DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Leonardo DiCaprio testifies in Fugees rapper's lobbying trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DiCaprio is one of several prominent figures linked to Low, who is suspected of embezzling $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. Michel faces 11 criminal counts for trying to influence the administrations of Obama and former President Donald Trump. Prosecutors said Michel agreed to funnel money into Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and hide the source of the funds. Prosecutors said Michel later waged an illegal influence campaign to persuade the Trump administration to stop investigating Low. Michel and other co-conspirators are also accused of lobbying the Trump administration at China's behest to return Guo to China.

Trump's expected appearance before a judge in Manhattan on Tuesday, as the Republican mounts a bid to regain the presidency, could further inflame divisions in the United States. The specific charges are not yet known, though CNN reported that Trump faced more than 30 counts related to business fraud. Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006. Bragg said Congress does not have authority to interfere with a New York legal proceeding and accused the lawmakers of escalating political tensions. Bragg's office prosecuted Trump's business on tax-fraud charges last year, leading to a $1.61 million criminal penalty, but Trump himself was not charged.

Trump previously said he would continue campaigning for the Republican Party's nomination if charged with a crime. Shortly after, Trump appealed to supporters to provide money for a legal defense. Trump will have to travel to Manhattan for fingerprinting and other processing at that point. The Manhattan investigation is one of several legal challenges facing Trump, and the charges could hurt his presidential comeback attempt. No former or sitting U.S. president has ever faced criminal charges.

☆ Biden pushes for Republican proposal in U.S. debt-ceiling standoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden urged the top congressional Republican to spell out his proposals before lawmakers leave Washington for a two-week recess set to start on Thursday. McCarthy told CNBC earlier that he was prepared to lay out $4 trillion in spending cuts for Biden, if he would agree to meet. Republicans have not yet produced a budget plan of their own and could be weeks or months away from doing so. McCarthy's proposals, though lacking detail, paralleled the demands of hard-right House Republicans far more closely than ideas put forward by moderate Republicans. Republicans have sought to blame Biden, but only Congress has the authority to raise the debt ceiling.

☆ McCarthy urges Biden to start debt talks, Democrats say he has no plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a letter to Biden, McCarthy proposed scaling back domestic spending, clawing back unspent COVID-19 relief funds and other changes that he said would save trillions of dollars. But his Republicans have not yet produced a budget plan of their own and could be weeks or months away from doing so. Biden, a Democrat, has insisted that Republicans who control the House instead raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling without conditions and produce a fiscal 2024 spending plan before he will engage in talks about spending. Republicans have sought to blame Biden, but only Congress has the authority to raise the debt ceiling. "The only thing missing is a real plan," Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech.

A Manhattan grand jury did not meet as had been expected on Wednesday, a law enforcement source said, although it was unclear why that was or how much longer the grand jury would take to conclude its work. The Insider news outlet first reported the news that the grand jury would not convene on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office declined to comment on the grand jury. Security officials are bracing for possible unrest, but so far few of Trump's supporters have heeded his call for protests. Several media outlets reported that his lawyer, Evan Corcoran, would testify on Friday before a federal grand jury in Washington investigating whether Trump mishandled sensitive federal documents.

But members of the grand jury were told to stay home on Wednesday, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secret grand jury proceedings. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Security was high around the courthouse where the grand jury has been meeting, with court officers out early and barricades up around the building. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - A New York grand jury was expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn star, which could yield the first-ever criminal charges against any U.S. president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen has said he made the payments at Trump's direction to buy her silence about Trump's extramarital affair. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - - A New York grand jury is expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn star, which could yield first-ever criminal charges against any U.S. president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Trump has denied the affair took place, and others in his orbit have said Cohen acted on his own. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

A grand jury was expected to indict Trump late on Monday or on Wednesday, Politico reported, for arranging payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the White House again in 2024, had predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday. But on Monday, the grand jury still appeared to be collecting evidence before deciding whether charges were warranted. New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters police were monitoring social media and keeping an eye out for "inappropriate actions" in the city. Trump faces two civil trials involving former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, who claims that Trump defamed her by denying he raped her.

But unspent COVID aid is a small target, with less than $80 billion unspent as of January, White House budget figures show. CARPENTERS, VETERANS AND MEDICAL RESEARCHReclaiming unspent COVID funds would have real-world repercussions. A clawback could also affect veterans' healthcare, as the Department of Veterans Affairs has yet to spend $4.6 billion of the money it received for COVID-19 related care. Republican governors of Nebraska and Arkansas last year rejected a second round of aid for people behind on their rent. Republican Senator Rick Scott in January urged governors and mayors to voluntarily return that money to help pay down federal debt.

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's budget proposal, released on Thursday, envisions a dramatic expansion of the federal safety net for children and families. Biden's fellow Democrats widely back his family-focused proposals: Tax credits, free preschool, subsidies for child care and paid family leave. Those two programs are due to balloon as the Baby Boom generation ages, with Biden's budget projecting they will account for 42% of federal spending in 2033, up from 34% today. Biden's budget proposal projects a deficit of $1.7 trillion for the current fiscal year. If revived, it would cost the government $259 billion in the next fiscal year -- equal to 4% of total federal spending.

A spike in carjackings and an assault on Democratic Representative Angie Craig has stirred concerns about crime in the city in recent years. Police statistics show that homicides and gun crimes in Washington have nearly doubled since 2017, though crime has fallen overall. City council members say their law is the result of years of compromise and say the reduced penalties for crimes like carjacking and robbery reflect the actual sentences imposed by judges. But that argument has gotten little traction on Capitol Hill, where Republicans who represent rural areas have often clashed with leadership of the overwhelmingly Democratic city. Washington's city council, sensing defeat, withdrew its crime overhaul on Monday in an unsuccessful attempt to head of the Senate vote.

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said on Thursday he would sign a Republican-led bill that would overturn recent changes to Washington, D.C.'s laws which lowered penalties for some crimes, should it pass in the U.S. Senate. "I support D.C. statehood and home rule, but I don't support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor's objections, such as lowering penalties for carjackings," Biden said on Twitter after a meeting with Senate Democrats. "If the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did, I'll sign it." A veto would run counter to Biden's longtime view that Washington should be a state that sets its own laws, free from interference from Congress. Congressional oversight of Washington, D.C. is written into the U.S. Constitution, and the city's 700,000 residents do not have voting representation in Congress.

☆ U.S. Congress votes to block ESG investing, Biden veto expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Republicans said their resolution would prevent fund managers from basing investment decisions on ESG factors primarily. But they acknowledged that it would not stop funds from considering ESG issues altogether. The Labor Department said the Trump-era rule failed to account for the positive impact that ESG investing can have on long-term returns. In 2022, ESG funds were hit by fallout from the Ukraine war, tumbling financial markets and U.S. political backlash against the industry. Republicans used a tool called the Congressional Review Act that allows them to bypass the customary 60-vote Senate threshold to challenge the Labor Department rule.

☆ Republican drive against Biden ESG investment rule gains momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Approval could open the door to other Republican efforts to overturn Biden administration regulations. "We 100% have the votes," a Senate Republican aide said after Tester released a statement. The Democratic-led Senate was due to vote on the Republican resolution at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT). The Labor Department said the Trump-era rule failed to account for the positive impact that ESG investing can have on long-term returns. Industry has been split on the Biden rule, with fossil-fuel companies opposed and other businesses voicing support.

Feb 19 (Reuters) - Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Sunday that he and U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss possibly increasing U.S. troop presence in Poland and making it more permanent during Biden's upcoming visit to Warsaw. "We are in the process of discussion with President Biden's administration about making their (troop) presence more permanent and increasing them," Morawiecki said on CBS's "Face the Nation." Biden will visit Poland over Feb. 20-22 to mark the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The United States bolstered its troop presence in Poland ahead of the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion and currently has roughly 11,000 personnel on rotation there, according to CBS. Biden said last June that the United States would set up a new permanent army headquarters in Poland in response to Russian threats.

☆ Ukraine presses U.S. Congress members for F-16 jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MUNICH, Germany Feb 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian officials have urged U.S. Congress members to press President Joe Biden's administration to send F-16 jetfighters to Kyiv, saying the aircraft would boost Ukraine's ability to hit Russian missile units with U.S.-made rockets, lawmakers said. The conference - primarily focused on Ukraine - came days before the Feb. 24 anniversary of Russia's invasion. Support is building on both sides of the Atlantic for providing Ukraine with advanced NATO-standard jetfighters. Calls to supply Ukraine with advanced jetfighters follow agreements last month by France, Britain, the United States and Germany to supply Kyiv with modern battle tanks. Washington has provided some $30 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of what Moscow calls its "special military operation."

☆ What Trump allies have faced criminal charges?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Here is a look at some of the Trump aides and allies who have faced criminal prosecution. Weisselberg pleaded guilty in 2022 and served as a star witness in the Trump Organization's criminal trial on tax fraud charges. Two other close Trump associates, Mark Meadows and Daniel Scavino, did not face similar criminal charges despite a House vote recommending them. Trump pardoned Broidy. Roughly 570 have pleaded guilty and 78 have been found guilty at trial.

Persons: Steve Bannon, Shannon Stapleton, Donald Trump, Six, Prosecutors, Trump, STEVE BANNON Trump's, Bannon, Joe Biden's, swindling Trump, ROGER, Stone, ALLEN WEISSELBERG, Weisselberg, PETER NAVARRO, Navarro, Mark Meadows, Daniel Scavino, MICHAEL COHEN, Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Cohen, MICHAEL FLYNN, Flynn, PAUL MANAFORT, Manafort, RICK, Gates, ELLIOT BROIDY, Broidy, Stewart Rhodes, Andy Sullivan, Will Dunham, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: White House, REUTERS, Companies Trump Organization Inc, WASHINGTON, Six Trump, House, . House, Capitol, Trump, Trump White House, U.S, Army, Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, Thomson Locations: New, New York City, U.S, New York, Mexico, Moscow, United States, Russian Ukrainian, Russia

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, among others. [1/7] Old welcome signs heralding the hometown of former South Carolina governor and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley sit behind the town center in Bamberg, South Carolina, U.S. February 14, 2023. Haley will kick off the start of her 2024 presidential campaign in Charleston, South Carolina. "People don't understand, unless you were here, just what a demonstrative act of leadership that was," said Tom Davis, a Republican state senator who is backing Haley's presidential bid.

House Freedom Caucus members, who want to shrink the role of government, are demanding reductions in government spending. The Freedom Caucus members also raised significant sums from larger donors and traditional political fundraising committees. Unlike other congressional caucuses, the House Freedom Caucus doesn't disclose its membership, a practice that began in 2015. While McCarthy has pledged that the government won't default, the Republicans' narrow 222-212 majority has given outsized power to the Freedom Caucus. 'I AIN'T LISTENING'Freedom Caucus members are among the most conservative members of Congress, according to their voting records.

☆ Factbox: Nikki Haley: Who is the Republican 2024 presidential candidate?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday she will seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, putting her at odds with one-time boss Donald Trump, the former president currently leading the Republican race. She took on leadership roles in several business organizations before winning a seat in the South Carolina state legislature in 2004. UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADORHaley endorsed several rivals to Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential nominating contest, and occasionally tangled with him during the primaries. But she went on to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations, where she gained a reputation as a vocal defender of U.S. interests. She did not attend a recent Trump rally at the South Carolina state capitol.

☆ Ahead of State of Union address, Biden's approval is at just 41%: Reuters/Ipsos poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Reuters/Ipsos poll has a margin of error of three percentage points either way. Biden will also call on the U.S. Congress to focus on advancing cancer research, expanding mental health services and beating the "opioid and overdose epidemic," the White House said. But the new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed many Americans are uncomfortable with Washington's large debts. Despite Biden's unpopularity, the poll showed that Americans prefer Democrats over Republicans on a range of issues. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted throughout the United States, gathered responses from 1,029 adults, using a nationally representative sample.

☆ Ahead of State of Union address, Biden's approval is at just 41% -Reuters/Ipsos
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Factbox: FACTBOX Possible U.S. debt-ceiling workarounds to avoid default
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Historians say that aimed to ensure the federal government would not repudiate its debts, as some ex-Confederate states had done. Some experts have suggested that Biden could invoke this amendment to raise the debt ceiling on his own if Congress does not act. Analysts say this would leave Treasury on the hook for higher interest payments and unsettle the market for Treasury bonds, which serve as a bedrock for the global financial system. GET RID OF ITCongress could vote to abolish the debt ceiling entirely, which would eliminate the need to vote on the issue periodically but also erode Congress's authority on fiscal matters. Attempts to abolish the debt ceiling have gotten no traction in Congress in recent years.

Search resuls for: "Andy Sullivan"

25 mentions found