“Trois Marocains souffrent le martyre à l’aéroport d’Eindhoven“, n’hésite pas à titrer le Site Info, une publication marocaine en ligne, à propos de trois jeunes Marocains arrêtés, puis expulsés des Pays-Bas.Selon la presse marocaine, l’affaire se serait déroulée en janvier 2019. “Objectif de leur séjour : participer à une battle internationale de hip-hop qui se tenait le 12 janvier dans la ville (d’Eindhoven). Tous les trois étaient munis de leurs visas Schengen, ainsi que 300 euros à eux trois. Toutefois, l’agent de la douane leur a refusé l’accès au territoire néerlandais, invoquant un manque de moyens de subsistance et de preuves des raisons de leur séjour“, raconte TelQuel.Selon les témoignages de la presse marocaine, les trois jeunes avaient fait les choses dans les règles et avaient des billets d’avion de retour. “Nous sommes arrivés tous les trois à Eindhoven, tranquillement. À la douane, nous présentons nos passeports aux policiers qui d’emblée se montrent suspicieux et nous interpellent, à l’écart du reste de la file. Un policier nous prend à part et nous pose plusieurs questions sur le motif de notre venue”, précise Hamza au HuffPost Maroc. “I am not a criminal, I am an artist”Les trois jeunes sont ensuite emmenés dans un centre de rétention où ils vont passer quelques jours après des interrogatoires et après avoir signé un papier qu’ils affirment ne pas avoir compris. “Nous avions peur. En signant, nous pensions que nous allions être relâchés”. “I am not a criminal, I am an artist”, s’évertue à répéter Hamza, selon le témoignage recueilli par Maria Daïf, ancienne directrice du centre culturel casablancais L’Uzine, où ces jeunes sont actifs .Les trois jeunes sont finalement expulsés des Pays-Bas. “Ce qui nous est arrivé est une injustice. Nous réclamons des explications et des excuses de la part de l’Etat néerlandais. Nous demandons à être remboursés sur les frais que nous avons engagés pour ce voyage. Nous voulons avoir la certitude que ce qui nous est arrivé n’arrivera pas à d’autres artistes et que notre droit de voyager en Europe et de participer à des battles nous est toujours garanti, malgré ce qui est arrivé”, estiment-ils.Nous assistons, nous acteurs et actrices culturel.le.s et artistes, à la fermeture des portes de la forteresse SchengenMaria DaïfYabiladiCes jeunes n’étaient pourtant pas des inconnus. Le site moroccoworldnews rappelle que “Omar et Hamza sont membres du collectif Lions Crew. Le New York Times a publié un article mettant en vedette le groupe en mai” 2018.Cette affaire illustre la difficulté pour certains artistes marocains de se rendre en Europe.  Et c’est pour s’insurger contre le traitement qui est infligé aux artistes, devant qui les portes se ferment malgré des invitations officielles, que “Daïf boycotte le festival Moussem Cities à Bruxelles, pour protester contre la mobilité réduite des artistes marocains en Europe”. Click Here: geelong cats guernsey 2019

La guerre en Lybie a fait des victimes, mais aussi des dégâts sur des sites archéologiques datant de l’époque romaine, des théâtres antiques, classés au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO, transformés pour certains d’entre eux en champs de bataille. “En 2017, des miliciens se sont retranchés dans ce théâtre. Les affrontements ont été très violents avec l’armée. Moi je ne suis que le gardien, j’ai dû m’enfuir, car je n’avais pas les moyens de lutter”, témoigne Mokhtar Salah Maloul, chef de la sécurité du site de Sabratha.La menace Daech plane toujoursSituée à 70 kilomètres de Tripoli, la ville de Sabratha était une place forte des islamistes, et porte encore les stigmates des affrontements de 2017. “Le théâtre de Sabratha a reçu quelques balles dont on voit les traces (…) Sabratha a vécu toute l’histoire de la Libye”, raconte Mohammed Fakroun du département des antiquités. La menace plane toujours à cause de Daech, mais aussi à cause du manque de moyens afin d’entretenir ce joyau.Le JT

• JT de 20h du mardi 12 février 2019 L’intégrale

Les autres sujets du JT

• 1
  

  Croix gammée sur le visage de Veil, destruction de l’arbre en mémoire d’Halimi, “Juden” tagué sur un Bagelstein… L’antisémitisme resurgit

• 2
  

  Ruptures conventionnelles : une mesure trop chère ?

• 3
  

  Ruptures conventionnelles : quels sont les profils des salariés qui les signent ?

• 4
  

  Déserts médicaux : ces médecins ont choisi d’être salariés

• 5
  

  Élysée : des départs multiples dans l’entourage proche du président

• 6
  

  Hongrie : le gouvernement baisse les impôts pour favoriser la natalité

• 7
  

  Transport de fonds : le convoyeur arrêté à Amiens

• 8
  

  Immobilier : quand les maires refusent de construire

• 9
  

  Sécheresse : les murs des maisons se fissurent en Corrèze

• 10
  

  Emploi : les bouchers ont la cote

• 11
  

  Harcèlement : faut-il lever l’anonymat sur les réseaux sociaux ?

• 12
  

  Écologie : recycler le plastique grâce à la consigne

Dans L’Année Des Méduses, Valérie Kaprisky, sex-symbol des années 80, joue le rôle d’une adolescente séductrice et manipulatrice.

Même l’océan divague quand Halle Berry sort de l’eau dans Meurs Un Autre Jour (2002).

Qu’il semble loin, le temps où Angelina Jolie faisait du jet-ski en deux-pièces ultra sexy. Un cliché à archiver, assurément, car la maman de six enfants n’est pas prête de rejouer les Lara Croft!

En français dans le texte, Bleu d’Enfer (Into The Blue, donc) ne passera pas à la postérité: mais Jessica Alba, sculpurale dans les eaux turquoise des Bahamas, s’est fait un nom.

Elle fut l’une des premières à sublimer le bikini à l’écran: ici en 1966, Raquel Welch dans Un Million D’Année Avant J.C, elle est Loana.

Click Here: Cheap Chiefs Rugby Jersey 2019

Elle a épousé un gamin de quinze ans son cadet et l’on comprend pourquoi: Demi Moore n’a jamais fait son âge, 40 ans à l’époque où elle est l’une des drôles de dames de Charlie’s Angels (2003)…

Révolution sur les plages et sur les écrans: Et Dieu Créa La Femme, et Vadim une icône: Brigitte Bardot immortalise le bikini qui le lui rend bien. Nous sommes en 1956.

Peu de ces films ont marqué le cinéma, mais leurs héroïnes en bikinis, si… Découvrez les huit maillots les plus chaud du 7e art. Et patientez quelques jours, mesdames, pour découvrir comment les hommes relèvent le défi.

Les murs du Vatican accueillent un sommet d’une importance capitale sur les abus sexuels pratiqués par des membres du clergé catholique. Le pape François a promis du changement et Antoine-Marie Izoard, directeur de la rédaction de Famille Chrétienne est sur le plateau du Soir 3 afin d’analyser la situation. “C’est un sommet inédit. Il faut remonter à 1985 et un bilan, je crois, du concile Vatican II, pour voir rassemblés des présidents d’épiscopats du monde entier. C’est une vraie convocation des responsables des hiérarchies catholiques à travers la planète. Ça, déjà, ça me paraît être un point important. Ce n’est pas juste la France, l’Allemagne, les États-Unis, l’Australie, des pays dont on a beaucoup entendu parler sur ces affaires-là, mais c’est le monde entier.” “Être beaucoup plus sévères” Que faut-il attendre de la réunion du sommet sur les affaires de pédophilie dans l’Église catholique, à Rome (Vatican) ?  “On peut attendre des procédures, explique Antoine-Marie Izoard. On peut attendre un certain nombre d’actes, de convictions de l’Église catholique définitives et fermes pour la formation des séminaristes, pour l’écoute des victimes. On peut attendre aussi des sanctions pour les prêtres abuseurs et puis d’être plus sévère, beaucoup plus sévère avec ceux qui auraient couvert ces actes.” Le JT

• Grand Soir 3 du jeudi 21 février 2019 L’intégrale

Les autres sujets du JT

• 1
  

  Syrie : le djihadiste français Fabien Clain aurait été tué

• 2
  

  Ascoval : le repreneur Altifor n’a pas les fonds annoncés

• 3
  

  Arrêt maladie : un jour de carence pour tous ?

• 4
  

  Affaire Benalla : la riposte de Matignon aux sénateurs

• 5
  

  Abus sexuels : le pape veut des mesures concrètes

• 6
  

  Les agriculteurs français craignent un Brexit sans accord

• 7
  

  Eurozapping : les indépendantistes catalans en grève pour soutenir leurs dirigeants

• 8
  

  Bangladesh : au moins 70 morts dans un incendie à Dacca

• 9
  

  Antisémitisme : les philosophes et “la question juive”

Cost of Greek debt soars

EU-IMF financial support for Greece fails to reassure bond markets.

Eurozone governments are today coming under increasing pressure to quickly release emergency loans to Greece, as opinion hardens on the markets that Greece will not be able to honour its debts.

The Greek government’s announcement on 23 April that it will seek emergency support from the eurozone and International Monetary Fund has failed to stem a sharp rise in the interest investors charge on Greek government debt, or the cost of insuring it.

Yields on Greek two-year bonds this morning climbed to almost 14%, a record high for the eurozone, and higher than the yields charged to Argentina (which defaulted on its debt in 2001), Venezuela and Pakistan.

Yields on ten-year bonds reached 9.83%, over 670 basis points higher than those on German bonds, the benchmark rate for the eurozone. Three weeks ago, yields on ten-year bonds were at an, already high, 7.4%.

The spike in yields suggests that investors are pricing in a debt restructuring – that is, they are assuming that Greece will seek to negotiate a reduction or deferral in its obligations to investors – and that they do not believe that the eurozone can or will prevent restructuring.

The cost of insuring €10 million of Greek debt with credit default swaps has jumped by €100,000 since Friday. 

Thomas Mayer, chief economist for Deutsche Bank, today described the rising yields as an “insolvency death trap”.

Germany’s stance

The mood on the market has not been helped by a tough message from the German government that it will only provide financial support if Greece commits itself to tough economic restructuring measures. Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, said yesterday that Greece “must do its homework” before getting financial aid.

The German parliament, which must vote to approve any aid, will be briefed about Greece’s situation on Wednesday by Dominique Strauss-Khan, the IMF’s director-general, and by Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank. Both Strauss-Khan and Trichet will urge the parliament to quickly approve aid to prevent Greece’s situation from becoming any worse.

Emergency loan facility

Officials from the European Commission and IMF are in Athens negotiating with the Greek government on the restructuring programme it will implement in exchange for support.

Marco Buti, the Commission’s director-general for economic and financial affairs, said today that the programme would be finalised in the next few days, and would be designed to ensure that Greece meets its obligations to investors.

“There is not going to be a default, there is not going to be debt restructuring as part of the programme,” he said.

“Having a programme will help a lot in [providing] stability and reassuring markets,” he said. He said that it would be a “very serious programme of adjustment”, spanning at least three years.

He said that it is “a question of days” before member states complete all the internal procedures necessary for the provision of financial support.

Ministers agreed on 11 April to set up an emergency loan facility, funded jointly by the eurozone and IMF, as a response to Greece’s debt crisis. It would provide finance to Greece at rates substantially lower than it is currently paying on the markets. The programme is expected to last for three years, with the eurozone providing around two-thirds of the total support. The facility’s budget for 2010 is around €45 billion, with €30 billion to be provided by the eurozone and €15 from the IMF. Germany would contribute €8.4bn, the largest single contribution from the eurozone.

Daniel Gros, director of the Centre for European Policy Studies, said that the loan facility was a “recipe, in my view, for potential political disaster”.

“Market participants don’t think it would work,” he added.

Gros said that the facility was unlikely to restore Greece’s fiscal health, and member states would face difficult decisions after 2010 on whether to provide more support or to allow Greece to default. “When that [€45 billion] is used up you cannot refuse the next tranche,” he said. “Whoever said no would be responsible for a catastrophe,” he added, warning that “this could be the end of political union in Europe”.

Gros is advocating that Greece negotiate with its creditors on a five-year deferral of payment.

Click Here: Maori All Blacks Store

NEW WORRIES ABOUT POLLUTION: Critics worry a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policy will leave the agency unaware of how much pollution is leaking into air, water and soil as companies are given the green light to suspend monitoring during the coronavirus outbreak.

A directive issued by EPA late Thursday informed companies they would not face fines or other enforcement actions from the agency for failing to monitor and report their pollution. 

Companies are expected to “comply with regulatory requirements, where reasonably practicable, and to return to compliance as quickly as possible,” the agency wrote in a release announcing the change, which is temporary, but has no set end date.

ADVERTISEMENT

The move alarmed environmental and public health groups, who couched the memo as a license to pollute, warning the sweeping directive gives industry the ability to exceed clean air and water laws with little consequence. 

“There’s a direct link from monitoring to excessive pollution that may occur and may never be detected or reported to the public or regulators because of the grant of amnesty by the Trump EPA,” said John Walke with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Critics of the memo say the pandemic–along with social distancing measures–could justify a change in some EPA policies. But they worry COVID-19 may be used as a smokescreen to cover a wide variety of pollution with little oversight from the agency.

EPA regulates a number of industries that are likely to benefit from the new rule: chemical plants, oil and gas outlets, power plants, steel manufacturers and more. Their pollution could range from gas leaks from equipment to a surge in contaminants released directly into waterways.

The memo directs companies to document when they were unable to monitor their pollution and identify how the coronavirus outbreak was responsible–prompting concerns that bad actors will try to take advantage of the change.

“How are they going to know when they’re being fooled?” asked Joel Mintz, a former EPA enforcement attorney who wrote a book about the agency’s enforcement practices. “I’m just not sure EPA has the political will or the resources to go through all these requests.”

There could be valid reasons that companies have to fine tune processes in the wake of the virus, he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“But if facilities have enough personnel to produce products, you should have enough personnel to comply with environmental laws,” Mintz said. “If they’re making products and making money, they should comply. It’s just that simple.”

The agency’s side: EPA told The Hill in a statement the agency believes that it is more important for facilities to ensure that their pollution control equipment remains up and running and that facilities are operating safely, than to carry out routine sampling and reporting. 

“We retain all our authorities and will exercise them appropriately,” agency spokeswoman Andrea Woods said in an email. 

EPA enforcement actions are continuing, the agency said, including against retailers making unsupported claims that their products can kill coronavirus.

Read more on the directive here. 

 

HAPPY MONDAY! Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill’s roundup of the latest energy and environment news. Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Beitsch at rbeitsch@thehill.com. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccabeitsch. Reach Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com or follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin.

 

ON TAP TOMORROW: The Trump administration is expected on Tuesday to roll out a rule that would drastically cut the fuel economy standards negotiated under the Obama administration in an effort to battle climate change, according to The New York Times.

The Trump rule is reported to cut the year-over-year improvement in mileage required of automakers.

While the Obama-era rule required automakers to produce fleets that average nearly 55 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2026. Instead, the Trump rule could bring that number down to 40 mpg over the same timeline.

The Trump administration has argued that cutting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards will allow automakers to produce cheaper cars, something they say will save lives as low prices spur consumers to upgrade to new vehicles with better safety features that guzzle less gas than older models.

But critics say the rule raises concerns about health, the environment, and the economy.

“The administration is unraveling the biggest and most successful climate policy on the books, one that has also saved consumers millions of dollars in gasoline costs, cut air pollution, and helped grow the auto industry,” Ken Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement.

ADVERTISEMENT

“This new rule leaves the country worse off. In the near term, it’s a massive transfer of tens of billions of dollars from drivers to oil companies. … It also cedes American leadership in vehicle manufacturing, putting the automakers at risk in a global market. In the long term, it’s even worse–a deliberate decision to steer us at high speed toward a more dangerous climate.”

Transportation is now the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the nation, according to research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with pollution from cars and trucks outpacing that of electricity as utilities move away from coal. 

But that increase in pollution also poses health risks. A government analysis of the rule obtained by Sen. Tom CarperThomas (Tom) Richard CarperOvernight Energy: Critics blast EPA move as ‘license to pollute’ during pandemic | Trump expected to roll back Obama mileage standards| Group plans to sue over rollback of water law Trump administration expected to roll back Obama-era mileage standards Senator Tom Coburn’s government oversight legacy MORE (D-Del.) and shared with The Hill found that anywhere from 440 to 990 people could die prematurely given the increase in smog and other side effects from vehicle emissions. 

The economic impacts are also considerable.

The rule will cost consumers more, even as gas prices plummet, while the economy lies in the midst of uncertainty amid the largest spike ever seen in unemployment claims. 

U.S. automakers might also take a hit in the global market, as buyers steer clear of American made vehicles that lag behind their competitors. 

Numerous lawmakers have asked the Trump administration to halt the rules roll out as large segments of society are instead focused on battling the coronavirus.

ADVERTISEMENT

“While I have significant concerns, and questions, about how this final rule was crafted and justifications for certain changes, I write today only to urge you to halt the finalization of the rule while we continue to respond to one of the greatest health crises our nation has ever faced,” Rep. Doris MatsuiDoris Okada MatsuiOvernight Energy: Critics blast EPA move as ‘license to pollute’ during pandemic | Trump expected to roll back Obama mileage standards| Group plans to sue over rollback of water law Trump administration expected to roll back Obama-era mileage standards Hillicon Valley: Facebook, Twitter dismantle Russian interference campaign targeting African Americans | YouTube to allow ads on coronavirus videos | Trump signs law banning federal funds for Huawei equipment MORE (D-Calif.) wrote in a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew WheelerAndrew WheelerOvernight Energy: Critics blast EPA move as ‘license to pollute’ during pandemic | Trump expected to roll back Obama mileage standards| Group plans to sue over rollback of water law Trump administration expected to roll back Obama-era mileage standards Overnight Energy: EPA suspends enforcement of environmental laws amid coronavirus | Trump oil purchase in jeopardy | Analysis finds gasoline demand could fall 50 percent MORE, one of the agencies responsible for crafting the new standards.

“The effort to combat this pandemic requires assistance and coordination across all levels of government – state, local, and federal. We should not be further overwhelming these parties with new regulations that will require time and attention.”

Read more on the coming reg here. 

 

SEE YOU IN COURT: The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) plans to sue the Trump administration over a rollback to a controversial Obama-era water law, arguing leaders failed to consider how it would impact endangered species.

The January policy from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) replaces the already-repealed Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS), crafted under President Obama, which expanded the types of waterways protected by federal law.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpCuomo grilled by brother about running for president: ‘No. no’ Maxine Waters unleashes over Trump COVID-19 response: ‘Stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure’ Meadows resigns from Congress, heads to White House MORE‘s Navigable Waters Protection Rule limits that scope, removing protections for smaller bodies of water, even some seasonal ones caused by snowmelt, that environmentalists say must be protected in order to stop pollution from reaching larger sources, including those used for drinking water. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Wetlands, an important habitat for a number of species, face reduced protections under the Trump-era rule, as do the intermittent streams that serve as important water sources for protected desert species. 

NRDC argues the EPA violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to review how those protected animals might fare under the new rule.

“Because the Rule removes Clean Water Act protections for wetlands and streams that endangered and threatened species depend on for habitat and food, there is no question that the rule ‘may affect’ ESA-listed species,” the NRDC writes in its letter. 

That impact requires the EPA to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service before rolling out any new regulations, they argue. The letter gives the agency a 60-day timeline to do so before they file suit.

The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Read more about the notice here. 

 

HIT THE BREAKER: Senate Democrats introduced a measure Monday that would block utilities from shutting off electricity or heat to consumers in the wake of the coronavirus.

“As bills come due, unemployment rates spike, and businesses shutter in Massachusetts and across the country, families are struggling to keep on their electricity, heat, stoves, and hot water,” said Sen. Ed MarkeyEdward (Ed) John MarkeyOvernight Energy: Critics blast EPA move as ‘license to pollute’ during pandemic | Trump expected to roll back Obama mileage standards| Group plans to sue over rollback of water law Hillicon Valley: Twitter says Chinese official’s virus disinformation doesn’t violate rules | Hackers target WHO | Senators urge agencies to stop coronavirus robocalls Senators urge FCC, DOJ to combat coronavirus robocalls MORE (D-Mass.).

“This is a national life-or-death emergency, and every single state and utility must take action now to keep people healthy at home and keep their lights on.”

Many utilities have already vowed not to shut off electricity as the pandemic spreads, sending the economy spiraling and producing the single largest spike in U.S. unemployment claims.

“This crisis will create significant financial hardships for many Americans, and we know that now, as always, ensuring access to reliable electricity is essential to the health and safety of all our customers,” wrote Tom Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), which represents private, investor owned utilities. All EEI members have agreed to suspend any service disconnects due to nonpayment.

Many public utilities have made similar commitments. 

But the resolution introduced by lawmakers goes further. It would require utilities to reconnect anyone whose power has already been disconnected, without charge. It would also require utilities to waive any late fees they might normally charge. Finally, it would block companies from increasing their electric rates during the outbreak. 

 

AT SCOTUS: Citgo is liable for a 2004 oil spill and must pay back cleanup costs, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

In 2004, an oil tanker chartered by Citgo Asphalt Refining Company and others hit an anchor in the Delaware River, leading to the release of 264,000 gallons of heavy crude oil, according to court documents.

At the time, Frescati Shipping Company, which owned the vessel, and the U.S. together paid a total of $133 million to clean up the spill.

The court ruled 7-2 on Monday that Citgo and others are responsible for cleanup costs.

The majority opinion, authored by Justice Sonia SotomayorSonia SotomayorOvernight Energy: Critics blast EPA move as ‘license to pollute’ during pandemic | Trump expected to roll back Obama mileage standards| Group plans to sue over rollback of water law Supreme Court rules Citgo responsible for 2004 oil spill Supreme Court rules states can eliminate insanity defense MORE, said a “safe-berth” clause in the charter contract should be interpreted as a safety warranty, meaning it was up to Citgo and others to make sure the tanker docked safely.

Read more on the decision here.

 

OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY:

Secretary Of Interior Orders Mashpee Wampanoag Reservation ‘Disestablished,’ Tribe Says, WBUR reports

Barclays sets net zero carbon target for 2050 after investor pressure, The Guardian reports

Vodka From Thin Air: An Unusual Climate Prize Hits a Coronavirus Snag, The New York Times reports

 

ICYMI: News from Monday and the weekend…

Three states push criminal penalties for fossil fuel protests amid coronavirus

Critics blast EPA move as license to pollute during pandemic

Supreme Court rules Citgo responsible for 2004 oil spill

NRDC gears up to sue over Trump rollback of Obama water law

Trump administration expected to roll back Obama-era mileage standards

 

FROM THE HILL’S OPINION PAGES:

If Trump wants the Saudis to cut oil production, he must demand it, writes Ellen R. Wald, Ph.D., a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center. 

Tariffs on imported oil: A bad idea at the wrong time, writes Jeff Kupfer, former acting deputy secretary of energy in the Bush administration and an adjunct professor of policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. 

 

A federal judge filed an opinion on Monday ruling that a fraud case against President TrumpDonald John TrumpCuomo grilled by brother about running for president: ‘No. no’ Maxine Waters unleashes over Trump COVID-19 response: ‘Stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure’ Meadows resigns from Congress, heads to White House MORE’s hotel company can continue.

U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, an Obama appointee, decided a former business partner of Trump International Hotels Management could amend its lawsuit against the company to include claims of fraud and breach of contract, according to the ruling obtained by The Hill.

The business partner, Orestes Fintiklis, and his fund, Ithaca Capital Investments, obtained control of the Panama City property in question in March 2018 after the Trump company withdrew from it. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Fintiklis and Ithaca, which had purchased most of the units in the project, sought to add claims to the lawsuit that it could face millions of dollars in liabilities because Trump’s company allegedly underpaid taxes on its management fees. 

The plaintiffs claim Panamanian audits of the project uncovered the underpaid taxes, which they said were meant to make the property’s finances look better than they were. 

The judge denied Trump’s company’s allegation that the figures were “merely nonactionable puffery,” saying the company touted the hotel was doing well financially. 

But Ramos rejected three counterclaims of fraud in the suit, saying the defense suggested Ithaca had attempted to take the hotel through forcible entry and burglary. He permitted others, including an allegation of contract interference.

The next legal meeting for the case will be conducted through teleconference on April 24.

 

 

 

 

Click Here: Putters

Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter with this LINK.

Welcome! Follow our cyber reporter, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and tech reporter, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills), for more coverage.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

FCC BOOSTS TELEHEALTH: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is proposing using $200 million from the government stimulus package for a telehealth program to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The project, which he proposed on Monday, would have to be approved by the commission before launching. The program would help eligible health care providers purchase telecommunications equipment, broadband access and devices necessary for remote health services.

Expanded telehealth services would allow doctors to work with patients diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, without putting themselves at risk. It would also help providers care for high-risk patients who might contract the coronavirus if forced to leave their homes to visit doctors.

“As we self-isolate and engage in social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth will continue to become more and more important across the country,” Pai said in a statement.

Read more here.

 

TRUMP ON VOTE-BY-MAIL: President TrumpDonald John TrumpCuomo grilled by brother about running for president: ‘No. no’ Maxine Waters unleashes over Trump COVID-19 response: ‘Stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure’ Meadows resigns from Congress, heads to White House MORE said Monday that the vote by mail proposal in the original Democrat-backed House version of the coronavirus stimulus bill would have ensured that no Republicans were ever elected again. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“The things they had in there were crazy, they had things, levels of voting that if you ever agreed to, you would never have a Republican elected in this country again,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox & Friends. “They had things in there about election days and what you do and all sorts of drawbacks, they had things that were just totally crazy.”

Trump was referring to provisions that would have given $4 billion to states to boost mail-in and absentee ballots. Specific proposals included requiring states to send absentee ballots to every registered voter, requiring online and same-day voter registration, and expanding early voting by 15 days. 

The House ended up passing the Senate’s stimulus bill. It was signed by Trump last week and included $400 million for states to make preparations for holding elections during the coronavirus pandemic, but did not include any specific requirements on how the money could be used. 

Democrats and election security advocates argued the $400 million was not enough, pushing for $2 billion to be sent to states to cover expenses instead. 

Sens. Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharHillicon Valley: FCC chief proposes 0M telehealth program | Twitter takes down posts promoting anti-malaria drugs for coronavirus| Whole Foods workers plan Tuesday strike Trump says election proposals in coronavirus stimulus bill would hurt Republican chances Biden tops Trump by 9 points in Fox News poll MORE (D-Minn.) and Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenHillicon Valley: FCC chief proposes 0M telehealth program | Twitter takes down posts promoting anti-malaria drugs for coronavirus| Whole Foods workers plan Tuesday strike Trump says election proposals in coronavirus stimulus bill would hurt Republican chances States should plan now for November voting options MORE (D-Ore.), who introduced legislation separately earlier this month to boost mail-in voting, vowed to keep pushing for more funding in future coronavirus stimulus packages.  

House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe LofgrenZoe Ellen LofgrenHillicon Valley: FCC chief proposes 0M telehealth program | Twitter takes down posts promoting anti-malaria drugs for coronavirus| Whole Foods workers plan Tuesday strike Trump says election proposals in coronavirus stimulus bill would hurt Republican chances Democratic lawmakers demand government stop deporting unaccompanied children MORE (D-Calif.), who spearheaded the addition of the election funds and policies to the House version of the stimulus package, pushed back strongly against Trump’s comments on Monday, describing them as “morally bankrupt.”

Read more here.

 

TWITTER CRACKS DOWN: Twitter has in the last week taken down multiple posts from public figures promoting an anti-malaria drug as a way to treat coronavirus.

On Friday, the platform removed a tweet from President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiHillicon Valley: FCC chief proposes 0M telehealth program | Twitter takes down posts promoting anti-malaria drugs for coronavirus| Whole Foods workers plan Tuesday strike 12 things to know today about coronavirus Twitter takes down posts promoting anti-malaria treatment for coronavirus MORE claiming that hydroxychloroquine has been proven a safe way to treat COVID-19, the disease resulting from the novel coronavirus.

A spokesperson for the platform confirmed that the tweet was removed for violating its rules over coronavirus misinformation.

Twitter earlier this month said it would begin removing coronavirus-related posts that deny expert recommendations, promote fake treatments and prevention techniques, or misleadingly claim to be from authorities.

Giuliani’s now-deleted post included direct quotes from a tweet by conservative activist Charlie Kirk which has also been removed for violating rules.

A March 20 tweet from Fox News’s Laura IngrahamLaura Anne IngrahamHillicon Valley: FCC chief proposes 0M telehealth program | Twitter takes down posts promoting anti-malaria drugs for coronavirus| Whole Foods workers plan Tuesday strike Twitter takes down posts promoting anti-malaria treatment for coronavirus Trump team fiercely debates how long coronavirus restrictions should stay in place MORE claiming that hydroxychloroquine was in use “at many hospitals” and was showing “very promising results” was no longer available on the platform as of Monday. A spokesperson for Twitter declined to comment on whether Ingraham deleted the tweet herself or was compelled to do so, but did confirm that the post fell under the platform’s health misinformation policy. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Read more here.

 

ON STRIKE: Whole Foods workers are set to strike on Tuesday to protest what they say is a lack of employee protections amid the spread of the coronavirus.

Workers at the national grocery chain will call out sick to demand guaranteed sick leave to employees who self-isolate, reinstatement of health care coverage for part-time workers, double hazard pay, a commitment to ensuring workplaces stay clean and the closure of any store where a worker tests positive.

The strike had originally been scheduled on May 1.

“As this situation has progressed, our fundamental needs as workers have become more urgent,” Whole Worker, a labor movement within the grocery chain, wrote in a statement.

“COVID-19 poses a very real threat to the safety of our workforce and our customers. We cannot wait for politicians, institutions, or our own management to step in to protect us.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, have been reported at Whole Foods locations in Chicago, New York City and Huntington Beach, Calif.

All of those locations have remained open.

In response to the pandemic, Whole Foods has boosted wages for U.S. and Canadian workers by $2 per hour. It also promised workers diagnosed with COVID-19 or quarantined two weeks of paid leave.

Read more here.

  

HACKERS TARGET ZOOM: Cyber criminals are increasingly setting up malicious websites tied to the video conferencing tool Zoom to target individuals during the coronavirus pandemic, researchers at software company Check Point found Monday. 

The researchers reported a 25 percent increase in new websites using the Zoom name set up over the past week alone, with 1,700 new domains set up since the beginning of the year. Around 4 percent of these domains were judged to be “suspicious” and potentially dangerous to those who visited them. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“Online communication platforms have become essential for many households and organizations,” the researchers wrote in a blog post. “During the past few weeks, we have witnessed a major increase in new domain registrations with names including ‘Zoom,’ which is one of the most common video communication platforms used around the world.”

Omer Dembinsky, the manager of cyber research at Check Point, recommended in a statement that Zoom users “take an extra look” at any Zoom link or document sent to ensure “it’s not a trap.”

“We see a sharp rise in the number of ‘Zoom’ domains being registered, especially in the last week,” Dembinsky said. “The recent, staggering increase means that hackers have taken notice of the work-from-home paradigm shift that COVID-19 has forced, and they see it as an opportunity to deceive, lure and exploit.”

Read more here.

 

LOCAL NEWS TAKE A HIT: A massive surge in online readership during the coronavirus outbreak is coinciding with a sudden drop in ad revenue that could cripple local news outlets already struggling to survive. 

Several newspapers and alt-weeklies have announced pay cuts and layoffs, with some shutting down operations altogether. The turmoil has also brought fresh scrutiny on big tech platforms such as Google and Facebook, who critics say had already seriously weakened the news industry.

“The industry was in a dangerous place four weeks ago, before the coronavirus [outbreak],” said John Stanton, a former BuzzFeed News reporter and co-founder of the Save Journalism Project, a nonprofit highlighting Big Tech’s impact on the news industry. “The fact we’ve had so many layoffs so fast — news outlets getting shut down, the furloughs, all of these things combine together to really drive home what bad shape we are in.”

Stanton said that was “in large part due to Facebook and Google’s predatory and monopolistic business practices.” 

Critics say Google and Facebook’s dominance in digital advertising — the companies together made up nearly 60 percent of the internet ad market in 2018 — helped lead to declining profits for traditional news outlets, as they siphoned away crucial ad revenue. Ad revenue for the newspaper business fell 60 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. 

David Chavern, president and CEO of News Media Alliance, a trade group representing about 2,000 media organizations in the U.S. and elsewhere, told The Hill that news publishing was already a “stressed business” before the pandemic.

Read more here.

 

A Lighter click: So that’s where all the toilet paper went

 

An op-ed to chew on: We weren’t ready for a pandemic–imagine a crippling cyberattack

 

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

How Russia’s troll farm is changing tactics before the presidential election (The New York Times / Davey Alba) 

They Were Opposed To Government Surveillance. Then The Coronavirus Pandemic Began. (BuzzFeed News / Rosie Gray and Caroline Haskins)

FBI turns to insurance providers to deal with ransomware attacks (CyberScoop / Jeff Stone) 

Tech Giants Prepared for 2016-Style Meddling. But the Threat Has Changed. (New York Times / Kevin Roose, Sheera Frenkel and Nicole Perlroth)

Hundreds of long-term care facilities across the U.S. have confirmed cases of the coronavirus among their residents, with the number of facilities growing rapidly.

Click Here: cheap nrl jerseys

NBC News reported Monday that more than 400 facilities have reported cases of the virus, a 172 percent increase from the number of facilities that had reported cases this time last week, which was 146.

The alarming surge represents a challenge for state health officials, as residents of long-term care facilities tend to be older and suffer from long-term illnesses or conditions – both of which place them at greater risk – at a higher rate than the general population. Many facilities also have residents living or interacting in close quarters on a daily basis.

ADVERTISEMENT

About 150 of the facilities reporting residents with symptoms were in New York state, which has become the epicenter of coronavirus in the United States. More than 66,000 cases have been confirmed in the state, while deaths from the disease have risen past 1,200.

A spokesperson for an industry trade group told NBC News that they had not issued specific guidance for facilities past urging them to keep patients and their family members informed about the latest measures taken to stop the disease from spreading.

“We’ve encouraged facilities and family members to make sure they have the most updated emergency contact information and we encourage facilities to continue to keep loved ones updated about residents and the entire facility,” an American Health Care Association official said. “Each facility may have different ways they do that, so we have not given exact direction on how they implement that process.”

MEP pushes for ban on illegal timber imports

British MEP says draft legislation is not enough to prevent illegal timber from entering the EU

Caroline Lucas, a UK Green MEP, has called for a ban on the imports of illegally logged timber as part of efforts to help prevent deforestation.

Lucas, who is drafting the European Parliament’s position on illegal logging, told MEPs on the environment committee today (6 April) that draft legislation agreed by agriculture ministers last year would fail to stop illegal timber from entering the EU. Lucas said the position agreed “isn’t strong enough or rigorous enough to prevent continued illegal trading on the EU market”. She called for MEPs to take a strong position and “not kid ourselves that this is only a problem outside the EU”.

Armed conflict

Illegal logging is closely tied to deforestation, armed conflict and organised crime as well as contributing to lowering timber prices. Around one to two-fifths of all wood production comes from illegal sources, according to a United Nations report published in 2007.

The European Commission set out a proposal to tackle the EU’s contribution to the problem in October 2008, but progress has been slow.

With work on the second reading of the regulation now under way, the Parliament and the Council of Ministers are far apart, a point reinforced by many – but not all – of the comments in today’s debate. Last year the Council rejected nearly all the changes to the legislation that MEPs wanted. Lucas said she planned to re-table many of these rejected amendments because of the weakness of the Council position.

‘Due diligence’

One of the dividing points is whether the EU should impose an outright ban on illegal timber and products derived from it. The Council does not want a ban explicitly written into the law, but instead requires companies to undertake “due diligence” to ensure the wood they buy comes from legal sources. Lucas told the committee that an explicit ban was needed to make the law “systematically effective”

The MEP also disagrees with the Council over penalties. While national governments are happy with more general language that penalties should be “effective, proportionate and dissuasive”, Lucas would like to see member states given much more explicit guidance on punishing importers of wood from illegal logging.

(The article continues below the photo.)

 

The two sides are also at odds over exemptions from the law for recycled products and the inclusion of labour standards into the law.

Socialists, Liberals and a member of the Conservative anti-federalist group offered warm support to Lucas. “The member states are full of lofty statements about biodiversity and reducing emissions,” said Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, a Dutch Liberal, “I can’t for the life of me understand why the Council has taken such a weak position.”

Julie Girling, a UK Conservative, praised Lucas’s work and said that she was not convinced that the “huge extra burdens” some companies warned of “actually existed”.

But members of the centre-right European People’s Party gave Lucas a more muted reception. “It would be good to have complete traceability, but that would be difficult in the real world,” said Karl-Heinz Florenz, a German centre-right MEP, who argued that the focus of the EU’s fight against illegal timber should be on customs controls. Some of his party colleagues warned about the effects on small businesses and the demand for wood. “We do need to preserve future wood as a raw material,” said Françoise Grossetête, a French centre-right MEP, who warned against putting “a huge bureaucratic burden” on companies.

The environment committee will vote on the second draft of Lucass’s report in May, with a vote by the full Parliament to follow in June.

Cautious retail support

Before the committee started its debate, four big European retailers gave a cautious welcome to EU action on illegal logging. Carrefour, Kingfisher, IKEA and Marks & Spencer announced that they were setting up the Timber Retail Coalition (TRC), a vehicle for like-minded companies to argue for current proposals to build on existing voluntary measures and “send a clear message that illegally-harvested timber is not acceptable”.

Ian Cheshire, group chief executive officer of Kingfisher, which includes the B&Q and Brico Depot brands, said: “The TRC’s ultimate aim is to provide our customers with the reassurance that every single wood product they buy has been legally sourced. We now need Brussels to take action necessary to achieve this.”