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☆ Can the ‘California Effect’ Survive in a Hyperpartisan America?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Conor Dougherty | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For a while this winter, seemingly every text message that Buffy Wicks received asked if she was running for Congress. This decision by Lee, who is 76, created a rare opportunity for the next generation of California Democrats to vie for federal office. Soon enough, however, Wicks put out a statement that, humbled as she was by the suggestion, she wouldn’t be seeking the seat. “I pass big bills here,” Wicks told me. California has been so successful at bending national policy in its direction that academics have taken to calling the phenomenon the California effect.

☆ Feinstein, Back in the Senate, Relies Heavily on Staff to Function
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Annie Karni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They push her wheelchair, remind her how and when she should vote and step in to explain what is happening when she grows confused. All senators rely heavily on staff. But for years, Ms. Feinstein’s memory problems have meant that she has needed far more support than other senators. Briefing her on the news of the day requires longer sessions and more background information. At times she has expressed confusion about the basics of how the Senate functions.

[1/4] JPMorgan Chase Bank is seen in New York City, U.S., March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/Companies JPMorgan Chase & Co FollowNEW YORK, May 26 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said in a deposition on Friday that he had never met or communicated with late sex offender and former bank client Jeffrey Epstein, the bank said. Epstein was a JPMorgan client from 2000 to 2013, remaining so after pleading guilty in 2008 to a Florida state prostitution charge. It has accused Staley, who was friendly with Epstein, of concealing what he knew about Epstein’s crimes. Epstein died in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

☆ Judge rules Manhattan DA's office must turn over documents related to JP Morgan exec in bank lawsuit over Epstein connections
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —A federal judge ruled Friday that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office must turn over documents related to former JPMorgan Chase (JPM) executive James “Jes” Staley in response to a subpoena from the bank in ongoing federal lawsuits that allege JPMorgan enabled and benefited from longtime banking-client Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes. Staley has denied all wrongdoing alleged in the lawsuits. It is unclear if there is an active investigation into Staley. Judge Jed Rakoff overruled Bragg’s assertion of privilege over certain documents requested in the bank’s subpoena determining that after a full review he found that the privileges and statutes invoked by the Manhattan prosecutor do not apply to the requested documents. The documents will be sealed under a protective order, the ruling said.

☆ Feinstein Faces Growing Scrutiny, but Voters Are Still Divided on Her Fitness
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Thomas Fuller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Voters interviewed in California on Thursday had mixed views on the meaning and consequences of fresh and troubling revelations about Ms. Feinstein’s condition. But they did not seem to share the sense of urgency expressed by some of the state’s political players, the politicians, donors and activists who were distressed over the possibility that Ms. Feinstein’s condition would slow the Democrats’ agenda and effectiveness in Washington. “As a voter, I’d hope she would be responsible and make the right choice whether to step down now or later,” said Ms. Dixon, who voted for Ms. Feinstein in 2018. Ms. Feinstein returned to the Capitol last week after missing more than two months because of her illness. The revelation has amplified calls for Ms. Feinstein’s resignation, especially among the most politically engaged.

☆ Deutsche Bank to pay $75 mln to settle lawsuit by Epstein accusers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Deutsche Bank AG has agreed to pay $75 million to settle a lawsuit by women who say they were abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, and accused the German bank of facilitating his sex trafficking. Epstein had been a Deutsche Bank client from 2013 to 2018. The Deutsche Bank case was led by an unidentified plaintiff, known as Jane Doe 1, who said Epstein sexually abused her from 2003 to 2018. Last September, Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $26.25 million to settle a US shareholder lawsuit accusing the bank of lax oversight while doing business with risky, ultra-rich clients like Epstein. The case is Jane Doe 1 v Deutsche Bank AG et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

☆ Peter Thiel Is Latest Billionaire Said to Have Met With Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Matthew Goldstein | Ryan Mac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2014, the venture capitalist Peter Thiel was gaining prominence as one of Silicon Valley’s most successful entrepreneurs and investors. That made him an ideal contact for Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender with a knack for cultivating the rich and powerful. Mr. Thiel apparently had several meetings with Mr. Epstein that year, according to scheduling records of the disgraced financier that were reviewed by The New York Times. The records — in the form of emails that Mr. Epstein’s assistant sent to remind him of upcoming events — show that in September 2014 Mr. Thiel was scheduled to meet with Mr. Epstein on at least three occasions, either in one-on-one meetings or with others over lunch or dinner. Two other times, Mr. Thiel was listed among more than a dozen other well-known people Mr. Epstein should try to see while at his New York mansion.

☆ Dianne Feinstein suffered more complications from illness than publicly disclosed, New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Dianne Feinstein, who returned to Washington in May after a months-long absence due to shingles, suffered more complications from the illness than were publicly disclosed, the New York Times reported on Thursday. The shingles caused a rare complication known as encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, the New York Times said, citing two people familiar with the senator's diagnosis. Feinstein on Thursday said she did not have encephalitis, saying it "really has never been diagnosed", according to CNN. I continue to work and get results for California." Reporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Feinstein Suffered More Complications From Illness Than Were Publicly Disclosed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Annie Karni | Carl Hulse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When she arrived at the Capitol last week after a more than two-month absence recovering from shingles, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, 89, appeared shockingly diminished. Ms. Feinstein’s frail appearance was a result of several complications after she was hospitalized for shingles in February, some of which she has not publicly disclosed. The shingles spread to her face and neck, causing vision and balance impairments and facial paralysis known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Characterized by swelling of the brain, post-shingles encephalitis can leave patients with lasting memory or language problems, sleep disorders, bouts of confusion, mood disorders, headaches and difficulties walking. And even before this latest illness, Ms. Feinstein had already suffered substantial memory issues that had raised questions about her mental capacity.

☆ Bard President Received $150,000 From Foundation Created by Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Vimal Patel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He added: “I’m not a rich person.”Dr. Botstein had previously said that besides an unsolicited $75,000 gift and 66 laptops, Mr. Epstein had not given any gifts to Bard. On Wednesday, Dr. Botstein said that he did not disclose the money from the foundation during a previous interview with The Times earlier this month because he was not aware of it. He said “the contract was signed by someone else” so Mr. Epstein’s name did not appear on his records. The payment is the latest revelation that gives a deeper look into how Mr. Epstein used his money to buy influence. Mr. Epstein gave prolifically to many charities and universities, including Harvard and M.I.T.

☆ Deutsche Bank Will Pay $75 Million to Victims of Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Matthew Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay $75 million to sexual abuse victims of Jeffrey Epstein to settle a lawsuit filed last year in Manhattan, according to the lawyers for the victims. The settlement, which must be approved by a federal judge, would resolve a proposed class-action suit that alleged the bank had helped enable the disgraced financier’s sex trafficking of young women by missing warning signs in Mr. Epstein’s accounts that he was engaged in wrongdoing. Dylan Riddle, a spokesman for the German bank, declined to comment on any proposed settlement. But in a statement, Mr. Riddle said the bank “has made considerable progress in remedying a number of past issues,” while investing in bolstering its internal controls. David Boies and Brad Edwards, the lawyers for the women who brought the case, said $75 million would be made available to the more than 125 victims of Mr. Epstein who previously obtained payouts from a restitution fund established by his estate after his death in 2019.

WILMINGTON, Delaware, May 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Virgin Islands has subpoenaed Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk for documents in its lawsuit accusing JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) of helping enable sexual abuses by late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Virgin Islands did not provide further explanation for its interest in obtaining documents from Musk. In the subpoena, the Virgin Islands demanded any documents Musk has about Epstein’s involvement in human trafficking and his procurement of girls or women for commercial sex. Additionally, the subpoena sought any communications between the entrepreneur and JPMorgan about Epstein as well as between Musk and Epstein. Musk is the second tech entrepreneur touched by the Virgin Islands litigation.

☆ Elon Musk documents subpoenaed in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit by U.S. Virgin Islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Tom Hals | Thomson Reuters | Tom Hals Is An Award-Winning Reporter With Years Of Experience Working In Asia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ US Virgin Islands subpoenas Elon Musk as part of lawsuit into Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking ring
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The US Virgin Islands has subpoenaed Elon Musk, requesting documents from the billionaire for the government’s lawsuit alleging JPMorgan Chase benefited financially from Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. The Virgin Islands’ government issued the subpoena on April 28 but had difficulty obtaining an address for Musk to locate and serve him, even hiring an investigative firm. The subpoena is requesting all communications between Musk and JPMorgan regarding Epstein or any role the disgraced financier played in the Tesla CEO’s financial management. It also requested any documents regarding fees paid to Epstein or JPMorgan, or any documents regarding Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. In 2022, the US Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, alleging the Wall Street giant benefited financially from Epstein’s sex trafficking operation and failed in its duty to report suspicious financial activity.

☆ Opinion | What We Lose When We Push Our Kids to ‘Achieve’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Adam Gopnik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

I know there are objections to his view: At some moment, all accomplishment, however self-directed, has to become professional, lucrative, real. And surely many of the things that our kids are asked to achieve can lead to self-discovery; taught well, they may learn to love new and unexpected things for their own sake. There are many drugs that we swallow or inject in our veins; this is one drug that we produce in our brains, and to good effect. The hobbyist or retiree taking a course in batik or yoga, who might be easily patronized by achievers, has rocket fuel in her hands. The pursuit of accomplishment, what I call the real work, never ends, and always surprises.

☆ Gig work value is too great to rush a US overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Julie Su, the president’s choice for labor secretary, has a history of redefining gig work. And while health insurance and retirement savings are valuable perks, gig workers view flexibility in the same way. Half of surveyed gig workers, meanwhile, make less than a quarter of their income from freelancing. Gig work has also grown alongside traditional employment, not at its expense. With most gig workers happy as they are, a one-size-fits-all rethink threatens pointless harm to a growing corner of the economy.

☆ How the Star of ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ Found Beauty in Her Voice Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Laura Collins-Hughes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

from Yale is in music. She followed up that show with two more Broadway musicals, “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” (2013) and “Gigi” (2015). Around 2018, she set aside a solo show she’d been making about the impact of music on her life, worried that she might run out of voice onstage. “I had to fall in love again with myself and figure out how to love myself as I was changing,” she said. But it’s not that she can’t hit the high notes anymore, even if only one song in the pop-style “Kimberly Akimbo” asks her to.

☆ California to Pay $24 Million for Man’s Death in Police Custody
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Mckenna Oxenden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

California is set to pay $24 million after reaching a settlement with the family of Edward Bronstein, who died in police custody three years ago after repeatedly yelling, “I can’t breathe,” while an officer knelt on his back, lawyers said on Tuesday. California Highway Patrol officers pulled over Mr. Bronstein, who was 38, on March 31, 2020, believing that he was driving under the influence of a drug, and they then tried to draw his blood. “We want them to pay in jail for taking a human life. These officers had no reverence for human life. They killed an innocent man.”In March, seven highway patrol officers and one nurse linked to the case were charged in Los Angeles County with involuntary manslaughter.

☆ Why the Real Star of the New Bradley Cooper Film ‘Maestro’ May Be a House
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Joanne Kaufman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After Mr. Bernstein’s death in 1990 (Mrs. Bernstein died in 1978), the three children inherited the property. As when their parents were alive, the compound is a gathering spot for birthdays and holidays, and for fiercely contested rounds of Anagrams. Lately, it has also served as a set for the upcoming film “Maestro,” a portrait of the Bernsteins’ complicated marriage directed by and starring Bradley Cooper. “He wanted an authenticity about how he was evoking our dad and his world,” Ms. Bernstein said of Mr. Cooper. “He was very curious to come up here and visit, and that’s when he decided he wanted to come back and shoot in and around the house.

WilmerHale said in Monday's filing that it did not represent Wild and that its work with ECPAT was limited to filing the Supreme Court brief on a legal issue unrelated to the JPMorgan case. The firm argued that EPCAT as an outside organization was not directly involved in Wild’s case. WilmerHale attorneys accused the plaintiff of “gamesmanship” in attempting to disqualify JPMorgan’s preferred law firm. A lawyer for the plaintiff, Bradley Edwards, who previously also represented Wild, said in a court filing that WilmerHale lawyers had communicated with Wild’s attorneys about legal strategy. Wild is not a party in the New York case, but Edwards said that as a victim of Epstein, she is a potential member of the plaintiff class.

☆ Senate Judiciary chair says ‘everything is on the table’ in response to Clarence Thomas revelations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Aileen Graef | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin said Sunday that “everything is on the table” as the panel scrutinizes new ethics concerns around Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Crow also purchased several real estate properties, including the home where Thomas’ mother lives, from the Thomas family and paid boarding school tuition for Thomas’ grandnephew, according to ProPublica. But Durbin said Sunday the recent revelations “just embarrasses me” as he called on Chief Justice John Roberts to impose a code of conduct on the court. Roberts previously declined Durbin’s request to voluntarily testify in a hearing on Supreme Court ethics. Feinstein, 89, has been away from the Senate since March as she recovers at home in California from shingles.

☆ Review: ‘The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window,’ Uneven Yet a Powerful Draw
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Laura Collins-Hughes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Sidney Brustein, whom she has placed at the center of this crowded tragicomedy, is not an interesting person. (The play is a Tony nominee for best revival; Silverman is its only acting nominee.) Terrible at business, he has just bought a local newsweekly without mentioning it to Iris, because theirs is nowhere near a marriage of equals. The title nods to that: It’s Sidney’s window, not Iris’s too, even though it is in their living room. Sidney finds a smidgen of purpose when he agrees to back his politician friend Wally (Andy Grotelueschen), and puts a campaign sign in the window, advocating reform.

☆ A College President Defends Seeking Money From Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Vimal Patel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It may seem, at first blush, an unlikely connection: Leon Botstein, the president of Bard, one of the country’s most progressive colleges, and Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced billionaire accused of sexually abusing teenage girls. But reporting from The Wall Street Journal this week showed that Dr. Botstein did not just pursue Mr. Epstein hoping to raise money, he did so repeatedly. He made frequent visits to Mr. Epstein’s Upper East Side townhouse, and Mr. Epstein and his entourage hopped by helicopter to Bard’s lush campus in the Hudson Valley. Dr. Botstein said in interviews with The New York Times that the visits were all about funding for Bard — for the school’s commitment to social justice, its prisoner education program, its liberal arts mission. Capitalism is a rough system.”

☆ Opinion | Dianne Feinstein Has to Act
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Without Senator Dianne Feinstein, there might never have been an assault weapons ban in 1994. Or the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994. Her absence is a failure that deprives American voters of full representation on legislation and appointments that will affect them for decades to come. (Proxy voting is allowed in the committee, but a proxy cannot be the decisive vote if the committee is otherwise evenly divided, as it often is.) Ms. Feinstein offered to step away from the committee, but Republican senators blocked any effort at appointing a temporary replacement.

☆ Top Senate Democrats push for new ethics rules in wake of Clarence Thomas report as Republicans defend justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Manu Raju | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Plus some Democrats on the panel, like Sen. Dick Blumenthal, want to go much further than Durbin in the Thomas probe – exposing divisions within the ranks. “I hope that Chief Justice Roberts reads his story this morning and understands something has to be done,” Durbin told CNN. “The reputation of the Supreme Court is at stake here. “The drip, drip, drip of these destructive disclosures is going to destroy the United States Supreme Court unless there is an effective proper investigation,” he said. “The court is responsible for their own guidelines in that regard,” Romney told CNN.

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