George Soros' funding of Alvin Bragg's Manhattan District Attorney campaign is being misrepresented by Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler, says a Fox News opinion piece. While Kessler gave claims that Soros had "funded" Bragg three out of four Pinocchios, he admits that Bragg was Soros-backed - but is still misleading. Fox accuses Kessler of ignoring Soros' own op-ed explaining his support of prosecutors such as Bragg, which they claim can be difficult to trace as they are often funneled through various organisations. Soros has directly contributed over $40m to campaigns and candidates over the past decade, and has additionally contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to organisations that support the progressive prosecutor movement.
Kessler and other fact-checkers have been criticized by some for what they claim is inaccurately judging which side’s arguments are correct. In particular, some conservative media organisations feel that fact-checkers tend to have a left-leaning bias. Launched in 2019, the MediaWise Voter Project aims to teach American first-time voters to determine what information is trustworthy in time for the 2020 presidential elections. It would appear that many media outlets see the need to educate their viewers on how to really discern facts - however, some will always find fault with fact-checking overall, calling it a political ploy.
The Limit, Save, Grow Act was passed in the House of Representatives with a slim 217-215 majority. The legislation would reduce the budget deficit by an estimated $4.8tn over 10 years, and includes the “REINS Act” which would subject regulatory agency rulemaking to stricter congressional review and approval processes if proposed regulations would increase costs to individuals or businesses significantly. The deficit reduction is paired with an up to $1.5tn increase to the current $31.4tn statutory debt limit to avoid an interruption in Treasury Department checks. While it is unlikely that the Senate will pass the bill in its current form, the House passage helps push President Joe Biden to the negotiating table and address the nation's financial woes meaningfully. If it were to pass, the legislation's biggest winners are taxpayers who avoid a future tax burden, and consumers can expect inflation to drop, reducing the costs of goods and services. The IRS would be a loser, with taxpayers getting back $70bn of unspent bonus funding. Future generations would benefit from a reduced federal debt burden, and federal bureaucracy would be limited. Untaxed corporations are set to lose the most, as the bill scales back new energy tax breaks enacted by the previous Congress, returning most pre-existing green tax credits to pre-2022 and levelling the playing field of corporate taxes. Small businesses would benefit from a more stable atmosphere, while doctors, lawyers, and advanced degree holders who have not paid their bills would be the biggest losers, with a change in borrower income calculation methods being proposed.
A judge in London has agreed to extend a freezing order on the assets of the wife of Indian businessman Prateek Gupta. A $625m global order is already in effect for Gupta and his firms, which is a result of allegations of “systematic fraud” by Trafigura involving the businessman’s companies over nickel cargoes. Freezing orders constrain individuals or businesses from disposing of or dealing with assets on a worldwide basis. The court deadline for Gupta to lodge an application to remove the freezing order is June 2.
Lawyers for Google have managed to have a High Court claim thrown out on behalf of almost 1.6 million patients whose medical records were transferred to DeepMind by the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust for use in an app aiming to predict acute kidney disease. Patient Andrew Prismall had brought a claim against Google and DeepMind, alleging their use of the records was an invasion of privacy. A barrister for Mr Prismall argued records were not anonymised and shared without patient consent, but a judge has ruled that the case was “bound to fail” and has been struck out.
A judge has continued to temporarily block the release of additional video footage and records in the investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, however, he did note that he wanted to make public as much information as he legally could. The court is due to make decisions in mid-June regarding evidence that should be released to defense attorneys and the public. Prosecutors stated in court last week that they did not object to the release of most police personnel records ranging back prior to Nichols' assault, but are arguing against Garrity statements, which consist of interviews given to the Memphis Police Department by the five police officers accused of second-degree murder, for fear of compromising their case. Three days after an altercation during a traffic stop, Nichols died on 10 January, with five officers accused of second-degree murder and who have since been terminated, having pleaded not guilty. Nichols was beaten by the officers who were members of the Scorpion crime suppression unit.
Jordan Neely, a man who was killed by another passenger, Daniel Penny, has been remembered at a funeral service in Harlem. Penny has been charged with manslaughter and the incident has fuelled concerns about safety on New York's subway system and raised questions about the support given to homeless people in the city. Neely was a Michael Jackson impersonator who was shouting at passengers and asking for money before the incident. There is no evidence that Neely physically attacked anyone during the incident. The funeral was delivered by Reverend Al Sharpton.
Flannery Associates, an agricultural land buyer, is suing California landowners, accusing them of violating US antitrust law by conspiring to inflate the price of real estate by hundreds of millions of dollars. Flannery is seeking $571m in damages against defendants including Barnes Family Ranch Associates and Kirby Hill Associates over properties in two areas of Solano County in California. The buyer claims it has lost money both from land it didn't purchase and from overcharges for those it did. Flannery's attorneys said the defendants "wanted to make hundreds of millions" in profits.
Lawyers for a man accused of killing an Ontario Provincial Police officer and injuring two others are disputing the characterization of the shooting in Bourget, Ont., as an ambush. Alain Bellefeuille, 39, is charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in the case. His lawyers say he neither requested nor expected the police to come to his home in the middle of the night, and that he was in his bed and falling asleep when officers entered.
Fatal shooting of OPP officer was no ambush, say lawyers for accused
CBC
23-05-19 20:56
Alain Bellefeuille, the man accused of killing a police officer in Bourget, Ontario, says that the shooting was not an "ambush", contradicting police reports. Sgt. Eric Mueller and two colleagues had answered a gunshot call at Bellefeuille's home on 11 May, when all three officers were allegedly hit by gunfire from Bellefeuille. Mueller died as a result of his injuries. Lawyers for Bellefeuille stated that “this was not an ambush” and accused law enforcement of prejudicing potential jury members by releasing information to the public.
Fatal shooting of OPP officer was not an ambush, say lawyers for accused
CBC
23-05-19 20:56
Alain Bellefeuille, currently accused of killing an Ontario Provincial Police officer, has denied the shooting constituted an "ambush", as police have claimed. The incident occurred in May when Sgt Eric Mueller and two colleagues were shot by someone at a home in Bourget, Ontario. Mueller later died of his wounds. Bellefeuille stands accused of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. He and his lawyers have not detailed how the officers were shot. Lawyers for Bellefeuille also stated that he did not summon the officers and was in bed when they entered his home.
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways must dissolve their partnership in the northeastern US, a US federal judge ruled on 14 January. Trial judge Leo Sorokin ruled the alliance between the airlines decreased competition in the airline industry, overruling the airlines' claims that the deal created a stronger competitor to United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The deal, called the Northeast Alliance, allowed the airlines to share revenue and coordinate schedules along Boston and New York routes. The Biden administration took an aggressive approach to the antitrust issues of the merger. The case went to trial in Boston last year and the partnership began in 2021.
A federal judge has ruled that American Airlines Group must end its partnership with JetBlue Airways after the US Justice Department said the "Northeast Alliance" represented a "de facto merger" of their Boston and New York operations, removing competition. The DoJ claimed American and JetBlue had a market share of over 80% on routes between Boston and Washington DC and six other airports in the New York region. The airlines argue that the alliance has lowered fares and improved service. Both JetBlue and American said they were reviewing their options. Shares in JetBlue fell 1.8%, while American's closed down 1.5%.
An Illinois judge has dismissed a lawsuit that accused Mondelez International of deceiving consumers by removing real mint from its Trident Original Flavor chewing gum. US District Judge Iain Johnston said it was “fanciful” to believe consumers would expect the gum to contain mint or peppermint. The proposed class action by Kristen Lesorgen of Sycamore, Illinois, was like a separate case over claims against Walmart’s Great Value Fudge Mint Cookies, which had been dismissed for a similar reason.
The UK government is attempting to pass an amendment to the Illegal Migration Bill to create new powers to “search for, seize and retain” the mobile phones of small boat migrants crossing the Channel and “other things on which information is stored in electronic form”. Last year, the Home Office was censured by the High Court for seizing all migrants’ mobile phones crossing the Channel between 2018 and 2020. The judges said the policy violated data protection laws and human rights, saying it was “wholly impractical and disproportionate”.
Lawyers for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis - a Republican considering running for the US presidency in 2024 - are seeking the disqualification of a federal judge from overseeing a case involving controversy surrounding Walt Disney. DeSantis is being sued by Disney for allegedly retaliating against the company's political views, prompting the filing of a motion requesting that US District Judge Mark Walker be removed from the case due to questions around his impartiality.
Anthony Constantinou, who ran the foreign exchange trading firm, Capital World Markets (CWM), has been found guilty of masterminding a £70m Ponzi-style scheme. CWM received around £70m between 2013 and March 2015, after which the City of London Police raided its offices. Hundreds of victims lost around £50m. According to prosecutors, CWM’s managed account was in reality a Ponzi-style scheme with little foreign exchange trading and the company spent the money it received on other things such as sponsorship deals. An international warrant has been issued to arrest Constantinou. He will be sentenced on 9 June.
Why E. Jean Carroll, who sued Donald Trump for defamation and won, is suing him again
CBC
23-05-22 22:20
Former President Donald Trump is being sued by columnist E. Jean Carroll, who has accused him of causing her to lose her job with Elle magazine. Two weeks ago a jury found that Trump had sexually assaulted Carroll when she was working in an upscale New York department store in the 1990s. Now Carroll is seeking $10m in compensatory damages and even more in punitive damages after her lawyers claimed that Trump made defamatory statements about her after the successful verdict.
Lawyers for E. Jean Carroll, who recently won a $5m sexual abuse and defamation case against Donald Trump, have filed an amended lawsuit seeking at least $10m in compensatory damages. Carroll has claimed that remarks by Trump after she made rape allegations against him spoiled her reputation and resulted in her losing her job. After a jury decided that Trump had sexually abused Carroll, lawyers for Trump put the previous defamation lawsuit on hold as they sought to determine whether he could be held liable for remarks he made in 2019 while in office.
China's focus on pig breeding technology is seen as a long-term bet on national security by the nation's leadership, due in part to the importance of pork consumption to the Chinese population, the world's largest. The majority of the country's pigs — more than 90%, according to the government — are derived from imported breeds, leaving China exposed to potential food shortages and disease vulnerabilities. China has invested heavily in home-grown agricultural research and development as it seeks to reduce reliance on foreign food and technology. However, US public funding cuts in such research threatens that country's ability to compete. Between 1948 and 2019, total US agricultural output grew 175% as a result of public investment, with spending per head remaining largely flat since 1970. The US Congress, however, last year appropriated billions to boost the US semiconductor industry, but only $1m in 2022 and 2023 for the hoped-for Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority.
Family of Colorado man killed by police during mental health crisis gets $19 million settlement
The Toronto Star
23-05-23 06:10
The parents of 22-year-old Christian Glass who was shot to death by a Clear Creek County Sheriff's Deputy while suffering a mental health crisis have agreed a $19m settlement with state and local government agencies. This includes a range of changes to law enforcement training and crisis intervention practices. Colorado state will create a virtual reality training platform that will focus on de-escalation in stressful situations for officers from different forces; Clear Creek County is tasked with setting up a crisis response team; and law enforcement officers will undergo training.
