Month: December 2020

On Wednesday, Texas and nine other states sued Google with accusations it of working with Facebook Inc in violation of antitrust law to boost its online advertising business. The states asked that Google compensate them for damages and sought “structural relief.” The nine states that joined Texas are Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah and Idaho

The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Texas, asks a judge to find Google guilty of breaking antitrust law and to order the violations to stop. It also accused Google of working with Facebook. The two companies compete heavily in internet ad sales and together capture over half of the market globally.

A Google spokeswoman said the company will defend itself from the lawsuit’s “baseless claims in court.” She added: “Digital ad prices have fallen over the last decade. Ad tech fees are falling too. Google’s ad tech fees are lower than the industry average. These are the hallmarks of a highly competitive industry.”

Texas AG announces multistate lawsuit against Google

Via abcnews.go.com

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a multistate lawsuit against Google for the…

12/16/2020 6:41 PM

 

Editorial credit: Benny Marty / Shutterstock.com

Fashion designer Peter Nygard was arrested in Canada on allegations he sexually assaulted dozens of people, including minors, over the course of decades. Authorities took Nygard into custody Monday in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York said Tuesday that the 79-year-old Nygard used his fashion empire’s influence to recruit women and minor girls for his and his friends’ “sexual gratification.” Prosecutors said the alleged crimes took place over a 25-year period in the Bahamas, Canada and the United States. Prosecutors said Nygard and his associates forcibly sexually assaulted some of the women and girls or drugged them to ensure their compliance. The United States has requested Nygard’s extradition from Canada.

Nygard faces two counts each of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation for purpose of prostitution; and one count each of racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion; transportation of a minor for purpose of prostitution; and transportation for purpose of prostitution and illegal sexual activity.

Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard arrested on federal sex charges

Via www.nbcnews.com

He was picked up Monday in his native Winnipeg on a nine-count indictment.

12/15/2020 5:05 PM

 

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President-elect Joe Biden has chosen former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg as his transportation secretary.

Buttigieg, who competed with Biden for the democratic presidential nomination before dropping out and endorsing him, would be the first LGBTQ Cabinet secretary if confirmed by the Senate. The Transportation Department will have a central role in shaping and carrying out Biden’s infrastructure plans. The department distributes hundreds of billions of dollars in federal highway funding and regulates aviation, railroads and busing. 

Buttigieg was once near the front of the pack for the Democratic nomination, regularly polling ahead of many other long-established members of the Democratic Party. 

Biden to nominate Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary

Via www.nbcnews.com

Biden will tap the 38-year-old one-time presidential rival to lead a key agency in the push to…

12/15/2020 2:59 PM

 

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Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have officially received 306 electoral votes to be elected president and vice president. The Electoral College cast votes Monday, following weeks of President Donald Trump continuing to cast doubt on the election process.

California cast its 55 electoral votes in favor of Biden and Harris on Monday afternoon, pushing them above the 270 vote total required to be elected president and vice president, respectively. Hawaii was the final state to cast its votes, giving them a total of 306 votes, with 232 votes going to Trump. In the key swing states of Georgia and Pennsylvania, a total of 36 votes were cast for Biden and Harris. Electors in Nevada also cast their six votes for Biden in a virtual meeting. The Nevada Supreme Court had just rejected a Trump lawsuit alleging the election results were “rigged.”

The Electoral College vote came after all 50 states and Washington, D.C., certified their votes and named slates of electors. Those electors met Monday in locations chosen by each state legislature and cast one vote for president and another for vice president on paper ballots.  The Senate will convene on Jan. 6 presided over by Vice President Pence, in which they will count the votes, followed by the inauguration on Jan. 20.

‘Time to turn the page’: Electoral College makes Biden victory official

Via www.nbcnews.com

The president-elect is expected to speak later Monday after surpassing 270 electoral votes for…

12/14/2020 7:05 PM

 

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