“The Supreme Court has dealt a blow to the fight to preserve voting rights. The court yesterday ruled two provisions of an Arizona voting law that restrict how ballots can be cast do not violate the historic Voting Rights Act that bars regulations that result in racial discrimination. Critics see the ruling as essentially gutting what’s left of the Voting Rights Act. This also means the restrictive voting laws that Republican-led states are implementing this yearare more likely to withstand legal challenges. The decision also raises questions about the legacy of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority. The Supreme Court term is now over, and attention is turning to Justice Stephen Breyer, the court's senior liberal who is facing intense calls to retire.” Read more at CNN
The US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.STEFANI REYNOLDS/BLOOMBERG
“The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that California may not require charities soliciting contributions in the state to report the identities of their major donors.
The vote was 6-3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, rejected the state’s requirement, saying it violated the First Amendment’s protection of the freedom of association.
‘California casts a dragnet for sensitive donor information from tens of thousands of charities each year,’ he wrote, ‘even though that information will become relevant in only a small number of cases.’
The decision concerned charitable donations but its logic was sweeping, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent, suggesting that it could erode disclosure laws concerning political campaigns, too.” Read more at Boston Globe
Donald Trump, Allen Weisselberg and Donald Trump Jr. in 2017.Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
“Donald Trump’s company has long engaged in aggressive accounting maneuvers that involve classifying many of its executives’ personal expenses as business expenses.
Trump’s residences are considered part of the business. So are his aircraft. More than $70,000 to pay for his haircuts has fallen into the same category, as has almost $100,000 paid to a hair and makeup artist of Ivanka Trump. The company even classified a suburban New York estate that Eric Trump once called ‘a retreat for the Trump family’ as an investment property, as a Times investigation disclosed last year.
These practices have allowed the Trumps to reduce their tax bills because business expenses are not subject to the same taxes that personal income is. Some experts say that the pattern amounts to tax evasion, while Trump has long insisted that the company has done nothing wrong.
Yesterday, the Manhattan district attorney said that the company, known as the Trump Organization, had crossed the line into illegality on dozens of occasions and charged it with a fraud scheme stretching over 16 years. The charges do not involve the Trump family’s expenses like the residences and haircuts; they are focused instead on the company’s longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, who was also personally charged.
But the common theme — aggressively treating personal expenses as business expenses, sometimes legally and perhaps sometimes not — is clear.
Trump 2024?
It remains uncertain whether Trump or his children will ever face charges, but it seems possible. ‘These investigations work in stages, and there’s no indication that the investigation is winding down,’ Ben Protess, who’s been covering the investigation, told us. ‘Once you indict the C.F.O. and the company, that pretty much only leaves Donald Trump himself.’
Although many legal scholars believe that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime, a former president clearly can be.
A central question is whether Weisselberg — who’s 73 and began working as a bookkeeper for Fred Trump, Donald’s father, a half-century ago — will remain loyal to the family, as he has so far. If he instead chooses to cooperate with investigators, it could expose the Trump family to substantial legal risk.
Politically, there is a big difference between the case ending with yesterday’s charges and Trump himself facing charges. Evidence of Trump’s questionable business practices — including using his presidency to help his company — has done little to change the views of his political supporters. Fighting criminal charges, however, could require much of Trump’s time and attention and complicate any potential presidential campaign in 2024.
‘On the other hand,’ our colleague Maggie Haberman said, ‘Trump allies say he will be reluctant to say he is not seeking office again until the investigation is over. So he appears locked on his current course for the foreseeable future.’
The details
In court yesterday, Carey Dunne, a senior member of the district attorney’s office, described the Trump Organization’s behavior as ‘a sweeping and audacious illegal payments scheme.’ The indictment argues that the company gave Weisselberg $1.7 million in perks that it recorded as compensation in an internal spreadsheet but kept off its books to avoid taxes. Weisselberg also failed to mention some of the payments in his own tax filings. (Here is a more detailed Times explainer of the charges.)
Weisselberg pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers said he would fight the charges. Lawyers for the Trump Organization released a statement calling the charges politically motivated: ‘This case signals that it is now open season for local prosecutors to target federal political opponents and adversaries.’
Among the charges in the indictment:
The Trump Organization spent almost $1.2 million in untaxed income to allow Weisselberg and his wife to live in an apartment on the Hudson River. While living there, Weisselberg also concealed the fact that he was a New York City resident, allowing him to evade city taxes.
The company paid for two of Weisselberg’s relatives to attend Columbia Prep, a private school in Manhattan, at a cost of $359,000. Trump personally signed some of the checks.
The company illegally paid for two Mercedes-Benzes for Weisselberg and his wife, as well as beds, TVs and carpeting installation for his and his children’s homes.
The company gave — and hid — cash to Weisselberg that he used as holiday tips.
For more: The charges may hurt Trump’s finances. Indictments can jeopardize relationships with banks, and Trump has large outstanding loans.” Read more at New York Times
“Hiring leapt back up in June as employers added 850,000 workers, the government reported Friday, a fresh sign that the labor market’s recovery is gaining momentum.
The unemployment rate rose slightly, to 5.9 percent, the Labor Department said.
The report follows several promising economic developments this week. Consumer confidence, which surged in June, is at its highest point since the pandemic’s onset last year. Stocks closed out the first half of the year at record highs, and businesses’ plans for capital investments are rising. The Congressional Budget Office said Thursday that the economy was on track to recover all the jobs lost in the pandemic by the middle of next year.
At the moment, more than six million fewer jobs exist than before the pandemic. Millions of people have dropped out of the labor force, however, and “job openings far outnumber the applicants,” said Karen Fichuk, chief executive of the staffing company Randstad North America. “It is truly across the board right now.”
Aside from ever-present concerns about pay and benefits, workers are particularly interested in jobs that allow them to work remotely at least some of the time. According to a Ranstad survey of more than 1,200 people, 54 percent say they prefer a flexible work arrangement that doesn’t require them to be on-site full-time.” Read more at New York Times
“On Thursday, 130 countries reached a historic corporate tax agreement, approving a proposal to set a minimum 15 percent corporate tax rate following years of negotiations led by the OECD.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hailed the deal as a breakthrough for ‘better regulated globalization,’ while U.S. President Joe Biden said it brings the world closer to halting ‘the race to the bottom’ on corporate taxes as he offered a reminder of his campaign goal of delivering a ‘foreign policy for the middle class.’
Although the agreement brings more than 90 percent of the world’s economies together, there is still some ground to cover before it becomes a truly global agreement. Negotiators were successful in bringing multinational favorites like Switzerland and Barbados on board, but nine countries are still holding out—with the European economies of Estonia, Hungary, and Ireland among those yet to sign on.
Since the floor has been set so low, countries shouldn’t expect a major windfall. The deal could lead to a $150 billion increase in the global tax take starting in 2023, the OECD said in a statement. It did not mention that roughly 60 percent those new funds will likely be recouped by G-7 nations.
A higher minimum. Developing countries are still pushing for a higher minimum. In a statement, the 37-member states of the African Tax Administration Forum accepted the agreement in principle but vowed to continue its campaign to increase the minimum rate to at least 20 percent. A higher rate is essential for African nations, the group said, pointing to the larger reliance on corporate tax revenues as a proportion of the overall tax take in their countries than in more wealthy nations.
Shrinking tax rates. Still, it may help arrest a trend over the last several decades of declining corporate rates. According to the Tax Foundation, the average corporate tax rate globally was roughly 40 percent in 1980; that figure has dropped to 23.85 percent in 2020.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“The House voted this week to create a select committee to investigate the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol -- and it’s immediately become a politically fraught assignment. Republicans have made it clear they’re not interested, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy even threatened to strip party members of other committee assignments if they accepted an offer from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve. So far, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney has been tapped as one of the Democratic House speaker's committee picks. Cheney was previously removed from GOP House leadership after repeatedly criticizing ex-President Trump's false election claims. Meanwhile, new video from the insurrection is prompting more legal action against people who were there. The Justice Department this week rounded up several new defendants accused of destroying thousands of dollars' worth of professional broadcast equipment.”
“More local officials in the US are sounding the alarm over another possible wave of Covid-19 just as people are setting off for the July 4 holiday. For instance, places in Arkansas have seen a surge, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson says more than 90% of active virus cases are among unvaccinated people. To combat the spread of the Delta variant, the Biden administration is planning to deploy response teams across the US to areas with high infection rates. As for vaccines, Johnson & Johnson says data shows its vaccine provides immunity that lasts at least eight months and appears to provide adequate protection against the Delta variant.” Read more at CNN
“Rescue efforts at the Florida condo collapse site could face more challenges soon as a tropical storm approaches and risk of further collapse lingers. Work had to be halted for much of yesterday as engineers assessed the structure still standing. The rest of the building is expected to be demolished in coming weeks. Meanwhile, more ominous details from the years leading up to the collapse are coming to light. The building department in Surfside, Florida, was the target of mounting complaints by residents and contractors in late 2018 -- so much so that the town manager at the time placed the office under administrative review. A family suing the Champlain Towers South condo association also claims an engineering firm that performed a 2018 structural analysis on the building should have been more thorough.” Read more at CNN
“Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a moratorium on federal executions to allow for a Justice Department review of death penalty policy.” Read more at USA Today
“The Boys Scouts of America more than doubled its initial offer of compensation to sexually abused Scouts to $850 million, setting the stage for an historic settlement as part of the youth organization's bankruptcy proceedings.” Read more at USA Today
“KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — After nearly 20 years, the U.S. military today left Bagram Airfield, the epicenter of its war to oust the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaeda perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The airfield was handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force in its entirety.
Why it matters: The withdrawal from Bagram Airfield is the clearest indication that the last of the 2,500-3,500 U.S. troops have left Afghanistan or are nearing a departure — months ahead of President Biden's promise that they would be gone by Sept. 11.
At its peak around 2012, Bagram Airfield saw more than 100,000 U.S. troops pass through its sprawling compound.
Between the lines: The departure is rife with symbolism. Not least, it's the second time that an invader has come and gone through Bagram. Last time, it was the Soviet Union.” Read more at Axios
“WASHINGTON — Two weeks after President Biden met President Vladimir Putin of Russia and demanded that he rein in the constant cyberattacks directed at US targets, US and British intelligence agencies Thursday exposed the details of what they called a global effort by Russia’s military intelligence organization to break into government organizations, defense contractors, universities, and media companies.
The operation, described as crude but broad, is ‘almost certainly ongoing,’ the National Security Agency and its British counterpart, known as GCHQ, said in a statement. They identified the Russian intelligence agency, or GRU, as the same group that hacked into the Democratic National Committee and released emails in an effort to influence the 2016 presidential election in favor of Donald Trump.” Read more at Boston Globe
“The N.F.L. on Thursday announced that the Washington Football Team would pay a $10 million fine to the league after a yearlong investigation into reports of the club’s rampant culture of sexual harassment perpetuated by managers and executives under the ownership of Daniel Snyder. The team also must reimburse the league for the cost of the investigation.
Snyder will remove himself from day-to-day business operations of the club through at least mid-October, ceding that control to his wife and new co-chief executive, Tanya Snyder. Daniel Snyder, though, will attend games and continue to work on searching for a new team name and a new stadium. Vestry Laight, a firm that works with companies to address misconduct, which was already retained by the team, will provide the league with updates on the team’s human resources practices for the next two years.
Roger Goodell, the league’s commissioner, ‘concluded that for many years the workplace environment at the Washington Football Team, both generally and particularly for women, was highly unprofessional,’ the N.F.L. said in a statement. ‘Bullying and intimidation frequently took place and many described the culture as one of fear, and numerous female employees reported having experienced sexual harassment and a general lack of respect in the workplace.’
The penalties are some of the harshest levied against an N.F.L. team and conclude an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and abuse by men in the team’s front office dating to 2004. Beth Wilkinson, a lawyer based in Washington who led the investigation, shared her findings in an oral presentation that formed the basis of the league’s decision to penalize the team.” Read more at New York Times
“U.S. sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson has been suspended for one month after testing positive for marijuana, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday morning.
The positive test result invalidates Richardson's performance at the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, where she won the women's 100-meter dash, and will prevent the 21-year-old from competing in her signature event at the Tokyo Olympics later this month.
Richarson issued an apology on NBC's ‘Today’ show on Friday morning.
‘I want to take responsibility for my actions,’ Richardson said on NBC. ‘I know what I did. I know what I'm supposed to do. I know what I'm allowed not to do, and I still made that decision.’
In response to a question from host Savannah Guthrie, Richardson confirmed that she ingested marijuana after an interview with a reporter in which the reporter informed her that her biological mother had died. She said it was a heavy emotional burden for her to carry on the eve of such a critical event, and that it sent her into a state of ‘emotional panic.’” Read more at USA Today
“Bessemer Trust is requesting to withdraw as co-conservator of Britney Spears' estate. The wealth management firm made the request ‘due to changed circumstances.’” Read more at USA Today
“J.D. Vance, the author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ will run for the Senate in Ohioas a Republican.” Read more at New York Times
“Prince Harry and Prince William reunited for the unveiling of their late mother Princess Diana's new statue on what would have been her 60th birthday.” Read more at USA Today
“Lives Lived: As a teenager in Bulgaria, Boryana Straubel was a self-described math nerd. After immigrating to the U.S., she became a star executive at Tesla and founded a jewelry company that uses recycled metals. Straubel died at 38.” Read more at New York Times
“15% — The global minimum corporate tax rate agreed upon by 130 countries, including China and India. Their governments will now seek to pass laws ensuring that companies headquartered in their countries pay the minimum tax rate in each of the nations in which they operate, cutting down on opportunities for tax avoidance. The minimum tax is part of an overhaul that amounts to the most sweeping change in international taxation in a century.
1,000-plus — The number of unmarked graves discovered in roughly the past month by indigenous groups in Canada near former schools for indigenous children. The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations said more than 100 school sites were in need of investigating. The most recent discovery of graves earlier this week contributes to the mounting evidence of the country’s history of mistreatment of indigenous peoples.
20% — Share of job postings on ZipRecruiter that offered a signing bonus in June, up from 2% in March. As U.S. employers scramble to hire, many are willing to sweeten the offer with extra cash, especially in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and food service. Employers say the bonuses give them a leg up against the federal unemployment benefits that have carried many workers through the pandemic.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The European Union is on track to ban the caging of farm animals as part of new ethical farming proposals now under consideration following a successful citizens petition to ‘End the Cage Age.’ Under EU law, the European Commission must consider citizen petitions if they garner over 1 million signatures across two-thirds of member states and on Wednesday the Commission responded, outlining steps toward making cage-free farming a reality by 2027.
‘Animals are sentient beings and we have a moral, societal responsibility to ensure that on-farm conditions for animals reflect this,’ Stella Kyriakides, the E.U. commissioner for health and food safety, said on Wednesday.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Closing the door | Australia will cut international arrivals by 50% as it races to stem a rise in the delta variant of Covid-19 that forced half the population into lockdown this week. The government is searching for a road map out of the pandemic amid a sluggish vaccination rate — the second-slowest among OECD nations — that has made it particularly vulnerable.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Vaccinated people living legally in the EU will be able to travel freely within the bloc without a negative Covid-19 test or quarantine period. The first-of-its-kind digital health certificate contains a scannable QR code and can be downloaded to a mobile app or printed depending on the national system in place. Among the bloc’s population of about 450 million, about 200 million certificates have been generated. Airlines hope the certificates will lead to a jump in air travel. As of earlier this week, however, only about 15 of the EU’s 27 member states had submitted plans to Brussels on how the vaccine-passport system will be implemented at their borders. In addition to the 27 EU members, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have also signed up for the system.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Top White House officials are mobilizing to defend Vice President Kamala Harris amid a gusher of leaks about dysfunction and infighting in her office, Axios' Margaret Talev and Jonathan Swan report.
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain told Axios in a statement: ‘The President's trust and confidence in her is obvious when you see them in the Oval Office together.’
Biden senior adviser Cedric Richmond said in an interview last night: ‘It’s a whisper campaign designed to sabotage her.’
Their responses came after Axios approached the White House with new reporting about growing tensions between West Wing officials and the Harris team, including chief of staff Tina Flournoy.
Some White House officials have been frustrated by a series of missteps from Harris and increasingly public bickering in her orbit, which spilled out in a Politico story on Wednesday.
Why it matters: 2024 is the elephant in the room. While Biden aides overwhelmingly believe he'll be the Democratic nominee, they also know he'd be 81 when seeking re-election.
Many Democrats, including some current senior administration officials, are concerned she couldn't defeat the Republican nominee — even if it were Donald Trump.
An operation sometimes visibly out of sync with Biden's — and missteps during a recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border, including an interview with NBC's Lester Holt — have reignited questions from Harris' 2020 primary bid.
Several administration officials used ‘shitshow’ when describing Harris' office, and contrast her operation with disciplined, virtually leakproof Biden aides.” Read more at Axios