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☆ Italy’s Friuli region is one of Europe’s best kept secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

With 13 natural reserves and the pristine park of the Friuli Dolomite Mountains, the region lures tourists seeking to connect with nature or explore the outdoors. There’s also the spellbinding Grotta Gigante, or Giant Cave, one of the world’s largest tourist caverns. Golden beachesThe Grotta Gigante is one of the world's largest tourist caverns. Trieste boasts an unusual segregated beach, with origins dating back several centuries. “Residents are very fond and proud of this place,” says Trieste local Maria Bonacci.

☆ Trump used his deposition in a defamation case to boast, complain, insult Joe Biden, and threaten to sue the attorney questioning him
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Donald Trump was deposed in October 2022 in a defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll. During the deposition, Trump was combative and meandered in his answers to the opposing counsel. Trump boasted about his social media platform, threatened the counsel, and insulted Joe Biden. Loading Something is loading. Here are some of the meandering moments from Trump's deposition:

Former President Donald Trump unleashed a slew of insults against writer E. Jean Carroll when he was deposed in her civil suit accusing him of rape, newly unsealed court filings show. During the lengthy deposition, Trump was asked about a post he wrote on Truth Social shortly before his testimony claiming that Carroll's story was "a hoax." Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's lawyer, then asked him about writing in the post that Carroll said Trump had "swooned her" inside the store. Didn’t she say that?” Trump continued, before indicating he was referring to Carroll's 2019 interview on CNN with Anderson Cooper. When Cooper said that most people think of rape as a violent assault, she responded, “Most people think of rape as sexy.

☆ Trump, in newly released deposition, explains what he meant by 'swooned her': 'It's a nicer word than the word that starts with an F'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In an October 2022 deposition, Trump was asked about a post he wrote about E. Jean Carroll. In the post, Trump denied that he had ever "swooned" Carroll, who accuses him of raping her. In 2019, Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. And it's a nicer word than the word that starts with an F, and this would be word that I used because I thought it would be inappropriate to use the other word. In the deposition, Kaplan noted a similar definition, asking: "That's not what you meant here?"

☆ Trump claimed woman who accused him of sexual assault in a luxury department store said 'rape was sexy' and 'indicated that she loved it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In an October 2022 deposition, Donald Trump claimed that E. Jean Carroll said "rape was sexy." Trump was misrepresenting comments Carroll made about why she doesn't like to use the word rape in a 2019 interview. Carroll, who has accused Trump of sexual assault, is suing him for defamation after he said she was lying. In the October deposition, Trump misrepresented comments Carroll made about the allegation in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper. She claimed he assaulted her in a dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury Fifth Avenue department store, in the mid-1990s.

☆ Trump said he 'can't think of any complaints' when asked if he ever forcibly kissed a woman; 26 have accused him of sexual assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Laura Italiano | Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Excerpts of Trump's deposition were released Friday in author E. Jean Carroll's defamation case. Asked by Carroll's lawyer if he ever forcibly kissed a woman, Trump said he "can't think of any complaints." At least 26 women have accused Trump of sexual assaults dating back to the 1970s; he has denied them all. Carroll's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, asked Trump during the October 19 sworn deposition, which he taped from Mar-a-Lago. "Well, I don't — I can't think of any complaints," Trump answered, according to the transcript unsealed Friday.

☆ Trump called E. Jean Carroll's lawyer a 'political operative' and 'a disgrace' during a contentious deposition, and threatened to sue her
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Portions of Trump's deposition in E. Jean Carroll's defamation suit were unsealed Friday. In it, he attacks Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, threatening to sue her personally. At another point in the deposition Trump referred to Kaplan as being friends with "Cuomo." Carroll's deposition currently has a trial date set for April 10, but it's unclear if it will make it that far. Carroll initially wasn't able to sue Trump for the alleged assault, because the statute of limitations had expired.

☆ No, It's Not a Mirage: Joshua Tree's 'Invisible House' Is on the Market for $18 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Katherine Clarke | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It all started when they found out their house was illegal. In the early 2010s, Chris and Roberta Hanley were enjoying their off-the-grid vacation home in Joshua Tree, Calif., when they were informed that their 720-square-foot prefab house violated local regulations. At the time, Joshua Tree required that homes be at least 20 feet wide, and their modular house wasn’t. If they wanted to keep living on the land, they would have to build something bigger.

☆ Potential employees looking for remote work say they've been targeted by scammers offering them fake jobs: 'They prey on people who are vulnerable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scammers are targeting remote job seekers and luring them into fake jobs. Insider spoke to several people who said they were nearly duped into sending away money, believing it was for at-home work equipment. The business consultant job was high-paying and seemed like the type of role she envisioned amid her career pivot. Insider spoke with several people who told similar stories: A recruiter approached them with the perfect remote job. Reid said she thought the email address looked legitimate, and the job description matched one posted on the company's LinkedIn page.

☆ Global leaders condemn assault on Brazilian government buildings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable. BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT LUIS ARCE"We strongly condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress, Palace and Supreme Court by anti-democratic groups. A return to normality is urgently needed and we express solidarity with Brazilian institutions. We categorically condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress and make a call for the immediate return to democratic normality."

☆ European Parliament to waive immunity of two MEPs in corruption case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Charlotte Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The European Parliament said on Monday it had begun a procedure to waive the immunity of two of its members after a request from Belgian judiciary investigating a European Union-Qatar corruption scandal. Two sources close to the investigation told Reuters the two MEPs were Belgian Marc Tarabella and Italian Andrea Cozzolino. "Following a request from the Belgian judicial authorities, I have launched an urgent procedure for the waiver of immunity of two members of the European Parliament," parliament president Roberta Metsola said on Twitter. In December, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Francesco Giorgi, one of the main suspects in the investigation along with his partner, ousted European Parliament vice-president Eva Kaili, confessed to taking bribes from Qatar to influence European Parliament decisions on Qatar. According to the sources, Giorgi, an EU parliamentary assistant, said he suspected Tarabella and Cozzolino had received money from Qatar.

☆ Trump lawyers argue that calling rape accuser E. Jean Carroll a liar doesn't defame her as a journalist
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Michelle Mark | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Former President Donald Trump has filed a motion to dismiss a second lawsuit from E. Jean Carroll. Trump's attorney argued he never defamed Carroll because he didn't disparage her professionally. Carroll previously sued Trump in 2019, alleging that the then-president defamed her by claiming she invented the rape allegations. Trump's court filing on Wednesday argued that Trump's October 12 statement didn't qualify as defamation because it doesn't disparage Carroll's "trade, business or profession." In response to Insider's request for comment, Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said Carroll's team looks forward to going to trial in April 2023.

REUTERS/Carlo AllegriDec 21 (Reuters) - Donald Trump plans to argue that a New York law allowing a writer to sue the former U.S. president over claims that he raped her decades ago is unconstitutional, according to a court filing. Trump has denied Carroll's claim that he raped her in a dressing room in a Bergdorf Goodman department store 27 years ago. The former Elle magazine columnist is suing Trump for defamation and battery under New York's Adult Survivors Act. Carroll had sued Trump for defamation in 2019 for denying her allegations, and a trial is scheduled in that case for April. Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Qatargate' scandal casts light on 'untouchable' EU lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - As a corruption scandal rocks the European Parliament, lawmakers and campaign groups say a lack of asset declarations, little reporting on contacts with third countries and barely any sanctions created an environment where rule-breaking could go unpunished or undetected. Prosecutors suspect Greek member of the European Parliament (MEP) Eva Kaili and three others accepted bribes from recent soccer World Cup host Qatar in a bid to influence European Union policymaking. The case, widely dubbed "Qatargate" in the media, is one of the biggest scandals to hit the 27-nation bloc. They also urged the European Commission to put forward a proposal for an independent ethics body as soon as possible. ($1 = 0.9433 euros)Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; additional reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy Found a Fix For Its Gas Crisis, but Locals Are Resisting
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Margherita Stancati | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ROME—Italy’s ability to keep its homes warm and lights on beyond this winter hinges partly on a liquefied-natural-gas terminal off the coast of Tuscany. Roberta Degani is fighting it tooth and nail.

☆ Listen up: Headphones are getting really weird
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Bone conduction headphones, which rely on sound being transmitted through vibrations on the user’s skull, are gaining popularity. Bone conduction headphones ‘having a moment’Bone conduction headphones, in particular, are “having a moment,” Konig said. Rather than sitting inside or on top of the ear canal, bone conduction headphones rest in front of the ear, leaving it uncovered. Beyond consumer appeal, Cozza believes bone conduction headphones could be used by frontline workers who could listen to communications and instruction and at the same time be aware of sounds around them. But some audiophiles say the sound quality on bone conduction headphones and open earbuds is less than stellar.

☆ European Parliament Corruption Scandal Casts Shadow Over EU
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Kim Mackrael | Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, at a news conference in Brussels on Thursday, has vowed to lead a wide-ranging review of the legislative body’s rules on lobbying and its code of conduct. BRUSSELS—European Union leaders raised concerns about a corruption scandal at the bloc’s Parliament on Thursday amid growing worries that the bloc’s reputation would be tarnished by allegations that EU legislators took bribes from Qatar. Belgian police have detained two EU lawmakers and several other people linked to the European Parliament over suspicions that they accepted hundreds of thousands of euros from Qatari officials to influence the legislature’s decisions. Police have staged raids in Belgium and Italy, in what threatens to become the biggest scandal in Brussels in years.

Poland withdrew last-minute objections to a global minimum corporate tax, unblocking a whole package of linked agreements that includes the loan to Ukraine, invaded by Russia almost 10 months ago. "The next six months will demand even greater efforts from us," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the 27 EU leaders gathered in Brussels, asking them for more support from air defences to energy equipment. EU leaders also agreed a ninth package of sanctions against Russia for waging the war against Ukraine, diplomats said. The decision, which requires unanimity, came after EU Russia hawks Poland and Lithuania had warned that proposed exceptions for food security might in fact benefit Russian oligarchs in the fertilizer business. Poorer EU countries want a coordinated response and warned richer member states like Germany against supporting their industries without showing solidarity with the rest of the bloc.

BRUSSELS Dec 15 (Reuters) - Francesco Giorgi, the partner of ousted European Parliament vice-president Eva Kaili, has confessed his role in a Qatar graft scandal, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Giorgi's confession to taking bribes from Qatar to influence European Parliament decisions on Qatar had made "a significant contribution" to the probe underway by Belgian investigating magistrates, one of the sources said. Greek MEP Kaili, who was ousted from her role as vice president of the European Parliament on Monday, has denied any wrongdoing through her lawyer. Tarabella, who had previously confirmed that his home was searched on Saturday as part of the Belgian investigation, has denied any wrongdoing. The European Parliament on Thursday suspended all work on legislation linked to Qatar, and parliament's president, Roberta Metsola, told EU leaders she would lead reforms to prevent a repeat of a criminal corruption scandal.

☆ In wake of baby formula crisis, critical report recommends major food safety changes at FDA
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It enforces food safety regulations, works with local governments on food safety information, promotes dietary guidelines, and develops food safety information and education, as well as overseeing nutrition labels on most food and being responsible for promoting good nutrition practices to the US public. Another would have the FDA develop a strategy to increase funding for the Human Foods Program, with help from Congress. “The current culture of the FDA Human Foods Program is inhibiting its ability to effectively accomplish this goal” of protecting public health,” the report says. “The work of these independent evaluators will help to inform a new vision for the FDA Human Foods Program,” Califf said in a news release. Some critics have suggested that food safety takes a back seat to the FDA’s regulations of drugs and medical devices.

☆ Human Composting Should Be an Option for New Yorkers - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Caitlin Doughty | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Human composting — or, as it’s sometimes referred to, natural organic reduction — fulfills many people’s desire to nurture the earth after dying. In its place, Ms. Spade founded Recompose, a new for-profit company designed to bring human composting to the public. I have no stake in Recompose or any other human composting company.) Human composting, by Recompose’s reckoning, uses just an eighth of this energy and falls in total price between cremation and conventional burial at around $7,000. Human composting reframes the dead body: not something to be protected from nature and the elements, but something meant to return to them.

Kaplan did not rule on Carroll's request to hold one trial combining the lawsuit, which the former longtime Elle magazine columnist filed in November 2019, with a second lawsuit she filed last week accusing Trump of battery. Trump, 76, opposed combining the lawsuits, with his lawyers saying they did not know who would represent him in the second lawsuit. Carroll's lawyer Roberta Kaplan said she was pleased with the new trial date, and understood the decision to defer rulings in the second case. Carroll made the rape accusation in her memoir, and sued Trump after he claimed in June 2019 not to know her and said she was "not my type." Her first lawsuit has been delayed as appeals courts consider whether Trump was acting as president when he scoffed at the rape claim.

☆ E. Jean Carroll, writer who accused Trump of 1990s rape, files new lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK — A writer who accused former President Donald Trump of rape filed an upgraded lawsuit against him Thursday in New York, minutes after a new state law took effect allowing victims of sexual violence to sue over attacks that occurred decades ago. Previously, Carroll had been barred by state law from suing over the alleged rape because too many years had passed since the incident. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who presides over the defamation lawsuit Carroll filed three years ago, may decide to include the new claims in a trial likely to occur in the spring. Trump and Carroll also have already been deposed. Attorney Michael Madaio, a lawyer for Trump, said at the hearing that the new allegations are significantly different than the original defamation lawsuit and would require “an entirely new set” of evidence gathering.

☆ E. Jean Carroll files a new lawsuit on Thanksgiving accusing Trump of rape
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

E. Jean Carroll has filed a second lawsuit against former President Donald Trump. Carroll alleges Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. The second complaint stems from Carroll's allegation that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. Now Carroll is filing a second lawsuit against Trump for additional comments calling Carroll's story a "Hoax and a lie" in October, and for battery. In the new lawsuit, Carroll's lawyers say the alleged rape caused her "significant pain and suffering, lasting psychological and pecuniary harms, loss of dignity and self-esteem, and invasion of her privacy."

☆ Putin ally says he sent EU Parliament a stained sledgehammer after it branded Russia a state sponsor of terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The European Parliament declared Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism" on Wednesday. Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin responded by saying that he had sent the EU a sledgehammer. "I do not know what law the European Parliament is guided by, but according to our legislation, from today we declare the European Parliament dissolved." It continued: "But before this procedure enters into legal force, I was instructed to submit an information case to the European Parliament." It is unclear whether the EU Parliament received the sledgehammer.

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