Thursday, October 31, 2024
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Monday, October 28, 2024
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Friday, October 25, 2024
As Inner City Press Asks IMF of Ethiopia and VR Capital They Note Negotiations Not Part Of
NYC, Oct 25– When the IMF held a press briefing during its Annual Meetings on October 25, Inner City Press was able to ask the Fund's Africa Director about Ethiopia:
"What is the IMF's view of Ethiopia's negotiations with private creditors, particularly VR Capital?"
The answer, from an IMF spokesperson:
"We understand that the authorities’ negotiations with private creditors are ongoing, with discussions on specific proposals for debt treatment continuing after a Global Investor Call held on October 1. The IMF does not participate directly in discussions between the authorities and their creditors."
Inner City Press also asked about Sudan - watch this site.
On October 3, Inner City Press asked the IMF spokesperson three questions: on Kenya and governance / corruption review, on China's murky emergency loans to lower income countries, and the 4th IMF review of Egypt's program.
The spokesperson Julie Kozack's replies included that the timing on Egypt hasn't changed, that a list of countries in governance review will be provided - and it was, here, including Cameroon
More video coming on IMF's website.
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Nunes Sued NBC for Maddow Report on Russia Package Now Dispute on Personal Devices
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 24 – Then Congressman Devin Nunes sued NBC after Rachel Maddow reported on March 18, 2021 that he had gotten a package from Russian agent Andriy Derkach and had not turned it over to the FBI.
On October 8, 2024 a proceeding was held before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge P. Kevin Castel. Inner City Press was there, thread:
OK - now at Devin Nunes v. NBCUniversal, defamation case. As only media here, Inner City Press will live tweet
Nunes' lawyer: We will establish reckless disregard [of the truth] thought Rachel Maddow's testimony. Defense: She relied on Politico. And she read the interview in Breitbart. Judge: But if Politico had an unidentified source, could Rachel Maddow rely on it?
Defense: Rachel Maddow was asked that at her deposition. She routinely relies on Politico. Defense: It was vetted by Politico and Mr. Nunez was given every opportunity to rebut it and did not. Judge: A public figure might have a good reason to not confirm publicly that they turned something over to the FBI...
Defense: Rep Pelosi went public about packages from Russian agents. Rep Nunes was unwilling to speak. And the documents were not preserved. We got an FBI 302 that does not jibe with his allegations. All we got was his letter to the Attorney General
Judge: Did you speak with the Nunes staffer who allegedly turned the package over to the FBI? Defense: We have... Nunes' lawyer: Leaving aside whether Politico is credible, NBC's own policies disfavor single unidentified sources.
Judge: On NBC's motion [for summary judgment], it's due Nov 21, opposition Jan 13, reply Feb 12. This is set in stone.
On October 16, Nunes' counsel asked for a discovery conference, including on "the instruction that was given to Ms. Maddow not to answer further questions related to her personal political views; an instruction made only after extensive questioning on the topic had been conducted." E-mail between counsel on Patreon here.
On October 23 Nunes' counsel sent in another letter reiterating his demand to Maddow's personal devices, stating that "Ms. Maddow testified that she does in fact use her personal devices to communicate with colleagues regarding work." Letter on Patreon here.
More / extra on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
The case is Nunes v. NBCUniversal Media, LLC, 1:22-cv-1633 (Castel)
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FTC Wins Preliminary Injunction to Stop Handbag Merger of Capri & Tapestry in SDNY
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 24 – At Day 7 of the hearing on the US Federal Trade Commission's bid to enjoin the merger of Tapestry and Capri started up before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jennifer L. Rochon, Inner City Press was there, from the thread here, more on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
OK - now in last day of FTC v Tapestry preliminary injunction hearing, Tapestry witness is trashing FTC expert Dr Smith's analysis, we're on it to Judge Rochon's decision and beyond
Now in last day of preliminary injunction hearing, Judge Rochan asks what an acquisition by Tapestry could do for Michael Kors brand that Capri has been unable to do
Defense testimony continues, about how attempts by Capri to have the Michael Kors brand recapture "brand heat" just haven't worked. Judge: How would acquisition by Tapestry do for Michael Kors what Capri can't? Witness: Great question.
Judge: I try.
On October 24, Judge Rochon granted the FTC's motion: "Antitrust has come into fashion... the Court GRANTS the FTC’s motion to preliminarily enjoin the merger pending the completion of the FTC’s inhouse administrative proceeding." 169 page order on Patreon here.
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
The case is Federal Trade Commission v. Tapestry, Inc. et al., 1:24-cv-3109 (Rochon)
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Sean Combs Nov 4 Bail Appeal Canceled at his Request So Can Try with His New District Judge
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 24 – At 4:30 pm on September 16 Inner City Press was told by its SDNY source to expect "the big one" - Sean Combs - the next day in the courtroom here.
At 10:30 pm, from SDNY News, this: "USA Damian Williams: Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY. We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time."
At US Attorney Damian Williams' press conference Inner City Press asked if his office would be seeking detention - Yes, he said. Detention memo on Patreon here.
In the run-up to the 2:30 pm hearing Combs' counsel file a bail proposal, with $50 million bond - filing on Patreon here.
[Inner City Press published book / audio book Diddy Do It? on Sept 20 on Amazon here]
More on X for Subscribers here & Substack here
On September 30, Combs' lawyers filed a notice of appeal of detention to the 2d Circuit.
On October 11 the Second Circuit sent Combs' bail appeal to a three-judge panel but denied release pending their consideration - order on Patreon here.
On October 16, the Second Circuit set Combs' bail appeal for argument on November 4.
Then Combs asked for the appeal to be "held in abeyance," seeking to re-apply to Judge Subramanian for release. But on Saturday October 19 the US opposed. Full 7 page filing on Patreon here.
On October 21, Combs' lawyers wrote in that "It is remarkable that the government would oppose this straightforward, routine request for a stay." 5-page reply on Patreon here.
Then on October 23 a substantive 12 page reply, on Patreon here.
On October 24, Combs' request to put the appeal in abeyance was granted, with updates due every two weeks. When will he apply to Judge Subramanian?
Extra/analysis on X for Subscribers here & Substack here
The case is USA v. Combs, 1:24-cr-542 (Subramanian)
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Questioning Capital One Discover Merger NY AG Asks for Subpoena Now More Astroturf
SOUTH BRONX, Oct 23 – Capital One has applied to buy Discover, in an anticompetitive deal that should be rejected by regulators if they mean what they have been saying.
On September 4, Fair Finance Watch and Inner City Press submitted supplemental opposition to the regulators, including about a newly filed class action that "demonstrates Capital One's outrageous, illegal, and widespread practice of disclosing—without consent—the Nonpublic Personal Information1 and Personally Identifiable Financial Information2 (together, “Personal and Financial Information”) of Plaintiffs and the proposed Class Members to third parties, including Meta, Google, Microsoft, DoubleClick, NewRelic, Adobe, Everest, Skai/Kenshoo, Snowplow, BioCatch, Tealium, and possibly others."
Meanwhile Capital One's "Astro-turfing" continues - for example in California, here.
"Discover agreed to provide a waiver... Capital One declined to provide such a waiver. Instead, its counsel stated that it had been told by the OCC that issuing a voluntary waiver of federal confidentiality protections would contravene OCC regulations that restrict the ability of State law enforcement agencies to exercise “visitorial powers” over national banks.
27. Attorneys in the Attorney General’s Antitrust Bureau later spoke with attorneys at the OCC, who confirmed the OCC’s position."
What regulators. The case has yet to be assigned an index number.
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ICC Sexual Abuse 2024 Echoes to Ocampo and UNSG Spox in Inner City Press Exclusive
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee [no longer] at the UN: Exclusive
UN GATE, Oct 24, 2024 (see back to August 2008] -- The new abuse charges against ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, acknowledged belatedly today by the Registrar as the start of a cover-up, echo back to a prior ICC prosecutor whom Inner City Press exclusively reported on, before Antonio Guterres had it thrown out of the UN:
As the UN Security Council voted in the Spring of 2005 to refer the situation in Darfur to International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, he was in Cape Town, South Africa telling a female journalist she had to come to his hotel room and have sex with him in order to get her car keys back, according to a rejected complaint filed by then-close Ocampo aide Christian Palme. Mr. Palme attached to his complaint transcripts of recordings surreptitiously made by him and, he claims, Ocampo's then-spokesman Yves Sorokobi, who is now with the Office of the Spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General
At a July 17 press conference at UN Headquarters, Ocampo was asked about the complaint, and a July 9 International Labor Organization ruling award back pay and "moral damages" to Palme, for the way he was fired. Ocampo called it a "human resources" matter and Sorokobi, who was moderating the press conference, told the questioner to desist and called on the next media organization in line, Inner City Press.
Inner City Press exclusively obtained the complaint on July 18, and asked Sorokobi to respond to it. Sorokobi emphasizes that he did not collaborate with Palme.
On that day, while the Security Council debated a resolution to refer to Ocampo the situation in Darfur for investigation, Ocampo himself was in Cape Town, South Africa.
Moreno-Ocampo and Ban Ki-moon, tape recorders, car keys and whistleblowers not shown
In summary as the complaint relates events, Ocampo following an interview with a female reporter from a South African newspaper took the woman's
"car keys and proceed[ed] to go to his hotel suite... He refuses to return the keys unless she consents to have sexual intercourse with him. In order to have her car keys returned to her, [NAME] consents to have sexual intercourse with Moreno-Ocampo... [NAME] leave the hotel suite and immediately calls Sorokobi.. She says 'something horrible happened.'"
Attached to the complaint as Annex 3 is an email Sorokobi purportedly sent to Palme on March 29, 2005, that recounts "some disturbing (LMO behavior) stuff from [redacted] the [redacted] reporter who interviewed him yesterday. Darryl has been quite busy with lines on the possible Darfur referral."
Contemporaneous notes taken and submitted by Palme recounts "working on the press release and the Q&A, as usual without any support from Luis. We are almost done with the Q&A, but Luis refuses to approve it even for circulation within the OTP. It seems he is trying to pretend as if nothing is going on and he doesn't understand that when the decision comes we will have numerous calls with questions from media and NGOs."
Readers will make their own assessment of the credibility of different parts of the complaint, which Inner City Press is putting online here - and now?
For now, click here to view the "whistleblower" decision, which Inner City Press obtained and is putting online.
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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
After SBF 25 Years Caroline Ellison Got 2 Years US Similarly Cite 5K1.1(a) on Nishad Singh
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 23 – On the US v Sam Bankman-Fried trial, hours after the guilty verdict, a book was published: "Crypto Criminal: The Conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried: As live tweeted and investigated from inside the SDNY courthouse by Matthew Russell Lee," audio/book here.
On March 28, 2024, Inner City Press live tweeted his sentencing, to 25 years.
On September 9 cooperator Caroline Ellison's counsel filed a letter that "Ms. Ellison seeks leave to redact the names of certain people. Counsel for the government consents to this request." Document on Patreon here.
Late on September 9 Inner City Press submitted opposition to sealing. Judge Kaplan docketed the filing on September 10. See here and, on DocumentCloud, here. If SBF's suretors were unsealed, how not these eigth supporters?
Just before midnight on September 10 Ellison's lawyers filed a 60+ page memo, with redactions, asking for... no jail time, time served. Filing on Patreon here.
On September 17, amid the Sean Combs detention hearing, the US Attorney's Office filed that "the Government intends to move at sentencing, pursuant to Section 5K1.1 of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines(the “Guidelines” or “U.S.S.G.”), that the Court sentence Ellison in light of the factors set forth in Section 5K1.1(a) of the Guidelines." Letter on Patreon here.
On September 24 after praise from the AUSA and Judge, Ellison was sentenced to 24 months, minimum security.
On October 16, counsel for Nishad Singh wrote in saying he was else involved that Caroline Ellison and deserves a sentence of time served - no prison. "Another deeply personal act of kindness came when [REDACTED]
On October 23 the US Attorney's Office wrote in, as they did on Ellison, asking for sentencing light of 5K1.1(a). What will Judge Kaplan do?
Watch this site.
More on X for Subscribers here, Substack here
This case is US v. Bond, 24-cr-494 (Daniels)
We'll have more on this.
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