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Musk ended three days on the stand defending against claims that he defrauded investors by tweeting on Aug. 7, 2018, that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private. The trial in San Francisco federal court is testing whether the world's second-richest person can be held liable for his sometimes impulsive use of Twitter. Musk, however, acknowledged he did not have binding agreements with investors, leaving it to the jury to decide if he misled shareholders. The Saudi fund did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. But when questioned by Nicholas Porritt, a lawyer for the investors, Musk said he did not have binding agreements for financing from any interested party.

Musk is defending against claims he defrauded investors by tweeting on Aug. 7, 2018, that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 per share, and that "investor support is confirmed." He has testified that he chose not to take Tesla private due to a lack of support from some investors and a wish to avoid a lengthy process. A jury of nine will decide whether the Tesla CEO artificially inflated the company's share price by touting the buyout's prospects, and if so by how much. In addition, Musk testified on Monday that he met on July 31, 2018, with representatives of the Public Investment Fund at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California. Musk said the fund's governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, later backpedaled on the commitment to take Tesla private.

☆ Biden's Cabinet is sticking around, bucking the turnover trend of his predecessors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Peter Nicholas | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Carol-Lee-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

By early 2019, Trump had cycled through seven of 15 Cabinet secretaries and was on his third chief of staff. A White House official said Mayorkas would fight any such attempt and has no wish to step down. The durability of Biden’s Cabinet is something of a surprise. Going back decades, presidents have steadily concentrated power in the White House, at the Cabinet’s expense, historians say. Some Cabinet secretaries have felt marginalized as presidents stocked the West Wing with trusted advisers and usurped the prerogatives of Cabinet members who had thought they were brought in to run things.

☆ String of Classified Document Discoveries Seen Tarnishing White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Annie Linskey | Aruna Viswanatha | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Secret Service personnel park vehicles in the driveway leading to President Biden’s house after classified documents were reported found there. WASHINGTON—Democrats expressed concern Sunday that multiple discoveries of classified documents at President Biden’s private home and a former office will overshadow his agenda and open the door to more Republican-led investigations in the House as lawmakers return to Washington. The Justice Department searched Mr. Biden’s home in Wilmington, Del., for more than 12 hours Friday, an examination that caused authorities to take possession of additional items with classified markings and some related materials, according to a statement released late Saturday by Mr. Biden’s personal attorney Bob Bauer.

☆ More Classified Documents Found at President Biden’s Delaware Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Annie Linskey | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Justice Department’s search of President Biden’s home in Delaware lasted about 12 hours, according to Mr. Biden’s personal attorney. WASHINGTON—A Justice Department search of President Biden’s home in Wilmington, Del., Friday prompted authorities to take possession of six additional documents with classified markings and some related materials, according a new statement by Mr. Biden’s personal attorney Bob Bauer. The search of Mr. Biden’s home lasted about 12 hours and “covered all working, living and storage spaces in the home,” Mr. Bauer said in the statement. The six items taken included some papers from Mr. Biden’s tenure in the U.S. Senate, where he served for 36 years. Others came from his time as vice president.

☆ Legislators call Biden's treatment of classified documents 'irresponsible'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

After the FBI found more classified documents at the Wilmington, Delaware, home of President Joe Biden during a consensual search Friday, legislators said Sunday that Biden's actions were "unbelievable" and "irresponsible." The discovery was the fourth time since November that classified records or materials have been found at a private address of Biden's. Former President Donald Trump is under criminal investigation by another special counsel for taking hundreds of classified records and other government documents from the White House when he left office. Most Americans think both Biden and Trump have handled classified material inappropriately, according to a poll released Sunday by ABC News. "There is one important document that distinguishes former President Trump from President Biden — that's a warrant," Coons said.

He called it the most democratic way to communicate but said his tweets did not always affect Tesla stock the way he expected. "Just because I tweet something does not mean people believe it or will act accordingly," Musk told the jury in San Francisco federal court. [1/5] Tesla CEO Elon Musk testifies during a securities-fraud trial in San Francisco, California, U.S., January 20, 2023 in this courtroom sketch. Earlier on Friday, Tesla investor Timothy Fries told the jury that he lost $5,000 buying Tesla stock after Musk sent the tweet, which sparked volatile swings in Tesla's stock. Musk's attorney, Alex Spiro, told the jury in his opening statement Wednesday that Musk believed he had financing from Saudi backers and was taking steps to make the deal happen.

Companies Tesla Inc FollowJan 20 (Reuters) - Elon Musk, Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) chief executive, is likely to be called to testify on Friday in a jury trial over his 2018 tweet that he had "funding secured" to take the electric carmaker private, which shareholders allege cost them millions in trading losses. The billionaire entrepreneur is listed as the third possible witness on Friday, after a securities expert and a Tesla investor, in the class action trial in San Francisco federal court. Fearing leaks to the media, Musk tried to protect the "everyday shareholder" by sending the tweet, which contained "technical inaccuracies," Spiro said. The defendants include current and former Tesla directors, whom Spiro said had "pure" motives in their response to Musk's plan. The trial resumes after a day off on Thursday.

“Around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take on those bedrock freedoms,” Mr. Biden said, using Mr. Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan to describe the former president’s allies. While he had repeatedly and consistently said he intended to run, Mr. Biden stoked renewed speculation by delaying his kickoff for months. Mr. Biden tapped Julie Chávez Rodríguez, a senior White House adviser and granddaughter of the iconic labor leader Cesar Chávez, as his campaign manager. But the operation is expected to be overseen from the White House by top presidential aides. While polls show that most Democrats have favorable opinions about Mr. Biden, a majority of them would still rather he not run again.

Tesla investor Glen Littleton is seeking damages on behalf of shareholders who traded the company's stock in the days after Musk posted his plan to take the company private on Twitter in August 2018. Musk's lawyer disputed this characterization, saying that the billionaire was "serious" about taking the company private in 2018, but ultimately encountered shareholder opposition. Musk believed that financing was not an issue and was "taking steps" to make a deal happen, Spiro told the jury. The self-employed investor said he viewed Musk's "funding secured" statement as "absolute." Spiro said on Wednesday that Tesla's stock price jumped in response to Musk saying he was considering taking the company private, which he said was true.

Musk, who is expected to be called as a witness in San Francisco federal court this week, has built a cult-like following for his irreverent humor, marketing skills and vision. Legal experts said a jury trial can turn on a key witness and the attorney who questions Musk needs to establish control, minimizing Musk's ability to use his charisma. In the current case, Musk sat for a daylong deposition in 2021 with lead shareholder attorney Nicholas Porritt. The jury is likely to see the "greatest hits" from that interview, according to trial attorney Renato Mariotti, who is not involved in the case. Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Del., and Jody Godoy in San Francisco; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. officials privately huddle with allies, business leaders about Ukraine at Davos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The closed-door meetings at the annual gathering of the wealthiest investors and most powerful world leaders in Davos, Switzerland come as attendees await Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who is one of President Joe Biden's closest allies in the Senate, told CNBC that he's talked with officials at Davos about the need to keep helping Ukraine. The U.S. has already sent some $50 billion in military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine; Congress approved another $44.9 billion in additional funding on Dec. 23. And it's not just Coons or members of Congress from the U.S. delegation that's privately addressing Russia invading Ukraine. The conversation made him think Ukrainian leaders hope to pick up more financial aid while they're at Davos, he said.

The White House and U.S. Secret Service said Monday they do not maintain visitor logs for President Joe Biden’s personal home in Wilmington, Del., a day after a top House Republican called for their release. “Like every President across decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” White House counsel’s office spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement. The White House acknowledged on Saturday that more pages with classified markings were discovered at Biden's Delaware home than had been previously disclosed. On Saturday, the White House said additional pages marked classified from the Obama administration were found at Biden’s Wilmington residence, in addition to the two batches that were previously disclosed earlier in the week. In a Sunday interview with CNN”s “State of the Union,” Comer was pressed why his committee was focused on Biden’s documents but not Trump’s.

☆ Jailed Iranian American appeals to Biden, starts hunger strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Arshad Mohammed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Siamak Namazi made the plea in a letter to Biden seven years to the day that Iran released five other U.S. citizens in a prisoner exchange choreographed to coincide with the implementation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Namazi, whose father was allowed to leave Iran in October for medical treatment after being detained on espionage-related charges rejected by Washington, said he would be on a hunger strike for the same seven days. read more"All I want sir, is one minute of your days' time for the next seven days devoted to thinking about the tribulations of the U.S. hostages in Iran," he added. Asked for comment, a White House national security council spokesperson said the government was committed to securing Namazi's freedom. "We are working tirelessly to bring him home along with all U.S. citizens who are wrongfully detained in Iran," the spokesperson said.

People communicate with each other at the Congress Center for the World Economic Forum WEF Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 15, 2023. DAVOS, Switzerland – U.S. lawmakers quietly took part in a private ritzy lunch atop the World Economic Forum on Monday featuring dozens of influential business leaders, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Chris Coons, D-Del., Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. and a few members of the House of Representatives, these people explained. Coons, Manchin, Sinema and Kemp are among the U.S.-based officials scheduled to participate in panel sessions at this year's conference. These private events on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum often serve as meet-and-greets between CEOs, billionaires and government officials.

☆ President Biden to give sermon at Martin Luther King's church in Atlanta
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WILMINGTON, Del., Jan 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will become the first sitting American president to speak at a Sunday service at Martin Luther King Jr.'s church in Atlanta as he seeks to bolster support among African Americans ahead of an expected run for re-election in 2024. Marking the national holiday celebrating the slain civil rights leader, Biden will deliver a sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church at the invitation of its pastor, Democratic U.S. King was pastor of Ebenezer church from 1960 until his death. Many presidents, including Biden, have visited Ebenezer to honor King, usually during events around the time of his birthday. The Atlanta visit comes as Biden girds for what is expected to be an announcement of his re-election bid in the weeks ahead.

☆ Additional Documents Marked as Classified Found at Biden’s Delaware Residence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Sabrina Siddiqui | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Additional pages marked as classified were found at President Biden’s Wilmington, Del., residence and have been given to the Justice Department, the White House counsel said Saturday, the latest revelation over the handling of classified information that has emerged this week. The documents were discovered after Mr. Biden’s attorneys said earlier that some classified material, likely dating from his time as vice president, had been found in his garage at the residence in December.

☆ The Classified Biden Documents: A Timeline of What Happened and When
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden’s actions after he left the vice presidency in 2017 are drawing more scrutiny. Aides found classified records dating from President Biden’s time as vice president at his Wilmington, Del., home and at an office he used at a Washington-based think tank bearing his name. The discoveries prompted Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to examine why the material ended up there, similar to the one he named to investigate classified documents found at former President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried Says Law Firm Worked Closely With FTX Before Bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Sam Bankman-Fried said cryptocurrency exchange FTX had a closer relationship than previously disclosed with its bankruptcy law firm Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, adding to questions about the law firm’s work for past FTX management. Mr. Bankman-Fried is currently under house arrest at his parents’ California home as he faces federal fraud charges. Sullivan & Cromwell was one of two primary law firms FTX International used before the bankruptcy and it was FTX U.S.’s main law firm, Mr. Bankman-Fried wrote in a post Thursday on Substack, an online subscription-based newsletter platform. He added that FTX U.S.’s general counsel was a former member of the law firm without naming him. The new FTX CEO would also be in charge of the bankruptcy process that later picked the law firm as the bankruptcy counsel.

WASHINGTON—Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday named Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney during the Trump administration, as special counsel to examine why classified documents were found at President Biden’s home and office, intensifying scrutiny of Mr. Biden’s actions after he left the vice presidency in 2017. The appointment came after Mr. Biden’s lawyer said aides found classified records, likely dating from Mr. Biden’s time as vice president, at his Wilmington, Del., garage and at an office he used at a Washington-based think tank that bears his name. It heightens political pressure on the White House and sets up the unusual prospect of three concurrent Justice Department special counsels, two of whom are investigating the actions of the president or his chief rival for office. Lawmakers from both parties in Congress have also demanded details on the discovery of the documents.

An attorney for Musk, as well as Tesla and several directors who are also defendants, declined to comment. Musk surrendered the Tesla chairman position and agreed to let a company lawyer vet some of his tweets. He won a bench trial in Delaware's Court of Chancery last year over claims by Tesla shareholders that he allegedly coerced the Tesla board into buying SolarCity, a rooftop solar panel maker. Tesla shareholders had sought billions in damages and they have appealed. Around half are dismissed for failing to comply with securities law and most of the rest are settled.

☆ Additional Classified Documents Found at Biden’s Delaware Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—President Biden’s aides found an additional batch of a small number of classified records after searching his residences in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Del., Richard Sauber, Mr. Biden’s lawyer, said in a statement Thursday. “All but one of these documents were found in storage space in the President’s Wilmington residence garage,” Mr. Sauber said. “One document consisting of one page was discovered among stored materials in an adjacent room. No documents were found in the Rehoboth Beach residence.”

A Virginia bill would deem a pregnant person's fetus a passenger in a car, thereby allowing the vehicle to use the car pool lane on highways. Under the bill, the certifications would then be "linked" to toll collection devices — typically E-Z Passes — in vehicles. High occupancy lanes require drivers to have at least one passenger in their vehicles when they use the lanes. And by considering a pregnant person as two people — in this case, allowing a pregnant person to use an HOV lane — you're ultimately making it harder to uphold abortion rights, because you have essentially imbued a fetus with personhood," Nash added. Doug Ducey, a Republican, that included a provision, carried over from a 2021 law, that reproductive rights advocates say granted personhood to fetuses.

☆ FTX Says It Has Located More Than $5 Billion in Cash, Liquid Assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Becky Yerak | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX said it has located more than $5 billion in cash and other liquid assets and is hoping to sell hundreds of additional investment holdings with a book value of more than $4.6 billion. Those assets are valued as of FTX’s bankruptcy filing in November and don’t include $425 million held by authorities in the Bahamas, company lawyers said on Wednesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del.

☆ Watch live: Attorney General Merrick Garland makes statement at Department of Justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

[The stream is slated to start at 1:15 p.m. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Attorney General Merrick Garland is set to make a public statement on Thursday afternoon at the Department of Justice. The event was scheduled on the same day that President Joe Biden and his lawyer revealed that a second batch of classified government documents was discovered in a storage space in the garage of Biden's home in Wilmington, Del. Garland had assigned John Lausch, the U.S. Attorney in Chicago, to handle the probe.

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