Before fatal shooting, Japan’s Abe was up close with the crowd

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

By Satoshi Sugiyama

NARA, Japan -Moments before he was fatally shot from behind on Friday, Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was doing what he’d done for decades: getting up close to the crowds and stumping for a local candidate.

As is typical in Japan, where violent crime is rare and guns are scarce, security appeared to be light on Friday morning as Abe spoke at an intersection outside the Yamato-Saidaiji Station in the western city of Nara.

No roads were blocked off and a bus and a van passed behind Abe’s exposed back as he spoke to the crowd of a few hundred. Two helmeted riders on scooters turned in front of him. Inside a passing hatchback car, someone waved in excited recognition at Japan’s longest-serving premier.

This account is based on footage obtained by Reuters and interviews with three witnesses.

Dressed in a dark jacket despite the summer heat, Abe called on the crowd, many of them older, to re-elect Kei Sato, a candidate in Sunday’s upper house election.

Some snapped pictures with their phone or mopped their brows in the humidity.

Members of Japan’s version of the secret service, the elite Security Police, appeared to be standing at Abe’s right and just behind him in their dark suits as the two-time prime minister lauded Sato’s pandemic response.

“During the pandemic, he heard everyone’s concerns,” Abe said, as the younger politician bowed and waved. “He was the type of person who didn’t look for reasons not to do something.”

They were to become the last words the former premier would speak publicly.

Behind him a wiry man, wearing glasses and beige cargo pants, strode into the road. He opened fire with a homemade gun that appeared to be wrapped with black electrical tape, and a cloud of white smoke blew towards Abe and the crowd.

“I thought it was fireworks when the first shot went off,” said Takenobu Nakajima, who runs a local printing company and was at the station to support Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

“It almost felt like a burst of wind.”

For a moment, Abe appeared unaffected. The man, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old former member of the maritime self-defence forces, Japan’s navy, fired again almost immediately.

‘OUT OF NOWHERE’

Yamagami had come “out of nowhere on to the middle of the road” said businessman Makoto Ichikawa, who had been near the train station waiting for his wife.

“The first shot, no one knew what was going on,” Ichikawa said. After the second shot, members of the Security Police tackled Yamagami and pinned him to the ground. His grey shirt rode up, exposing a black belt with a silver buckle. Like most people in the crowd, he wore a mask.

There appeared to be a pause of 10-20 seconds before Yamagami was tackled, Nakajima said. Nara police told reporters they became aware of Yamagami after the first shot. They declined to say if security had been lax.

By then, Abe, 67, lay crumpled on the ground. Footage from media showed blood staining his crisp white shirt.

Ken Namikawa, the mayor of Nara’s Tenri city, was there to support the local politician Sato, who had been his college classmate. Namikawa told Reuters that he rushed over to one of the campaign vehicles and grabbed a microphone.

He started calling out to the crowd, asking if there were any doctors or nurses present. A nurse came running and joined the people attending to Abe.

At least one person administered heart massage.

“I was the one who spoke up, but I don’t think I did anything special,” Namikawa told Reuters.

Sato, a member of Abe’s faction in the ruling party, condemned violence in a series of posts in Twitter. He said we would participate in street speeches on the final day of campaigning.

Doctors later said Abe bled to death from deep wounds to the heart and the right side of his neck, despite receiving more than 100 units of blood in transfusions over four hours.

Ichikawa said he was struck by Yamagami’s face as he fired at the former premier.

“It was just a normal expression,” he said.

(Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama in Nara; Additional reporting by Sakura Murakami, Sam Nussey and Reuters Tokyo bureau; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick Macfie and Chizu Nomiyama)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

Airbus reports flat first-half deliveries

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

By Tim Hepher

PARIS -Europe’s Airbus posted flat first-half deliveries on Friday as it struggles to convert rising production plans into handovers to airlines amid tight global supply chains.

The world’s largest planemaker said it delivered 60 commercial airplanes in June, bringing the total for the year so far to 297, unchanged from the halfway point last year.

“Airbus appears impacted by some production constraints,” said Jefferies analyst Chloe Lemarie, who had earlier predicted the 21% year-on-year drop in June deliveries to 60 airplanes.

Airbus needs to boost second-half deliveries by 35% to reach its full-year target of 720 units, she said in an investor note.

Airbus posted an adjusted net total of 295 first-half deliveries after deducting two jets originally destined for Russia’s Aeroflot that it had booked last year.

On the demand side, Airbus reported 442 orders, or a net total of 259 after cancellations in the first half, up sharply from 38 net orders at the same point last year.

That included seven A350 Freighters to at least one undisclosed buyer. Airbus also booked a recently announced major order for 52 jets to Australia’s Qantas, including 12 wide-bodies amid signs of a pickup in demand for large models.

Delta Air Lines topped up a fleet of A330neo jets with one extra order. The U.S. major is widely expected to announce an order for some 100 Boeing 737 MAX 10 in coming days, following talks first reported by Reuters.

Airbus confirmed that it had cancelled an order for an undelivered A350 for Qatar Airways, bringing the total number of A350 orders revoked as part of a legal dispute with the airline to four.

A fifth jet is expected to be cancelled later this month.

Airbus also reported two A350 cancellations from one or more airlines whose names have not been disclosed.

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad cancelled orders for six A321neos, according to a breakdown of outstanding business.

Boeing is expected to issue first-half data on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Jan Harvey and Leslie Adler)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Bay Area Men Charged with Bribing a Vallejo City Official

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Steven Chu, 40, of San Bruno, and Ben Guan, 35, of San Francisco, charging each with one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and one count of federal program bribery, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Chu and Guan ran an illegal marijuana grow operation in Vallejo. In July 2020, Chu and Guan were notified that the building in which they maintained the operation was in violation of multiple laws, including city codes related to illegal drug activity, and that the city would take legal or administrative action if the violations were not corrected. Subsequently, Chu and Guan offered to pay and paid bribes to a Vallejo building inspector to clear the violations and ensure the city would not interfere with their operation. Chu and Guan paid the building inspector on at least six occasions. The payments totaled approximately $27,000.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Chu and Guan each face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the bribery charge. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Theranos Chief Operating Officer Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani Found Guilty Of Conspiracy, Wire Fraud

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

SAN JOSE – A federal jury found Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani guilty of two counts of conspiracy and ten counts of wire fraud though a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud investors and patients in connection with the operations of Theranos, Inc., announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan; Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A Hermsen; and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division Acting Inspector-In-Charge Kevin Rho. The verdicts follow a trial that began March 9, 2022, before the Honorable Edward J. Davila, United States District Judge, and concluded just over 6 months after a jury found Elizabeth A. Holmes guilty of one count of conspiracy and three counts of wire fraud in related proceedings.

“Six months after the guilty verdicts in the Elizabeth Holmes trial, this jury has concluded that Holmes’s business partner, Ramesh Balwani, also bears responsibility for defrauding investors in Theranos,” said U.S. Attorney Hinds. “The jury concluded that Balwani also perpetrated fraud on unsuspecting patients. I want to thank the jury for dutifully navigating through the complex issues presented by this case. In this trial, it took four months for the parties to present their evidence and argument, all the while wading through the additional challenges presented by the Coronavirus pandemic. We are gratified by the jury’s hard work and attentiveness to the evidence presented. We appreciate the verdict and look forward to sentencing proceedings.”

“Once again, a jury has determined that the fraud at Theranos reached the level of a criminal conspiracy,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. “The FBI has spent years investigating this investment fraud scheme with our partners at USPIS and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Lies, deceit, and criminal actions cannot replace innovation and success.”

“Medical product fraud jeopardizes patient health,” said FDA Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A Hermsen. “This defendant joins his partner in being found guilty of fraud related to diagnostic tests. The FDA will vigilantly investigate and bring to justice individuals and companies responsible for putting the public health at risk.”

USPIS Acting Inspector-in-Charge Rho said “I want to thank the FBI, the FDA-Office of Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California for the extraordinary teamwork supporting this verdict. Postal Inspectors have been investigating snake oil and investment fraud schemes for more than a hundred years, and we remain committed to uncovering criminal frauds with these partners.”

Balwani, 57, of Atherton, was employed at Theranos from September of 2009 through July of 2016. The blood testing company based in Palo Alto and Newark, Calif., was founded by Holmes, 38, of Woodside, Calif., in 2003. While employed with Theranos, Balwani worked for the company in several capacities, including as a member of the company’s board of directors, as its president, and as its chief operating officer. At trial, the government submitted evidence that while at Theranos Balwani conspired to commit wire fraud against investors between 2010 and 2015, conspired to commit wire fraud between 2013 and 2016 against patients who paid for Theranos’ blood testing services, and that he committed wire fraud against investors and patients.

With respect to the conspiracy charges, the government submitted evidence regarding Balwani’s claims that Theranos developed a revolutionary and proprietary analyzer that the defendants referred to by various names, including as the TSPU, Edison, or minilab. Balwani and Holmes claimed the analyzer was able to perform a full range of clinical tests using small blood samples drawn from a finger stick. They also represented that the analyzer could produce results that were more accurate and reliable than those yielded by conventional methods—all at a faster speed than previously possible. At trial, the government demonstrated that Holmes and Balwani knew that many of their representations about the analyzer were false, but nevertheless conspired to convince potential investors and patients that the claims were true. For example, Holmes, Balwani, and others knew that the analyzer had accuracy and reliability problems, performed a limited number of tests, was slower than some competing devices, and, in some respects, could not compete with existing, more conventional machines.

Similarly, with respect to the substantive fraud charges, the evidence demonstrated Balwani used advertisements and solicitations to encourage and induce patients to use Theranos’s blood testing laboratory services, even though he knew Theranos was not capable of consistently producing accurate and reliable results for certain blood tests.

Evidence showed that Balwani represented to investors that Theranos would generate over $100 million in revenues and break even in 2014 and that Theranos expected to generate approximately $1 billion in revenues in 2015. In truth, Theranos resorted to using conventional machines bought from third parties to perform much of Theranos’s blood testing and Balwani knew Theranos would generate only negligible or modest revenues in 2014 and 2015. The trial evidence included numerous misrepresentations made by Balwani to potential investors about Theranos’s financial condition and its future prospects. In addition, the evidence showed that Balwani represented to investors that Theranos would dramatically increase the number of Wellness Centers within Walgreens stores even though Theranos’s retail Walgreens rollout had stalled because of several issues.

On July 28, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Balwani with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, and ten counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Like Holmes, Balwani was charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud against investors in Theranos during the period 2010 to 2015, conspiring to commit wire fraud against patients who paid for Theranos’ blood testing services during the period 2013 to 2016, and ten counts of wire fraud in violation of Section 1343 of Title 18 of the United States Code. Six of the wire fraud counts involved fraud against investors in Theranos while the remaining four involved wire fraud against patients who paid for Theranos’ blood testing services and advertising purchased by Theranos to attract those patients. Pursuant to today’s verdicts, Balwani was found guilty on all counts.

Balwani remains free on bond pending further hearings. Judge Davila scheduled Balwani’s sentencing hearing for November 15, 2022. Balwani faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, for each count of conspiracy and each count of wire fraud. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

In a separate trial, a separate jury convicted Holmes on January 3, 2022, of the investor-related conspiracy count and three counts of wire fraud. That jury acquitted Holmes of the patient-related conspiracy wire fraud count and three additional wire fraud counts; in addition, one count of wire fraud relating to a Theranos patient was dismissed during Holmes’s trial. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in her trial with respect to three investor fraud-related counts. Judge Davila scheduled Holmes’s sentencing for September 26, 2022.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Leach, Jeff Schenk, John C. Bostic, and Kelly Volkar are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lakisha Holliman, Madeline Wachs, Elise Etter, Susan Kreider, Leeya Kekona, Sara Slattery and Sutton Peirce. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, USPIS, and FDA Office of Criminal Investigations.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Mount Oliver Felon Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

PITTSBURGH, PA — A resident of Pittsburgh has been sentenced in federal court to eight years’ imprisonment, followed by a six-year term of supervised release on his convictions of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Willie Miller, age 30, formerly of the Mount Oliver section.

According to information presented to the court, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, initiated an investigation primarily targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and drug-trafficking activity in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh. As part of this large-scale narcotics and firearms investigation, from approximately February 2019 through June 2019, the United States received authorization to intercept communications on 9 telephones, including the defendant’s phone. Intercepted communications revealed that the defendant was supplied by co-defendant Martel Yates and that he distributed brick and bundle quantities to co-defendant Brian Salaj.

Additionally, on June 20, 2019, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at the defendant’s residence. In a bedroom identified as the defendant’s, law enforcement recovered packaged heroin and fentanyl, 27 mobile phones, an ink stamper, an owe sheet, and $16,076.00. In a hidden floorboard of that same bedroom, law enforcement recovered a Colt .380 caliber firearm. The defendant is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman stated, “Heroin has destroyed countless lives and snuffed out countless futures.”

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna and Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Woodland Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Woodland, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 70 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Joshua Quigley, 43, of Woodland, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, from July 2019 to June 2020, Quigley conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Ms. Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Quigley. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

Two more members of a network that operated and facilitated a large-scale “grandparent scam” pleaded guilty today to racketeering conspiracy.

Lyda Harris, 74, of Laveen, Arizona, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday after being extradited to the United States from Albania on Nov. 12, 2021. Tracy Glinton, 35, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty on June 9. Of the eight defendants indicted in this case, six were arrested; all six have now pleaded guilty. The remaining two defendants remain at-large.

According to court documents, the defendants were members and associates of a network of individuals who, through extortion and fraud, induced elderly Americans across the United States to pay thousands to tens of thousands of dollars each to purportedly help their grandchild or other close family relative. Members of the network contacted elderly Americans by telephone and impersonated a grandchild, other close relative or friend of the victim. They falsely convinced the victims that their relatives were in legal trouble and needed money to pay for bail, for medical expenses for car accident victims or to prevent additional charges from being filed. The defendants and their co-conspirators then received money from victims via various means, including in-person pickup, mail and wire transfer, and laundered the proceeds, including through cryptocurrency.

“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to investigate and prosecute criminals who target elderly Americans and take advantage of their concern for loved ones,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and the FBI in advancing the department’s efforts against organized elder fraud, and to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.”

“These defendants were part of a sophisticated criminal organization that exploited the tremendous love a grandparent has for a grandchild,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “The victims were financially and emotionally devastated by callous people who thought only of enriching themselves. Because of the diligence of our prosecution team and law enforcement partners, these defendants have been brought to justice.”

“Scammers continue to target our elderly population at an ever-increasing rate across the country. These defendants intentionally preyed upon and systematically stole from their victims without a second thought,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “These guilty pleas send a clear message that the FBI is committed to identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice those who are committing financial crimes. The FBI will continue to work with our partners on the San Diego’s Elder Justice Task Force to protect our elders.”

Harris and Glinton pleaded guilty to conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30, 2022; Glinton is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Two additional defendants have been charged but have not been arrested.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s San Diego Field Office, North County Resident Agency, with critical assistance from investigators of the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

Trial Attorneys Lauren M. Elfner and Wei Xiang with the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Oleksandra Johnson of the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.

The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Albuquerque man sentenced to 14 years in prison for federal robbery and firearms conviction

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jacquan Abe, 24, of Albuquerque, was sentenced on July 7 to 14 years and three months in prison. A federal jury convicted Abe on Feb. 25 on one count each of robbery, using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a stolen firearm.

On Aug. 6, 2019, Abe confronted an employee of an automobile repair shop on Eubank Boulevard, which is directly behind the house where Abe lived. Abe accused the auto business of spying on his home with its security cameras, and the shop employee became frightened by Abe’s aggressiveness. The employee retrieved a pistol from inside the shop and returned to the front of the business where Abe was standing. Abe attacked the shop employee and they wrestled on the ground. The gun became loose and Abe picked it up. He made several attempts to shoot the weapon at the shop employee’s head, but no bullets discharged because the gun’s safety mechanism was engaged.

Still armed with the gun, Abe ran into a nearby insurance business. Abe pointed the gun at a sales agent and demanded she show him where the business kept its cash. The sales agent took Abe to the back of the business where he took money from a petty cash box before attempting to flee. A worker from a neighboring smoke shop confronted Abe with a gun. Abe tripped and dropped his gun, which the smoke shop worker picked up as Abe fled.

After releasing video footage to the news media, the Albuquerque Police Department received an anonymous tip identifying Abe. Employees of the auto shop, insurance business and smoke shop all positively identified Abe in photo arrays, and Abe was arrested.

Upon his release from prison, Abe will be subject to five years of supervised release.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Trembley and Sean J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.

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July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Texas Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of an Alabama Child

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

Montgomery, Alabama – On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, John David Twomey, a 24-year-old from Brownwood, Texas, was sentenced to 324 months in prison for sexual exploitation of a child, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.

According to Twomey’s plea agreement and other court records, this sentence is the result of an investigation that began in Ozark, Alabama in October of 2021. During that investigation, multiple law enforcement agencies in Alabama and Texas worked together to find and recover a missing person. Those efforts led to the discovery of Twomey’s sexual exploitation of a minor.

Twomey was indicted and pleaded guilty to the charge on April 6, 2022. Following his 27-year prison sentence, Twomey will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life and will be required to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system. Related charges remain pending in Texas.

This case was investigated by the Ozark Police Department, the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Brownwood, Texas Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Monessen Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Receiving a Kilo of Cocaine Sent through the US Mail

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

PITTSBURGH, PA — A former resident of Monessen, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months’ imprisonment and four years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Shaiquane Harrison, age 27.

According to information presented to the court, Harrison attempted to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. On March 1, 2021, law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery operation of a parcel that previously contained one kilogram of cocaine to a residence in Monessen, Pennsylvania. Following the control delivery of the parcel, mobile surveillance observed the defendant arrive in a rental vehicle, take possession of the parcel and then depart in the rental vehicle. Law enforcement followed the defendant to another Monessen residence and saw Harrison enter that residence with the parcel. Upon entering the residence, law enforcement observed the defendant, who had pieces of the parcel in his hands, flee contrary to directives to stop. Prior to jumping a fence, Harrison leaned through a window of a shed, hid a loaded handgun with an extended magazine, and dropped his cellular phone. A search of the phone revealed texts notifying Harrison that the parcel was sent and also revealed browser history of him tracking the parcel.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Chung commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Harrison.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Cross-Country Methamphetamine Conspiracy Halted in Washington County

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A former California man, who had recently relocated to Southwest Virginia, was found guilty of conspiracy and drug distribution charges following a three-day jury trial in the United States District Court in Abingdon, United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced.

Guy Benjamin Bowman, 56, of Meadowview, Virginia, formerly of Chino Hills, California, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distributing 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine as well as one count of distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

“Methamphetamine trafficking is currently one of the greatest threats to public safety in Southwest Virginia,” United States Attorney Kavanaugh stated today. “This case represents just one example of the successes we are achieving with our partners in Virginia’s Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement agencies in Southwest Virginia, and we will continue to collaborate to identify individuals responsible for distributing large quantities of this deadly substance and bring them to justice.”

“The partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement is a great instance of how government can effectively work together to crack down on dangerous drug dealers in the Commonwealth,” said Virginia Attorney General Miyares. “Decreasing the volume of crystal methamphetamine in Southwest Virginia by aggressively prosecuting those who intend to distribute illicit drugs like meth is a top priority for my Office. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners and will continue to facilitate this dynamic partnership to make Virginian communities safer.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Bowman and Sally Mae Carr, 42, of Meadowview, Virginia, operated their meth trafficking business in Washington County from January 2021 through April 2022 and conspired with Bowman’s sources in Chino Hills, California to bring approximately 200 pounds of crystal methamphetamine into Southwest Virginia for redistribution. At the time of their arrests, over 2 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $42,000, as well as over $7,000 in currency were seized.

Carr is scheduled for sentencing on October 11, 2022, and Bowman’s sentencing is set for October 14, 2022. At sentencing, both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of up to life in prison and/or a fine of up to $10 million.

The investigation of this case is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Holston River Regional Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Virginia State Police, and task force officers from both the Lebanon Police Department and Smyth County Sheriff’s Office.

Special Assistant United States Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen and Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer are prosecuting the case.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

West St. Paul Felon Charged with Drug Trafficking, Firearms Violations

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

MINNEAPOLIS – A West St. Paul man has been indicted for cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on two separate occasions between January 2021 and May 2022, Christopher Allen Stengle, 32, possessed quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine as well as two semiautomatic pistols. Because Stengle has multiple prior felony convictions in Ramsey, Anoka, and Washington Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

Stengle is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, one count of carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, and two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon. Stengle, who appeared in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung, will remain in custody pending further court proceedings.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Eagan Police Department, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections Fugitive Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Informational: Federal Court arraignments

by DOJ Press July 8, 2022

By: DOJ Press

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Billings on July 8 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint was:

Daniel Joseph Colvin, 35, of Livingston, on charges of unlawful user of controlled substance in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Colvin faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Colvin was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-92.

Malea Orser, 24, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute narcotics. If convicted of the most serious crime, Orser faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Orser was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-100.

Appearing on an indictment and pleading not guilty on July 7 was:

Jeremy Taylor Sims, 33, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sims faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Sims was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-62.

Appearing on July 6 was:

Earl Landon Old Chief, Jr., 36, of Lodge Grass, on charges of assault on a federal officer. If convicted of the most serious crime, Old Chief faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Old Chief was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-44.

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on July 6 was:

Rachel Aileen Goodbird, 29, of Poplar, on charges of involuntary manslaughter. If convicted of the most serious crime, Goodbird faces a maximum of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Goodbird was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-41.

The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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July 8, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

U.S. trade chief says she exploring all options to resolve Mexican energy policy concerns

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

VANCOUVER – U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Friday she will continue to raise U.S. concerns with Mexican counterparts about Mexico’s state-centered energy policies and will consider all options to resolve those concerns.

Tai told reporters after meeting with Canadian and Mexican trade officials that the concerns are widespread among U.S. lawmakers, traditional energy companies, new energy companies and environmental groups.

“I have made very clear that all options are on the table and that we will continue to explore those options,” Tai said when asked whether she will seek formal consultations with Mexico as a violation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Chris Reese)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

Ford recalls 100,000 U.S. vehicles for fire risks, expands earlier recall

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON -Ford Motor Co said on Friday it is issuing a new recall for 100,000 U.S. hybrid vehicles over fire risks, and expanding an earlier recall after a series of reported fires.

The new recall covers certain 2020 through 2022 model-year Ford Escape, Maverick and Lincoln Corsair vehicles with 2.5-liter Hybrid/Plug-In Hybrid engines. Ford said in the event of an engine failure, significant quantities of engine oil and fuel vapor may be released that could accumulate near ignition sources, resulting in a potential under-hood fire.

Dealers will modify the Under Engine Shield and Active Grille Shutter to address safety concerns. There are no accidents or injuries associated with this issue and customers do not need to park the vehicle outside.

Ford is separately expanding its recall of 2021 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs for under-hood fire risks by another 27,000 U.S. vehicles after five additional fires were reported after its recall of 39,000 vehicles announced in May following 16 fire reports. One injury has been reported.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker is still advising customers to park those vehicles outside and away from structures until repairs are completed.

Vehicles may pose a risk of under-hood fire, including while the vehicle is parked and switched off.

Ford said it has recall parts available for about one-third of vehicles with an 800-watt cooling fan system but will not have all parts available for vehicles with a 700-watt cooling fan system until September.

Ford believes the cause of these vehicle fires can be traced to a change in manufacturing location by a supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ford has led all U.S. automakers so far in 2022 with 44 recall campaigns covering 6.7 million vehicles before Friday’s announcement.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in WashingtonEditing by Louise Heavens and Matthew Lewis)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

U.S. labor market powers ahead with strong job gains despite recession fears

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON – U.S. employers hired far more workers than expected in June and continued to raise wages at a steady clip, signs of persistent labor market strength that give the Federal Reserve ammunition to deliver another 75-basis-point interest rate hike this month.

The Labor Department’s closely watched employment report on Friday also showed no indication that companies were reducing hours for workers. The number of people working part time for economic reasons fell to its lowest level in nearly 21 years.

Strong job growth allayed fears of an imminent recession and offered hope that any downturn would be mild.

“If you’re looking at this report for signs we’re already in a recession, you’re likely to come up blank,” said Nick Bunker, an economist at Indeed in Washington. “For now, employers continue to hire a considerable number of workers at higher wages. That’s something to celebrate.”

The survey of establishments showed nonfarm payrolls increased by 372,000 jobs last month. It was the fourth straight month of job gains in excess of 350,000 and left employment 524,000 jobs below its pre-pandemic level. The private sector has recouped all the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and employment is 140,000 higher than in February 2020. Government employment remains in the hole by 664,000.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 268,000 jobs added, with estimates ranging from as low as 90,000 to as high 400,000. June’s broad increase was led by the professional and business services industry, which added 74,000 jobs. Leisure and hospitality payrolls rose by 67,000 jobs. But employment in the industry remains down by 1.3 million since February 2020.

There were also strong payrolls gains in the healthcare, information as well as transportation and warehousing industries. Manufacturing added 29,000 jobs and has recouped all the jobs lost during the pandemic. Construction payrolls increased by 13,000 jobs.

The economy created 2.74 million jobs in the first half. President Joe Biden welcomed the strong employment gains.

“No country is better positioned than America to bring down inflation, without giving up all of the economic gains we have made over the last 18 months,” Biden said in a statement.

Stocks on Wall Street fell. The dollar slipped against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury yields rose.

A DIFFERENT RECESSION The labor market is strong despite gross domestic product contracting in the January-March quarter. A raft of tepid reports ranging from May consumer spending to housing and manufacturing have left most economists expecting that GDP declined again in the second quarter.

With the labor market tight, however, a second straight quarterly GDP contraction would not mean a recession.

“But if the U.S. economy is in or about to enter a recession, it would be a recession of a vastly different nature than that of other historical downturns,” said Noah Williams, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

“Recessions have largely been characterized by declines in employment, typically starting with slowed hiring by businesses. Such slowing has yet to happen on a broad scale.”

The Fed wants to cool demand for labor to help bring inflation down to its 2% target. The U.S. central bank in June raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point, its biggest hike since 1994. Markets overwhelmingly expect the Fed, which has increased its policy rate by 150 basis points since March, to unveil another 75-basis-point hike at its meeting later this month.

Inflation data for June next Wednesday, which is expected to show consumer prices accelerating, is also seen giving policymakers more cover to raise borrowing costs further.

Average hourly earnings increased 0.3% in June after gaining 0.4% in May. That lowered the year-on-year increase to 5.1% from 5.3% in May. Despite the deceleration, wage pressures remain robust, with average hourly earnings for production workers increasing a solid 0.5%. They were up 6.4% year-on-year.

With 11.3 million job openings at the end of May and nearly two jobs for every unemployed person, wages will continue their march higher.

The average workweek held steady at 34.5 hours. Details of the household survey from which the unemployment is derived were mixed. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.6% for a fourth straight month as 353,000 people left the labor force, nearly half of them women. As a result, the labor force participation rate, or the proportion of working-age Americans who have a job or are looking for one, edged down to 62.2% from 62.3% in May.

Household employment declined by 315,000 jobs. But the number of people working part time for economic reasons fell by 707,000 to 3.6 million, the lowest since August 2001.

A broader measure of unemployment, which includes people who want to work but have given up searching and those working part-time because they cannot find full-time employment, dropped to 6.7%. That was the lowest since the government started tracking series in 1994 and was down from 7.1% in May.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

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Former UK finance minister Sunak bids to replace PM Johnson

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

By William James and Farouq Suleiman

LONDON -British former finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday he was running to replace Boris Johnson, three days after helping to launch the cascade of resignations that brought the prime minister down.

Johnson announced on Thursday that he would stand down as prime minister after a mass rebellion in his Conservative Party, triggered by the latest in a series of scandals that had fatally undermined public trust.

Johnson’s imminent departure has added political uncertainty to an already difficult mix of soaring inflation, slowing growth and industrial unrest, set against a backdrop of war in Ukraine Britain’s ongoing struggle to adapt to life after Brexit.

“Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions. That’s why I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister,” Sunak said in a campaign video released on Twitter.

Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid quit the cabinet on Tuesday within minutes of each other, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Johnson’s decision to step down.

An opinion poll of Conservative Party members – who normally get to choose between the final two candidates – put Sunak in front on 25%, ahead of foreign secretary Liz Truss on 21%. The Opinium poll for Channel 4 News consulted 493 party members.

The rules and timetable for the contest to replace Johnson are due to be set out next week by a party committee.

Sunak’s budget last year put Britain on course for its biggest tax burden since the 1950s, which critics said undermined his claim to favour lower taxes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunak oversaw around 400 billion pounds ($481 billion) of economic support, avoiding a big jump in unemployment but letting public borrowing rise to a peacetime record high in the face of a historic slump in GDP.

Sunak’s popularity with Conservative lawmakers was later dented after he raised payroll taxes in April to fund higher health and social care spending, and announced plans to raise corporation tax sharply in 2023.

Sunak said in his resignation letter it had become clear that his approach to the economy had been too different to Johnson’s, as the two had tried to agree on the next steps for the country.

He continued on that theme in his candidacy announcement video.

“The decisions we make today will decide whether the next generation of British people will also have the chance of a better future,” he said.

“Do we confront this moment with honesty, seriousness and determination? Or do we tell ourselves comforting fairy tales that might make us feel better in the moment, but will leave our children worse off tomorrow?”

The number of endorsements needed to enter the race has not yet been announced but one senior lawmaker, Mark Spencer, who has a ministerial role in charge of parliamentary business, immediately announced his backing.

“In serious times we need a person with a proven track record. Rishi gets my full support,” he said on Twitter.

Sunak voted to leave the European Union in 2016.

(Reporting by William James, Farouq Suleiman and David Milliken; editing by Michael Holden, Louise Heavens and Nick Macfie)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

Jobs blowout cements case for another big Fed rate hike

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

By Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir

WASHINGTON – Another blowout jobs number will likely stiffen resolve at the Federal Reserve for a three-quarter-point interest rate increase at the central bank’s July meeting, as the welcome news of a still-strong job market clashes with concern that it will eventually have to cool to ease inflation.

The U.S. economy added 372,000 jobs in June, a far larger-than-expected number that pushed private employment back above its pre-pandemic level and kept the unemployment rate at an ultra-low 3.6%.

(Graphic: Frequency of unemployment rates : https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-FED/JOBS/gdpzymnnavw/chart.png)

While the jobs data is likely to cool speculation of an impending recession, it could fuel uncertainty about whether the Fed will need to become more aggressive in using higher interest rates to slow the economy and bring consumer inflation down from the current 40-year high of more than 8%.

“I am fully supportive of moving 75 basis points” at the July meeting, Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic said on CNBC. “This report just reaffirms that the economy is strong and that there is still a lot of momentum in the labor market, and that is a good thing.”

But that very strength, paired with “sky-high” inflation, could help make the case for further, aggressive rate hikes.

“We must be resolute, and we cannot fall short” in returning inflation to the Fed’s 2% target, New York Fed President John Williams, who also cited an “incredibly tight” labor market, said on Friday in Puerto Rico.

Though Williams did not specifically call out his preferred rate-hike path, he made clear the Fed will battle inflation even at the cost of much slower economic growth and a rise in unemployment to “somewhat” more than 4%. Williams forecast growth at under 1% this year.

Both Williams and Bostic said they were seeing some early signs of the kind of slowdown that could help ease inflation without a deep hit to employment. Both promised to parse those signs against upcoming inflation reports as they weigh the risks to economic growth against the need to temper prices.

Several Fed officials have now endorsed a three-quarter-point increase at the upcoming policy meeting on July 26-27, with attention shifting to how inflation, jobs and other data respond, and what might need to happen next.

While employment is for now secondary to the headline inflation numbers in shaping policy, Fed officials regard the current job market as unsustainably tight, and data this week showed only preliminary evidence that was changing.

The pace of wage increases has declined for three months in a row. But hourly earnings are still rising at more than 5% annually. Job vacancy data for May showed there are still nearly two openings for each unemployed person, and the overall number of people either working or looking for work has shown little change since February – dashing Fed hopes of a steady rise in labor supply.

(Graphic: The jobs hole facing Biden and the Fed : https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ECONOMY/JOBS/jbyprzlrqpe/chart.png)

Traders bet on bigger Fed rate hikes after the release of the June jobs report, with interest-rate futures contracts now reflecting a small chance the Fed raises rates by a full percentage point in July. Rate futures contracts reflect a base case view the Fed’s policy rate will be in the 3.5%-3.75% range by year end, higher than Fed policymakers themselves predicted just three weeks ago.

“This calls into question…the narrative that recession is imminent,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist for payroll processor ADP. “This is a bonus for the Fed. They can be aggressive.”

In comments to reporters, Williams said the need to raise the target federal funds rate to around 3.5% by year end was clear given high inflation. But steps after that are less certain, he said, noting that recent moves in global commodity prices could begin aiding the Fed’s inflation battle.

“How high we need to get next year really depends on what happens with inflation, inflation expectations, how much slowing we see in the economy,” Williams said. “We are watching commodity prices move recently. It is a global thing. … To the extent those reverse, that will create some disinflationary pressure.”

(Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Leslie Adler)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Top Headlines US and World News

Palestinian and Israeli leaders speak before Biden visit

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

JERUSALEM -Palestinian and Israeli leaders held rare calls on Friday, official statements said, in a diplomatic overture days before U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to the region, though prospects of reviving long-stalled peace talks appeared dim.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog held separate calls with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which followed a meeting between Abbas and Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

In the first such known call between the Palestinian leader and an Israeli prime minister in years, Lapid and Abbas discussed “continued cooperation and the need to ensure quiet and calm”, according to Lapid, who last week became caretaker premier ahead of a Nov. 1 snap election.

Abbas received Gantz at his presidential headquarters in Ramallah, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa, which said Abbas emphasized “the importance of creating a political horizon,” to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and maintaining calm ahead of Biden’s visit.

Gantz said on Twitter that the two “agreed to maintain close security coordination and to avoid actions that would cause instability”.

Biden is visiting the Middle East on July 13-16.

U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, collapsed in 2014 with no sign of renewal.

Tensions between the sides have risen following the May 11 killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli army raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Abu Akleh’s family on Friday asked to meet Biden during his trip, saying Washington was providing impunity for Israel over her killing.

The U.S. State Department said on Monday that Abu Akleh was likely killed by Israeli gunfire but that it was probably unintentional. Palestinians say she was shot deliberately by an Israeli soldier. Israel denies this.

In his first Middle East trip as president, Biden is expected to meet separately with Palestinian and Israeli leaders before heading to Saudi Arabia.

Washington hopes more regional security cooperation could pave the way for more normalisation deals with Israel, which established ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020.

The Palestinians have been dismayed by U.S.-aligned Arab states establishing formal ties with Israel, forged largely over shared fears of Iran.

(Reporting by Henriette ChacarAdditional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Nidal al-Mughrabi in GazaWriting by Maayan Lubell and Henriette ChacarEditing by Mark Heinrich, Louise Heavens, Kim Coghill and Frances Kerry)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

SEC nudges Citigroup for wider disclosure on Ukraine war impact

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

(Reuters) -The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sought wider disclosures from Citigroup Inc related to the hit it expects to take from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the bank said in a regulatory filing on Friday.

In a letter dated May 2 and addressed to Citi Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraser, the regulator’s Division of Corporate Finance has also asked Citigroup to disclose risks from sanctions on Russia and potential roadblocks to the sale of the lender’s assets in the country, the filing said.

The contents of the letter were in line with guidance posted on the SEC’s website in May, when the regulator told companies they might have to disclose the impact Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was having on their businesses.

In May, a week after the letter was sent to Fraser, Citigroup disclosed that its Russian consumer banking franchise – which has been put up for sale – posted first-quarter revenue of $32 million, down 6% from a year earlier.

It also said the Russian consumer business was hurt by sanctions, the bank’s decision not to open new accounts and a reduction in investment sales.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Anil D’Silva)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Top Headlines US and World News

U.S. women should be wary of period-tracking apps, White House says

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON – Women in the United States should be wary of apps that track their menstrual periods after the rollback of federal abortion rights, a White House official said Friday.

“I think people should be really careful about that,” Jen Klein, the director of the White House’s Gender Policy Council told reporters Friday, when asked whether the administration recommended that women delete such apps.

The Department of Health and Human Services has published “practical instructions on how to delete certain apps that are on your phone” she added.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Diane Craft)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Top Headlines US and World News

U.S. to send $400 million in weapons to Ukraine, including more HIMARS

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden signed a new weapons package worth up to $400 million for Ukraine on Friday, including four additional high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) and more ammunition.

The new U.S. aid is meant to bolster Ukraine as it confronts heavy pounding by Russian artillery.

Since the Feb. 24 invasion, Russian forces have taken control of a big chunk of territory across Ukraine’s southern flank above Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Russia is slowly pushing Ukrainian forces out of two Russian-backed rebel regions of east Ukraine which it has recognized as independent states.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the additional HIMARS would bring the total number of these systems to 12.

“Ukraine has now been successfully striking Russian locations in Ukraine, deeper behind the front lines and disrupting Russia’s ability to conduct that artillery operation,” the official said.

The official added that all the HIMARS provided to Ukraine were accounted for after Russia’s defense ministry earlier this week said it had destroyed two HIMARS systems and their ammunition depots in eastern Ukraine.

The United States started providing the key precision rocket weapon system to Ukraine last month after receiving assurances from Kyiv that it would not use them to hit targets inside Russian territory.

Ukraine has not used HIMARS systems to strike outside of Ukraine, the official added.

The latest weapons package also includes more precise ammunition for howitzer artillery systems, which are available to the U.S. military but had not been provided to Kyiv.

Thousands of people have been killed in Ukraine and millions displaced since the Russian invasion, which Moscow calls a special military operation to disarm and “denazify” Ukraine.

As the United States and its allies provide Ukraine with increasingly sophisticated arms, Washington has held discussions with Kyiv about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, U.S. and diplomatic officials have told Reuters.

Including the latest rounds of assistance, the United States has now committed approximately $7.3 billion since Russia forces rolled into Ukraine and brought full-scale war back to Europe.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

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More Russian men look to avoid military service, some lawyers and rights groups say

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

LONDON – Danila Davydov said he left Russia within weeks of the Kremlin sending troops into Ukraine because he feared having to fight in a war he doesn’t support.

The 22-year-old digital artist who had been living in St Petersburg said that as the conflict dragged on he was concerned that Russia could place pressure on young people like him to serve in the military.

“I didn’t want to go to war or go to prison, so I decided to leave,” Davydov told Reuters from Kazakhstan, where he said he’s currently working.

He is among what some lawyers and rights advocates say is an increased number of young Russian men looking to avoid the country’s mandatory military service since the conflict with Ukraine began in late February, illustrating the ambivalence in Russian society to the conflict.

Some young men are leaving the country while others are seeking advice on obtaining exemptions or alternative avenues, or simply ignoring their summons in the hopes that authorities don’t pursue them, according to Reuters interviews with seven men currently seeking to avoid serving in the military as well as five lawyers and rights advocates.

That is despite the risk of facing fines or up to two years in prison – in a country where military service is mandatory for young men aged 18 to 27. One man told Reuters that refusing to fight has led to tensions with family members who believe military service is a young man’s duty.

Davydov said that he was able to take himself off the military service register and leave the country because he had a job offer abroad. He wants to return home one day, he said, but laments it may not be any time soon: “I love Russia and miss it very much.”

The Kremlin referred questions to the defence ministry, which didn’t respond to a request for comment about how widespread draft avoidance is and whether it is impacting the function of the Russian armed forces. The ministry, on its website, says that “service in the army and navy is the honourable duty of a Russian citizen that bestows considerable advantages in the future.”

Moscow says it is conducting a special military operation and that it is going as planned. Russian President Vladimir Putin has lauded those who fight for Russia as “heroes” who are saving Russian-speakers from persecution and foiling what he says is a Western plan to destroy Russia. In March, he described Russians whose thoughts were more in line with the West than Russia as “traitors.”

On Feb 24 Russia sent thousands of troops into Ukraine, embarking on Europe’s biggest ground invasion since World War Two. Following Russia’s withdrawal of troops from near Kyiv, the war has slowed to a grinding artillery contest with Moscow focused on taking territory in eastern Ukraine.

Putin is betting on a professional army that the West says has sustained significant losses in the war. If the army cannot recruit enough contract soldiers, Putin’s options would include using conscripts, mobilising Russian society or scaling back his ambitions.

Although Putin has repeatedly publicly said conscripts should not fight in the Ukraine conflict, the defence ministry in early March said some already have. Last month, a military prosecutor told the upper house of parliament that about 600 conscripts had been drawn into the conflict and that around a dozen officers had been disciplined as a result.

Ukraine has imposed martial law: men aged 18 to 60 are banned from leaving the country. Kyiv says it will fight to the end against what it casts as an unprovoked imperial-style land grab.

‘MANY PEOPLE ARE SCARED’

Since Peter the Great transformed Russia into a major European power, its rulers have often relied on conscription as part of Russia’s vast military, one of the world’s biggest fighting forces. Men of military age must serve a year as a conscript. Russia calls up around 260,000 annually in a twice-yearly draft. Russia’s combined armed forces total about 900,000, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

Avoiding the draft is a well-established practice, including via legitimate routes like deferring service by studying and claiming medical exemptions. But recent months have seen an increase in young men seeking help on how to do so, according to four lawyers and rights advocates groups that offer advice and legal aid to such young men. That has been mostly from people in major cities like Moscow and St Petersburg, according to two of those.

One group that provides free legal advice called Release is co-run by Dmitry Lutsenko, a Russian now living in Cyprus. He said the membership of a public Telegram group for those seeking advice on how to avoid conscription that the group runs has increased to more than 1,000 people, up from about 200 prior to the conflict.

Another rights group, called Citizen. Army. Law, focuses on advice to people seeking alternative types of military service, which involves working in a state-run organisation such as a hospital instead of the military. The group said it had seen a ten times increase in the number of people asking about alternative service to more than 400 this year, compared to about 40 during the equivalent period last year. “Many people are scared. They don’t want to go into an army that is fighting,” said Sergei Krivenko, who heads the organisation.

Lawyer Denis Koksharov, chairman of the Prizyvnik legal association, said that earlier in the conflict he had seen a roughly 50% increase in the number of people seeking advice on avoiding military service, without specifying numbers. He added that the number of requests had since declined and more recently the organisation has seen an increase in young men wanting to volunteer to fight.

Koksharov attributed the fluctuation to people becoming accustomed to the current situation and an increase in people “displaying patriotism.”

MISSING HOME

Fyodor Strelin, a 27-year old from St Petersburg, said he had protested against the war in the immediate aftermath of the invasion but decided to leave Russia in late February.

Now in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, Strelin said he had previously avoided the draft after securing an exemption last year due to shortsightedness but chose to leave Russia due to concern about a general mobilisation. “I miss my home and for now I feel that I lost my place in life,” he said.

Some young men who have been summoned for military service are ignoring the call in the hopes that the authorities get sufficient take up elsewhere, according to six of the young men, lawyers and rights advocates that Reuters spoke to.

Kirill, a 26-year-old from southern Russia who works in technology, said that he received a conscription summons in April followed by a phone call in May requesting he attend a medical but has not responded because he doesn’t support Russia’s operation in Ukraine.

That has caused tension with some family and friends who back the war and believe everyone should do their service, said Kirill, who asked his surname not be used. “The people in Ukraine are like brothers. I know many people in the country and I can’t support these actions,” he added.

In June, police visited his home when he was out and asked his mother why he was avoiding his military service, according to Kirill. Reuters wasn’t able to corroborate Kirill’s account. Reuters attempted to reach the Russian interior ministry’s media relations office. The person answering the phone provided another number that went unanswered on multiple attempts. Reuters also sent an email but received an automated response saying it was undeliverable.

WAR AND PEACE

Kyiv and Western allies estimate that Russia has lost at least as many men as the 15,000 Soviets killed in the Soviet-Afghan war of 1979-1989. Moscow has not updated its official casualty figure since late March, when it said that 1,351 Russian soldiers had been killed and thousands more wounded since the start of the military campaign in Ukraine.

There are signs that Russia is looking for more men to fight. In May, Putin signed a law that removed the upper age limit of 40 for people wanting to enlist in the Russian military. Lawmakers at the time said the change was to attract experienced people with specialism in areas such as advanced military equipment and engineering.

One Russian man in his 30s, who requested he not be identified, told Reuters he was summoned by telephone to report to a military office on the pretext of clarifying some personal details. While there, he was questioned by an unidentified man in military clothing about his previous military service and offered 300,000 roubles ($5,000) a month if he signed up to fight in Ukraine, he said.

Reuters was unable to independently verify his account.

The man said he declined the offer because he was not a professional soldier and had never fired a shot since completing his service.

“What use is 300,000 roubles to a dead man?” he said.

(Editing by Cassell Bryan-Low)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Top Headlines US and World News

Biden to visit Japan embassy following ex-PM Abe’s death

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden said he will visit the Japanese embassy in Washington to sign a condolence book after Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down on Friday.

He also said he tried to call Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who he called “a very solid guy,” adding “Japan is a very, very stable ally.”

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; writing by Susan Heavey)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

Exclusive-Peru’s Las Bambas copper mine revives after protest; but deal talks stall – data, sources

by Reuters July 8, 2022

By: Reuters

By Marco Aquino and Adam Jourdan

LIMA – Copper output at Peru’s huge Las Bambas mine has returned to normal levels after a two-month shutdown due to protests was ended last month, sources and power usage data show, but talks over a deal with community leaders have stalled, threatening more tensions.

The mine, owned by Chinese state-controlled firm MMG Ltd and long a target of protests, was hit by its worst- ever crisis from late April until mid-June when two indigenous communities pitched camp inside the mine, halting production.

The shutdown of the mine, which supplies 2% of global copper, contributed to an 11.2% tumble in the Andean country’s total copper output in May from a year-ago. Peru is the global No. 2 producer behind neighbor Chile.

The communities finally agreed to a temporary cease-fire last month, allowing some production to restart while the two sides pushed forward talks. The communities had been demanding the return of lands used by the mine.

A Reuters analysis of power demand data at the mine, previously unreported and which is a close proxy of activity, shows that levels have returned to normal after a huge slump in May and early June. A company source confirmed this.

Electricity demand at the mine plunged to near zero in late April, according to data from COES, which represents firms in Peru’s energy sector. It has bounced back over ten-fold to historical normal levels since a deal on June 9.

A source close to Las Bambas, who asked not to be identified, said the recovery had been gradual and that output at the mine and the transport of concentrates to a port for export finally “were at 100 percent.”

(Graphic: Las Bambas: Power and protest: https://graphics.reuters.com/PERU-MINING/gdvzynngzpw/chart.png)

‘BOGGED DOWN’

However, a community leader and a source close to the mine said talks had stalled, raising the threat of protests restarting. The current truce lasts until July 15 while the mine holds talks with a group of six communities.

“We are talking, but there is no progress, the agenda has been bogged down,” Romualdo Ochoa, leader of the Huancuire community, told Reuters on Friday. “It is complicated, we could get to the deadline without reaching any agreement.”

Ochoa said meetings planned for next week would be key to avoiding a return of the protests.

Another source close to the talks who asked not to be identified said the communities were trying to put new demands on the table beyond commitments already agreed to by the mine.

MMG and Peru’s government declined to comment on the talks.

The Chinese firm has previously said a target to produce 300,000-320,000 tonnes of copper concentrates this year at Las Bambas was in jeopardy if the conflict was not resolved. The mine accounts for 1% of Peru’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Since Las Bambas opened in 2016, residents near the mine have blocked it for more than 400 days, with various complaints ranging from pollution from the trucks transporting the ore to a lack of financial support from the mine for local communities.

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Las Bambas: Power and protest (Interactive graphic) https://tmsnrt.rs/3gsOryT

Las Bambas: Power and protest https://tmsnrt.rs/3LeXsK9

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(Reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima and Adam Jourdan in Buenos Aires; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

July 8, 2022 0 comments

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