Lawsuit Against Trump's Alleged Campaign Financial Violations To Proceed
Lawsuit against Trump's alleged campaign finance violations to proceed
A state judge ruled late Friday that a lawsuit brought by New York's attorney general against the Trump Foundation for alleged violations of campaign finance law can proceed, according to Gowidenews, despite President Trump's request that the suit be dismissed on the grounds that the state's AG is "biased."
Why it matters: This is the second time this year that a New York judge has ruled that Trump can still face civil lawsuits, even as president, according to the New York Times. The lawsuit claims that Trump wrongfully gave $2.8 million worth of foundation donations to his campaign, used $100,000 to settle a dispute involving his Mar-a-Lago resort, and spent $10,000 on a portrait of himself to hang in one of his golf clubs. New York seeks to dissolve the Trump foundation with the lawsuit.
Exclusive poll: Public fears lawsuit over pre-existing conditions
Most Americans are worried about the effects of a lawsuit that could gut the Affordable Care Act's protections for pre-existing conditions — probably because most people have a family member with a pre-existing condition, according to an Axios/SurveyMonkeypoll.
Why it matters: A ruling in this case is expected any day, and could immediately turn the campaign-season back-and-forth over pre-existing conditions into an acute crisis for millions of people.
Reading guide: The causes and impact of California's wildfires
November has become one of the most devastating months in historyfor California, with two major wildfires raging in the northern and southern parts of the state.
The big picture: It's worth a closer look at what the future holds in California and across the West, where a changing climate is leading to larger fires. Here's a roundup of our coverage and the best stories from other sources — including local media reports that can give us the best insight into possible causes, what it would take to reduce the risk, and how the disasters have affected people's lives.
Shoppers spent $1 billion via smartphones on Thanksgiving
Shoppers using smartphones spent more than $1 billion in a day for the first time on Thanksgiving, CNBC reports citing data from Adobe Analytics. Overall online spending was $3.7 billion, up 28 percent from a year ago. More than $6.4 billion was forecast to be spent today.
Why it matters: Like most activities that move online, shopping is becoming a mobile experience as well. And it comes at the expense of traditional retailers. "Black Friday doesn't have the sense of urgency as in the past," according to an analyst note cited by CNBC, and survey data showed most mall operators saying traffic was the same or down from the year before.
The Black Friday climate report
The Trump administration didn't interfere with the content of today's grim report about the damage we're already seeing from climate change. It just released the report in a way that will draw the least attention possible: by putting it out on Black Friday.
- That's a good way to minimize the impact of a science-heavy report that clashes with President Trump's attitude toward climate change.
New climate report warns of increasingly dire risks to U.S.
The Trump administration released a major new climate science report on Black Friday, warning of "hundreds of billions of dollars" in annual losses to some economic sectors without scaled up actions to adapt to current changes and slash emissions to avoid future warming.
Why it matters: The report by scientists from 13 federal agencies constitutes the second volume of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, which is a congressionally mandated report. Its conclusion: Lives and property are already at risk in the U.S. due to climate change.
Democrats want to know if Trump is lying about Khashoggi murder
The incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Democrat Adam Schiff, told the Washington Posthe'll use his committee next year to figure out what U.S. intelligence agencies know about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to determine if President Trump is "representing something very different."
Why it matters: The Post had previously reported that the CIA concluded the killing of Khashoggi was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump yesterday disputed those reports, stating that the crown prince has denied any involvement, and suggested "the world should be held accountable because the world is a vicious place."
British MPs urge boycott of Google, Facebook over terrorist content
Advertisers should boycott tech giants like Google and Facebook to force them to effectively address the "scandal" of online terrorist content, members of UK's Parliament said, according to The Times of London.
The big picture: Social networks and web companies are under pressure around the world to police extremist content on their sites that facilitate the spread of radicalized material. Despite hiring thousands of people to identify and quickly take down such content, staying ahead of malicious actors online has proven to be very difficult.
Smartphone sales push pre-Black Friday sales up big
U.S. shoppers spent $1.75 billion online on Thanksgiving as of 5 p.m.. and were predicted to spend a record $3.7 billion by midnight, up 29% from 2017, according to Adobe Analyticsfigures cited by Business Insider.
Why it matters: "The skyrocketing sales represent an increase in online shopping more generally, as well as a Black Friday sales 'day' that is shifting earlier and earlier," per BI.
Record number of immigrant children in U.S. shelters
A record 14,030 immigrant children were in shelters across the country as of last week, one-third of them in Texas, the Houston Chronicle's Lomi Kriel reports.
Why it matters: "It is almost three times the number of children in federal detention a year ago."
The most elusive media bundle: households
Even in a smartphone-driven world in which content is individually personalized, media and tech companies are still trying to figure out how to win over households.
Why it matters: People who live together share media habits, devices, connections and budgets. Creating products that satisfy an entire household's needs may prove to be more marketable and affordable than some individualized services.
NASA's Mars InSight lander gets set for Monday landing attempt
NASA's Mars InSight lander has nearly completed its nearly 300 million mile journey and is preparing for a landing on Mars on Monday afternoon, at about 3 pm Eastern time.
Why it matters: If successful, the InSight lander would become the first U.S. robot to land on Mars since the Curiosity rover arrived there in 2012. Unlike other spacecraft sent to Mars, this one is not designed to seek signs of life, but rather to investigate the planet's interior for clues into how certain planets, including Earth, formed about 4 billion years ago.
How retailers are prepped for Black Friday
Shoppers this holiday season might be pleasantly surprised that big box retailers are working to ease the long waits in the checkout line.
Why it matters: "Barbara Kahn, a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, says shoppers know the technology is out there for faster shopping. 'That makes them even more impatient,'" she tells the AP.
Hillary Clinton: Europe "needs to get a handle on migration"
Hillary Clinton told the Guardian that Europe "needs to get a handle on migration," and that leaders must send a message that "we are not going to be able to continue to provide refuge and support."
Why it matters: Europe's refugee situation is a topic that President Trump has talked about frequently, pointing to it as a reason to cut off refugee intake in the U.S. But Clinton criticized Trump's "use of immigrants as a political device and as a symbol of government gone wrong."
Trump talks border security, trade with troops on Thanksgiving call
In a Thanksgiving phone call with members of the military, President Trump discussed the need for better trade deals and stronger border security, turning a traditionally festive call into a political one, CNN reports.
The details: Trump said that the people coming towards the southern border are "bad people,” per CNN, and that "[w]e're not letting in anybody, essentially, because we want to be very, very careful." Trump also threatened a government shutdown over border security and claimed that Hillary Clinton deleted over 100,000 emails, without evidence. It's typical for presidents to make calls on holidays to thank troops for their service; it's less typical for those calls to include political talking points.
Trump disputes CIA conclusion that Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggi murder
President Trump said on Thursday that the CIA did not come to a conclusion that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to pool reports.
Why it matters: The CIA did come to a conclusion, saying they believe with "high confidence" that MBS was behind the killing. This isn't the first time Trump has contradicted reports from the intelligence community. Trump also told pool reporters that "maybe the world" should be held accountable for Khashoggi's murder, because it's a "very vicious place."
Facebook admission caps year from hell
In a blog post on Thanksgiving Eve, Elliot Schrage, outgoing Head of Communications and Policy, tried to clean up revelations about Facebook's use of the now-fired Definers Public Affairs, an aggressive Arlington, Va., firm founded by Republican operatives.
The big picture: Facebook has followed a pattern throughout its hectic year: Pay too little attention to a looming threat, engage too little with journalists who are on to it, then rush pell-mell to try to correct the record, calm the storm and look proactive
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