Category: Law

U.S. brings charges over Ponzi scheme, ‘Hamilton’ tickets fraud

U.S. authorities on Friday unveiled criminal charges against two men accused of helping operate a hedge fund as a Ponzi scheme and of swindling investors in a ticket-reselling business for popular events, including the smash Broadway musical “Hamilton.” Joseph Meli, who ran the ticket business, and Steven Simmons, the head of an alternative investments at Sideris Capital Partners, were arrested on Friday on securities fraud and wire fraud charges brought by Manhattan federal prosecutors.

With Trump on their side, conservatives see hope in lengthy abortion fight

Sensing a political opportunity they have not had in more than a decade, social conservatives are preparing for a lengthy fight over abortion rights that promises to widen the culture war fissures that Republicans have tried for years to bridge. Two fights loom in Washington that are galvanizing the right as it solidifies control of two branches of government and moves to dominate the third: an effort in Congress to eliminate Planned Parenthood’s federal funding and President Donald Trump’s forthcoming choice of a Supreme Court nominee.

‘Fatal Vision’ doctor claims innocence in family’s slaying

A former Army surgeon who has always insisted he was wrongly convicted of slaughtering his pregnant wife and their two young daughters nearly 50 years ago won’t give up, even if his latest appeal fails to clear his name, his lawyer says. Jeffrey MacDonald is “going to keep fighting and will continue to maintain his innocence until the end of his days,” Attorney Hart Miles said after a hearing at the 4th U.S. District Court of Appeals on Thursday.

What Are the Possible Motives Behind Donald Trump’s Voter Fraud Lie?

By “propagating the myth of his stolen popular vote,” Trump has attacked both the democratic process and the press, which, in its ideal, is free and independent, writes Amherst College law professor Lawrence Douglas at The Guardian. “The impulse to heap all of Trump’s lies together or to puzzle over his unusual psychology threatens a to deflect our attention from the politics of this particular claim, which contains two separate falsehoods: first, that immigrants robbed him of the popular vote; and second, that the media has conspired to suppress the story.

Dionne: In search of the truth about Trumpism

Or is the country confronting something even more troubling: a president unhinged from any realities that get in the way of his impulses, unmoored from any driving philosophy, and willing to make everything up as he goes along, including “alternative facts”? In his first days, Trump has been riding policy horses that seem to be moving in quite different directions. On the one hand, he has continued to make himself out as a “populist” standing up for workers by scrapping the Trans-Pacific Partnership and bringing verbal pressure on American companies to keep or create jobs in the United States.

Ballot selfies one step closer to legalization

House Bill 1014 would allow people to take selfies with their completed ballot and share it on social media, which proponents say would encourage voting and allow the exercise of First Amendment rights. “Believe it or not showing someone your completed ballot and taking a photo of it and posting it on social media is currently a crime in Colorado,” said Democratic Rep. Paul Rosenthal of Denver and Republican Rep. Dave Williams of Colorado Springs.

Watch live: Trump addresses Congressionala

Watch live: Trump addresses Congressional Republicans at annual policy retreat The USA TODAY NETWORK will have live coverage of this event. Check out this story on dailyworld.com: http://usat.ly/2jBz6Nt Congressional Republicans will hear from President Donald Trump Thursday at their three-day annual policy retreat in Philadelphia.

Chaotic EPA Transition Rattles Stakeholders

On Wednesday, a spokesman for the EPA transition team had to push back on reports that political appointees would review the agency’s scientific publications. It’s just the latest in a series of public miscommunications from the agency’s transition, including public confusion on whether the agency would remove a webpage on climate change, whether it was freezing its public grant program, and whether it was muzzling employees from making public statements or using social-media accounts.

How Reporters And Civil Servants Can Thwart Trump’s Anti-Transparency Agenda

On January 24, two anonymous sources at the Environmental Protection Agency told Reuters that the Trump administration had instructed EPA officials to remove the data-heavy climate change page from the agency’s website, and that the page could be taken down as soon as the following day. A public backlash quickly ensued, and the Trump administration at least temporarily backed away from its plan to shut down the website on January 25, as E&E News reported .

‘UNBELIEVABLE’ Secret Service vet shocked agent won’t die for Trump

“It is unheard of and unbelievable that someone at her level would comment publicly on being unwilling to protect the president,” said Byrne, author of “Crisis of Character,” a book that came out during the presidential campaign that was highly critical of Hillary Clinton. “Everyone has their own personal political opinions, but this job is not personal.

Draft White House order calls for review of both CIA interrogation…

The CIA could potentially restart an interrogation program that was dismantled in 2009 after using methods widely condemned as torture. An executive order drafted by the Trump administration calls for a policy review that could authorize the CIA to reopen “black site” prisons overseas and potentially restart an interrogation program that was dismantled in 2009 after using methods widely condemned as torture.

Next 25 Articles

The Trump administration has ordered a freeze on federal grant spending at several government agencies, from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Department of Health and Human Services, followed by memos telling employees not to send out news releases or to create social media posts, blog entries or official website content, and to consult with senior officials before speaking to the press.

A National Park Deleted Tweets On Climate Change After Trump Silenced …

Trump administration tells EPA to cut climate page from website: sources – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to remove the climate change page from its website, two agency employees told Reuters, the latest move by the newly minted leadership A National Park Deleted Tweets On Climate Change After Trump Silenced Federal Scientists – Badlands National Park on Tuesday posted several facts about climate change on its official Twitter account, then deleted them.

Drug Dealer Goes Free: DEA Illegally Tracked Cell Phone

Agents with Drug Enforcement Administration illegally located Raymond Lambis’ cellphone, then arrested him for drug possession. Thanks to a resounding victory handed down in court by New York Federal Judge William H. Pauley who delivered a scathing ruling that the Fourth Amendment against ‘unreasonable search and seizure’ had been violated by agents in Lambis’ cocaine case.

Anti-immigration groups are troubled that Trump backed off pledge to deport Dreamers

Immigration hawks are pressuring President Donald Trump to stick by his pledge to end legal protections for some 750,000 immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children, while the immigrants themselves are cautiously relieved that he appears to be backing off. Trump promised on the campaign trail to “terminate immediately” a program started by President Barack Obama to temporarily protect these young people from deportation and offer them two-year renewable work permits.

Trumpcare’s Cruel Magic ThinkingBy David Cay Johnston

On day one of his presidency, President Donald Trump took over ownership of the mess that is America’s healthcare system. Both politically and practically Trump’s action placed full responsibility for improving on the Affordable Care Act , aka Obamacare, on his administration and the Republican-controlled Congress.

Secret Service investigating woman’s anti-Trump tweet

The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a Twitter posting by a Louisville woman who suggested someone could assassinate President Donald Trump. The tweet, according to a screenshot provided to The Courier-Journal , says “If someone was cruel enough to assassinate MLK, maybe someone will be kind enough to assassinate Trump.”

Trump admin orders EPA contract freeze and media blackout

WASHINGTON >> The Trump administration has instituted what it described as a temporary media blackout at the Environmental Protection Agency and barred staff from awarding any new contracts or grants. Emails sent to EPA staff since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday and reviewed by The Associated Press detailed specific prohibitions banning press releases, blog updates or posts to the agency’s social media accounts.

Trump to inherit $559B deficit, stable economy

WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump has inherited a stable economy and a government that is on track to run a $559 billion budget deficit for the year, congressional analysts said Tuesday. The estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office say the economy will hold relatively steady, with economic growth rising slightly to 2.3 percent this year and unemployment averaging less than 5 percent for the duration of Trump’s term.

More

Jerry Brown is coming off a blockbuster year of liberal wins: He secured an extension of landmark climate change legislation, signed off on an increase in California’s minimum wage, expanded family leave laws, toughened gun laws, and persuaded voters to both soften sentencing laws and reject a ballot measure that would have threatened two of his legacy projects. Yet Brown delivers his State of the State address Tuesday facing far more precarious circumstances than a year ago, largely due to circumstances beyond his control.

Trump opponent poised to become California attorney general

In their first official action since Donald Trump became president, California lawmakers are poised Monday to confirm a Democratic nominee for attorney general who has vowed to defend the state’s liberal policies against the new administration and the Republican Congress. Xavier Becerra, who is expected to easily clear this last hurdle in the heavily Democratic Legislature, says he will fight any federal law he believes infringes on the rights of Californians.

Missouri split on longer terms in attacks on police

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Eric Greitens is pushing to toughen Missouri’s already stiff penalties for attacking a police officer, pleasing many in Missouri’s law enforcement community, which has been on the defensive since a white police officer killed an unarmed black 18-year-old in Ferguson more than two years ago.

KanCare problems never end

In Gov. Sam Brownback’s State of the State address on Jan. 10, he lauded KanCare as an innovative Medicaid program that’s gaining national traction: “Fortunately for our budget, Kansas had the foresight to reform Medicaid – a policy others are following.

Repeal of Obamacare without a replacement would increase US debt

Here is the problem Republicans face with their opposition to the 2010 health-care law signed by President Barack Obama: Getting rid of it without approving a substitute would increase the federal debt, provide wealthy people with a tax cut and cause as many as 20 million Americans to lose their health care. Although Vice President Mike Pence told CNN last week that “step one is to repeal the taxes and the mandates” in the law known as Obamacare and “at the same time pass a replacement bill,” neither he nor congressional Republicans have provided specifics of a plan.

President Trump’s ACA executive order appears to target Obamacare mandate

President Trump’s sweeping order against Obamacare late Friday appears to give the new administration enough leeway to target the most unpopular aspect of his predecessor’s law – a mandate requiring Americans to get covered or pay a fine, policy analysts said. The executive order, issued hours after Mr. Trump was sworn into office, also sets the stage for selling insurance across state lines and eyes “greater flexibility to states” in implementing health programs, which are key tenets for Republicans looking to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act alongside Mr. Trump.

Donald J. Trump takes office

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, taking command of a riven nation facing an unpredictable era under his assertive but untested leadership. Under cloudy, threatening skies at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, Trump painted a bleak picture of the America he now leads, declaring as he had throughout the election campaign that it is beset by crime, poverty and a lack of bold action.

Our Opinion: Different paths to poor choices

Federal cabinet positions are really no place for amateurs and/or those whose special interests may be counter to the best interests of the country at large. The Donald Trump cabinet contains examples of both, and the effort of friendly Republican congressmen to hasten them through hearings last week couldn’t disguise this.