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IRS employee accused of leaking Michael Cohen's bank records to Michael Avenatti

A veteran IRS employee has been charged with leaking the banking records of President Trump's onetime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

John C. Fry, 54, was charged with one count of unlawful disclosure of information obtained from so-called Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and was released on $50,000 bond after appearing in federal court in San Francisco.

According to an affidavit by Linda Cieslak, a special agent with the U.S. Department of Treasury, Fry repeatedly searched law enforcement databases for information relating to Cohen. Fry, an investigative analyst for the IRS' law enforcement arm who has worked for the agency since 2008, is accused of gaining access to five SARs, which are filed by banks when transactions are spotted that raise questions about possible financial misconduct.

AVENATTI GIVES UP CONTROL OF FIRM AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF HIDING MILLIONS: REPORT

One of the reports Fry allegedly accessed showed Cohen's Essential Consultants had received a total of $500,000 from Columbus Nova, a company associated with Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian oligarch who donated money to Trump's inauguration fund. Other payments to Essential Consultants came from AT&T ($200,000) and pharmaceutical company Novartis (approximately $399,920).

Cieslak said Fry called Avenatti from his cellphone three separate times and relayed the information from the SARs to the attorney verbally. The agent added that Fry admitted to doing so when investigators confronted him in November.

The affidavit says Avenatti made the information he obtained from Fry public on Twitter May 8, writing: "Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen have a lot of explaining to do." Avenatti declined to say how he obtained the records, telling Fox News at the time: "That’s my work product and will not be disclosed."

AVENATTI RUNS LAW FIRM LIKE 'PONZI SCHEME,' FORMER CLIENT CLAIMS IN COURT FILING

The affidavit also includes exchanges between Fry and reporter Ronan Farrow, who wrote a story for the New Yorker magazine about the motives behind the leak. Farrow, who is identified as "Reporter-1" in the affidavit, wrote in an article published May 16 that the law enforcement official who released the report had grown concerned after he was unable to find two other reports on Cohen's financial activity that he believed should have been in a government database.

According to Cieslak, Fry told investigators in November that Farrow had contacted him to confirm information supplied to Farrow by Avenatti.

Avenatti tweeted Thursday evening: "Neither I nor R. Farrow did anything wrong or illegal with the financial info relating to Cohen’s crimes (the courts have found that the [federal Bank Secrecy Act] does not apply ... And if we did (we didn’t), then every reporter in America would be jailed and unable to do their job."

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At the time of the disclosures, Avenatti was locked in a legal battle with Cohen over a $130,000 payment to Daniels in the days leading up to the 2016 presidential election. The payment was made in exchange for Daniels' silence about an alleged sexual encounter with the married Trump that took place more than a decade ago. Cohen pleaded guilty last August to federal campaign finance and other violations and has been sentenced to three years in prison.

If convicted, Fry faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Hickenlooper targets Green New Deal as 'unachievable'

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is emphasizing that he’s the first Democratic presidential candidate to oppose the Green New Deal.

Hours before a controversial vote in the Senate on the sweeping proposal that aims to transform the country’s economy to fight climate change while enacting a host of new health care and welfare programs, Hickenlooper took aim at the measure in a Washington Post opinion piece titled “The Green New Deal sets us up for failure. We need a better approach.”

OCASIO-CORTEZ RIPS MCCONNELL OVER GREEN NEW DEAL SENATE VOTE

The Green New Deal, introduced in February by Democratic progressive rising star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Democratic veteran Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, has been savaged by many Republicans as a socialist dream that will bankrupt the country.

While Hickenlooper praised the concept of the Green New Deal as well as Ocasio-Cortez and other supporters for succeeding “in galvanizing the country around climate change as never before,” he criticized the proposal for shunning the private sector.

“The Ocasio-Cortez-Markey resolution gives government the dominant role on investment decisions, but most of the gains we have seen in recent years on renewable energy have come from entrepreneurs and companies responding to incentives from the market and the federal government, not bending to federal mandates,” Hickenlooper said.

Hickenlooper also spotlighted that “the resolution sets unachievable goals. We do not yet have the technology needed to reach ‘net-zero greenhouse gas emissions’ in 10 years.”

GREEN NEW DEAL FAILS IN CONTROVERSIAL SENATE TEST VOTE

The former two-term Colorado governor also expressed concerns with the Green New Deal’s high costs, as well as the resolution’s federal jobs guarantee, which he argued does little to tackle climate change but would add extra layers of bureaucracy.

While Hickenlooper had issues with the resolution, many of the leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination have embraced the proposals.

The Senate held a test vote on the Green New Deal on Tuesday afternoon. Many Senate Democrats slammed the move as a “sham” and as an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell – the top Republican in the chamber – to divide the minority party on the resolution, which hasn’t even been debated yet in Congress.

Nearly all the Democrats voted ‘present’ on the bill, bringing the tally to 57 against the resolution and none in support. Four moderate members of the chamber’s Democratic coalition joined the Republicans in voting against the measure.

HICKENLOOPER ARGUES AGAINST GREEN NEW DEAL

Tuesday’s editorial wasn’t the first time Hickenlooper expressed opposition to the Green New Deal. At a stop last month in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire, he said resolution shouldn’t be “a litmus test that you’re either with us or wrong.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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Illegal immigrant arrested after abducting, raping New Jersey teen: cops

An illegal immigrant from Mexico got pulled over this week in Ohio with a 15-year-old girl — who turned out to be a child sex slave from New Jersey, according to cops.

Juan Carlos Morales-Pedraza, 33, is accused of abducting the teen in Paterson, NJ, and sexually assaulting her. He was on his way to Chicago when a state trooper stopped him Tuesday on the Ohio Turnpike for a failure to move over violation, cops said.

“During the stop, OSHP says the officer noticed a young female riding with an older male,” tweeted the Ohio State Highway Patrol. “Police say it was also confirmed that the man had forced the girl to perform acts on him and that the girl was being taken to Chicago from New Jersey.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF MORE THAN 100 CHILD SEX CRIMES: REPORTS

Morales-Pedraza — who is charged with abduction — was driving a 2013 Nissan Sentra when he got pulled over near Toledo, cops said. Both he and the girl were unable to speak English.

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It wasn’t until authorities entered the teen’s information into the police database that they discovered she had been listed as missing. State officials told reporters that Morales-Pedraza had been living in the U.S. illegally and was previously deported. He was still being held Tuesday night at the Lucas County Jail.

To read more from The New York Post, click here

Source: Fox News National

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MLB roundup: Braves crush Indians as Donaldson homers twice

MLB: Atlanta Braves at Cleveland Indians
Apr 21, 2019; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) hits a home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

April 22, 2019

Josh Donaldson homered in his first two at-bats, and Max Fried tossed 6 1/3 strong innings as the visiting Atlanta Braves breezed to an 11-5 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night.

Donaldson drove in four runs, while Freddie Freeman had a pair of RBI singles to highlight his three-hit performance.

Ozzie Albies had a two-run single and joined Freeman in scoring twice for the Braves, who saw each member of the starting lineup record at least one of the team’s 16 hits.

Donaldson provided the fireworks by depositing a 1-1 slider from starter Shane Bieber (2-1) over the wall in center field for a solo homer in the first inning. The 2015 American League Most Valuable Player wasn’t done, launching a 1-2 fastball from Bieber deep into the bleachers in left field for a three-run shot in the second inning.

Rangers 11, Astros 10

Joey Gallo capped a prolific weekend with his third consecutive multi-hit game, and host Texas claimed the rubber match of its three-game series with Houston.

After slugging home runs in each of the first two games, Gallo finished 2-for-3 with five RBIs and delivered a two-run triple that ignited Texas’ three-run first inning against Astros right-hander Collin McHugh.

Gallo also hit a sacrifice fly in the Rangers’ four-run third inning and, after the Astros chased Texas right-hander Shelby Miller with a five-run sixth, Gallo added a run-scoring single in the bottom of the sixth.

Cubs 2, Diamondbacks 1

David Bote ripped a game-ending single to right-center field in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Javier Baez and lift Chicago to a 2-1 victory over visiting Arizona.

Teammates mobbed Bote near first base after the hit, which gave the Cubs a series win and marked their fifth victory in the past six games. Baez finished 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, an RBI and the game-winning run.

Baez set the stage for the dramatic win when he led off the ninth with a double down the right field line. He advanced to third base after Diamondbacks right fielder Adam Jones bobbled the ball in the grass.

Yankees 7, Royals 6 (10)

Austin Romine hit a game-winning single with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning as host New York beat Kansas City.

Mike Tauchman and Gio Urshela opened the inning by drawing walks from Jake Diekman (0-1), who was replaced by Ian Kennedy. After the runners were sacrificed to second and third by pinch hitter Thairo Estrada, Romine won by lifting a fly ball over center fielder Billy Hamilton’s head.

Before the wild sequences of the late innings, the Yankees carried a 5-0 lead into the eighth behind the dominance of left-hander James Paxton and a three-run homer by Clint Frazier. Kansas City scored six in the eighth before Romine’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth tied it.

Dodgers 6, Brewers 5

Cody Bellinger belted his 11th home run with two out in the top of ninth inning to lift Los Angeles to a 6-5 road win over Milwaukee.

Bellinger went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, hitting the game-winner off Milwaukee reliever Josh Hader (0-2). He also robbed Christian Yelich of a homer at the wall in the eighth inning. Kenley Jansen (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings and struck out the side in the ninth to earn the win.

Yelich, who leads the majors in homers with 13 and is one shy of tying Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez for the most home runs (14) before May 1, went 0-for-2 with two walks.

Red Sox 4, Rays 3 (11)

Christian Vazquez hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the top of the 11th inning as Boston edged host Tampa Bay.

Rafael Devers began the 11th with a bloop single, and Michael Chavis, making his first major league start, followed with a walk. After a Jackie Bradley Jr. bunt advanced both runners, Vazquez lofted a deep fly to center to drive in the game-winning run.

The Red Sox rallied against Rays reliever Jose Alvarado (0-2) for the second straight game.

Cardinals 6, Mets 4

Paul Goldschmidt delivered a two-run single among his two hits as host St. Louis topped New York.

Dexter Fowler and Marcell Ozuna each had a run-scoring double and Kolten Wong added an RBI single for the Cardinals, who have scored at least four runs in each game during their 7-1 surge at home.

Dakota Hudson (1-1) overcame three solo homers and five hits total in five innings to record his first career win as a starter.

Blue Jays 5, Athletics 4

Justin Smoak hit his second home run in two days as Toronto completed a three-game sweep of host Oakland.

Brandon Drury capped a big series with a double and a single for the Blue Jays, who completed a 6-1 trip that began with three wins in four games at Minnesota.

The A’s have lost five of six.

Padres 4, Reds 3

Austin Hedges homered to help host San Diego defeat Cincinnati and avoid a four-game sweep.

The Padres had five straight hits and six in the inning against Reds starter and loser Tyler Mahle (0-2), who allowed four runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts in six innings. Mahle retired the last 10 Padres he faced.

Left-hander Joey Lucchesi (3-2) allowed one run on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings to earn the win.

Angels 8, Mariners 6

Los Angeles clubbed four homers and held off visiting Seattle for the first time in six tries this season.

Tommy La Stella hit two homers, and Brian Goodwin and Kevan Smith each hit one for Los Angeles. In all, the Angels had 11 hits, including two doubles by Mike Trout.

Mariners starter Mike Leake (2-2), who yielded three homers, allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in six innings.

Nationals 5, Marlins 0

Stephen Strasburg pitched eight scoreless innings, and Ryan Zimmerman slugged two homers as Washington won at Miami.

The last-place Marlins failed to get their first three-game sweep since September of 2017 but still won their first series this year.

Strasburg (2-1) improved to 18-7 in his career against Miami. He passed Gio Gonzalez as the Nationals’ career leader in innings pitched.

Rockies 4, Phillies 1

Jon Gray pitched six shutout innings, and Colorado beat visiting Philadelphia.

Tony Wolters had two hits, including a two-run double for the Rockies, who have won six of seven.

Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon had a triple and two singles to finish 10-for-18 in the series.

Twins 4, Orioles 3

Willians Astudillo drove in two runs, and starter Kyle Gibson threw six solid innings as visiting Minnesota defeated Baltimore.

Astudillo had an RBI double plus a sacrifice fly as the Twins took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed. The victory let Minnesota complete a sweep of the three-game weekend series in Baltimore.

Gibson (1-0) gave up two runs on five hits in six innings.

Giants 3, Pirates 2

Buster Posey’s three-run home run in the fifth inning lifted visiting San Francisco over Pittsburgh, ending a four-game skid.

San Francisco starter Dereck Rodriguez (3-2) gave up two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. He also singled and scored a run.

Josh Bell hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh.

Tigers 4, White Sox 3

Daniel Norris tossed five scoreless innings in his first start this season, Gordon Beckham hit a solo homer and host Detroit edged Chicago.

Norris (1-0) allowed two hits and struck out six. Shane Greene recorded his 10th save by getting the last three outs, including two strikeouts.

White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez (1-3) gave up three runs (two earned) and seven hits in six innings while striking out eight.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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California police release bodycam footage of fatal shooting of rapper

California police have released bodycam footage of the fatal shooting of a rapper who was sleeping in his car in a Taco Bell drive-thru in February.

The 30-minute video, excerpted here, was released by the Vallejo Police Department. It showed the Feb. 9 encounter from different angles via the officers' cameras. The video showed officers approach a vehicle where Willie McCoy, 20, a local rapper known as Willie Bo, was inside. Neither his face nor a weapon appeared to be visible in the footage.

Officers were heard saying McCoy had a gun in his lap. Subtitles on the video said the gun was loaded with an extended 14-round magazine. The officers talked about opening the door and grabbing the gun, but the car door was locked.

CALIFORNIA RAPPER SHOT DEAD BY COPS AT TACO BELL WAS SLEEPING, FAMILY SAYS

Later, the officers noticed McCoy moving inside the vehicle. The video subtitles said the man moved his arm and he was given verbal commands to show his hands. The subtitles also said the driver bent forward "at the waist” when given verbal commands.

According to the provided subtitles, the driver reached for the gun on his lap before the officers opened fire. The video showed the officers firing at the driver window, discharging multiple rounds.

In all, six officers fired at McCoy killing him. The officers were identified as Ryan McMahon, Collin Eaton, Jordan Patzer, Mark Thompson, Anthony Romero-Cano and Bryan Glick.

NBC News reported the six officers have “returned to duty.” KTVU reported McMahon was involved in a previous fatal shooting last year.

CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS FOR FATAL ‘SWATTING’ OF KANSAS MAN

After the video was released, McCoy’s family spoke to reporters.

"I'm glad the video was released so everyone can see it," Dave Harrison, McCoy's cousin, told reporters. "Willie was a sitting duck in that car. He was asleep."

The attorneys for McCoy’s family said the rapper was shot 25 times, according to NBC News. Relatives have filed a wrongful-death claim against the city of Vallejo, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Source: Fox News National

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NFL draft trade roundup: Steelers, Packers, Eagles move up

NFL: NFL Draft
Apr 25, 2019; Nashville, TN, USA; Devin Bush (Michigan) is selected as the number ten overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers and poses for a photo with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during the 2019 NFL Draft in Downtown Nashville. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

April 26, 2019

Two teams looking to dethrone the New England Patriots as kings of the AFC — the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers — joined forces Thursday night and pulled off the first trade of the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Broncos sent the 10th overall pick in the draft to the Steelers, who in turn used the pick to select Devin Bush, an inside linebacker who played at Michigan.

In return, Pittsburgh sent Denver the Nos. 20 and 52 picks in this year’s draft and a third-round pick in 2020. The Broncos used the 20th pick to select Iowa tight end Noah Fant.

According to multiple reports, the teams had been in talks about the 10th pick, but as the Broncos went on the clock, they presumed the Steelers were no longer interested in making a deal. However, in the closing minute of Denver’s allotted time to make a pick, Pittsburgh called and made the trade.

Bush will be looked upon to help address the void in production the Steelers have yet to fill since losing Ryan Shazier to a spinal injury in 2017. As a junior last season with the Wolverines, Bush had 66 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and four passes defended.

According to reports, the Broncos were eyeing tight end T.J. Hockenson — Fant’s teammate at Iowa — with the 10th pick. However, Hockenson went to the Detroit Lions at No. 8.

–The Seattle Seahawks traded the 21st overall selection to the Green Bay Packers, who used the pick on safety Darnell Savage Jr. from Maryland. In return, the Seahawks got pick No. 30 plus a pair of 2019 fourth-round picks.

Savage was the first defensive back taken in a draft that initially was dominated by front-seven players and offensive linemen. Though not viewed by many prognosticators as being in the running to be the first defensive back off the board, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Savage had at least 52 tackles in each of his final three seasons with the Terrapins. He also had seven interceptions and 10 passes defended over the last two seasons.

Savage could pair with Adrian Amos in a new-look back line for the Packers. The team signed Amos to a four-year contract this offseason after he spent his first four seasons in Chicago.

–On the very next pick, the Baltimore Ravens sent the No. 22 overall selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the No. 25 overall pick as well as fourth- and sixth-round picks in this draft.

The Eagles used the pick to select offensive tackle Andre Dillard out of Washington State. He is the first offensive lineman from Washington State taken in the first round.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Houston Texans targeted Dillard with the No. 23 pick, forcing the Eagles’ hand. Cornerstone tackle Jason Peters, a likely future Pro Football Hall of Fame member, is 37 and entering his 16th season.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Malaysia offers alternative charge to Vietnamese accused in Kim Jong Nam murder case

Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong leaves the Shah Alam High Court on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur
FILE PHOTO - Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, who was a suspect in the murder case of North Korean leader's half brother Kim Jong Nam, leaves the Shah Alam High Court on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin

April 1, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia has offered an alternative charge against a Vietnamese woman accused of killing the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, prosecutors said on Monday.

Doan Thi Huong, 30, is facing a murder charge after smearing Kim Jong Nam’s face with VX poison, a lethal chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.

Prosecutors offered an alternative charge of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, Huong’s lawyer Salim Bashir told reporters.

Prosecutors told the court they made the offer after receiving representations from the Vietnamese embassy and Huong’s lawyers.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff, Writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; editing by Darren Schuettler)

Source: OANN

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One of Joe Biden’s newly-hired senior advisers has seemingly had a very recent change of heart.

Symone Sanders, a prominent Democratic strategist and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., staffer in 2016, was announced as one of the big-name members of Team Biden on Thursday.

But Sanders, who has also served as a CNN contributor, is seen in resurfaced footage from November 2016 expressing her opposition to a white person leading her party after Donald Trump’s election.

“In my opinion, we don’t need white people leading the Democratic party right now,” Sanders told host Brianna Keilar during a discussion on Howard Dean potentially becoming DNC chairman.

BIDEN HIRES FORMER BERNIE SANDERS’ SPOKESPERSON AS SENIOR ADVISER

“The Democratic party is diverse, and it should be reflected as so in leadership and throughout the staff, at the highest levels. From the vice chairs to the secretaries all the way down to the people working in the offices at the DNC,” she said.

Sanders wrapped up her remarks by saying: “I want to hear more from everybody. I want to hear from the millennials and the brown folks.”

Footage of the interview was resurfaced by RealClearPolitics.

After news of her hiring broke on Thursday, Sanders backed her new boss on Twitter.

TRUMP ASSESSES 2020 DEMS; TAKES SWIPES AT BIDEN, SANDERS; DISMISSES HARRIS, O’ROURKE; SAYS HE’S ROOTING FOR BUTTIGIEG

“@JoeBiden & @DrBiden are a class act. Over the course of this campaign, Vice President Biden is going to make his case to the American ppl. He won’t always be perfect, but I believe he will get it right,” she wrote.

The hiring of Sanders has been viewed as another indication of the expected tough fight that Biden and Sanders are in for as the two frontrunners battle a deep Democratic field.

While Sanders himself didn’t torch Biden as he jumped into the race, it’s clear that many of his progressive supporters view the former vice president as a threat.

Biden’s entry into the race – at least in the early going – sets up a battle between himself and Sanders, who thanks to his fierce fight with eventual nominee Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic nomination, enjoys name ID on the level of the former vice president.

BIDEN VOWS THAT ‘AMERICA IS COMING BACK,’ SPARKING ‘MAGA’ COMPARISONS

Justice Democrats — who also called Biden “out-of-touch” – is an increasingly influential group among the left of the party. They’ve championed progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York as well as Sanders. The group was founded by members of Sanders 2016 presidential campaign.

Biden has pushed back against the perception that he’s a moderate in a party that’s increasingly moving to the left. Earlier this month he described himself as an “Obama-Biden Democrat.”

And Biden said he’d stack his record against “anybody who has run or who is running now or who will run.”

Former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile – a Fox News contributor – highlighted that “Joe Biden can occupy his own lane in large part because he’s earned it. He’s earned the right to call himself whatever.”

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But she emphasized that “elections are not about the past, they’re about the future…I do believe he has the right ingredients. The question is can he find enough people to help him stir the pot.”

Fox News Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, who is facing increased calls for her immediate resignation, remains in poor health and is not “lucid” enough to decide whether to step down, her attorney told reporters late Thursday.

Steve Silverman, speaking outside one of Pugh’s residences which was raided by the FBI and IRS earlier in the day, said the embattled city leader could make a decision as early as next week.

“She is leaning toward making the best decision in the best interest in the citizens of Baltimore City,” he said, adding that Pugh has “several options” to consider.

“She just needs to be physically and mentally sound and lucid enough to make appropriate decisions.”

BALTIMORE MAYOR CATHERINE PUGH, ON LEAVE AMID BOOK PROBE, HAS HOMES AND CITY HALL OFFICE RAIDED BY FEDS

Silverman said Pugh met with a doctor at home Thursday and plans to do so again Friday, the Baltimore Sun reported.

In the latest image-tarnishing scandal for struggling Baltimore, the first-term Democratic mayor faces accusations that she used children’s book deals to cover up kickbacks for favorable treatment as a state lawmaker and city leader that earned her roughly $800,000 over several years.

BALTIMORE’S ACTING MAYOR SAYS HE ‘WOULD HATE TO SEE’ EMBATTLED MAYOR RETURN AFTER BOOK SCANDALS

As a state senator, 69-year-old Pugh sold $500,000 worth of her self-published “Healthy Holly” illustrated paperbacks to the University of Maryland Medical System, a major state employer whose board she sat on for nearly 20 years.

Baltimore police officers stand outside the house of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Pugh and also in City Hall. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Baltimore police officers stand outside the house of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Pugh and also in City Hall. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

UMMS reportedly paid Pugh for 100,000 copies of her books between 2011 and 2018 with the stated intention of distributing the books to schools and day care centers. But some 50,000 copies remain unaccounted for and officials are probing if they were even printed.

Pugh also made $300,000 in bulk sales to other customers including health carriers that did business with the city of Baltimore.

BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL CALLS ON EMBATTLED MAYOR CATHERINE PUGH TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY

The politically isolated Pugh slipped out of sight on April 1 after a hastily organized press conference where she called her no-contract book deals a “regrettable mistake.” That same day, Maryland’s governor called on the state prosecutor to investigate allegations of “self-dealing.”

Pugh took an indefinite leave of absence, citing her health deteriorating intensely after a bout with pneumonia.

Federal agents arrive at the Maryland Center for Adult Training in Baltimore. MD, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall, as well as the office of her lawyer and the home of a top aide.

Federal agents arrive at the Maryland Center for Adult Training in Baltimore. MD, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall, as well as the office of her lawyer and the home of a top aide. (Loyd Fox/Baltimore Sun via AP)

On Thursday morning, agents with the FBI and IRS searched her two Baltimore homes, her City Hall offices, and a nonprofit organization she once led. The home of at least one of Pugh’s aides was also scoured.

Silverman said federal agents also served a subpoena at his law firm, retrieving Pugh’s original financial records. They did not seek any attorney-client privileged communications, he said.

Pugh’s attorney said she was “emotionally extremely distraught” following the searches by FBI and IRS agents.

“There was nothing incriminating that came out of her home,” Silverman said.

UMMS spokesman Michael Schwartzberg told reporters that the medical system received a grand jury witness subpoena seeking documents and information related to Pugh.

Other probes against Pugh include a review by the city ethics board and the Maryland Insurance Administration.

BALTIMORE MAYOR’S $500G DEAL FOR ‘HEALTHY HOLLY’ CHILDREN’S BOOKS DRAWS SCRUTINY

In recent weeks, the calls for Pugh’s resignation have intensified with the strongest voice coming from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who did not mince words after Thursday’s early morning raids.

“Now more than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership. Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust,” he said. “She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service agents search the home of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall.

Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service agents search the home of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun via AP)

Many of her fellow Democrats, including those on Baltimore’s demoralized City Council and state lawmakers, are also insisting that Pugh put the citizens’ interests above any attempt to preserve her political career.

City Council member Brandon Scott called the Thursday raids “an embarrassment to the city.”

However, only a conviction can trigger a mayor’s removal from office, according to the city solicitor. Baltimore’s mayor-friendly City Charter currently provides no options for ousting its executive.

Six of Pugh’s staffers joined her on paid leave earlier this month; three of them were fired this week by the acting mayor.

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Pugh came to office in late 2016 after edging out ex-Mayor Sheila Dixon, who had spent much of her tenure fighting corruption charges before being forced to depart office in 2010 as part of a plea deal connected to the misappropriation of about $500 in gift cards meant for needy families.

She would certainly face a bruising 2020 Democratic primary if she were to return and run for reelection. Veteran City Council leader Bernard “Jack” Young, who is serving as acting mayor, said as she went on leave that he would merely be a placeholder. But this week, before the raids, he said “it could be devastating for her” if she tried to return.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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FILE PHOTO: Cases of Pepsi are shown for sale at a store in Carlsbad
FILE PHOTO: Cases of Pepsi are shown for sale at a store in Carlsbad, California, U.S., April 22, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Amit Dave and Mayank Bhardwaj

AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI (Reuters) – PepsiCo Inc has sued four Indian farmers for cultivating a potato variety that the snack food and drinks maker claims infringes its patent, the company and the growers said on Friday.

Pepsi has sued the farmers for cultivating the FC5 potato variety, exclusively grown for its popular Lay’s potato chips. The FC5 variety has a lower moisture content required to make snacks such as potato chips.

PepsiCo is seeking more than 10 million rupees ($142,840.82) each for alleged patent infringement.

The farmers grow potatoes in the western state of Gujarat, a leading producer of India’s most consumed vegetable.

“We have been growing potatoes for a long time and we didn’t face this problem ever, as we’ve mostly been using the seeds saved from one harvest to plant the next year’s crop,” said Bipin Patel, one of the four farmers sued by Pepsi.

Patel did not say how he came by the PepsiCo variety.

A court in Ahmedabad, the business hub of Gujarat, on Friday agreed to hear the case on June 12, said Anand Yagnik, the lawyer for the farmers.

“In this instance, we took judicial recourse against people who were illegally dealing in our registered variety,” A PepsiCo India spokesman said. “This was done to protect our rights and safeguard the larger interest of farmers that are engaged with us and who are using and benefiting from seeds of our registered variety.”

PepsiCo, which set up its first potato chips plant in India in 1989, supplies the FC5 potato variety to a group of farmers who in turn sell their produce to the company at a fixed price.

The All India Kisan Sabha, or All India Farmers’ Forum, has asked the Indian government to protect the farmers.

The farmers’ forum has also called for a boycott of PepsiCo’s Lay’s chips and the company’s other products.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

PepsiCo is the second major U.S. company in India to face issues over patent infringement.

Stung by a long-standing intellectual property dispute, seed maker Monsanto, which is now owned by German drugmaker Bayer AG, withdrew from some businesses in India over a cotton-seed dispute with farmers, Reuters reported in 2017. (reut.rs/2ncBknn)

(Reporting by Amit Dave in AHMEDABAD and Mayank Bhardwaj in NEW DELHI; Editing by Martin Howell and Louise Heavens)

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FILE PHOTO: The Archer Daniels Midland Co (ADM) logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the NYSE in New York
FILE PHOTO: The Archer Daniels Midland Co (ADM) logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By P.J. Huffstutter and Shradha Singh

CHICAGO/BENGALURU (Reuters) – Archer Daniels Midland Co said on Friday it was considering spinning off its ethanol business after slim biofuel margins and Midwestern floods slammed the U.S. grains merchant’s profit, which tumbled 41 percent in the first quarter.

ADM said it was creating an ethanol subsidiary, which will include dry mills in Columbus, Nebraska; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Peoria, Illinois.

The ethanol subsidiary will report as an independent segment, the company said, allowing options “which may include, but are not limited to, a potential spin-off of the business to existing ADM shareholders.”

Results were hit by the “bomb cyclone” blizzards that devastated the Midwest and Great Plains this year, causing massive flooding across Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, washing out rail lines and wreaking havoc in the moving and processing of corn, soybeans and wheat. One-sixth of U.S. ethanol production was halted.

In March, ADM warned Wall Street that flooding and severe winter weather in the U.S. Midwest would reduce its first-quarter operating profit by $50 million to $60 million.

“The first quarter proved more challenging than initially expected,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Juan Luciano, with earnings down in its starches, sweeteners and bioproducts unit. Luciano said impacts of the severe weather ultimately “were on the high side of our initial estimates”.

Ongoing problems in the ethanol industry added to the problems and “limited margins and opportunities” for ADM, Luciano said.

The ethanol industry has been in the midst of a historic downswing due to the U.S.-China trade war, excess domestic supply and weak margins.

ADM, which had been an ethanol pioneer, signaled to Wall Street in 2016 that it was hunting for options and considering sales of its U.S. dry ethanol mills. Luciano told Reuters this year that offers ADM had received for the mills were too low.

In addition, ADM said it planned to repurpose its corn wet mill in Marshall, Minnesota, to produce higher volumes of food and industrial-grade starches.

Other major traders are alsy trying to distance themselves from struggling ethanol businesses. Louis Dreyfus Company BV spun off its Brazilian sugar and ethanol business Biosev in 2013. Rival Bunge sold its sugar book and has sought a buyer for its Brazilian mills since 2013.

ADM, which makes money trading, processing and transporting crops, such as corn, soybeans and wheat, has been looking to strengthen its core business. Last month it said it would seek voluntary early retirements of some North American employees and cut jobs as part of a restructuring effort.

The company expects to lower 2019 capital spending by 10 percent to between $800 million and $900 million.

Net earnings attributable to the company fell to $233 million, or 41 cents per share, in the three months ended March 31, from $393 million, or 70 cents per share, a year earlier.

Revenue fell to $15.30 billion from $15.53 billion. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 46 cents per share, while analysts on average had estimated 60 cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

(Reporting by Shradha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta, Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)

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The Slack app logo is seen on a smartphone in this illustration
FILE PHOTO: The Slack app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Slack Technologies Inc, operator of the popular workplace instant-messaging app, reported a loss of $140.7 million in the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2019, the company said on Friday in a regulatory filing ahead of its planned public market debut.

The company said its daily active users exceeded 10 million in the three months ended Jan. 31, 2019.

Slack expects to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SK”, it said.

The San Francisco-based company is seeking to go public via a direct listing, making it the second big technology company after Spotify Technology SA to bypass the traditional route of listing shares through an initial public offering.

A direct listing is a cheaper way of becoming a public company as the process requires fewer investment banks and therefore lower fees.

In a direct listing, however, a company does not sell any new shares to raise money. Instead, it gives existing shareholders the opportunity to cash out.

Slack is the latest in a string of high-profile technology companies looking to go public this year. Lyft Inc, Pinterest and Zoom Video Communications have completed IPOs so far in 2019.

The company is hoping for a valuation of more than $10 billion in the listing, Reuters had previously reported. Some early investors and employees have been selling the stock at around $28, valuing the company close to $17 billion, Kelly Rodriques, CEO of Forge, a brokerage company, told CNBC on Thursday.

Slack set a placeholder amount of $100 million to indicate the size of the IPO. The amount of money a company says it plans to raise in its first IPO filings is used to calculate registration fees. The final size of the IPO could be different.

Its competitors include Microsoft Teams, a free chat add-on for Microsoft’s Office365 users.

(Reporting By Aparajita Saxena and Joshua Franklin in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and Anil D’Silva)

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