Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes loses appeal to remain free, is hit with huge restitution bill
CBC
23-05-17 11:17
Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of Theranos, will soon be going to prison to serve 11 years after the Court of Appeals rejected her bid to remain free while she tried to overturn her conviction in a blood-testing hoax that brought her fleeting fame and fortune. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila also ordered Holmes to pay $452m in restitution to the victims of her crimes. Holmes is being held jointly liable for that amount with her former lover and top Theranos lieutenant, Ramesh (Sunny) Balwani, who is already behind bars after being convicted on a broader range of felonies.
Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat intend to use their football knowledge and experience to win this season despite their age. The 32-year-old pass rushers have signed one-year extensions with the Blue Bombers instead of searching for free agency. Winnipeg's defense has dominated the past years and aims to continue achieving greatness this season. They hope to work together by teaching and learning from younger players while dominating their opponents on the pitch. Winnipeg is looking forward to proving themselves this season and winning the trophy despite the challenges.
Elon Musk has said that working from home is "morally wrong" and attacked the "laptop classes" for "living in la la land". The founder of Tesla commented that it was unfair to those who have no choice, such as builders, mechanics or delivery drivers. He continued, stating that remote working was a case of staff asking for others not to work from home while they themselves do so. Musk said that he believes productivity to be higher "in person", but that he was happy for staff to take vacations.
The US federal courts will soon terminate public audio access to proceedings. The experiment was launched in 2018 and intended to assist greater transparency for judicial procedures; however, the Judicial Conference executive committee decided to abandon access because the pandemic no longer hampers the facilities, and remote sites will no longer be able;e to access audio and visual feeds of the legal process. Whilst some judges may view the ban as positive, law professor Sonja West has argued that remote broadcasts continue to be a "powerful tool" for citizens who otherwise faced obstacles attending court.
Texas magistrate judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez has been announced as the Biden administration's nominee to the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals after being recommended by Texas' two Republican senators. If confirmed, she would be the first Hispanic woman and only active Hispanic judge on the court. Her nomination is seen as an example of how Democrats and Republicans can work together to advance judicial nominees. Republicans have previously been accused of exploiting the "blue slip" tradition to stall nominations, a practice that Democrats are urging the Senate to do away with.
A group of 25 US states led by Republicans has asked a federal judge in Texas to scrap a Biden administration rule allowing socially conscious investing by retirement plans. Lawyers contend that it will imperil Americans' retirement savings. Congress voted in March to repeal the rule, but Democratic President Joe Biden rejected the proposal in the first veto of his presidency. The Department of Labor says the rule failed to account for the positive impact of ESG investing can have on returns. The case is with U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a conservative appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump.
The US and parts of Canada could face energy shortages during extreme heat conditions this summer, according to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corp. The group said areas including the US Midwest, Texas, the Southeast and New England, and Ontario in Canada, were at elevated risk of "insufficient operating reserves in above-normal conditions". The report listed several factors that posed reliability concerns, including coal-fired power plants limited due to new regulations, low water levels on reservoirs, unexpected issues with wind and solar resources and a lack of growth in generating resources in the US Southeast.
Facing Pressure From China, Can the US Recreate Silicon Valley?
Diplomat
23-05-17 16:04
The Biden administration has announced a $500m tech hub funding scheme as part of its $10bn CHIPS and Science Act. The Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program has a goal of identifying about 20 US cities or regions as prospective tech hubs and eventually selecting 10 for funding. The scheme aims to bring together industry, universities, state and local governments, economic development organisations, and labour and workforce partners to supercharge ecosystems of innovation for technologies that are essential to economic and national security. Each region will focus on one of the 10 key tech areas identified in the scheme, including AI, robotics, biotechnology, data management, cybersecurity, and energy technology.
The US enjoys the advantage of having many outstanding teaching and research universities across the nation that can serve as anchors for tech hubs. Several recent examples showcase the viability and vibrancy of even the existing regional private-public-academic collaboration. Community colleges are increasingly being enlisted to train a broader base of skilled workers to supply tech enterprises with skilled manpower to fill the new jobs created. Each tech hub will foster US global tech competitiveness in its focus area, while also fostering more regional economic equity. US Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, said: “You shouldn’t have to move to Silicon Valley if you’re a scientist with a great idea.”
Lawyers representing three victims of a fire at Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay Refinery earlier this week plan to/filed claims alleging gross negligence against the oil company. One employee was killed and two injured when carrying out maintenance on an octane-boosting unit at the plant. The other two injured workers, both contractors, have also sought compensation, which is likely to exceed the $2.4m awarded two years ago to a man who was injured in an acid leak at a BP plant in Texas City. Marathon has not yet commented on the allegations.
Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries are to meet and discuss the global economy this week at the annual G7 summit in Japan. However, the US’ nearing debt default of two weeks may be cause for concern. President Joe Biden hopes to promote an optimistic tone after the White House sent two special aids to negotiate with Republicans to raise the debt. Upcoming discussions are also set to focus on Ukraine and China. European allies are pressing the US administration to give American-made F-16 jets to Ukraine after gaining territory around the city of Bakhmut. Nevertheless, the Biden administration is worried about escalating the situation and the potential costs and time issues that would arise. Discussions on China will focus on handling the threat of its economic, technological and military rise. The summit will also include talks on how to stabilise the global economy and limit devaluations of currencies.
During Tesla's annual meeting, Elon Musk announced plans for the first traditional advertising campaign for the electric vehicle manufacturer. Although Musk has previously relied on his celebrity status and social media activity, he suggested that Tesla was willing to 'try out a little advertising and see how it goes'. Musk highlighted that Tesla is not immune to the macroeconomic pressures facing the world today and demonstrated that the role of traditional advertising techniques may still prove useful in today's marketing practices to communicate to a potential and existing a customer base. Despite the popularity of Tesla products, the CEO noted that the company can no longer assume ever-increasing demand while also dealing with rising competition from other companies. Musk acknowledged that the advertising campaign for Tesla would emphasise the safety, affordability and technological features of Tesla's vehicles.
Mark Cuban, Dallas Maverick’s owner, has filed two motions with a federal court in Miami, accusing lawyers attempting to sue him for allegedly breaching securities laws by inducing investors to open interest-bearing accounts at a now-bankrupt crypto lending firm Voyager Digital. Cuban’s lawyers at Brown Rudnick and Fowler White Burnett asked U.S. District Judge Roy Altman of Miami to deny a request by lawyers at The Moskowitz Law Firm and Boies Schiller Flexner to file a second amended class action complaint, arguing that plaintiffs and their counsel have engaged in bad-faith litigation. They believe the assertion includes “manufactured” allegations already proven to be false. In a separate motion for sanctions for allegedly prolonging frivolous litigation, Cuban argues that the Moskowitz firm and name partner Adam Moskowitz knew or should have known that neither of their Florida class representatives had a viable claim.
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has discussed how the league can close the financial gap on college football’s two preeminent powerhouses: the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference. The ACC remains ahead of the Pac-12 and the Big 12, but is far behind the Big Ten and SEC in annual payouts. Participants at the three-day spring meetings suggested a revised revenue distribution model could help successful teams from the 2024-25 school year, with a larger share of postseason revenue going to those participating in events rather than dividing it equally. A school $30 million short annually could struggle in recruiting budgets, facility improvements, support staffs and coaching salaries.
UK teachers and parents have criticized a reading paper in Year 6 Sats exams (standard assessment tests for 10 to 11-year-olds). Some claimed the test had left children in tears and was too tough. The exams consist of 38 questions about three set texts that must be completed in one hour. One question, which asked for a comparable word to "eat" in a passage that featured "consume" and "feeding", proved particularly problematic. The UK's National Association of Head Teachers said teachers themselves had "had to really think" about some answers. The Department for Education said the tests were "rigorously trialled".
Montana has become the first US state to enact a total ban on TikTok, with the law coming into effect in January 2024. In addition to barring TikTok from operating in the state, the law also prohibits its download. Tech companies have expressed doubts that the ban will be possible to impose, while the state's American Civil Liberties Union described the law as "excessive government control". TikTok, which has over 1 billion users globally, including 150 million in the US, has faced privacy concerns and alleged links to the Beijing government.
PEN America, authors and parents have sued Florida's Escambia County School District over book bans, alleging the removal of titles dealing with race and LGBTQ issues violates the First Amendment rights of free speech. Book bans have surged in the US, with 874 titles targeted for removal in the first half of 2022-23, most notably in Florida, Utah, Missouri, Texas and South Carolina. The lawsuit seeks to restore titles to school libraries and cover court costs, and singles out Northview High School teacher Vickie Baggett for her "activism" in removing a number of titles, though she is not named as a defendant.
Texas man pleads guilty to smuggling gun linked to deadly Mexico kidnapping
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 23:09
Roberto Lugardo Moreno Jr., a Texas man, has pleaded guilty to purchasing a gun for a Mexican drug cartel that was linked to the deadly kidnapping of four Americans. He was charged with straw purchasing and smuggling a firearm after buying a multi-caliber AR-style pistol at a pawn shop in 2019 and lying on a form stating he was the buyer when he purchased it for a Gulf Cartel member in Mexico. Lugardo Moreno's sentencing has been scheduled for August. The kidnapping occurred in Matamoros, Mexico, just across the border from Brownsville.
Mississippi sends National Guard to US-Mexico border, GOP governor says
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 23:00
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has mobilized a National Guard unit to support Customs and Border Protection officers and agents in Texas. Reeves blamed US President Joe Biden's administration for the influx of migrants and drugs crossing the border without authorization and said "what happens at the border doesn’t stay there. Drugs and people are trafficked to every state in the nation, including Mississippi". On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would be sending over 1,100 National Guard soldiers and other law enforcement officers to assist with securing the border.
Actor and director Olivia Wilde has sparked a debate over wedding guest etiquette after wearing a white, backless silk gown to a California ceremony where neither of the grooms was wearing a wedding dress. Some Twitter users criticised Wilde for upstaging the wedding party, while others argued that the lack of bride at the event made her dress choice acceptable. Etiquette expert Diane Gottsman has previously advised that guests of all genders are better advised to choose outfits in colours other than white. Wilde has not commented on the backlash.
8-year-old girl dies in Border Patrol custody in Harlingen, Texas, as agency seeks to ease crowding
The Toronto Star
23-05-18 04:53
An 8-year-old girl died whilst in Border Patrol custody in Harlingen, Texas, with the agency citing a “medical emergency.” The agency has not disclosed the nationality of the girl or any other details about the tragedy. Her death is uncommon within the agency, which is currently struggling with overcrowding; there were 28,717 people in the Border Patrol’s custody on 10 May, which was double compared to two weeks earlier, according to a court filing. The average time in custody was 77 hours, while the agency policy calls for detention periods no longer than 72 hours.
