Author: Newyorki

Gary Farro, set to resume testimony, previously detailed financial arrangements linked to an alleged catch-and-kill scheme. Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial progresses into its third week with fresh testimony expected from a private banker. Last week, the banker outlined financial maneuvers connected to the former president’s purported catch-and-kill scheme. The trial adjourned for the week on Friday following Gary Farro’s testimony. In 2015, Farro assumed the role of Michael Cohen’s contact at First Republic Bank, Cohen being Trump’s attorney at the time. Farro’s testimony provided insight into Cohen’s financial maneuvers aimed at shielding his then-boss. Prosecutors claim that in…

On Sunday, the White House emphasized the importance of maintaining peaceful demonstrations amidst the wave of pro-Palestinian protests hitting US universities in recent weeks. This statement came after approximately 275 individuals were arrested across four different campuses during the weekend. “We fully support the right to engage in peaceful protests,” stated John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, during an interview on ABC’s “This Week.” However, Kirby emphasized the administration’s unequivocal condemnation of recent instances of anti-Semitic rhetoric and emphasized their stance against all forms of hate speech and threats of violence. The series of protests initially sparked at…

The unexpected overturning of producer Harvey Weinstein’s conviction in New York has sparked outrage from both Hollywood stars and his accusers, including Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino. The film industry has responded with disbelief to the news that the disgraced movie mogul’s rape conviction has been reversed by a New York court. Weinstein, who was sentenced to 23 years in 2020 for two counts of sexual assault, saw his conviction overturned by a court of appeals, which deemed the trial unfair. Weinstein will remain behind bars following a separate conviction of rape in Los Angeles, where he was sentenced to…

The ex-publisher of the National Enquirer, David Pecker, is set to resume his testimony in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial on Thursday. Pecker, who previously served as the chief executive of American Media, which owns the tabloid, testified earlier in the week. During his testimony, Pecker admitted to leveraging his role to aid Trump in suppressing unfavorable stories that could have harmed his 2016 election campaign. This revelation sheds light on the close relationship between the media and Trump’s campaign strategy during that period. Following Trump’s declaration of his presidential candidacy, he summoned David Pecker and Michael Cohen, Trump’s…

US President Joe Biden pledged to dispatch fresh weaponry to Ukraine imminently, alongside the signing of an aid package worth $61 billion aimed at bolstering Kyiv’s defense against Russia. On Wednesday, Congress greenlit the long-awaited legislation, which also includes a provision to prohibit TikTok in the United States unless the popular social media platform severs ties with its Chinese parent company. Following approval by the Republican-led House of Representatives, which included the aid as part of a broader $95 billion assistance package for allies like Israel and Taiwan, the Democratic-controlled Senate swiftly followed suit. The bill passed with bipartisan support…

On Monday, authorities intervened to dismantle encampments at two additional US universities, coinciding with Columbia University’s decision to suspend in-person classes. Amid ongoing student protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza, police detained numerous individuals during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Yale University in Connecticut and New York University in Manhattan. At Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut, law enforcement arrested a minimum of 47 demonstrators on Monday evening, as confirmed by the university. Those students detained will face disciplinary measures. After protesters erected tent encampments at Columbia University’s New York City campus last week, the university responded by suspending in-person classes…

The Supreme Court will examine on Monday whether prohibiting homeless individuals from sleeping outdoors in the absence of shelter constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. This case is viewed as one of the most consequential to be presented before the high court in years concerning homelessness, which has surged to unprecedented levels across the United States. In California and other Western states, judicial decisions have deemed it unconstitutional to penalize and detain individuals for sleeping in homeless encampments when shelter options are unavailable. This has led to challenges for both Democratic and Republican authorities in managing such encampments, which often pose…

On Thursday, Meta unveiled an upgraded AI assistant powered by the latest versions of its open-source Llama large language model. According to a blog post, Meta AI has been enhanced and accelerated thanks to the improvements in the publicly accessible Llama 3. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s co-founder and CEO, expressed in an Instagram video that they consider Meta AI to be the most intelligent AI assistant available for free use. The open-source nature of Llama 3 allows developers outside of Meta to customize it according to their preferences. Meta can then integrate these enhancements and learnings into future updates. Meta expressed…

Tesla plans to seek shareholder approval once more for a $56 billion compensation plan endorsed in 2018 for CEO Elon Musk, which was invalidated by a US court earlier this year. According to a submission to federal regulators on Wednesday, Tesla’s Chair Robyn Denholm affirmed the board’s support for the initial proposal. Denholm argued that the company’s ethos of embracing significant risks in pursuit of substantial rewards has been a longstanding feature. Musk’s compensation package, valued at up to $55.8 billion in 2018, was invalidated by a Delaware court in January following a complaint from a shareholder. The court ruled…

As jury selection continues, Juan Merchan admonished the former president for “gesturing and speaking in the direction of the juror,” cautioning against potential juror intimidation during Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial. The judge issued a stern rebuke, emphasizing, “I won’t have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom.” Despite Trump’s apparent misbehavior, the trial’s progress remained uninterrupted, with seven jurors selected by the end of the day. Judge Juan Merchan’s remark followed the resumption of jury selection after lunch, prompted by the discovery of a video on a potential juror’s social media. The video depicted a street celebration over Trump’s loss…