EU Puts ESG Rating Providers on Notice as Major Overhaul Planned
After years of unfettered growth, the providers of ESG ratings will soon have to adjust their businesses to
1970-01-01 08:00
Trump lawyer says she’s ‘ashamed’ and ‘embarrassed’ over secret papers indictment
Former president Donald Trump’s attorney Alina Habba said on Fox News that she is “ashamed” and “embarrassed” to be a lawyer after the former president was indicted. Ms Habba spoke on Jesse Watters’ show amid news that a federal grand jury indicted Mr Trump on charges related to his allegedly unlawful retention of national defence information. Mr Trump’s attorney said the indictment was a distraction from supposed impropriety on behalf of President Joe Biden, pointing to the fact that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer was planning to hold FBI Director Christoper Wray, whom Mr Trump nominated to lead the bureau in 2017, in contempt of Congress for supposedly withholding documents. House Republicans have so far come up short in their accusations against Mr Biden. Mr Comer retracted the contempt vote after the FBI agreed to share documents, The New York Timesreported. House Republicans have so far come up short in their accusations against Mr Biden. “Every single time there is a coordinated dance that is becoming obvious to the American people because they are smart,” Ms Habba said. The Trump attorney added that the indictments of the twice-impeached former president were the equivalent of a “shiny ball” meant to distract the American public. “I'm embarrassed to be a lawyer at this moment,” she said. “Honestly, I am ashamed. I'm ashamed to be a lawyer. I'm ashamed that this is the state of our country.” Ms Habba claimed the indictment showed the United States had a two-tiered system of justice. “And it is so obvious that there's this dual system of justice,” she said. “This is selective prosecution, selective persecution. It is absolute persecution. It is Russia third world stuff, and it should not be happening.” Mr Trump first broadcast the indictment on his Truth Social networking platform on Thursday, one day after The Independent had reported that federal prosecutors planned to ask a grand jury to indict Mr Trump. “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election,” Mr Trump said, denying his guilt and proclaiming he is an “innocent man.” Mr Trump said he has been summoned to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday by 3 pm ET. Read More Trump indictment – latest: Trump faces 100-year jail sentence as he declares ‘I am an innocent man’ Trump unleashes on ‘woke military’ and says America is ‘going to hell’ in bizarre Truth Social rant Can Donald Trump run for president after being indicted? Read Trump’s furious reaction to indictment: ‘This is war’ Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
1970-01-01 08:00
Climate Change and Homeowners’ Insurance Are on a Collision Course
A summer that has already seen water crises and wildfire smoke is rapidly becoming an inflection point in
1970-01-01 08:00
California Looks to Create a Blueprint for Reparations: Big Take Podcast
Listen to The Big Take podcast on iHeart, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Terminal. In an effort to right the
1970-01-01 08:00
What is the Espionage Act that Trump is being investigated under?
What do the transgender whistleblower Chelsea Manning, the 1950s Soviet spy Julius Rosenberg and former president Donald Trump all have in common? The answer, following the indictment arising from the discovery of classified documents at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, is that all four have been investigated under suspicion of violating the Espionage Act of 1917. When the FBI raided Mr Trump’s property last August, they were looking for items that might violate the Act, which regulates the handling of confidential documents relating to national security. Most often used against spies, whistleblowers and government employees who leak documents to journalists, the Espionage Act carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. So what exactly is Mr Trump being investigated for? A contentious law with roots in First World War paranoia The Espionage Act is a controversial and often contested law that dates from America’s entry into the First World War against Germany in 1917. Even before joining the conflict, President Woodrow Wilson had urged Congress to crack down on immigrant groups and radical political movements that he claimed had “poured the poison of disloyalty into the very arteries of our national life”. At the time, German-Americans were a large and influential ethnic group, with those born in Germany comprising 2.7 per cent of the US population and 18.5 per cent of the foreign-born population, according to the census of 1910. Over 27 per cent of the nation’s “foreign white stock” spoke German as their mother tongue. There were German-language schools, churches, and newspapers throughout the country, which faced backlash from English-speaking groups. Passed just two months after Wilson joined the war and bolstered one year later in 1918, the Espionage Act criminalised many forms of dissent against the war, leading to jail sentences against speech-makers, leafleteers, film-makers and newspaper editors. The act’s more radical provisions were dismantled after the war, but other parts remain in force – including those listed in Section 793 of the US Code of Laws, which bans citizens from leaking or mishandling information relating to “national defence”. Since then, the Act has been used to prosecute the Soviet spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, the Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, National Security Agency leakers Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning and various other people who leaked US government secrets to journalists, the public or other nation states. What does the Espionage Act ban? US Code Section 793 forbids various forms of obtaining, leaking or failing to properly look after “information respecting the national defence”. For example, it forbids anyone to acquire any information about US national security facilities if they intend or have reason to believe that the information might be used “to the injury of the United States or the advantage of any foreign nation”. The Act also bans people lawfully entrusted with defence information that could harm the US from giving it to any unauthorised person, or from “wilfully retaining” it and failing to deliver it “to the officer entitled to receive it”. Another provision, wider in scope, makes it a crime for anyone trusted with such information (such as presidents) to let it be “removed from its proper place of custody”, lost, stolen, or otherwise waylaid “through gross negligence”. The same provision requires officials who become aware of such an incident to “make prompt report to his superior officer”, although it is unclear who Mr Trump’s “superior officer” would be in this case. According to the search warrant issued to agents last summer, the FBI seized various boxes and folders described as including “miscellaneous secret documents” and “miscellaneous top secret documents”. What could happen to Donald Trump now? Mr Trump has claimed he is being wrongly persecuted since the investigation began, just as he did throughout his presidency when his election campaign’s possible ties to Russia were closely examined. “This raid of President Trump’s home was not just unprecedented, but unnecessary – and now they are leaking lies and innuendos to try to explain away the weaponisation of government against their dominant political opponent,” a spokesman said in response to August’s raid. In response to his indictment on Thursday (8 June), Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax. “I have been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM. I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election. I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!” If he is ultimately prosecuted and convicted, Mr Trump could be fined or imprisoned for up to 10 years, as well as forfeiting any property bought with proceeds of the crime. A conviction could potentially prevent him from holding political office again, not only because of the reputational damage but because the Fourteenth Amendment to the US constitution bans candidates who “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against [the US], or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof”. When the Socialist German-American journalist and former congressman Victor Berger was elected to a second term in 1918, Congress refused to seat him because he had been sentenced to 20 years in jail under the Espionage Act. However, with Mr Trump’s Republican allies rallying to his defence – and promising to investigate the way the FBI have treated him – who knows where this saga could end? Read More Trump indictment – latest: Trump faces 100-year jail sentence as he declares ‘I am an innocent man’ Trump unleashes on ‘woke military’ and says America is ‘going to hell’ in bizarre Truth Social rant Read Trump’s furious reaction to indictment: ‘This is war’ Trump has been indicted again: These are the investigations he faces Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
1970-01-01 08:00
UBS, Swiss Government Seal $10 Billion Loss Guarantee Deal
UBS Group AG sealed an agreement with the Swiss government to cover 9 billion francs ($9.9 billion) of
1970-01-01 08:00
BOJ Is Said to See Little Need to Tweak Yield Control Now
Bank of Japan officials see little need to adjust its yield curve control program at a policy meeting
1970-01-01 08:00
New York-listed IHS in Shareholder Standoff Over Governance
IHS Holding Ltd.’s annual meeting devolved into a tense standoff over investor power on Wednesday after the African
1970-01-01 08:00
Robusta Coffee Jumps to Record as El Niño Worsens Supply Fears
Robusta coffee surged to the highest level since at least 2008, making it more expensive for buyers around
1970-01-01 08:00
Ukraine’s New Tanks Are Seen in Action as Counteroffensive Gets Underway
Ukraine’s new NATO-standard tanks and fighting vehicles are appearing in battlefield images as military analysts said Kyiv’s long-awaited
1970-01-01 08:00
AP News Digest 3:30 a.m.
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan. ———————- ONLY ON AP ———————- CHURCH ABUSE-STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS — Advocates for survivors of child sexual abuse say momentum is growing for completely removing the statute of limitations for such crimes. Maryland followed Maine and Vermont to become the only three states to have eliminated all time limits on lawsuits. Maryland’s governor signed the law after a report detailed more than 600 children were abused by priests over decades. By David Sharpe. SENT: 1,010 words, photos, video. ——————————— TOP STORIES ———————————- TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS — A federal grand jury investigating Donald Trump in Florida heard from at least one additional witness amid signs that the Justice Department was moving toward a possible indictment over the former president’s mishandling of classified documents. By Eric Tucker, Jill Colvin and Michael Balsamo. SENT: 760 words, photos, video. With TRUMP-CLASSIFED DOCUMENTS-EXPLAINER — Trump indicted: What to know about the documents case and what’s next; TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS-TAKEAWAYS — Reactions to the federal indictment of Donald Trump, and what’s next; TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS-GLANCE — A look at the investigations of Trump underway in various states and venues; TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS-LIVE-UPDATES (all sent). SUPREME COURT-VOTING RIGHTS — The Supreme Court decision ordering Alabama to redraw its congressional maps was a surprise victory for Black and Latino voters and voting rights activists across the country who say legislatures in a number of Republican-controlled states have drawn districts in a way that dilutes their political strength. By Gary Fields. SENT: 990 words, photos. RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Thousands of people are believed to be trapped by floodwaters spread across a swathe of Ukraine after a catastrophic dam collapse. Help has been slow in coming to Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city along the Dnieper River, according to desperate Ukrainian rescuers and the exiled mayor. Officials say more than 6,000 people have been evacuated from dozens of inundated cities, towns and villages on both sides of the river. But the true scale of the disaster remains unclear for a region that was once home to tens of thousands of people. At least 14 people have died in the flooding, many are homeless and tens of thousands are without drinking water. By Illia Novikov, Yuras Karmanau and Hanna Arhirova. SENT: 1,030 words, photos. NORTH-KOREA-DOLLAR-DILLEMA — North Korea has tolerated the widespread use of more stable foreign currencies like U.S. dollars and the Chinese yuan since a bungled revaluation of the won in 2009 triggered runway inflation and public unrest. The so-called “dollarization” phenomenon helped ease inflation and stabilize foreign exchange rates. But experts say the currency substitution may hurt leader Kim Jong Un’s authority by undermining the government’s control of the money supply and its ability to set monetary policies. By Hyung Jin Kim. SENT: 1,220 words, photos. CANADA-WILDFIRES — Images of smoke obscuring the New York skyline and the Washington Monument this week have given the world a new picture of the perils of wildfire, far from where blazes regularly turn skies into hazardous haze. By Jennifer Peltz and Rob Gillies. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, video, audio. With CANADA-WILDFIRES-DIY-PURIFIER — Social media helps invent, then circulate info on DIY air purifiers amid wildfire smoke (sent). BBO-SENTENCED-TO-UMPING — Baseball is steeped in the tradition of fans wanting to jeer the umpire. One Little League in New Jersey is taking a more hands-on approach. It’s trying to curb the appetite among the crowd watching 10- and 11-year-olds play baseball who curse at the unpaid volunteers behind the plate. The fans could become the umpires if they won’t follow league rules on sportsmanship. Outbursts of bad behavior at sporting events for young people have had frightening consequences for officials at all youth levels. The Deptford Little League is hoping its solution is a preventative one. By Dan Gelston. SENT: 1,430 words, photos. An abridged version is also available. ————————————————————————— MORE ON WILDFIRES ————————————————————————— CANADA WILDFIRES-OUTDOOR WORKERS — The hazardous haze from Canada’s wildfires is taking its toll on people whose jobs have forced them outdoors along the U.S. East Coast even as a dystopian orange hue led to the cancelation of sports events, school field trips and Broadway plays. SENT: 1,140 words, photos. CANADA-WILDFIRES-AIR-QUALITY-INDEX — How can you check the air quality in your area and what do the numbers mean? The Environmental Protection Agency monitors the air around the country and compiles an air quality index, or AQI. Here’s what to know about the index and how to keep tabs on your area, especially in U.S. regions dealing with smoke from Canadian wildfires. SENT: 370 words, photos. ————————————————————————— MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR ————————————————————————— —————————— MORE NEWS —————————— BET-AWARDS — Drake could make an impactful mark at the BET Awards later this month. The chart-topping performer scored seven nominations at the show airing live on June 25 in Los Angeles. He’s up for best male hip-hop artist, male R&B/pop artist along with best collaboration and viewer’s choice with Future and Tems for their song “Wait for U.” SENT: 310 words, photos. ——————————————————— WASHINGTON/POLITICS —————-—————————————- ELECTION 2024-GEORGIA REPUBLICANS — As Georgia’s Republican Convention gets underway, a right-wing faction of the party is seeking to punish GOP officials it considers ideological traitors by banning them from the primary ballot in future elections. The plan by allies of Donald Trump could be used to punish elected Republicans who refused his demands to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. By Jeff Amy. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. CONGRESS-DEBT COMMISSION — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is studying history and considering the appointment of a mix of lawmakers and business leaders to a new commission to tackle the nation’s soaring debt. A Democratic senator calls the effort a “prescription for trouble.” By Kevin Freking. SENT: 1,030 words, photo. REL-DESANTIS-FAITH — As Ron DeSantis wrapped up a 12-stop campaign tour that began in an Iowa evangelical church and ended here in a South Carolina convention center, dozens of pastors met backstage to pray for the presidential candidate. Later, to the 1,500 people in the auditorium, DeSantis closed out his stump speech with a paraphrased Bible verse: “I will fight the good fight, I will finish the race, and I will keep the faith.” SENT: 1,520 words, photos. ———————— NATIONAL ———————— TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL IMPEACHMENT — The FBI has arrested a businessman at the center of the scandal that led to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s historic impeachment, a move that came amid new questions about the men’s dealings raised by financial records the Republican’s lawyers made public to try to clear him of bribery allegations. PAT-ROBERTSON-LEGACY — Pat Robertson united tens of millions of evangelical Christians through the power of television and pushed them in a far more conservative direction with the personal touch of a folksy minister. His biggest impact may have been wedding evangelical Christianity to the Republican party, to an extent once unimaginable. SENT: 820 words, photos. TRANSIT-FINANCIAL-WOES — California’s transit agencies are asking Democrats who control the state’s government to rescue them like Democrats in New York recently did. It’s proving to be a much tougher sell in California. The nation’s most populous state is far more automobile-reliant than much of the Northeast. SENT: 1,160 words, photos. OREGON-ILLEGAL-MARIJUANA — Oregon has long been known as a mecca for high-quality marijuana, but that reputation has come with a downside. Illegal growers offer huge amounts of cash to lease or buy land and then leave behind pollution, garbage and a drained water table. A bill passed by the Oregon Legislature seeks to tackle that by making the landowners themselves responsible for the aftermath. The bill prohibits using rivers or groundwater at the illegal sites. SENT: 700 words, photos. FOUR KILLED UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO-GAG-ORDER — A judge overseeing the case against Bryan Kohberger, charged with killing four University of Idaho students last fall, is set to hear arguments over a gag order that largely bars attorneys and other parties in the case from speaking with news reporters. SENT: 560 words, photo. ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE-THE-COURTS — Two apologetic lawyers responding to an angry judge in Manhattan federal court has blamed ChatGPT for tricking them into including fictitious legal research in a court filing. SENT: 760 words, photo, audio. —————————————- INTERNATIONAL ————————————— SYRIA-ASSAD-AMPHETAMINES — A little white pill has given Syrian President Bashar Assad powerful leverage with his Arab neighbors, who have been willing to bring him out of pariah status in hopes he will stop the flow of highly addictive Captagon amphetamines out of Syria. SENT: 1,130 words, photos. UAE-CORAL-RESTORATION — Restoration efforts are underway in the United Arab Emirates as coral reefs face threats in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Environment Agency Abu Dhabi is re-planting corals after growing them in nurseries, while Dubai has announced it will plant 1 billion corals along the coast of the emirate. SENT: 1,000 words, photos. CYPRUS-RUSSIA-SANCTIONS — For Cypriots, it was a collective “here we go again” moment. In April, the U.S. and the U.K. included a handful of Cypriot nationals and Cyprus-registered companies on a list of “enablers” helping Russian oligarchs skirt sanctions. It was an unwelcome reminder of the lingering perception that the island nation somehow remains Moscow’s financial lackey. SENT: 860 words, photos. AUSTRALIA-GAY-HATE — The brother of a gay American who was attacked and fell from a Sydney cliff top in 1988 said elements within local police had demonized their family over their pursuit of justice. SENT: 750 words, photos. JAPAN-DEVELOPMENT-AID — Japan approved a major revision to its development aid policy Friday to focus on maritime and economic security and its national interests while helping developing nations overcome compound challenges amid China’s growing global influence. SENT: 560 words, photo. PHILIPPINES-VOLCANO — Philippine troops, police and rescue workers began forcibly evacuating residents near Mayon Volcano on Friday as its increasing unrest indicated a violent eruption of one of the country’s most active volcanoes is possible within weeks or days. SENT: 460 words, photo. SUDAN — The United Nations envoy to Sudan, a key mediator in the country’s brutal conflict, is no longer welcome in the African country, Sudanese authorities say. SENT: 380 words, photo. CHINA-HONDURAS — Honduran President Xiomara Castro arrived in Shanghai on Friday on her first visit since China established ties with Honduras, pulling it away from former diplomatic ally Taiwan. SENT: 200 words, photo. ————————————————— BUSINESS/ECONOMY ————————————————— FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Asian shares have mostly rose, led by a jump on the Tokyo Stock Exchange where share prices got a boost of optimism from a new bull market on Wall Street. SENT: 600 words, photos, audio. GENERAL MOTORS-TESLA-CHARGING STATIONS — Electric vehicles made by General Motors will be able to use much of Tesla’s extensive charging network beginning early next year under an agreement the two companies announce. SENT: 730 words, photos, audio. ————————————— ENTERTAINMENT ————————————— FILM-THE FLASH — “The Flash” filmmaker Andy Muschietti and his producer sister Barbara Muschietti talk about bringing their time-hopping, DC universe-resetting superhero pic to the big screen and convincing both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck play Batman again. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. ———————— SPORTS ———————— HKN--STANLEY CUP FINAL — Overtime. Season basically on the line. The Florida Panthers keep finding ways to flourish in those moments. And for the first time, they’ve won a game in the Stanley Cup Final. Carter Verhaeghe snapped a wrister from the slot high into the back of the net 4:27 into overtime and the Panthers rallied to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Thursday night in Game 3. Vegas still leads the title series 2-1, but Florida has life and found a way to turn overtime into its favorite time once again. SENT: 700 words, photos. TEN--FRENCH OPEN — Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are scheduled to play against each other for the first time in more than a year when they meet in the French Open semifinals. The much-anticipated showdown is the first singles match on Friday at Court Philippe Chatrier. It is the 45th Grand Slam semifinal for Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, and the second for Alcaraz, a 20-year-old from Spain. SENT: 300 words, photos. Will be updated. ————————- HOW TO REACH US ———————— At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006. Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement Staring down the barrel of 100 years: Is Donald Trump going to prison? Sunak praises Biden’s experience on China as ‘valuable to someone newer at this’ What is an indictment? Here’s what Donald Trump is facing
1970-01-01 08:00
Watch live as tributes paid to victims of Annecy knife attack that left four children injured
Watch live as people lay flowers in tribute after four children and two adults were stabbed in a knife attack in the French Alps. The incident happened on Thursday 8 June at a lakeside park in Anney. Police say they have arrested a suspect, a 31-year-old Syrian and according to reports, the alleged knifeman had been denied asylum in France just days before the attack. A British child is among the victims injured in the attack, foreign secretary James Cleverly has confirmed. “Our thoughts are with the victims and the families and we stand ready to support the French authorities in whichever way we can,” he said on Thursday. “We have already deployed British consulate officials travelling to the area to make themselves available to support the family. And, of course, we stand in strong solidarity with the people of France.” Ahead of Friday morning’s tributes, flowers, teddy bears, candles and written messages were left at the park overnight. Read More AP News Digest 3:30 a.m. Western tanks lead Ukraine’s counteroffensive as heavy fighting starts – latest ‘Hero’ woman shielded kids in France playground knife attack
1970-01-01 08:00
