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☆ Bob Menendez: Here’s what prosecutors say bought off a US senator
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here’s what prosecutors say the senator and his wife got:Gold barsProsecutors say Hana and Daibes gave Menendez and his wife gold bars, which were seized by the FBI from the Menendez residence. After returning from a trip to Egypt and getting a ride home from the airport from Daibes’ driver, prosecutors say Menendez searched online for the price of a gold bar. Nadine Menendez needed a new car, apparently after hitting and killing a jaywalker in Bogota, New Jersey, in December 2018. There is a long list of actions prosecutors say Menendez undertook in exchange for all of these alleged bribes. The envelopes of cash prosecutors say bore Daibes’ fingerprints may be more difficult to explain.

Persons: CNN — Democratic Sen, Bob Menendez, Mercedes, Menendez, CNN’s Manu Raju, “, ”, Nadine, Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, Jose Uribe, Daibes, Nadine Menendez’s, Nadine Menendez, Uribe, Hana, –, …, Qataris, retry Menendez, Salomon Melgen, Melgen, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN — Democratic, Bob Menendez of New, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Capitol, FBI, Court Southern District of, Prosecutors, Court Southern District of New York Prosecutors, Court Southern District of New York, Menendez, Uribe, Mercedes, Benz, Senate Foreign Relations, US Department of Agriculture, New York, of Justice Locations: Bob Menendez of, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Egypt, Qatar, New Jersey, Daibes, Court Southern District of New York, Bogota , New Jersey, New

☆ Who Are Key Players in the Menendez Case?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Tracey Tully | Benjamin Weiser | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Who Are Key Players in the Menendez Case? Mr. Menendez goes to trial on May 13 with two of the businessmen, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. Fred Daibes New Jersey Real Estate Developer Mr. Daibes is accused of giving Mr. Menendez furniture, gold and cash. Nadine Menendez Mr. Menendez’s Wife Ms. Menendez served as a go-between for Mr. Menendez, Egyptian intelligence officials and men who were seeking political favors from the senator, according to the indictment. Defense LawyersAdam Fee Lawyer for Robert Menendez He previously spent five years as a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District — the same office prosecuting Mr. Menendez.

Persons: Menendez, Robert Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Mr, Fred Daibes, Wael Hana, Menendez's, Daibes, Nadine Menendez Mr, Menendez’s, Ms, Jose Uribe, Uribe, Uribe's, Sidney H, Stein, Bill Clinton, Jennifer Shah, Hassan Nemazee, Damian Williams, Williams, President Biden, Sam Bankman, Fried, Juan Orlando Hernández, Christina Clark, Clark, Charles McGonigal, Catherine Ghosh, Eli Mark, Paul Monteleoni, Robert Hadden, Lara Pomerantz, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Norman Seabrook, Daniel Richenthal, Sheldon Silver, Michael Avenatti, Adam Fee, Fee, Avi Weitzman, Lawrence Lustberg Organizations: Democrat, Robert Menendez New Jersey, Senate Foreign Relations, Jersey Real, EG, Prosecutors, United, Jose Uribe Former New, Benz, U.S, Southern, of, Democratic, Attorney, Southern District of, ex, Public, New, New York City Housing Authority, Justice Department, Southern District’s, New York State Assembly, Nike . Defense, Southern District Locations: New Jersey, Manhattan, Jersey, Egypt, Qatar, United States, Jose Uribe Former New Jersey, of New York, Southern District, Southern District of New York, Russian, New York City, Brooklyn, Columbia, New York, U.S, California

☆ Glen Davis: NBA champion sentenced to 40 months in prison for part in plan to defraud league’s health care plan out of millions of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Ben Morse | Amanda Musa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Former NBA champion Glen Davis has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for his part in a scheme to defraud the league’s health care plan out of millions of dollars, according to federal court records from the Southern District of New York. Davis – whose nickname while he played in the NBA was “Big Baby” – was also ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution, according to court documents. In November, Davis was found guilty of wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to make false statements related to health care matters, court documents show. Williams, who has been called the “leader of the conspiracy” by prosecutors, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud in 2022, according to a judgment order. The scheme, Strauss said, began around November 2017.

Persons: CNN —, Glen Davis, Davis, ”, –, Terrence Williams, Williams, Rashard Lewis, Kevin C, Cox, Audrey Strauss, Strauss Organizations: CNN, NBA, Southern, of, Seattle Supersonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Celtics, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando, Eastern, FBI, Manhattan Locations: of New York, Beverly Hills , California, Taiwan

☆ 4 flight attendants smuggled millions in drug money out of the US using the crewmember lane at JFK, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Using this status, they could access a special security lane at John F. Kennedy International Airport without undergoing typical passenger screening procedures. Advertisement"Flight attendants are ideal for smuggling bulk cash" for this reason, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent wrote in the indictments. Related storiesThe pair believed the money was the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and needed to be transported, according to the indictment. AdvertisementHe said the investigation "exposed critical vulnerabilities in the airline security industry" and has "illuminated methods that narcotics traffickers are utilizing."

Persons: —, — Charlie Hernandez, Sarah Valerio Pujols, Emmanuel Torres, Jarol Fabio, John F, Damian Williams, Hernandez, Pujols, Torres, Fabio, HSI, Ivan J, Arvelo Organizations: Service, Business, US, Office, of, Transportation Security Administration, Kennedy, Homeland Security Investigations, Pujols, Customs, Border, JFK, Delta Airlines, NBC News, Delta Locations: New York, Dominican Republic, Southern, of New York

☆ Investor found guilty in Trump Media insider trading case
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An investor in the shell company that merged with Trump Media was found guilty on Thursday of insider trading linked to that blockbuster deal, according to federal prosecutors. “Garelick’s federal conviction is yet another stark reminder that insider trading is always a losing bet.”Garelick was among three men who were arrested and charged last June in the insider trading case. The other two, Florida venture capitalist Michael Shvartsman and his brother Gerald Shvartsman, pleaded guilty last month to participating in the insider trading scheme. Prosecutors have not alleged that former President Donald Trump, the chairman and leading shareholder of Trump Media, had any involvement in the scheme. Beyond their own purchases, prosecutors say Garelick and his co-defendants tipped off friends and colleagues who also bought securities in Digital World before the Trump Media deal was announced publicly.

Persons: Bruce Garelick, Garelick, ” Damian Williams, “, ” Garelick, Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman, Donald Trump, Michael, rhough, Trump Organizations: CNN, Trump Media, Acquisition, Truth Social, Southern, of, Prosecutors, Digital, Nasdaq, rhough Trump Media Locations: of New York, Florida

☆ Who is Hope Hicks, longtime Trump aide who is testifying in NY hush money case?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Michelle Shen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Washington CNN —Hope Hicks, once a longtime trusted aide in Donald Trump’s inner circle, is testifying Friday in the New York hush money trial after being subpoenaed. As CNN reported previously, Hicks appeared before the grand jury last year before Trump was indicted, as did Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway. According to reporting from “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” Trump is quoted as saying, “Well, Hope doesn’t believe in me.”“No, I don’t,” Hicks replied, according to the book. “Nobody’s convinced me otherwise.”In October 2022, Hicks testified before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In a video clip played by the committee, Hicks testified about a conversation she had with Trump after the election, regarding his baseless claims of election fraud.

Persons: Washington CNN — Hope Hicks, Donald Trump’s, “, ” Hicks, Hicks, Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Rob Porter, Trump’s, Porter, ” Trump, Hope doesn’t, ”, “ Nobody’s, Trump “, ’ ” Hicks, Daniels, ” Cohen, Prosecutors, upended, –, David Pecker, Dylan Howard, Stephanie Clifford, I’ve, Sheila Jackson Lee, Jerry Nadler, Nadler, ’ Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Trump, Trump Organization, White, House Intelligence, Fox News, Trump White, House, Capitol, Politico, US, of, American Media Inc, AMI, National Enquirer, FBI, ” Prosecutors, Democratic Rep, New York Democrat Locations: New York, Southern, of New York, Trump’s

☆ Woman Who Sold Misbranded Ozempic on TikTok Faces Smuggling Charge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | More About Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A woman in New York who was using TikTok to sell unauthorized weight-loss drugs, including products labeled Ozempic, is facing charges of smuggling and receiving and distributing misbranded drugs, federal prosecutors said. The arrest on Wednesday of Isis Navarro Reyes, 36, who also went by Beraly Navarro and, according to prosecutors, was not licensed to administer medication, followed an investigation that involved an undercover officer. Late last year, the officer sent a message to a cellphone number listed by her at the end of a TikTok video. In the video, Ms. Reyes, of Shirley, N.Y., on Long Island, showed her viewers how to inject what she claimed was Ozempic and shared her experience using the drug. In January, after exchanging messages with Ms. Reyes, the officer asked to buy some Ozempic, a drug for diabetes that has become popular for weight loss.

Persons: Isis Navarro Reyes, Beraly Navarro, Reyes Organizations: Southern, of Locations: New York, Shirley, N.Y, Long, of New York

☆ Veteran Collected Benefits After Lying About Purple Heart, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Claire Fahy | More About Claire Fahy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A woman in upstate New York was arrested on Wednesday and charged with fraudulently claiming to be a Purple Heart recipient, federal prosecutors said. The woman, Sharon Toney-Finch, 43, of Newburgh, N.Y., defrauded military charities and the Department of Veterans Affairs by lying about having received the Purple Heart, a military award given to those wounded or killed in action, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. Ms. Toney-Finch claimed that she had survived a terrorist attack on her convoy in Iraq while serving a tour in March 2010, the statement said. She also claimed to have been wounded in a mortar attack the preceding February. In March 2016, Ms. Toney-Finch began collecting disability benefits from the department after lying about getting injured during her military service, federal prosecutors said.

Persons: Sharon Toney, Finch, Damian Williams, Ms, Toney Organizations: Department of Veterans Affairs, Southern, of Locations: New York, Newburgh, N.Y, U.S, of New York, Iraq

☆ Federal prosecutors are examining financial transactions at Block, owner of Cash App and Square
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Gretchen Morgenson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Cash App, introduced in 2013, allows users to send and receive money instantaneously among themselves and to buy stocks and Bitcoin. As of December, Cash App had 56 million active transacting accounts and $248 billion in inflows during the previous four quarters, the company said. (Merchants are considered customers at Square, while users are considered customers at Cash App.) Cash App is not a bank, but it uses external banking partners to conduct various services. On March 29, Sutton Bank settled a consent order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. that echoed the whistleblowers' allegations.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Block, Venezuela —, Edward Siedle, Prosecutors, Cash, OFAC, Lawrence Summers, Sharon Rothstein, Summers, Rothstein, Lord Paul Deighton, Goldman Sachs, Deighton, Dorsey, Banks, Sutton, James Booker Organizations: Twitter, Southern, of, NBC, NBC News, Securities and Exchange Commission, Block, Foreign Assets Control, U.S . Treasury, Cash, OFAC, Goldman, Financial Market, Bank of Lithuania, Payments Lithuania UAB, PayPal, Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, Sutton Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC Locations: of New York, Cuba, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Ohio, Sutton

☆ Eight newspaper publishers sue Microsoft and OpenAI over copyright infringement
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Eight U.S. newspaper publishers filed suit against Microsoft and OpenAI in a New York federal court on Tuesday, claiming the technology companies reuse their articles without permission in generative artificial intelligence products and incorrectly attribute inaccurate information to them. The group of eight newspaper publishers takes issue with ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot assistant — available in the Windows operating system, the Bing search engine, and other products the software maker produces. The legal challenge comes four months after The New York Times sued OpenAI over copyright infringement in the ChatGPT chatbot that the startup released in late 2022. The New York Times case also touched on the matter of OpenAI models regurgitating information from its articles. Correction: This article has been updated to reflect the correct day the lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI was filed.

Persons: Sam Altman, Microsoft's, OpenAI, Axel Springer Organizations: Economic, U.S, Microsoft, Bing, Southern, of, New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, The Mercury, The Denver Post, Orange County Register, Pioneer Press of Minnesota, CNBC, New York Times, OpenAI's, Financial, Google Locations: Davos, Switzerland, New York, U.S, of New York, Florida, California, Orange

☆ 8 Daily Newspapers Sue OpenAI and Microsoft Over A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Eight daily newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital sued OpenAI and Microsoft on Tuesday, accusing the tech companies of illegally using news articles to power their A.I. All are owned by MediaNews Group or Tribune Publishing, subsidiaries of Alden, the country’s second-largest newspaper operator. In the complaint, the publications accuse OpenAI and Microsoft of using millions of copyrighted articles without permission to train and feed their generative A.I. products, including ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. This, it said, reduced the need for readers to pay subscriptions to support local newspapers and deprived the publishers of revenue both from subscriptions and from licensing their content elsewhere.

Persons: OpenAI, Paul, Paul Pioneer Press — Organizations: Alden Global Capital, Microsoft, New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune, The Orlando Sentinel, The Sun Sentinel, San Jose Mercury News, The Denver Post, Orange County Register, Paul Pioneer Press, U.S . Southern, of, MediaNews Group, Tribune Publishing Locations: Florida, Orange, U.S, of New York, Alden

☆ The Aggressive and Expensive Legal Team Defending Mayor Adams
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Not long after Eric Adams became the mayor of New York City, he quickly rewarded a cadre of loyalists with plum jobs in his administration. Now Mr. Adams is casting favor upon a new set of people looking out for his interests: defense lawyers. The firm has already been paid more than $730,000 by the mayor’s five-month-old legal defense fund. Mr. Adams intends to bring aboard Randy Mastro, a lawyer known for his aggressive tactics and roster of contentious clients and causes, to represent him as the city’s corporation counsel. Mr. Mastro would earn roughly $250,000 a year and would replace Sylvia Hinds-Radix, a former judge who has a more reserved style.

Persons: Eric Adams, Adams, WilmerHale, Randy Mastro, Mastro, Sylvia Hinds Organizations: of Locations: New York City, Southern, of New York, Turkish

☆ 2 founders of a crypto mixer charged with laundering funds from the dark web
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The cofounders of crypto mixer Samourai Wallet were charged with money laundering. The service anonymized hundreds of millions of dollars for dark web criminals, prosecutors said. AdvertisementThe cofounders of a cryptocurrency mixing service called Samourai Wallet — which rendered crypto transactions anonymous — have been arrested and charged with money laundering, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Rodriguez and Hill were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Related storiesThe Samourai Wallet website has been seized.

Persons: Samourai's cofounders, —, — Keonne Rodriguez, William Lonergan Hill —, Rodriguez, Hill, James Smith, haven't Organizations: Service, Prosecutors, Southern, of, FBI Locations: of New York, Portugal, DMs

☆ JPMorgan Chase is caught in U.S-Russia sanctions war after overseas court orders $440 million seized from bank
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian court sided with state-run lender VTB Bank in its efforts to recoup $439.5 million from JPMorgan Chase that the American lender froze in U.S. accounts after the Ukraine invasion. The court ordered the seizure of funds in JPMorgan's Russian accounts and "movable and immovable property," including the bank's stake in a Russian subsidiary, according to a court order published Wednesday. It also boosted an ongoing American effort to convince European allies to release Russian state assets to assist Ukraine. JPMorgan said Russian courts have enabled similar efforts by Russian lenders against American or European banks at least a half dozen other times. JPMorgan said it faced "certain and irreparable harm" from VTB's efforts.

Persons: Jamie, JPMorgan Chase, VTB, Jamie Dimon, Biden, Joe Biden, JPMorgan Organizations: JPMorgan Chase, U.S . Senate Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs, Wall, Capitol, Washington , D.C, VTB Bank, JPMorgan, of Locations: Washington ,, Ukraine, Russian, St, Petersburg, U.S, Russia, Southern, of New York

☆ 4 Iranians charged in scheme to hack US agencies and defense contractors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —US prosecutors on Tuesday announced charges against four Iranian men for a sprawling hacking campaign that targeted US federal agencies and sensitive data held by American defense contractors. It was not immediately clear whether the departments of State or Treasury networks were successfully hacked in the campaign. In the indictment unsealed Tuesday, Hossein Harooni, Reza Kazemifar, Alireza Shafie Nasab and Komeil Baradaran Salmani were charged with wire and computer fraud, among other charges. Nasab had been charged in a previous indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York in February. Prosecutors accused three of the men of working for a front company in Iran that purported to offer cybersecurity services.

Persons: ” Damian Williams, Hacking, Christopher Wray, Hossein Harooni, Reza Kazemifar, Shafie, Baradaran Salmani, Nasab, General Merrick Garland Organizations: CNN, US State, Treasury, Pentagon, of, Southern, State, Boston Children’s Hospital, Justice Department, Prosecutors, Treasury Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, State Department, Iranian, United Nations Locations: Southern, of New York, US, Iran, Boston, Tehran

WWE and its parent company, TKO, have said that they take Grant's allegations "very seriously." Staying in touchMcMahon has also talked to Trump, according to two of the people close to the wrestling impresario. The two billionaires have been in touch regularly, according to a person close to McMahon, although it isn't clear what they've discussed. Another person close to McMahon said that the two men don't discuss their legal problems and that Trump doesn't provide legal advice. Publicly, Johnson has thanked TKO and WWE executives regarding his addition to the TKO board earlier this year.

Persons: Vince McMahon, Donald Trump, Mark, McMahon, Janel Grant, he's, hasn't, Mark Shapiro, doesn't, McMahon hasn't, Paul, Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, wasn't, Jessica Rosenberg, Grant's, Jan, John Laurinaitis, Janel, couldn't, Ann Callis, Grant, Nicholas Biase, Linda McMahon, McMahon's, Bill Pugliano, Donald J, Trump, Dwayne, Johnson, John Cena, Cena, Howard Stern, I'm, William Morris, Cena didn't, Endeavor Group's, Ari Emanuel, Brendan Mcdermid Organizations: WWE, Austin Straubel, Getty, World Wrestling, NBC News, CNBC, Triple, Federal, U.S, Attorney's, Southern, of, Trump, WWE Hall of Fame, PAC, Trump Media, Technology Group, Street Journal, Trump Foundation, Hollywood, William, William Morris Endeavor, Endeavor Group, Endeavor, Endeavor Group's UFC, Longtime Hollywood, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Green Bay , Wisconsin, United States, Caicos, Italy, of New York, Connecticut, Manhattan, Atlantic City, Trump's, York, New York City, U.S

☆ A jury that will decide Trump’s fate begins to take shape as first criminal trial powers ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

First, the conventions of the criminal trial – like those in thousands of courtrooms every day – mean this case will grind on relentlessly. In previous civil trials, Trump challenged the dignity of the rule of the court and feuded with other judges. But potential jurors appeared to take their obligation deeply seriously. But other potential jurors said they’d be able to put any political feelings about Trump to one side and focus on the evidence and the law. And in another revealing trend that hinted at the ex-president’s political appeal, some potential jurors mentioned that they viewed his rhetorical eruptions as those of someone who speaks his mind, unlike conventional politicians.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Biden, Trump, Juan Merchan, — Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Joe Biden, “, Alvin, ” Trump, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Andrzej Duda, don’t, Duda, Mimi Rocah, CNN’s Erin Burnett, “ You’re, Merchan, he’s, won’t, Barron’s, they’d, Robert Hirschhorn, CNN’s Burnett, Christine Cornell, John Gotti, Bernie Madoff Organizations: CNN, White House, ”, Manhattan, Attorney, New York, Trump, US, Office, Southern, of, Boeing, Republican Locations: Manhattan, bodega, Pennsylvania, Trump, of New York, New York

☆ New York tax preparer charged with causing more than $100 million in losses from fraudulent returns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a press conference in New York City, Sept. 22, 2023. A New York tax preparer was arrested Monday on charges related to causing "substantially" more than $100 million in tax losses through the filing of false returns — one of the largest tax frauds ever by a preparer, federal prosecutors said. The false information allegedly included bogus itemized deductions, fake capital losses, and phony business expenses and tax credits. ATAX New York grossed more than $15 million from 2016 through 2019, according to Thomas Fattorusso, the IRS special agent in charge of criminal investigations. Alvarez was the CEO, owner and manager of ATAX from 2010 through 2020, and the firm during that time prepared more than 90,000 income tax returns, according to prosecutors.

Persons: Damian Williams, preparer, Rafael Alvarez, Alvarez, Thomas Fattorusso, ATAX Organizations: Attorney, Southern, of, New, Manhattan U.S, ATAX New, IRS, Attorney's Locations: U.S, of New York, New York City, New York, York, Manhattan, ATAX, ATAX New York, United States, disgorgement

☆ Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg to face his toughest trial yet as Trump criminal case begins
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Gregory Krieg | Kara Scannell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“I’ve done a lot of cases that are considered no-win,” Bragg told CNN at the time, in December 2021. Though Bragg’s ambitions are widely considered to be less lofty than some of his predecessors, the Trump trial will likely write both his political future and legacy. Two months into office, Bragg was confronted by two senior attorneys leading the Trump investigation. When Bragg refused to authorize them to seek an indictment they abruptly and noisily resigned, putting additional pressure on the new district attorney. Trump eventually paid $2 million of his own money to a group of charities, and the foundation was dissolved.

Persons: Alvin Bragg, Donald Trump, “, ” Bragg, you’re, ’, ”, Bragg, indicting Trump, Trump, –, craven, Jim Jordan, Cy Vance Jr, Robert Morgenthau, Morgenthau, Vance, Charles Seymour Whitman, Thomas Dewey, Dewey, Eric Garner, Garner, Trump’s, Michael Cohen –, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, blitzed Bragg, Alina Habba, that’s, ” Trump, “ Alvin, I’m, Eric Adams, Adams, Donald J, Barbara Underwood, Judge Juan Merchan, Daniels Organizations: CNN, Ohio, White, Harvard, of, New, New York Law, Racial, Trump, Republican, Prosecutors, New York, “, New York City, NYPD, Trump Organization, Democratic, Trump Foundation Locations: Harlem, American, New York City, Black, New York, Southern, of New York, America

☆ Woman Sentenced to Month in Prison Over Theft of Ashley Biden’s Diary
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Adam Goldman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A federal judge in Manhattan sentenced a Florida woman on Tuesday to a month in prison for her role in a brazen scheme to steal the diary of President Biden’s daughter and sell it to a right-wing group in the hope of disrupting the 2020 election. The conduct of the woman, Aimee Harris, “was despicable and consequently very serious,” Judge Laura Taylor Swain of Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York said before handing down a punishment. Ms. Harris, 41, tested the patience of prosecutors and the judge overseeing the case after she missed repeated sentencing dates, jeopardizing what otherwise appeared to be a likely path to probation. In August 2022, she pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport the stolen diary to New York, where she met with employees of the group, Project Veritas, and sold it for $40,000 just weeks before the election.

Persons: Biden’s, Aimee Harris, “, Laura Taylor Swain, Harris Organizations: Court, Southern, of, Veritas Locations: Manhattan, Florida, of New York, New York

☆ New York to Pay $17.5 Million for Forcing Removal of Hijabs in Mug Shots
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Hurubie Meko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New York City has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by two women who said their rights were violated when they were forced to remove their hijabs before the police took their arrest photographs. The financial settlement filed on Friday, which still requires approval by Judge Analisa Torres of U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is the latest development in the class-action lawsuit filed in 2018 by Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz, two Muslim women who said they felt shamed and exposed by the police officers’ actions. “When they forced me to take off my hijab, I felt as if I were naked; I’m not sure if words can capture how exposed and violated I felt,” Ms. Clark said in a statement. “I’m so proud today to have played a part in getting justice for thousands of New Yorkers.”In response to the lawsuit, the Police Department in 2020 changed its policy to allow religious people to be photographed wearing head coverings, as long as the coverings were not obstructing their faces.

Persons: Judge Analisa Torres, Jamilla Clark, Arwa Aziz, I’m, ” Ms, Clark, “ Organizations: U.S, Southern, of, Yorkers, Police Department Locations: York City, of New York

☆ British billionaire Joe Lewis fined $5 million by U.S. judge for insider trading
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

British billionaire and former owner of the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Joe Lewis arrives at federal court for his sentencing in an insider trading case on April 4, 2024, in New York City. U.S. District Judge Jessica Clarke in Manhattan sentenced Lewis, who pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy and two counts of securities fraud. Lewis in January entered a plea deal with prosecutors agreeing to a $50 million fine of his Bahamas company, Broad Bay. Under the agreement, Lewis' fine will be included in the total. Lewis has since remained in the country, posting $300 million bail secured by his yacht and a private aircraft.

Persons: Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Joe Lewis, Lewis, Joe Lewis, Jessica Clarke, Mr, Mark Herr, Prosecutors, Boxer Capital, Patrick O'Connor, Bryan Waugh Organizations: Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, US, Office, Southern, of New York, Tavistock Group, Aviva, London's Tottenham Hotspur, Boxer, Forbes, Prosecutors, Mirati Therapeutics, Boxer Capital, Tango Therapeutics Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, London's, Bahamas, Broad Bay, London, New York

☆ Google sues crypto scammers for allegedly uploading fake apps to Android app store
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Talia Kaplan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google filed a lawsuit on Thursday against a group of crypto scammers, alleging they defrauded more than 100,000 people across the globe by uploading fraudulent investment and crypto exchange apps to Google Play. Google says it's the first tech company to take action against crypto scammers, and is doing so as a way to set a legal precedent to establish protections for users. The lawsuit claims the defendants made "multiple misrepresentations to Google in order to upload their fraudulent apps to Google Play, including but not limited to misrepresentations about their identity, location, and the type and nature of the application being uploaded." Sun, Cheung and their agents designed the apps to appear legitimate, showing users that they were maintaining balances on the app and earning returns on their investments, the lawsuit said. However, users couldn't withdraw their investments or purported gains.

Persons: Halimah DeLaine Prado, Sun, Alphonse Sun, Hongnam Cheung, Zhang Hongnim, Stanford Fischer, Cheung, couldn't Organizations: Google, CNBC Crypto, of Locations: Southern, of New York, U.S, Canada

☆ 3 things rattling markets this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The S&P 500 tumbled the first two trading days of the new quarter and is down 0.8% for the week after paring back some of its losses on Wednesday. Some Fed officials revealed at the central bank’s policy meeting last month that they see fewer rate cuts than the three they forecast last December for 2024. Traders see a 63% expectation that the Fed cuts rates in June, a drop from more than 70% a week earlier, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. “With Middle East tensions on the rise, OPEC+ supply side measures have pushed crude oil volatility down,” BofA strategists wrote in a Wednesday report. “Adding to a complex backdrop, we now estimate that improving economic growth expectations have helped push global oil markets into a deficit.”The price of gold has also climbed this week.

Persons: New York CNN — Stocks, “, ”, Brent Schutte, Jerome Powell, •, Loretta Mester, Raphael Bostic, Brent, Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman, Donald Trump’s, Matt Egan, “ Michael, ” Damian Williams, Bruce Garelick, ” Williams, ” Read, Joe Biden, Sean Lyngaas, China Nicholas Burns, Antony Blinken, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN —, Treasury, FactSet, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management, Hawkish, San Francisco Fed, Stanford University, Wednesday, • Cleveland Fed, Atlanta Fed, CNBC, Traders, Organization of, Petroleum, West Texas, Brent, Bank of America, Trump Media, Trump Media & Technology Group, DWAC, Southern, of, Acquisition Corporation, “, Microsoft, US, Department of Homeland Security, CNN Locations: New York, OPEC, Florida, of New York, Washington, China

☆ Ripple to launch U.S. dollar stablecoin, taking on a $150 billion market dominated by Tether, Circle
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesCrypto startup Ripple is the latest major player to jump into the $150 billion stablecoin market with the launch of a digital currency pegged to the U.S. dollar. The move would pit Ripple against stablecoin giants like Tether, which is behind the largest stablecoin UDST, and USDC issuer Circle. Payments giant PayPal , meanwhile, launched its own U.S. dollar stablecoin called PayPal USD, a stablecoin backed by U.S. dollars and dollar equivalents that is issued by crypto firm Paxos. watch nowTether is the market leader for stablecoins with a market capitalization of $106.3 billion, according to CoinGecko data. "In fact, the number one request we get from the XRP community is to launch a USD-backed stablecoin on the XRP Ledger."

Persons: Jakub Porzycki, Brad Garlinghouse, he's, Garlinghouse, Tether's, USDT, USDC, MoneyGram Organizations: U.S, SEC, Nurphoto, Getty, U.S ., PayPal, CNBC, Bank, FinCEN, Santander, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Southern, of Locations: U.S, Europe, Asia, New York, Ireland, Singapore, of New York

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