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☆ Lidar firms Ouster, Velodyne to merge in all-stock deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Lidar makers Ouster Inc (OUST.N) and Velodyne Lidar Inc (VLDR.O) said on Monday they would merge in an all-stock deal, forming a company with a combined market capitalization of about $400 million. Velodyne stockholders will receive 0.8204 shares of Ouster for each share held, representing a 7.8% premium to Velodyne's closing price on Friday. The combination will allow Ouster and Velodyne to consolidate their market position and product portfolios through cost-savings in engineering, manufacturing and administration. Velodyne shares were up 5.6% while Ouster rose about 1% in premarket trading. Existing Velodyne and Ouster shareholders will own about 50% each of the combined company.

☆ Stewart Rhodes testifies in Oath Keepers Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — The founder of the far-right Oath Keepers organization is testifying in his own defense at his seditious conspiracy trial on Friday. Stewart Rhodes is on trial along with Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell in connection with their actions surrounding the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The government rested its case on Thursday without calling cooperating witnesses who pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy. Rhodes, talking about Jan. 6, said in the recording that his "only regret" was that they did not have guns that day. A government exhibit showing individuals associated with the Oath Keepers.

☆ Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes slipped and testified he supports the 'right to riot' at his January 6 trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes took the risky step of testifying in his own defense. Rhodes said he founded the Oath Keepers as a community service-minded group. "I support the right to riot," Rhodes testified, before correcting himself to say, "I support the right to protest." "Like I said," Rhodes testified, "we supported the right to protest." Rhodes also bristled at the characterization of the Oath Keepers as a racist group.

☆ DOJ rests in Oath Keepers trial without calling witnesses who pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors rested their case against Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four other members of the far-right organization on Wednesday without calling three cooperating defendants who pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy. But the government did not call for three members of the group who pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy — Joshua James, Brian Ulrich and William Todd Wilson — before resting their case. Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington on Jun. Susan Walsh / AP fileProsecutors may have decided that presenting any of the three defendants who pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy would be too much of a risk on cross examination. Prosecutors also can't explicitly argue that because a witness pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy that the defendants are guilty of the same charge, which limits the value of their testimony.

☆ Oath Keepers begin defense in trial over U.S. Capitol attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Chris Gallagher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Defense lawyers on Thursday opened their case in the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four others over their alleged roles in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, arguing the defendants were in Washington to do security work and did not plot to stop the transfer of presidential power. The first defense witness, Watkins’ fiancé Montana Siniff, testified that Watkins had had no intention to try to stop the election certification. Prosecutors presented evidence including text and audio communications among the defendants in the run-up to Jan. 6, and called witnesses including FBI agents and former members of the Oath Keepers. Stanley Woodward, an attorney for Meggs, said in an opening statement that he would present an alternative motive for Meggs' actions. Rhodes, a Yale-educated attorney and former U.S. Army paratrooper, is expected to take the stand at some stage as the defense presents its case.

☆ An Oath Keeper thought the Electoral College was a place where politicians 'went to get educated,' defense lawyer says at trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Defense lawyers argued at trial the Oath Keepers were a community-minded service group. In their month-long case, federal prosecutors presented text messages and other evidence detailing the Oath Keepers' planning ahead of January 6. Rhodes is standing trial alongside Harrelson and three other Oath Keepers members — Jessica Watkins, Kelly Meggs, and Thomas Caldwell — on charges related to January 6. In another opening statement Thursday, a defense lawyer for Oath Keepers member Kelly Meggs argued that the group was providing security on January 6. "The testimony in this case will show the Oath Keepers chose community involvement, disaster recovery, security, personal security," Woodward said.

☆ Stewart Rhodes wrote message to Trump after Jan. 6 calling on him to 'save the Republic,' arrest members of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Daniel Barnes | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Alpers testified that he was not working on behalf of a federal law enforcement agency when he made the recording. Alpers testified on the stand that he had connections to Trump's inner circle and said he could get a message to Trump "indirectly." When he met with Rhodes on Jan. 10, he had Rhodes type a message intended for Trump on his phone. Oath Keepers members Joshua James, Brian Ulrich and William Todd Wilson all pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy. Several other Oath Keepers have pleaded guilty to other charges, including two Oath Keepers — Jason Dolan and Graydon Young — who testified in the trial.

☆ Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes drafted a text to Trump warning that Biden would 'turn all that power on you,' feds reveal at trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A government witness recorded a meeting with Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes after January 6. Jason Alpers said Rhodes typed a message for Trump warning his children would "die in prison." In that draft message, Rhodes sought to tell Trump that he "must do as Lincoln did." Federal prosecutors are expected to rest their case against Rhodes and the four other Oath Keepers members on Wednesday. At the outset of the trial, Rhodes' lawyer told jurors that the Oath Keepers founder planned to testify in his own defense.

☆ Oath Keeper saw Jan. 6 storming of U.S. Capitol as 'Bastille' moment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Jan. 6, 2021, Young said he entered the U.S. Capitol with a group of fellow Oath Keepers with the aim of trying to disrupt proceedings to certify Biden's win. Young's testimony was the latest evidence presented by federal prosecutors in the criminal trial against Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and his four co-defendants - Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson and Kelly Meggs. Young is the second Oath Keeper member so far to testify for the government after pleading guilty, in the hopes of winning a reduced prison sentence. I haven’t heard you articulate an actual agreement with anybody to commit a crime,” Rhodes' attorney, James Lee Bright, said. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Ross Colvin and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The criminal trial of Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers right-wing militia group, and four associates over their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was delayed on Monday after he tested positive for COVID-19. Rhodes remains in "total isolation" in jail, his lawyers said. Prosecutors have said the Oath Keepers planned a "quick reaction force" of armed members who waited at a hotel in northern Virginia with firearms they could transport across the Potomac River into Washington if called upon. Defense attorney Edward Tarpley said he has been unable to confer with Rhodes because the defendant remains isolated and cannot accept phone calls. It remained unclear if the jail could make such an accommodation or if Mehta would be willing to allow it.

"I have a feeling that we lost two points, especially with the way we started the game and the chances we had," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. Newcastle have already drawn with Manchester City and Manchester United this season and their only loss was a stoppage-time defeat by Liverpool. Sunday's win at Tottenham sent the clearest message yet that they can challenge for a Champions League berth. Harry Kane pulled one back for third-placed Tottenham in the 54th minute with his 10th goal of the season but Newcastle comfortably held on for the points. "Real pride in the players today and great to be part of those scenes," Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who took over last year with the club heading towards relegation, told reporters.

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - A Florida member of the far-right Oath Keepers testified on Tuesday that he had been ready to use violence to stop the U.S. Congress from certifying Republican Donald Trump's election defeat, saying he wanted lawmakers to "be afraid." They will act out of charity, and they will act out of fear, too ... maybe they would be scared into doing the right thing," Dolan said. On Jan. 6, some of the group's members, including Dolan, were among the thousands of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol, battling police and sending members of Congress scrambling for cover. Dolan testified that he brought his assault-style rifle and a pistol with him from Florida, and stashed them in a Virginia hotel. In that event, he said, he believed Oath Keepers "would be fighting with pro-Trump forces against basically pro-Biden forces."

☆ The company behind Truth Social fired its co-founder after he shared whistleblower documents with the Washington Post, the publication reported
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company behind Truth Social fired one of its co-founders, the Washington Post reported. Will Wilkerson shared documents with the Post related to an SEC whistleblower complaint he filed in August. Trump Media fired him last Thursday for sharing "unauthorized disclosures," per the publication. Will Wilkerson, who was the company's senior vice-president of operations, shared documents with The Post related to an SEC whistleblower complaint he filed in August. On Thursday, Trump Media dismissed Wilkerson, attributing the move to "unauthorized disclosures" he made to The Post, the publication reported.

☆ In the college sports pay era, female athletes are emerging as big winners
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

At a time of increased scrutiny about the pay gap between male and female athletes, the Nike deals show that female collegiate and amateur athletes are emerging as winners in the early days of the NIL era. "I think most people knew that women athletes in particular were going to see great opportunities," Rishe said. "That's why it's exciting to see, but not surprising to see a lot of female college athletes solidify various and sometimes lucrative NIL deals." Women's social media presence influences dealsClark ranks as the tenth most profitable college women's basketball player and Jones comes in twelfth, according to On3's "College Women's Basketball NIL Rankings." Female athletes already are doing their part in spreading the message about the future of women in sports and as public figures.

☆ SpaceX capsule splashes down, returning 4 astronauts from Space Station
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oct 14 (Reuters) - The fourth long-duration astronaut team launched by SpaceX to the International Space Station (ISS) safely returned to Earth on Friday, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida after nearly six months of research aboard the orbital outpost. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule dubbed Freedom, carrying three U.S. NASA astronauts and an Italian crewmate from the European Space Agency, parachuted into the sea at the conclusion of a five-hour autonomous flight home from the ISS. Camera shots from inside the crew compartment showed the four strapped in their seats, garbed in helmeted white-and-black spacesuits. Applause from the SpaceX flight control center in suburban Los Angeles was heard over the webcast. During their 170 days aboard the space station, the crew orbited Earth 2,720 times - about once every 90 minutes - to log some 72 million miles (116 million km) in space, according to NASA.

☆ Watch SpaceX splashdown the Crew-4 astronauts for NASA after a six-month stay at the space station
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SpaceX is set to return its fourth operational crew mission from the International Space Station on Friday, with the quartet of astronauts due to splash down in the company's capsule off the coast of Florida. The company's Crew Dragon spacecraft "Freedom" is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 12:05 p.m. ET to begin the trip back to Earth, with splashdown expected at around 4:55 p.m. Crew-4 includes NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins, as well as European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The mission launched in April for a six-month stay on the orbiting research laboratory.

Share this -Link copiedCommittee votes to subpoena Trump The committee voted on Thursday unanimously to subpoena Trump. Trump would not be the first president to be subpoenaed, nor would he be the first former president subpoenaed by Congress. "Even before the networks called the race for President Biden on Nov. 7th, his chances of pulling out a victory were virtually nonexistent, and President Trump knew it," Kinzinger said. “At times, President Trump acknowledged the reality of his loss. “What did President Trump know?

That's based on a Secret Service email from 9:09 a.m. "The head of the President’s Secret Service protective detail, Robert Engel, was specifically aware of the large crowds outside the magnetometers," Schiff said. A Secret Service report at 7:58 a.m. said, "Some members of the crowd are wearing ballistic helmets, body armor carrying radio equipment and military grade backpacks." On Dec. 26, a Secret Service field office relayed a tip that had been received by the FBI, Schiff said. Trump would not be the first president to be subpoenaed, nor would he be the first former president subpoenaed by Congress.

☆ NASA astronauts returning from space station on SpaceX capsule delayed by weather
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The astronauts — NASA’s Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, as well as Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti with the European Space Agency — were scheduled to depart from the space station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Thursday morning. Aerospace company SpaceX developed the Crew Dragon spacecraft under a $2.6 billion contract with NASA as part of the Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX renewed orbital human spaceflight capabilities from US soil in 2020 with the launch of its Demo-2 mission, which carried two NASA astronauts to the space station. The Crew-4 astronauts’ return to Earth comes less than a week after the Crew-5 astronauts arrived on a separate SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. Since SpaceX developed the Crew Dragon under a fixed-price commercial contract, however, it retains ownership over the vehicle.

☆ An Oath Keeper admitted the group stockpiled a stash of guns in a Virginia hotel room before the Capitol riot
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cummings told the jury the stash of guns in that room rivaled what he saw in the military. Cummings told the jury he kept the gun in a collective Oath Keepers' weapons stash at a Virginia hotel room instead of bringing it into DC. Prosecutors say the gun stash was part of the Oath Keepers' plan to arm a "quick reaction force," per NBC News. Several other Oath Keepers — including Brian Ulrich, Joshua James, and William Todd Wilson — have pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy. The Oath Keepers initially branded its members as defenders of the Constitution.

☆ New: Reporter Ali Watkins On 2016 Bitcoin Heist
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNew: Reporter Ali Watkins On 2016 Bitcoin HeistNew York Times reporter Ali Watkins reflects on what it was like to cover the notorious 2016 Bitcoin heist.

The Oath Keeper, Terry Cummings, testified that there were "a lot of firearms cases" in the hotel room when he dropped off his weapon at the Comfort Inn in Arlington, Virginia, on Jan. 5, 2021. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is on trial for seditious conspiracy alongside four other Oath Keeper associates: Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell. Another Oath Keeper previously told the court that Rhodes tried unsuccessfully to reach Trump on the night of Jan. 6. He said he was aware of the strict gun laws in Washington, D.C., and saw no Oath Keepers carrying guns in the city on the day of the riot. Under cross examination, Cummings said multiple times that he never heard of any plans for the Oath Keepers to enter the Capitol.

Cummings took the witness stand in the trial of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four co-defendants - Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson and Kelly Meggs. The five are accused of conspiring to try to keep Republican President Donald Trump in power after he had lost the 2020 election. A pro-Trump mob charged into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and violently attacked police, but failed to prevent lawmakers from certifying Biden's victory. Prosecutors have said some of the Oath Keepers were among the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol building after he gave a speech repeating his false claims that the election had been stolen from him through widespread voting fraud. The government also alleges the Oath Keepers organized a so-called "quick reaction force" of armed members who were waiting across the Potomac River in Virginia if called upon.

☆ Justice Clarence Thomas confesses he's a Prince fan during a spirited debate over Andy Warhol's artwork and copyright law
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Supreme Court heard a case involving pop artist Andy Warhol's iconic silkscreen prints of musician Prince. At issue is whether Warhol violated copyright law by relying on a photographer's image of Prince for his art. The Andy Warhol Foundation has asked the Supreme Court to overturn that ruling. "If you called Andy Warhol as a witness, what would he say?" "And this is a work of art sending a message about modern society," he said of Warhol's.

- Nov. 7, 2020 text message from Rhodes to a group of Oath Keepers. - Nov. 7, 2020 in a text message from Rhodes to a group of Oath Keepers. - Jan. 7, 2021 Facebook message from Thomas Caldwell to Donovan Crowl, an Oath Keeper charged in a separate criminal case. - Stewart Rhodes in a December 2020 text discussing logistics ahead of Jan. 6 with a group of Oath Keepers. Prepare your mind, body, spirit," Stewart Rhodes, in a Nov. 5, 2020 text to a group of Oath Keepers.

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