cnbc--2020-01-24--Trump impeachment trial highlights: Bolton-Biden witness trade is 'off the table,' Schumer says

House Democrats began on Wednesday to lay out their case against President Donald Trump , arguing to the Senate why he should be convicted and removed from office .
Lead House impeachment manager Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , kicked off the trial proceedings around 1 p.m .
ET , delivering a sweeping overview of Trump 's alleged abuses of power and attempts to obstruct Congress .
The House managers ' opening statements in Trump 's impeachment trial followed a contentious day of debate inside and outside the Senate chamber .
Trump 's defense team and the Democrats grappled for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trial , each throwing punches so intense that Chief Justice John Roberts was compelled to interject .
Trump , meanwhile , spared no opportunity to attack Democrats over the impeachment `` hoax , '' slamming House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , as a `` sleazeball '' before departing the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland .
Here are highlights of the impeachment trial : Schiff , who led the House in its efforts to pass two articles of impeachment against Trump in December , spoke on the Senate floor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made lofty arguments about historical precedent , warning that if Trump is not removed , future presidents will feel free to seek foreign help with elections .
Trump was impeached over his efforts to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch investigations into his political rival , former Vice President Joe Biden , and his son Hunter , along with a debunked conspiracy theory alleging Ukrainian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
While Trump sought those investigations , his administration was withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also impeached Trump for blocking the House 's investigation into the matter , by refusing to hand over any documents and directing key witnesses not to comply with Congress .
Schiff began his remarks by tying the founding fathers ' `` prescient '' views about impeachment to Trump through a quote from Alexander Hamilton : `` When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune , bold in his temper , possessed of considerable talents , having the advantage of military habits — despotic in his ordinary demeanour — known to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of liberty — when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity — to join in the cry of danger to liberty — to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion — to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day — It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may 'ride the storm and direct the whirlwind . '
'' Schiff quickly moved to establish that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidency – a preemptive strike against Trump 's attorneys , who maintain that the president has done nothing wrong .
Trump , Schiff said , `` does not , under our laws and under our constitution , have a right to use the powers of his office to corruptly solicit foreign aid , prohibited foreign aid , in his re-election . ''
`` He does not have the right to withhold official presidential acts to secure that assistance , and he certainly does not have the right to undermine our elections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own personal benefit , '' Schiff said .
`` No president , Republican or Democrat , can be permitted to do that . ''
Schiff also employed the words of acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney , who in October admitted – then tried to walk back – that the Ukraine aid was tied to investigations .
If this was allowed to stand , Schiff argued , there was no limit to the presidential malfeasance Americans would be told to just `` get over it '' in the future .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president says there was no quid pro quo , I guess that closes the case ! '
'' Schiff asked rhetorically .
One of Trump 's lead defense lawyers , Jay Sekulow , told reporters Wednesday that his team would `` rebut '' much of what Schiff alleged in his opening statement .
Their argument will be based on both `` challenging the case that they made '' and then making `` an affirmative case '' in Trump 's defense , Sekulow said .
Sekulow singled out Democrats ' implicit charge that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Ukraine was directly tied to his request that Ukraine launch investigations into the Bidens .
`` You noticed that Adam Schiff today talked about quid pro quo , '' said Sekulow , using the Latin term phrase meaning 'this for that ' in reference to Schiff 's remarks about Mulvaney .
`` Notice what 's not in the articles of impeachment – allegations or accusations of quid pro quo .
That 's because they did n't exist , '' Sekulow said .
The president 's lawyers are expected to argue that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then abruptly release , nearly $ 400 million in aid to Ukraine last summer was unrelated to his request that Ukraine `` do us a favor '' by investigating the Bidens .
They are also expected to argue that the articles of impeachment against Trump themselves do not accuse the president of committing a crime under federal law .
Democrats fought for more than 12 hours Tuesday to ensure that the Republican-majority Senate would issue subpoenas for documents and witnesses , including Mulvaney and former national security advisor John Bolton .
But Schumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell 's proposed rules were shot down , nearly all along party lines .
Over the next several hours , speculation grew on Capitol Hill that a possible deal could be struck whereby Bolton – who vowed that he would appear in the Senate if he was subpoenaed – could be allowed to testify if Hunter Biden was also brought in as a witness .
Democrats see Bolton as a key fact witness who was close to the president and the associates who were involved in the efforts toward Ukraine .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden , who served on the board of a Ukraine natural gas company while his father was vice president .
Schumer , however , poured cold water on the idea while speaking to reporters during a recess in proceedings Wednesday afternoon .
`` No , I think that 's off the table , '' Schumer said when asked about the possibility of a witness trade .
`` That trade is not on the table . ''
Trump boasts he has 'all the material' Wrapping up a trip to Davos , Switzerland to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke to reporters about the impeachment , where he seemed to inadvertently admit that the White House refusal to turn over documents to Congress was helping his case .
`` I got to watch enough — I thought our team did a very good job .
But honestly , we have all the material .
They do n't have the material , '' he said .
House manager Val Demings , D-Fla. , quickly seized upon Trump 's remarks as an admission of guilt on the article of obstructing Congress .
Schiff also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will spend the 24 hours – stretched out over three days , per the rules adopted in the wee hours Wednesday morning – that they have been allotted to make their case .
Schiff told the senators that his team will present evidence painting a `` damning picture of the president 's efforts to use the powers of his office to corruptly solicit foreign help in his re-election campaign and withhold official acts and military aid to compel that support . ''
Other members of the team took the helm after Schiff finished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , followed by Texas Rep. Sylvia Garcia and Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado , then laid out a meticulous timeline of the entire Ukraine aid freeze .
They relied heavily on video clips of the testimony of previous witnesses who appeared in the House impeachment inquiry .
Following the presentation of this evidence , which was still ongoing at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night , Schiff said the next step would be for the managers to explain impeachment through a constitutional lens , and examine the necessary role of impeachment `` as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , Democrats would tie the previous two steps together , and `` analyze how the facts of the president 's misconduct and cover-up lead to the conclusion that the president undertook the sort of corrupt course of conduct that impeachment was intended to remedy . ''
Once the managers are done , Trump 's lawyers then begin their defense .
It 's unclear if they plan to use the entire three-day window to state their case .

House Democrats began on Wednesday to lay out their case against President Donald Trump, arguing to the Senate why he should be convicted and removed from office. Lead House impeachment manager Adam Schiff, D-Calif., kicked off the trial proceedings around 1 p.m. ET, delivering a sweeping overview of Trump's alleged abuses of power and attempts to obstruct Congress. The House managers' opening statements in Trump's impeachment trial followed a contentious day of debate inside and outside the Senate chamber. Trump's defense team and the Democrats grappled for more than 12 hours over the rules of the trial, each throwing punches so intense that Chief Justice John Roberts was compelled to interject.
watch now
Trump, meanwhile, spared no opportunity to attack Democrats over the impeachment "hoax," slamming House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., as a "sleazeball" before departing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Here are highlights of the impeachment trial:
Schiff's case
Schiff, who led the House in its efforts to pass two articles of impeachment against Trump in December, spoke on the Senate floor for more than two hours. He made lofty arguments about historical precedent, warning that if Trump is not removed, future presidents will feel free to seek foreign help with elections. Trump was impeached over his efforts to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch investigations into his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his son Hunter, along with a debunked conspiracy theory alleging Ukrainian interference in the 2016 presidential election. While Trump sought those investigations, his administration was withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine without providing a clear explanation. Democrats also impeached Trump for blocking the House's investigation into the matter, by refusing to hand over any documents and directing key witnesses not to comply with Congress. Schiff began his remarks by tying the founding fathers' "prescient" views about impeachment to Trump through a quote from Alexander Hamilton: "When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits — despotic in his ordinary demeanour — known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty — when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity — to join in the cry of danger to liberty — to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion — to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day — It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may 'ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.'" Schiff quickly moved to establish that Trump's dealings with Ukraine constituted abuses of the presidency – a preemptive strike against Trump's attorneys, who maintain that the president has done nothing wrong. Trump, Schiff said, "does not, under our laws and under our constitution, have a right to use the powers of his office to corruptly solicit foreign aid, prohibited foreign aid, in his re-election." "He does not have the right to withhold official presidential acts to secure that assistance, and he certainly does not have the right to undermine our elections and place our security at risk for his own personal benefit," Schiff said. "No president, Republican or Democrat, can be permitted to do that." Schiff also employed the words of acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who in October admitted – then tried to walk back – that the Ukraine aid was tied to investigations. If this was allowed to stand, Schiff argued, there was no limit to the presidential malfeasance Americans would be told to just "get over it" in the future. "Are we to accept, 'Well, the president says there was no quid pro quo, I guess that closes the case!'" Schiff asked rhetorically.
Trump defense: No crime in impeachment charges
One of Trump's lead defense lawyers, Jay Sekulow, told reporters Wednesday that his team would "rebut" much of what Schiff alleged in his opening statement. Their argument will be based on both "challenging the case that they made" and then making "an affirmative case" in Trump's defense, Sekulow said. Sekulow singled out Democrats' implicit charge that Trump's decision to freeze the aid to Ukraine was directly tied to his request that Ukraine launch investigations into the Bidens. "You noticed that Adam Schiff today talked about quid pro quo," said Sekulow, using the Latin term phrase meaning 'this for that' in reference to Schiff's remarks about Mulvaney. "Notice what's not in the articles of impeachment – allegations or accusations of quid pro quo. That's because they didn't exist," Sekulow said. The president's lawyers are expected to argue that Trump's decision first to withhold, and then abruptly release, nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine last summer was unrelated to his request that Ukraine "do us a favor" by investigating the Bidens. They are also expected to argue that the articles of impeachment against Trump themselves do not accuse the president of committing a crime under federal law.
Schumer rejects deal to swap Bolton testimony for Hunter Biden's
Democrats fought for more than 12 hours Tuesday to ensure that the Republican-majority Senate would issue subpoenas for documents and witnesses, including Mulvaney and former national security advisor John Bolton. But Schumer's 11 amendments to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's proposed rules were shot down, nearly all along party lines. Over the next several hours, speculation grew on Capitol Hill that a possible deal could be struck whereby Bolton – who vowed that he would appear in the Senate if he was subpoenaed – could be allowed to testify if Hunter Biden was also brought in as a witness. Democrats see Bolton as a key fact witness who was close to the president and the associates who were involved in the efforts toward Ukraine. Many Republicans have adopted Trump's suspicions about Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a Ukraine natural gas company while his father was vice president. Schumer, however, poured cold water on the idea while speaking to reporters during a recess in proceedings Wednesday afternoon. "No, I think that's off the table," Schumer said when asked about the possibility of a witness trade. "That trade is not on the table."
Trump boasts he has 'all the material'
Wrapping up a trip to Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum, Trump spoke to reporters about the impeachment, where he seemed to inadvertently admit that the White House refusal to turn over documents to Congress was helping his case. "I got to watch enough — I thought our team did a very good job. But honestly, we have all the material. They don't have the material," he said. House manager Val Demings, D-Fla., quickly seized upon Trump's remarks as an admission of guilt on the article of obstructing Congress. Demings TWEET
House managers' plan


cnbc--2020-01-25--Mike Pompeo cursed out NPR reporter for asking about removal of Ukraine ambassador, she says

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the U.S. State Department An aide to the Cabinet official asked Kelly to follow Pompeo to his living quarters at the State Department without a recording device but did not specify that the ensuing exchange would be off the record , according to NPR .
NPR reported that `` immediately after the questions on Ukraine , the interview concluded .
Pompeo stood , leaned in and silently glared at Kelly for a period of several seconds before leaving the room . ''
But Pompeo declined to answer multiple questions from Kelly about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to discuss the administration 's policies with regard to Iran .
Kelly disputed that those were the terms of the interview .
The reporter , `` All Things Considered '' co-host Mary Louise Kelly , interviewed Pompeo on Friday amid President Donald Trump 's impeachment trial in the Senate , which centers around the president 's dealings with Ukraine .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cursed out an NPR reporter after she pressed him to answer questions about the removal of former U.S .
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch from her post in Ukraine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly accepts the award for best reporter/correspondent/host - non-commercial for `` All Things Considered '' on `` NPR News '' at the 43rd annual Gracie Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Tuesday , May 22 , 2018 , in Beverly Hills , Calif. '' Inside the room , Pompeo shouted his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine , '' NPR reported .
`` He used repeated expletives , according to Kelly , and asked , 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine ? '
'' On a radio program for NPR that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about her unrecorded exchange with Pompeo .
`` I was taken to the Secretary 's private living room , where he was waiting , and where he shouted at me for about the same amount of time as the interview itself had lasted , '' Kelly said .
`` He used the F word in that sentence , and many others .
He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map .
I said yes .
He called out for his aides to bring him a map of the world with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly said .
`` I pointed to Ukraine , '' she said .
`` He put the map away .
He said , 'People will hear about this , ' and then he turned and said he had things to do , and I thanked him again for his time and left . ''
Neither the White House nor the State Department immediately responded to CNBC 's requests for comment on NPR 's report .
Reached for comment , Kelly referred CNBC to NPR 's story about the incident .
Pompeo on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yovanovitch 's ouster has at times taken center stage in Trump 's impeachment proceedings .
The House voted to impeach Trump on Dec. 18 on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , both related to his efforts to have Ukraine announce probes into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son and a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 presidential election .
Trump 's lawyer Rudy Giuliani , with help from associates including Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , had allegedly sought Yovanovitch 's removal in order to clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probes that involved Trump 's political rivals .
Yovanovitch was removed from her post in Kyiv in the spring of 2019 .
She testified before the House in November as part of its impeachment inquiry that she felt threatened by Trump and his allies , who had disparaged her even after she was removed from her post .
Yovanovitch said that corrupt Ukrainian officials and Trump associates , including Giuliani , had orchestrated a `` smear campaign '' against her .
Earlier Friday , ABC News reported that a newly surfaced recording contains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 gathering with Fruman and Parnas , demanding that Yovanovitch be fired .
A transcript of the recorded portion of NPR 's interview with Pompeo shows Kelly first asking questions about the tense relations between the U.S. and Iran .
Pompeo defended Trump 's decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement struck during the Obama administration .
Then Kelly changed the subject to Ukraine , asking if Pompeo owed Yovanovitch an apology .
Pompeo said , `` I agreed to come on your show today to talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do . ''
Kelly responded : `` I confirmed with your staff ... last night that I would talk about Iran and Ukraine . ''
The back-and-forth continued as Kelly pressed Pompeo on whether or not he should apologize to the former U.S. ambassador .
`` I 'll say only this .
I have defended every State Department official , '' Pompeo said .
But when asked where he has defended Yovanovitch in particular , Pompeo said , `` I 've said all I 'm going to say today . ''

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the U.S. State Department
An aide to the Cabinet official asked Kelly to follow Pompeo to his living quarters at the State Department without a recording device but did not specify that the ensuing exchange would be off the record, according to NPR.
NPR reported that "immediately after the questions on Ukraine, the interview concluded. Pompeo stood, leaned in and silently glared at Kelly for a period of several seconds before leaving the room."
But Pompeo declined to answer multiple questions from Kelly about Ukraine, saying he had only agreed to discuss the administration's policies with regard to Iran. Kelly disputed that those were the terms of the interview.
The reporter, "All Things Considered" co-host Mary Louise Kelly, interviewed Pompeo on Friday amid President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate, which centers around the president's dealings with Ukraine.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cursed out an NPR reporter after she pressed him to answer questions about the removal of former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch from her post in Ukraine, the outlet reported Friday .
Mary Louise Kelly accepts the award for best reporter/correspondent/host - non-commercial for "All Things Considered" on "NPR News" at the 43rd annual Gracie Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
"Inside the room, Pompeo shouted his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine," NPR reported. "He used repeated expletives, according to Kelly, and asked, 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?'"
On a radio program for NPR that aired Friday, Kelly provided more details about her unrecorded exchange with Pompeo.
"I was taken to the Secretary's private living room, where he was waiting, and where he shouted at me for about the same amount of time as the interview itself had lasted," Kelly said.
"He used the F word in that sentence, and many others. He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map. I said yes. He called out for his aides to bring him a map of the world with no writing, no countries marked," Kelly said.
"I pointed to Ukraine," she said. "He put the map away. He said, 'People will hear about this,' and then he turned and said he had things to do, and I thanked him again for his time and left."
Neither the White House nor the State Department immediately responded to CNBC's requests for comment on NPR's report.
Reached for comment, Kelly referred CNBC to NPR's story about the incident.
committee tweet
Pompeo on Friday tweeted his plans to travel to Ukraine.
TWEET
Yovanovitch's ouster has at times taken center stage in Trump's impeachment proceedings.
The House voted to impeach Trump on Dec. 18 on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, both related to his efforts to have Ukraine announce probes into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son and a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 presidential election.
Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, with help from associates including Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, had allegedly sought Yovanovitch's removal in order to clear the way for Ukraine to announce the probes that involved Trump's political rivals.
Yovanovitch was removed from her post in Kyiv in the spring of 2019. She testified before the House in November as part of its impeachment inquiry that she felt threatened by Trump and his allies, who had disparaged her even after she was removed from her post.
Yovanovitch said that corrupt Ukrainian officials and Trump associates, including Giuliani, had orchestrated a "smear campaign" against her.
Earlier Friday, ABC News reported that a newly surfaced recording contains audio of Trump, at an April 2018 gathering with Fruman and Parnas, demanding that Yovanovitch be fired.
A transcript of the recorded portion of NPR's interview with Pompeo shows Kelly first asking questions about the tense relations between the U.S. and Iran. Pompeo defended Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement struck during the Obama administration.
Then Kelly changed the subject to Ukraine, asking if Pompeo owed Yovanovitch an apology.
Pompeo said, "I agreed to come on your show today to talk about Iran. That's what I intend to do."
Kelly responded: "I confirmed with your staff ... last night that I would talk about Iran and Ukraine."
The back-and-forth continued as Kelly pressed Pompeo on whether or not he should apologize to the former U.S. ambassador.
"I'll say only this. I have defended every State Department official," Pompeo said. But when asked where he has defended Yovanovitch in particular, Pompeo said, "I've said all I'm going to say today."
Read NPR's full report.


cnbc--2020-01-25--Victim group blasts New Orleans Saints for helping Catholic Church with PR on clergy sex abuse

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson stands on the field during a NFL game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on December 08 , 2019 in New Orleans , Louisiana .
Lawyers say they want the New Orleans Saints and its spokesman to testify about that football team 's public relations assistance to the Archdiocese of New Orleans regarding clergy sexual abuse cases , court documents reveal .
The lawyers represent a man who is suing the archdiocese on claims he was sexually abused as a boy by a Catholic lay minister .
The Saints said in a statement Friday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Catholic archdiocese after being asked for assistance by church officials .
And the team said it had urged the archdiocese to be `` open and fully transparent '' in dealing with allegations of sex abuse by priests and others .
The statement came hours after a bombshell report by the Associated Press that revealed the teams ' unusual assistance to the church .
Kevin Bourgeois of the local Survivor 's Network of those Abused by Priests ( SNAP ) chapter called the team 's involvement `` an egregious personal foul .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect an institution instead of protecting children , '' Bourgeois said in a statement to NBC News .
`` This is an embarrassing move from a team that has no business being involved in this situation in the first place .
It is disappointing to me that my hometown team would rather protect secrets instead of protecting children .
Shame .
Shame .
Shame . ''
The Associated Press is asking a judge in the pending civil lawsuit to approve the disclosure of email and other communications involving the Saints , whose owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic , and the archdiocese .
Benson also owns the New Orleans Pelicans , an NBA team .
The Saints are trying to keep those emails out of the public eye — at least for now — according to court records .
The archdiocese also wants the communications kept confidential .
Lawyers for the accuser said in a New Orleans court filing earlier this week reviewed by CNBC that it appears that the Saints ' executives and public relations teams were `` unofficially 'lent out ' ... to assist the Archdiocese in 'messaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the names of credibly accused priests in November 2018 . ''
`` Obviously , the Saints should not be in the business of assisting the Archdiocese , and the Saints public relations team is not in the business of managing the public relations of criminals engaged in pedophilia , '' the filing said .
`` The Saints realize that if the documents at issue are made public , this professional sports organization also will be smearing itself . ''
The filing notes that Saints personnel apparently used communications that carried the insignia of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters regarding the archdiocese .
Lawyers for the accuser , who filed his lawsuit using an alias , have sought to release what they said are `` 276 documents '' that have been `` designated as 'confidential ' by the Saints . ''
The accuser 's lawyers , in a footnote to their filing this week , also said they intend `` to take a corporate representative deposition of the Saints , as well as a fact deposition of [ redacted name ] and [ Saints spokesman Greg ] Bensel , to fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extent of its assistance . ''
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC .
The Archdiocese of New Orleans declined to comment .
The Saints , in a prepared statement , said , `` The New Orleans Saints organization has always had a very strong relationship with the Archdiocese . ''
`` The Archdiocese reached out to a number of community and civic minded leaders seeking counsel on handling the pending media attention that would come with the release of the clergy names in November of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Greg Bensel , Senior Vice President of Communications for the New Orleans Saints , was contacted and offered input on how to work with the media . ''
The statement went on to say : '' The advice was simple and never wavering .
Be direct , open and fully transparent , while making sure that all law enforcement agencies were alerted .
The New Orleans Saints , Greg Bensel and Mrs. Gayle Benson were and remain offended , disappointed and repulsed by the actions of certain past clergy .
We remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have suffered and pray for their continued healing . ''
`` Further , the Saints have no interest in concealing information from the press or public .
At the current discovery stage in the case of Doe v. Archdiocese , the Saints , through their counsel , have merely requested the court to apply the normal rules of civil discovery to the documents that the Saints produced and delivered to Mr. Doe 's counsel .
Until the documents are admitted into evidence at a public trial or hearing in the context of relevant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents and the events to which they pertain , the use of the documents should be limited to the parties to the case and their attorneys .
If admitted into evidence of the case , the documents and the testimony pertaining to them will become part of the public record of the trial of the case . ''

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson stands on the field during a NFL game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on December 08, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Lawyers say they want the New Orleans Saints and its spokesman to testify about that football team's public relations assistance to the Archdiocese of New Orleans regarding clergy sexual abuse cases, court documents reveal.
The lawyers represent a man who is suing the archdiocese on claims he was sexually abused as a boy by a Catholic lay minister.
The Saints said in a statement Friday that the NFL team provided the PR help to the Catholic archdiocese after being asked for assistance by church officials.
And the team said it had urged the archdiocese to be "open and fully transparent" in dealing with allegations of sex abuse by priests and others.
Tweet
The statement came hours after a bombshell report by the Associated Press that revealed the teams' unusual assistance to the church.
Kevin Bourgeois of the local Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) chapter called the team's involvement "an egregious personal foul."
The Saints "have chosen to protect an institution instead of protecting children," Bourgeois said in a statement to NBC News. "This is an embarrassing move from a team that has no business being involved in this situation in the first place. It is disappointing to me that my hometown team would rather protect secrets instead of protecting children. Shame. Shame. Shame."
The Associated Press is asking a judge in the pending civil lawsuit to approve the disclosure of email and other communications involving the Saints, whose owner, Gayle Benson, is a devout Catholic, and the archdiocese. Benson also owns the New Orleans Pelicans, an NBA team.
The Saints are trying to keep those emails out of the public eye — at least for now — according to court records. The archdiocese also wants the communications kept confidential.
Lawyers for the accuser said in a New Orleans court filing earlier this week reviewed by CNBC that it appears that the Saints' executives and public relations teams were "unofficially 'lent out' ... to assist the Archdiocese in 'messaging' and mitigating any fallout from releasing the names of credibly accused priests in November 2018."
"Obviously, the Saints should not be in the business of assisting the Archdiocese, and the Saints public relations team is not in the business of managing the public relations of criminals engaged in pedophilia," the filing said.
"The Saints realize that if the documents at issue are made public, this professional sports organization also will be smearing itself."
The filing notes that Saints personnel apparently used communications that carried the insignia of the NFL when they conducted outreach to reporters regarding the archdiocese.
Lawyers for the accuser, who filed his lawsuit using an alias, have sought to release what they said are "276 documents" that have been "designated as 'confidential' by the Saints."
The accuser's lawyers, in a footnote to their filing this week, also said they intend "to take a corporate representative deposition of the Saints, as well as a fact deposition of [redacted name] and [Saints spokesman Greg] Bensel, to fully determine the nature of the relationship and the extent of its assistance."
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans declined to comment.
The Saints, in a prepared statement, said, "The New Orleans Saints organization has always had a very strong relationship with the Archdiocese."
"The Archdiocese reached out to a number of community and civic minded leaders seeking counsel on handling the pending media attention that would come with the release of the clergy names in November of 2018," the team said.
"Greg Bensel, Senior Vice President of Communications for the New Orleans Saints, was contacted and offered input on how to work with the media."
The statement went on to say:


cnbc--2020-01-26--Sanders leads New Hampshire Democratic primary with less than three weeks to go, NBC News/Marist pol

Sanders leads New Hampshire Democratic primary with less than three weeks to go, NBC News/Marist poll finds

Democratic presidential candidate , Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) , speaks during his event at Nashua Community College on December 13 , 2019 in Nashua , New Hampshire .
Bernie Sanders holds an edge in the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic primary as the key presidential nominating contest nears , according to an NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday .
The Vermont senator garners the support of 22 % of likely Democratic primary voters in the Granite State , the survey found .
Former South Bend , Ind .
Mayor Pete Buttigieg trails at 17 % .
Former Vice President Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. , follow at 15 % , 13 % and 10 % , respectively .
No either candidate in the dozen-person field polled in double digits .
Among likely primary voters , 56 % said they strongly support their chosen candidate , while 28 % answered that they somewhat support them .
Another 15 % responded that they could vote differently .
The poll shows Sanders leading in New Hampshire a little over a week before primary nominating contests kick off in Iowa .
The Feb. 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Feb. 3 caucuses in Iowa .
Neither state boasts a huge delegate haul for Democratic candidates .
They both have populations less diverse than key states that will vote after them : Nevada , South Carolina , California and Texas , among others .
Still , strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire can bring a boon in both money and media attention that can vault candidates to later success .
Results from the Hawkeye State could still affect the outcome in New Hampshire .
After the final rush in Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention to New Hampshire .
The 2020 contenders will get a major platform through the next presidential debate in Manchester , New Hampshire on Feb. 7 .
Sanders , one of two Democrats who hail from a state that borders New Hampshire , has previously enjoyed success there .
In the state 's 2016 Democratic presidential primary , he defeated Hillary Clinton by more than 20 percentage points .
Asked what is most important when selecting a presidential nominee , 49 % of likely 2020 New Hampshire Democratic primary voters said a candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump , while 42 % responded the one who comes closest to their views on issues .
Biden has campaigned explicitly on his ability to beat Trump , while others such as Sanders and Warren have run promising massive political and economic overhauls .
In New Hampshire at least , all of the leading Democrats appear to have a good shot at beating Trump in November .
The president only narrowly lost the state to Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
Buttigieg leads Trump by 10 percentage points — 51 % to 41 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hypothetical New Hampshire matchup with Trump .
Biden and Sanders both hold 8 percentage point advantages .
Warren has a 4 percentage point lead over the president .
The margin of error for likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire is plus-or-minus 4.5 percentage points .
The margin of error for registered voters in New Hampshire is plus-or-minus 2.6 percentage points .

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), speaks during his event at Nashua Community College on December 13, 2019 in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Bernie Sanders holds an edge in the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic primary as the key presidential nominating contest nears, according to an NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday.
The Vermont senator garners the support of 22% of likely Democratic primary voters in the Granite State, the survey found. Former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg trails at 17%.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., follow at 15%, 13% and 10%, respectively. No either candidate in the dozen-person field polled in double digits.
Among likely primary voters, 56% said they strongly support their chosen candidate, while 28% answered that they somewhat support them. Another 15% responded that they could vote differently.
The poll shows Sanders leading in New Hampshire a little over a week before primary nominating contests kick off in Iowa. The Feb. 11 primary in the Granite State will follow the Feb. 3 caucuses in Iowa.
Neither state boasts a huge delegate haul for Democratic candidates. They both have populations less diverse than key states that will vote after them: Nevada, South Carolina, California and Texas, among others.
Still, strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire can bring a boon in both money and media attention that can vault candidates to later success. Results from the Hawkeye State could still affect the outcome in New Hampshire.
After the final rush in Iowa, many White House hopefuls will turn their attention to New Hampshire. The 2020 contenders will get a major platform through the next presidential debate in Manchester, New Hampshire on Feb. 7.
Sanders, one of two Democrats who hail from a state that borders New Hampshire, has previously enjoyed success there. In the state's 2016 Democratic presidential primary, he defeated Hillary Clinton by more than 20 percentage points.
Asked what is most important when selecting a presidential nominee, 49% of likely 2020 New Hampshire Democratic primary voters said a candidate with the best chance to defeat President Donald Trump, while 42% responded the one who comes closest to their views on issues. Biden has campaigned explicitly on his ability to beat Trump, while others such as Sanders and Warren have run promising massive political and economic overhauls.
In New Hampshire at least, all of the leading Democrats appear to have a good shot at beating Trump in November. The president only narrowly lost the state to Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Buttigieg leads Trump by 10 percentage points — 51% to 41% among registered voters — in a hypothetical New Hampshire matchup with Trump. Biden and Sanders both hold 8 percentage point advantages. Warren has a 4 percentage point lead over the president.
The margin of error for likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire is plus-or-minus 4.5 percentage points.
The margin of error for registered voters in New Hampshire is plus-or-minus 2.6 percentage points.
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.


cnbc--2020-01-25--Trump impeachment trial: White House team argues Democrats want to remove president from 2020 ballot

President Donald Trump boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House , in Washington , D.C. , United States on January 23 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump 's legal team defended the president in a brief two hour session on Saturday , after House impeachment managers spent three days arguing why Trump should be removed from office on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
The defense , led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow , follows arguments by House managers that Trump wanted Ukraine President Volodymyr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and his son Hunter in order to help his reelection .
Trump was impeached in the House of the Representatives last month , becoming just the third American president to be formally charged under the Constitution 's ultimate remedy for high crimes and misdemeanors .
He is accused of abusing power by pressuring a foreign nation to interfere in the 2020 election by freezing foreign aid , and obstructing Congress during its investigation by calling for the White House to block subpoenas for witness testimony .
Cipollone started off the defense by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine 's president , arguing that Trump discussed `` burden sharing '' with European countries .
Trump 's defenders have claimed the president was trying to push European allies to contribute more when he froze security assistance to Ukraine .
He also argued that House managers are asking senators to remove Trump from the presidential election ballot .
`` They 're asking you to remove President Trump from the ballot in an election that 's occurring in approximately nine months , they 're asking you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country on your own initiative — take that decision away from the American people , '' Cipollone said .
Sekulow argued Trump had no reason to trust the intelligence community .
He held up part one of the report on Russian election interference by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III , and said that $ 32 million in taxpayer dollars , 2,800 subpoenas and 500 search warrants were required to conclude that Trump did not conspire with Russians in the 2016 election .
However , Sekulow failed to mention the second part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were 10 instances where the president could have obstructed justice .
Under trial rules , the House impeachment managers had 24 hours over three days to make their arguments against Trump .
Trump 's attorneys were given the same amount of time to make their case for acquittal .
The president 's defense will continue on Monday .
Senators will then have 16 cumulative hours to ask questions of the House managers and the defense team in writing , after which the Senate will vote on whether to provide documents and witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers have wanted .
It 's unclear if the president 's lawyers will use the entirety of the 24 cumulative hours at their disposal to make their case .
Trump on Saturday lashed out at impeachment lead manager Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) , and encouraged his followers to tune into the impeachment trial .
The president has also complained that his legal defense team 's case was scheduled on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Death Valley in T.V . ''

President Donald Trump boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, D.C., United States on January 23, 2020.
President Donald Trump's legal team defended the president in a brief two hour session on Saturday, after House impeachment managers spent three days arguing why Trump should be removed from office on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The defense, led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow, follows arguments by House managers that Trump wanted Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in order to help his reelection.
Trump was impeached in the House of the Representatives last month, becoming just the third American president to be formally charged under the Constitution's ultimate remedy for high crimes and misdemeanors.
He is accused of abusing power by pressuring a foreign nation to interfere in the 2020 election by freezing foreign aid, and obstructing Congress during its investigation by calling for the White House to block subpoenas for witness testimony.
Cipollone started off the defense by reading parts of the reconstructed transcript of the July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine's president, arguing that Trump discussed "burden sharing" with European countries. Trump's defenders have claimed the president was trying to push European allies to contribute more when he froze security assistance to Ukraine.
He also argued that House managers are asking senators to remove Trump from the presidential election ballot.
"They're asking you to remove President Trump from the ballot in an election that's occurring in approximately nine months, they're asking you to tear up all of the ballots across the country on your own initiative — take that decision away from the American people," Cipollone said.
Sekulow argued Trump had no reason to trust the intelligence community. He held up part one of the report on Russian election interference by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, and said that $32 million in taxpayer dollars, 2,800 subpoenas and 500 search warrants were required to conclude that Trump did not conspire with Russians in the 2016 election.
However, Sekulow failed to mention the second part of the report, which concludes that there were 10 instances where the president could have obstructed justice.
Under trial rules, the House impeachment managers had 24 hours over three days to make their arguments against Trump. Trump's attorneys were given the same amount of time to make their case for acquittal. The president's defense will continue on Monday.
Senators will then have 16 cumulative hours to ask questions of the House managers and the defense team in writing, after which the Senate will vote on whether to provide documents and witnesses in the trial that Republican and Democratic lawmakers have wanted.
It's unclear if the president's lawyers will use the entirety of the 24 cumulative hours at their disposal to make their case.
Trump on Saturday lashed out at impeachment lead manager Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and encouraged his followers to tune into the impeachment trial.
TWEET
The president has also complained that his legal defense team's case was scheduled on a Saturday, which he said is called "Death Valley in T.V."


cnbc--2020-01-26--Pompeo doesn't deny he cursed out NPR reporter, condemns 'unhinged' media

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday continued his attacks on an NPR reporter who reported that he cursed and shouted at her after she questioned him about the Trump administration 's firing of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine .
Pompeo accused reporter Mary Louise Kelly of lying , but did not deny her account of what happened .
`` NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me , twice , '' Pompeo asserted , without evidence .
`` First , last month , in setting up our interview and , then again yesterday , in agreeing to have our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency .
This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President Trump and this Administration .
It is no wonder that the American people distrust many in the media when they so consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity , '' he added .
Pompeo cut off their recorded interview when Kelly pressed him repeatedly on why he has not defended former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she was taken to Pompeo 's private living room , where he shouted and cursed at her and challenged her to find Ukraine on a map .
`` He asked , 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine ? '
He used the F-word in that sentence and many others , '' Kelly told `` All Things Considered '' co-host Ari Shapiro on Friday .
`` He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map .
I said yes , and he called out for aides to bring us a map @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I pointed to Ukraine .
He put the map away , '' she said .
`` He said , 'People will hear about this . '
'' Kelly said that an aide never asked that the meeting with Pompeo be held off the record — nor would she agree to that .
She also said she told the State Department afterwards that she was going to report what happened , but did not hear back .
Pompeo ended his statement by saying , `` It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously covered national security for NPR and has a masters in European Studies from Cambridge University , identified Bangladesh on the map instead of Ukraine .
Members of the media quickly came to Kelly 's defense following Pompeo 's accusations .
`` Pompeo 's official response [ to Kelly ] does n't deny her account of his bullying & cursing , '' wrote New York Times diplomatic correspondent Edward Wong .
`` This is an attack on news organizations from the top US diplomat , someone who is supposed to defend press freedoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an audience of one — Trump . ''
`` Pompeo also undermines his credibility on the facts of the episode in the statement , '' Wong wrote .
`` There is little chance [ Kelly ] , a Cambridge-educated expert on Europe , would have pointed to Bangladesh if he asked her to identify Ukraine on an unlabeled map . ''
Nancy Barnes , NPR 's senior vice president of news , said on Saturday that Kelly `` has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity , and we stand behind this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not immediately respond to CNBC 's request for comment .

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday continued his attacks on an NPR reporter who reported that he cursed and shouted at her after she questioned him about the Trump administration's firing of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
Pompeo accused reporter Mary Louise Kelly of lying, but did not deny her account of what happened.
"NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me, twice," Pompeo asserted, without evidence. "First, last month, in setting up our interview and, then again yesterday, in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record."
"It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency. This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President Trump and this Administration. It is no wonder that the American people distrust many in the media when they so consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity," he added.
Pompeo cut off their recorded interview when Kelly pressed him repeatedly on why he has not defended former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. After the interview, Kelly said that she was taken to Pompeo's private living room, where he shouted and cursed at her and challenged her to find Ukraine on a map.
"He asked, 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?' He used the F-word in that sentence and many others," Kelly told "All Things Considered" co-host Ari Shapiro on Friday.
"He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map. I said yes, and he called out for aides to bring us a map of the world with no writing. I pointed to Ukraine. He put the map away," she said. "He said, 'People will hear about this.'"
Kelly said that an aide never asked that the meeting with Pompeo be held off the record — nor would she agree to that. She also said she told the State Department afterwards that she was going to report what happened, but did not hear back.
TWEET
Pompeo ended his statement by saying, "It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine," implying that Kelly, who previously covered national security for NPR and has a masters in European Studies from Cambridge University, identified Bangladesh on the map instead of Ukraine.
Members of the media quickly came to Kelly's defense following Pompeo's accusations.
"Pompeo's official response [to Kelly] doesn't deny her account of his bullying & cursing," wrote New York Times diplomatic correspondent Edward Wong. "This is an attack on news organizations from the top US diplomat, someone who is supposed to defend press freedoms. It's obvious he's playing to an audience of one — Trump."
"Pompeo also undermines his credibility on the facts of the episode in the statement," Wong wrote. "There is little chance [Kelly], a Cambridge-educated expert on Europe, would have pointed to Bangladesh if he asked her to identify Ukraine on an unlabeled map."
TWEET
TWEET
TWEET
Nancy Barnes, NPR's senior vice president of news, said on Saturday that Kelly "has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity, and we stand behind this report."
The State Department did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.


cnbc--2020-01-27--Hunter Biden agrees to pay child support to Arkansas woman, avoids contempt hearing

World Food Program USA Board Chairman Hunter Biden speaks at the World Food Program USA 's Annual McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony at Organization of American States on April 12 , 2016 in Washington , DC .
Hunter Biden , the son of leading Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden , has agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of monthly child support to an Arkansas woman who bore him a baby out of wedlock , avoiding a hearing Wednesday that put him at risk of being held in contempt of court .
The support is retroactive to November 2018 , three months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexis Roberts , according to a judge 's order filed Monday in Independence County Court , Arkansas .
And Biden must pay Roberts , 28 , an undisclosed amount for her attorneys ' fees and costs , according to the order .
The amount of child support that Biden must pay could increase — or decrease — in the future , Judge Holly Meyer noted in her order .
Meyer wrote that she currently lacks sufficient information about Biden 's income to determine a permanent amount of support .
The order came two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appear in court for a hearing on whether he should be found in contempt for failing to disclose financial information to Roberts as ordered by a judge .
Meyer , in her order Monday , postponed that hearing until March 13 .
But if Biden produces the required financial information by March 1 , then the motion for contempt filed by Roberts will be dismissed .
Biden , who is a lawyer , originally denied having sex with Roberts .
But a DNA showed that the child was almost certainly his , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
Clint Lancaster , an attorney for Roberts , declined CNBC 's request for additional comment on the court filing .
Biden 's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment .

World Food Program USA Board Chairman Hunter Biden speaks at the World Food Program USA's Annual McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony at Organization of American States on April 12, 2016 in Washington, DC.
Hunter Biden, the son of leading Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden, has agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of monthly child support to an Arkansas woman who bore him a baby out of wedlock, avoiding a hearing Wednesday that put him at risk of being held in contempt of court.
The support is retroactive to November 2018, three months after the child was born to Lunden Alexis Roberts, according to a judge's order filed Monday in Independence County Court, Arkansas.
And Biden must pay Roberts, 28, an undisclosed amount for her attorneys' fees and costs, according to the order.
The amount of child support that Biden must pay could increase — or decrease — in the future, Judge Holly Meyer noted in her order.
Meyer wrote that she currently lacks sufficient information about Biden's income to determine a permanent amount of support.
The order came two days before the 49-year-old Biden was due to appear in court for a hearing on whether he should be found in contempt for failing to disclose financial information to Roberts as ordered by a judge.
Meyer, in her order Monday, postponed that hearing until March 13.
But if Biden produces the required financial information by March 1, then the motion for contempt filed by Roberts will be dismissed.
Biden, who is a lawyer, originally denied having sex with Roberts.
But a DNA showed that the child was almost certainly his, and he stopped contesting paternity in the case.
Clint Lancaster, an attorney for Roberts, declined CNBC's request for additional comment on the court filing.
Biden's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.


cnbc--2020-01-27--Federal Trade Commission, New York Attorney General seek lifetime ban for 'Pharma bro' Martin Shkrel

Federal Trade Commission, New York Attorney General seek lifetime ban for 'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli for 'illegally monopolizing' drug

Ex-pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli arrives at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in June , 2017 .
The Federal Trade Commission and New York 's attorney general on Monday sued incarcerated `` pharma bro '' Martin Shkreli and his firm Vyera Pharmaceuticals for allegedly `` illegally monopolizing '' the anti-parasite medication Daraprim — costing patients and other purchasers to pay tens of millions of dollars more each year than they otherwise would .
The Manhattan federal court lawsuit — which seeks a lifetime ban of Shkreli from the pharmaceutical industry — comes almost five years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rights to sell Daraprim , and increasing its price to $ 750 per tablet , an increase of more than 5,000 percent .
The suit alleges that as recently as last August — while in prison serving a current seven-criminal sentence — Shkreli had discussions with Vyera executives taking illegal steps to thwart competitors from coming to market with an alternative to Daraprim , a decades-old drug which has no patent protection .
Daraprim is used to treat the condition known as toxoplasmosis , which is found in pregnant women , babies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a lifesaving drug for vulnerable patients , '' said Gail Levine , Deputy Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission .
`` Vyera kept the price of Daraprim astronomically high by illegally boxing out the competition . ''
Shkreli due to be released in September 2023 from his sentence for financial crimes that occurred before he launched Vyera , the Manhattan-based firm that originally was known as Turing Pharmaceuticals .
The suit also names as a defendant Phoenixus AG , a privately held Swiss corporation that wholly owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Kevin Mulleady , a friend of Shkreli 's who is an officer and director of Phoenixus , and a former Vyera executive.The suit seeks a lifetime pharmaceuticals industry ban for Mulleady as well .
And the suit the suit seeks to enjoin Vyera 's conduct , and obtain monetary relief from the alleged victims of the company 's conduct .
The lawsuit claims that Shkreli 's company took illegal actions to prevent competitors from entering the market with competing medications after its massive price hike of Daraprim in 2015 .

Ex-pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli arrives at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in June, 2017.
The Federal Trade Commission and New York's attorney general on Monday sued incarcerated "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli and his firm Vyera Pharmaceuticals for allegedly "illegally monopolizing" the anti-parasite medication Daraprim — costing patients and other purchasers to pay tens of millions of dollars more each year than they otherwise would.
The Manhattan federal court lawsuit — which seeks a lifetime ban of Shkreli from the pharmaceutical industry — comes almost five years after he gained widespread infamy by purchasing the rights to sell Daraprim, and increasing its price to $750 per tablet, an increase of more than 5,000 percent.
The suit alleges that as recently as last August — while in prison serving a current seven-criminal sentence — Shkreli had discussions with Vyera executives taking illegal steps to thwart competitors from coming to market with an alternative to Daraprim, a decades-old drug which has no patent protection.
Daraprim is used to treat the condition known as toxoplasmosis, which is found in pregnant women, babies and people with HIV.
"Daraprim is a lifesaving drug for vulnerable patients," said Gail Levine, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission.
"Vyera kept the price of Daraprim astronomically high by illegally boxing out the competition."
Shkreli due to be released in September 2023 from his sentence for financial crimes that occurred before he launched Vyera, the Manhattan-based firm that originally was known as Turing Pharmaceuticals. The suit also names as a defendant Phoenixus AG, a privately held Swiss corporation that wholly owns Vyera.
Also named as a defendant is Kevin Mulleady, a friend of Shkreli's who is an officer and director of Phoenixus, and a former Vyera executive.The suit seeks a lifetime pharmaceuticals industry ban for Mulleady as well.
And the suit the suit seeks to enjoin Vyera's conduct, and obtain monetary relief from the alleged victims of the company's conduct.
The lawsuit claims that Shkreli's company took illegal actions to prevent competitors from entering the market with competing medications after its massive price hike of Daraprim in 2015.


cnbc--2020-01-27--Climate change is threatening sports stadiums and arenas, and teams like the Yankees and Dolphins ar

Climate change is threatening sports stadiums and arenas, and teams like the Yankees and Dolphins are battling back

Miami 's Hard Rock Stadium will host about 65,000 fans on Super Bowl Sunday .
While the biggest battle in football will last just one evening , the fight that stadium faces from the effects of climate change will go on indefinitely .
It is not alone .
Teams and stadiums across country are dealing with flooding , extreme storms , excessive heat and smoke from wildfires .
`` The last three years in September , we 've had climate issues , whether they 're hurricane threats .
We had to actually move a game , '' said Tom Garfinkel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team .
`` We 've had lightning strikes that we 've never had in 30 years here , where we had to delay a game .
It was the longest game in the history of the NFL . ''
The Dolphins paid $ 500 million to renovate the open-air stadium , just in time for Hurricane Irma in 2017 .
Then in 2018 , a random rainfall caused the field to flood during a college game at the stadium .
And that 's just one stadium .
In Florida , the sports industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the state economy annually , according to a 2017 survey by the Florida Sports Foundation .
It is home to 10 professional sports teams , 26 minor league teams and 60 college sports programs .
American Airlines Arena , where the Miami Heat basketball franchise plays , sits right on the edge of Miami 's Biscayne Bay .
`` The Arena will begin to flood with only two feet of sea level rise .
I 'm talking 20 years or less , '' said Henry Briceno , a professor at Florida International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change on water .
He expects a similar fate for the Hard Rock Stadium at a three feet rise , and said he was appalled to hear that a Major League Soccer expansion team , backed by soccer icon David Beckham , is proposing a new stadium be built near the Miami airport .
`` I do n't know if those guys know that they are building in the future Atlantis , '' said Briceno .
The risks extend far beyond Florida .
In San Diego , the Padres ' Petco Park flooded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's football stadium was overwhelmed last June , when record rainfall turned it into a massive swimming pool .
At Davenport , Iowa 's minor league stadium — Modern Woodmen Park — overflowing rivers last May turned it from a field of dreams into an island .

Miami's Hard Rock Stadium will host about 65,000 fans on Super Bowl Sunday. While the biggest battle in football will last just one evening, the fight that stadium faces from the effects of climate change will go on indefinitely.
It is not alone. Teams and stadiums across country are dealing with flooding, extreme storms, excessive heat and smoke from wildfires.
"The last three years in September, we've had climate issues, whether they're hurricane threats. We had to actually move a game," said Tom Garfinkel, CEO of the Miami Dolphins football team. "We've had lightning strikes that we've never had in 30 years here, where we had to delay a game. It was the longest game in the history of the NFL."
The Dolphins paid $500 million to renovate the open-air stadium, just in time for Hurricane Irma in 2017. Then in 2018, a random rainfall caused the field to flood during a college game at the stadium.
And that's just one stadium. In Florida, the sports industry contributes $57.4 billion and 580,000 jobs to the state economy annually, according to a 2017 survey by the Florida Sports Foundation. It is home to 10 professional sports teams, 26 minor league teams and 60 college sports programs.
American Airlines Arena, where the Miami Heat basketball franchise plays, sits right on the edge of Miami's Biscayne Bay.
"The Arena will begin to flood with only two feet of sea level rise. I'm talking 20 years or less," said Henry Briceno, a professor at Florida International University who studies the impact of climate change on water. He expects a similar fate for the Hard Rock Stadium at a three feet rise, and said he was appalled to hear that a Major League Soccer expansion team, backed by soccer icon David Beckham, is proposing a new stadium be built near the Miami airport.
"I don't know if those guys know that they are building in the future Atlantis," said Briceno.
The risks extend far beyond Florida. In San Diego, the Padres' Petco Park flooded in 2017, while Western Michigan University's football stadium was overwhelmed last June, when record rainfall turned it into a massive swimming pool. At Davenport, Iowa's minor league stadium — Modern Woodmen Park — overflowing rivers last May turned it from a field of dreams into an island.


cnbc--2020-01-27--Supreme Court allows Trump's 'public charge' immigration rule to take effect

Neil Gorsuch , associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court , left , and Brett Kavanaugh , associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court , attend the U.S. President Donald Trump 's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , D.C. , U.S. , on Tuesday , Feb. 5 , 2019 .
The Supreme Court said Monday that it will allow the Trump administration 's `` public charge '' rule to take effect after the immigration policy had been blocked by lower courts .
The 5-4 vote was divided along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four Democratic appointees indicating that they would not have allowed the policy to be enforced .
The court 's five conservatives , including Chief Justice John Roberts , formed the majority siding with the administration .
The decision came as Roberts was presiding over President Donald Trump 's impeachment trial in the Senate .
The rule , which was proposed in August , will make it more difficult for immigrants to obtain permanent residency , or green cards , if they have used or are likely to use public benefits like food stamps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a more narrow universe of public benefits , such as cash assistance and long-term hospitalization , were considered in determining whether an immigrant was likely to become a `` public charge . ''
Civil rights groups criticized the rule , arguing that it would penalize poor immigrants and disproportionately affect non-white immigrants .

Neil Gorsuch, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, left, and Brett Kavanaugh, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, attend the U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019.
The Supreme Court said Monday that it will allow the Trump administration's "public charge" rule to take effect after the immigration policy had been blocked by lower courts.
The 5-4 vote was divided along partisan lines, with the court's four Democratic appointees indicating that they would not have allowed the policy to be enforced.
The court's five conservatives, including Chief Justice John Roberts, formed the majority siding with the administration. The decision came as Roberts was presiding over President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate.
The rule, which was proposed in August, will make it more difficult for immigrants to obtain permanent residency, or green cards, if they have used or are likely to use public benefits like food stamps and Medicaid.
Under previous federal rules, a more narrow universe of public benefits, such as cash assistance and long-term hospitalization, were considered in determining whether an immigrant was likely to become a "public charge."
Civil rights groups criticized the rule, arguing that it would penalize poor immigrants and disproportionately affect non-white immigrants.


cnbc--2020-01-27--The stock market is starting to worry about Bernie Sanders

2020 Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) speaks during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on March 9 , 2019 in Des Moines , Iowa .
Once panned by Wall Street as a socialist with `` crazy '' ideas , Sen. Bernie Sanders is finally commanding attention from investors .
And they do n't like what they see .
Shares of the nation 's leading health insurance companies sank Monday after a handful of new polling data showed the Vermont Independent had eclipsed longtime front-runner Joe Biden among Iowans one week before the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , UnitedHealth and Cigna all fell at least 2 % in early trading .
Molina Healthcare , an $ 8 billion health insurance company based in Long Beach , California , dropped 3.1 % .
`` There was a battle between Sanders and Warren on who would be the progressive candidate .
And Sanders appears to have won that battle , '' said Thomas Block of Fundstrat Global Advisors .
But `` people I 've talked to continue to not take Bernie that seriously . ''
`` A big win in Iowa could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An Iowa victory could trigger what Wall Street `` Bond King '' Jeffrey Gundlach labeled a Sanders `` scare , '' warning investors earlier this month that the biggest risk to the markets in 2020 is the Vermont senator becoming `` more believed in as a real force '' that investors would have to take more seriously .
`` Bernie is stronger than people think , '' the DoubleLine CEO said on Jan. 7 .
`` I think it will be taken more seriously as the field winnows .
The financial markets broadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there could be a scare that Bernie Sanders is starting to become a plausible candidate for the nomination . ''
To anyone who 's opened a newspaper in the past 12 months , the fact that health-care stocks would fall whenever Sanders sees his support rise may not seem revolutionary .
His avowed opposition to private-sector health care — and what he views as excessive profiteering in general — is n't new .
The blue line is Sanders ' odds to win the Democratic nomination via PredictIt.org .
The red line is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vs. the S & P 500 ( relative performance of health-care stocks ) .
`` If we are going to break the stranglehold of corporate interests over the health care needs of the American people , we have got to confront a Washington culture that has let this go on for far too long , '' Sanders said in July .
`` That is why I am calling on every Democratic candidate in this election to join us in rejecting money from the insurance and drug industries . ''
His yearslong crusade against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicare for All '' was a central pillar of his 2016 campaign as well .
What has changed , however , is the way Wall Street is viewing his odds .
The results of a New York Times/Siena College poll released over the weekend showed his support among Iowa voters swelled by 6 points since their last survey in late October , putting Sanders well above rivals such as fellow progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Biden .
Meanwhile , online betting market PredictIt shows Sanders ' odds of clinching the Democratic nomination at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No .
2 Biden .
Nate Silver 's FiveThirtyEight puts Biden 's odds of winning the nomination at 2 in 5 ( 42 % ) and Sanders ' at 3 in 10 ( 28 % ) .
But even that represents a big bounce for Sanders , who earlier this month saw his odds on FiveThirtyEight at less than 20 % .
Investors have for nearly two full election cycles dismissed the self-described democratic socialist as little more than a progressive to pull otherwise centrist Democrats further to the left .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the consequences of income inequality than an actual threat for the White House .
The flurry of polling headlines appeared to be enough to convince traders that they should start to account for his chances , however remote .
That can explain two important developments : Why Sanders ' proposals to overhaul the American health-care system have n't fazed Wall Street until now and why health-care stocks rallied during the last three months of 2019 as Warren 's support waned .

2020 Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on March 9, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Once panned by Wall Street as a socialist with "crazy" ideas, Sen. Bernie Sanders is finally commanding attention from investors.
And they don't like what they see.
Shares of the nation's leading health insurance companies sank Monday after a handful of new polling data showed the Vermont Independent had eclipsed longtime front-runner Joe Biden among Iowans one week before the state's key Democratic caucuses.
Stocks including Anthem , UnitedHealth and Cigna all fell at least 2% in early trading. Molina Healthcare , an $8 billion health insurance company based in Long Beach, California, dropped 3.1%.
"There was a battle between Sanders and Warren on who would be the progressive candidate. And Sanders appears to have won that battle," said Thomas Block of Fundstrat Global Advisors. But "people I've talked to continue to not take Bernie that seriously."
"A big win in Iowa could change that," Block added.
An Iowa victory could trigger what Wall Street "Bond King" Jeffrey Gundlach labeled a Sanders "scare," warning investors earlier this month that the biggest risk to the markets in 2020 is the Vermont senator becoming "more believed in as a real force" that investors would have to take more seriously.
"Bernie is stronger than people think," the DoubleLine CEO said on Jan. 7. "I think it will be taken more seriously as the field winnows. The financial markets broadly will have to deal with the fact that there could be a scare that Bernie Sanders is starting to become a plausible candidate for the nomination."
To anyone who's opened a newspaper in the past 12 months, the fact that health-care stocks would fall whenever Sanders sees his support rise may not seem revolutionary. His avowed opposition to private-sector health care — and what he views as excessive profiteering in general — isn't new.
Sanders election odds vs. health-care stocks
The blue line is Sanders' odds to win the Democratic nomination via PredictIt.org. The red line is the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF vs. the S&P 500 (relative performance of health-care stocks).
Source: Jefferies analyst Jared Holz
"If we are going to break the stranglehold of corporate interests over the health care needs of the American people, we have got to confront a Washington culture that has let this go on for far too long," Sanders said in July. "That is why I am calling on every Democratic candidate in this election to join us in rejecting money from the insurance and drug industries."
His yearslong crusade against private health insurance and support for "Medicare for All" was a central pillar of his 2016 campaign as well.
Sanders tweet
What has changed, however, is the way Wall Street is viewing his odds.
The results of a New York Times/Siena College poll released over the weekend showed his support among Iowa voters swelled by 6 points since their last survey in late October, putting Sanders well above rivals such as fellow progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Biden.
Meanwhile, online betting market PredictIt shows Sanders' odds of clinching the Democratic nomination at 40%, 6 percentage points above No. 2 Biden.
Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight puts Biden's odds of winning the nomination at 2 in 5 (42%) and Sanders' at 3 in 10 (28%). But even that represents a big bounce for Sanders, who earlier this month saw his odds on FiveThirtyEight at less than 20%.
Investors have for nearly two full election cycles dismissed the self-described democratic socialist as little more than a progressive to pull otherwise centrist Democrats further to the left. He was more an interesting thought experiment and testament to the consequences of income inequality than an actual threat for the White House.
The flurry of polling headlines appeared to be enough to convince traders that they should start to account for his chances, however remote.
That can explain two important developments: Why Sanders' proposals to overhaul the American health-care system haven't fazed Wall Street until now and why health-care stocks rallied during the last three months of 2019 as Warren's support waned.


cnbc--2020-01-27--Marianne Williamson sells $149 tickets for 'love and power' seminar to pay off presidential campaign

Marianne Williamson sells $149 tickets for 'love and power' seminar to pay off presidential campaign debt

Marianne Williamson talks a lot about love , but right now , she 's all about the money .
The author and spiritual leader has been soliciting donations to pay off her campaign debt since dropping out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary earlier this month .
Supporters received an email from Williamson on Jan. 27 inviting them to participate in a `` love and power '' seminar to raise money for campaign debt relief .
Tickets are going for $ 149 , and livestream access is $ 79 .
The web page calls the event `` An All Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inside Out . ''
Williamson will host the live event in Pasadena , California , on Saturday , Feb. 15 .
Williamson dropped out of the presidential primary race on Jan. 10 , just days after she fired her entire campaign staff due to insufficient funds .
She vowed to stay in the race at the time , saying , `` A campaign not having a huge war chest should not be what determines its fate . ''
Williamson did not reply to a request for comment from CNBC on the size of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email to supporters on Jan. 14 , Williamson included a note at the bottom saying that all funds collected on her website would go toward the Committee for Campaign Debt Retirement .
The note , when clicked , leads to a web page for donors .
`` I very much appreciate your generosity , both in supporting the campaign and in helping me to retire the debt that is left , '' Williamson wrote on the page .
Williamson formed an exploratory committee in late 2018 and officially announced a bid for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sept. 30 of last year , the last day of the third quarter , her campaign reported $ 6.1 million , a sum that pales compared with what some Democratic contenders have raised in a single quarter .
The Federal Election Commission specifies that a candidate may continue to collect funds after suspending their campaign to repay debt .
Candidates who suspend their campaigns are no longer in the running for a seat , but a campaign is officially over only when its committee pays off its debt , former FEC head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street Journal .
There 's no difference between a campaign saying a candidate is `` quitting '' and `` suspending '' their campaign , but candidates may use the latter to continue inviting potential donors who can help repay debt , Gross said .
`` It is harder to raise money when you 're out rather than thinking about getting out , '' he said .

Marianne Williamson talks a lot about love, but right now, she's all about the money.
The author and spiritual leader has been soliciting donations to pay off her campaign debt since dropping out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary earlier this month.
Supporters received an email from Williamson on Jan. 27 inviting them to participate in a "love and power" seminar to raise money for campaign debt relief.
Tickets are going for $149, and livestream access is $79.
The web page calls the event "An All Day Seminar on Transforming the World from the Inside Out." Williamson will host the live event in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, Feb. 15.
Williamson dropped out of the presidential primary race on Jan. 10, just days after she fired her entire campaign staff due to insufficient funds. She vowed to stay in the race at the time, saying, "A campaign not having a huge war chest should not be what determines its fate."
Williamson did not reply to a request for comment from CNBC on the size of her campaign debt.
In a separate email to supporters on Jan. 14, Williamson included a note at the bottom saying that all funds collected on her website would go toward the Committee for Campaign Debt Retirement. The note, when clicked, leads to a web page for donors.
"I very much appreciate your generosity, both in supporting the campaign and in helping me to retire the debt that is left," Williamson wrote on the page.
Williamson formed an exploratory committee in late 2018 and officially announced a bid for president in January 2019. Between November 2018 and Sept. 30 of last year, the last day of the third quarter, her campaign reported $6.1 million, a sum that pales compared with what some Democratic contenders have raised in a single quarter.
The Federal Election Commission specifies that a candidate may continue to collect funds after suspending their campaign to repay debt.
Candidates who suspend their campaigns are no longer in the running for a seat, but a campaign is officially over only when its committee pays off its debt, former FEC head of enforcement Kenneth Gross told The Wall Street Journal.
There's no difference between a campaign saying a candidate is "quitting" and "suspending" their campaign, but candidates may use the latter to continue inviting potential donors who can help repay debt, Gross said.
"It is harder to raise money when you're out rather than thinking about getting out," he said.


cnbc--2020-01-27--Prince Andrew has given 'zero cooperation' in Jeffrey Epstein sex crime investigation, federal prose

Prince Andrew has given 'zero cooperation' in Jeffrey Epstein sex crime investigation, federal prosecutors say

Prince Andrew The Duke of York arrives at the Headquarters of CrossRail in Canary Wharf on March 7 , 2011 in London , England .
Britain 's embattled Prince Andrew has given `` zero cooperation '' to federal authorities with their ongoing investigation of people who enabled the crimes of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , his former friend , a top prosecutor said Monday .
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said that Andrew , a son of Queen Elizabeth II , has not followed through on a public offer he made in November to help investigators with probes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters outside of Epstein 's luxurious townhouse on Manhattan 's Upper East Side , the site of many of his alleged misdeeds .
Berman previously has said that his office is investigating possible co-conspirators of Epstein , who killed himself in August in jail while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges .
`` To date Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation , '' Berman said .
`` Jeffrey Epstein could n't have done what he did without the assistance of others , and I can assure you that the investigation is moving @ @ @ @ @ @

Prince Andrew The Duke of York arrives at the Headquarters of CrossRail in Canary Wharf on March 7, 2011 in London, England.
Britain's embattled Prince Andrew has given "zero cooperation" to federal authorities with their ongoing investigation of people who enabled the crimes of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his former friend, a top prosecutor said Monday.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said that Andrew, a son of Queen Elizabeth II, has not followed through on a public offer he made in November to help investigators with probes of the wealthy Epstein.
Berman spoke to reporters outside of Epstein's luxurious townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the site of many of his alleged misdeeds.
Berman previously has said that his office is investigating possible co-conspirators of Epstein, who killed himself in August in jail while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges.
"To date Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation," Berman said.
"Jeffrey Epstein couldn't have done what he did without the assistance of others, and I can assure you that the investigation is moving forward," he said.


cnbc--2020-01-27--US Air Force plane crashes in central Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — A plane that crashed in Afghanistan 's central Ghazni province on Monday , reportedly killing everyone on board , has been confirmed as belonging to the U.S. Air Force .
The chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force , Gen. Dave Goldfein , confirmed to CNBC that the plane is a U.S. Air Force E-11 military airplane , built by Bombardier .
The plane crashed in territory currently under Taliban control .
He was unable to confirm whether the aircraft was targeted by hostile fire , nor could he confirm details about potential casualties .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crew , '' Goldfein said .
`` Here 's another thing I 'll share with you , every time I 've been through this , which , unfortunately , has been a number of times , the first reports are always wrong , always wrong .
So we have to make sure that we have the facts right and as soon as we have those facts I promise you we will get them to you , '' he added .
Speaking to reporters during a Pentagon press briefing , Secretary of Defense Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware of the situation '' and that he had `` nothing further to report at this time . ''
U.S .
Forces Afghanistan spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett said in a statement that the cause of the crash was under investigation and that there were `` no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire . ''
Leggett added that Taliban claims of additional downed aircraft were false .
A U.S. Bombardier E-11A crashed today in Ghazni province , Afghanistan .
While the cause of crash is under investigation , there are no indications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We will provide additional information as it becomes available .
The E-11A is an electronics surveillance aircraft used to bridge communications on the battlefield .
Given the mountainous and rugged terrain in Afghanistan , the E-11A is essential for transmitting communications between ground units , commanders as well as other assets in the region .
The aircraft is assigned to the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan .
U.S. Army Maj. Beth Riordan , a spokeswoman for U.S. Central Command , had said earlier that it remained unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

WASHINGTON — A plane that crashed in Afghanistan's central Ghazni province on Monday, reportedly killing everyone on board, has been confirmed as belonging to the U.S. Air Force.
The chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, Gen. Dave Goldfein, confirmed to CNBC that the plane is a U.S. Air Force E-11 military airplane, built by Bombardier. The plane crashed in territory currently under Taliban control. He was unable to confirm whether the aircraft was targeted by hostile fire, nor could he confirm details about potential casualties.
"We don't know the status of the crew," Goldfein said.
"Here's another thing I'll share with you, every time I've been through this, which, unfortunately, has been a number of times, the first reports are always wrong, always wrong. So we have to make sure that we have the facts right and as soon as we have those facts I promise you we will get them to you," he added.
Speaking to reporters during a Pentagon press briefing, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Monday that he was "aware of the situation" and that he had "nothing further to report at this time."
U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett said in a statement that the cause of the crash was under investigation and that there were "no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire." Leggett added that Taliban claims of additional downed aircraft were false.
The E-11A is an electronics surveillance aircraft used to bridge communications on the battlefield. Given the mountainous and rugged terrain in Afghanistan, the E-11A is essential for transmitting communications between ground units, commanders as well as other assets in the region. The aircraft is assigned to the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.
U.S. Army Maj. Beth Riordan, a spokeswoman for U.S. Central Command, had said earlier that it remained unclear whose aircraft was involved in the crash.


cnbc--2020-01-27--Michael Avenatti searched web for 'insider trading' and 'Nike put options' while trying to extort sh

Michael Avenatti searched web for 'insider trading' and 'Nike put options' while trying to extort shoe giant, feds say

Controversial lawyer Michael Avenatti searched the internet for the term `` insider trading '' and terms involving Nike stock options as he engaged in a scheme to shake down the athletic apparel giant for up to $ 25 million , federal prosecutors claim .
The searches back up a claim that Avenatti intended to profit from a drop in Nike 's stock price `` if he followed through on his threats '' to publicize damaging claims about the company , prosecutors said .
Prosecutors said in a court filing that Avenatti searched for those terms `` shortly '' after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with and an email from Jeffrey Auerbach , an advisor to a basketball coach who Avenatti has claimed secretly recorded conversations with Nike executives .
The filing , which detailed why prosecutors believe they are entitled to introduce evidence of Avenatti 's web searches and other evidence , came on the eve of jury selection for Avenatti 's extortion trial Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan .
Avenatti 's lawyers have opposed introduction of the search terms as evidence , noting that there is no evidence that Avenatti engaged in insider trading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 with his representation of his then-client Stormy Daniels , a porn actress , in multiple cases involving President Donald Trump .
Avenatti was arrested last spring in three separate federal cases .
In addition to the Nike case , he is accused of swindling Daniels out of $ 300,000 in book proceeds and of stealing millions of dollars from other clients .
Avenatti has pleaded not guilty in all three cases .
Two weeks ago , his release bond was revoked after federal prosecutors in California said he had committed new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the Nike case , Avenatti is accused of demanding as much as $ 25 million from the company in exchange for not going public with allegations by the coach , Gary Franklin , that the company made payments to top high school basketball players and their families .
In their court filing , prosecutors wrote that soon after his call with Auerbach , Avenatti `` used his iPhone to search for 'nike.put options , ' to visit the website 'Nasdaq.com — Nike Inc. ( NKE ) Option Chain , ' and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
Put options are financial instruments that give their holder the right to sell a company 's stock at a certain set price by a specific date , regardless of what price the stock actually is trading at on that date .
A holder of a put option earns a profit if the set price of the sale is greater than the actual trading price of the stock at the expiration date .
Avenatti was arrested in the Nike case two weeks after searching for the terms , during his visit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss his demands , according to the company and prosecutors .
About 15 minutes before that meeting , Avenatti had tweeted that he would be disclosing a big high school and college basketball scandal `` perpetrated by '' Nike that he supposedly had uncovered .
Prosecutors in their filing wrote that `` evidence of these searches and browsing history '' before his arrest `` is highly relevant . ''
`` This conduct corroborates both the defendant 's contemporaneous belief that he could use the stock price and his intent to use that information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ options and thereafter causing Nike 's stock to drop , or at least purchasing such options to so as to benefit personally if he followed through on his threats to make such information public , '' prosecutors wrote .
The filing argued that Avenatti 's search `` demonstrates that the defendant acted deliberately , and not rashly , and thus helps to show that he acted wrongly . ''

Michael Avenatti, attorney and founding partner of Eagan Avenatti LP, second left, exits from federal court in New York, U.S., on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Louis Lanzano | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Controversial lawyer Michael Avenatti searched the internet for the term "insider trading" and terms involving Nike stock options as he engaged in a scheme to shake down the athletic apparel giant for up to $25 million, federal prosecutors claim. The searches back up a claim that Avenatti intended to profit from a drop in Nike's stock price "if he followed through on his threats" to publicize damaging claims about the company, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said in a court filing that Avenatti searched for those terms "shortly" after a March 10, 2019, phone call with and an email from Jeffrey Auerbach, an advisor to a basketball coach who Avenatti has claimed secretly recorded conversations with Nike executives. The filing, which detailed why prosecutors believe they are entitled to introduce evidence of Avenatti's web searches and other evidence, came on the eve of jury selection for Avenatti's extortion trial Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Jury selection began Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, in the trial of attorney Michael Avenatti, who is accused of trying to extort up to $25 million from Nike. Source: Elizabeth Williams
Avenatti's lawyers have opposed introduction of the search terms as evidence, noting that there is no evidence that Avenatti engaged in insider trading. Avenatti, 48, gained notoriety in 2018 with his representation of his then-client Stormy Daniels, a porn actress, in multiple cases involving President Donald Trump. Avenatti was arrested last spring in three separate federal cases. In addition to the Nike case, he is accused of swindling Daniels out of $300,000 in book proceeds and of stealing millions of dollars from other clients. Avenatti has pleaded not guilty in all three cases. Two weeks ago, his release bond was revoked after federal prosecutors in California said he had committed new financial crimes while free on bail. In the Nike case, Avenatti is accused of demanding as much as $25 million from the company in exchange for not going public with allegations by the coach, Gary Franklin, that the company made payments to top high school basketball players and their families. In their court filing, prosecutors wrote that soon after his call with Auerbach, Avenatti "used his iPhone to search for 'nike.put options,' to visit the website 'Nasdaq.com — Nike Inc. (NKE) Option Chain,' and to search for 'insider trading," prosecutors wrote.
watch now