once he's before a judge, legal expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But once he's arraigned, it's "extremely likely" he'll be put under a gag order, one expert said. But the judge is likely to issue a gag order on the lawyers from both sides, along with Trump, he said. If there's a gag order, Levin said Trump will be "very limited" in what he's able to say, even if there may be proxies who speak for him. Former Indiana Attorney General Jeff Modisett said he also expected that a judge could narrowly craft a gag order that could survive an appeal. "Theoretically, a litigant who breaks a gag order could be thrown in jail," he said.

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