February, 2020

Harvey Weinstein, the powerhouse film producer whose dramatic downfall over sexual misconduct ignited a global movement, was found guilty of a felony sex crime and rape after a trial in which six women testified that he had sexually assaulted them. But the jury acquitted Mr. Weinstein of the two top charges against him, predatory sexual assault.

From Reuters:

Justice James Burke ordered Weinstein to be held in custody and he was put in handcuffs by officers in court. Officers helped Weinstein unsteadily to his feet before leading him away... He faces up to 25 years in prison on the sexual assault conviction. The sentencing hearing was scheduled for March 11.

"People are talking about how as well as she’s done, as good of a campaign she’s run, it is time for her to get out of the race," Scarborough said of Klobuchar before pivoting to Warren. "A lot of people starting to talk about Elizabeth Warren, who finished weak again... She finished in fourth place in her neighboring home state where she was supposed to win in New Hampshire last week. This week another disappointing finish..."

Mr Assange's lawyers say he could face up to 175 years in prison in the US if found guilty of one of the world's biggest data breaches, but James Lewis QC, for the US, described this as "hyperbole". Mr Lewis told the court that Mr Assange was not facing 18 charges for publishing "embarrassing" information the US would rather was not disclosed. He said that the majority of the charges related to "straightforward criminal" activity, which he described as a "conspiracy to steal from and hack into" the department of defence computer system along with former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.

The news came as worry grew over the spread outside China of the sometimes fatal virus, with a spike in the number of cases found in South Korea, Iran and Italy. Experts were baffled over outbreaks with no clear link to China.

It’s unclear exactly how Ocasio-Cortez managed to finagle the favor for her goddaughter, or which school she attended... Reps for AOC did not immediately respond to request for comment...

The development comes shortly after an attempt by his allies to bring down the government and block the succession of Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir's former rival...

India plastered billboards along the route to highlight the occasion, including one with a photo of Trump and Modi that read, “Two dynamic personalities. One momentous occasion.” Thousands of people lined the street, cheering on Trump’s motorcade, as it slowly rolled away from the airport. Some in the crowd waved American and Indian flags. Trump’s trip to India, his first as president, includes a massive rally at the world’s largest cricket stadium and a state dinner with Modi. He will also take private tours of the Taj Mahal and other landmarks, the Times of India reported.
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“I hear it’s going to be a big event. Some people say the biggest event they’ve ever had in India,” Trump said before he departed Washington. “That’s what the prime minister told me — this will be the biggest event they’ve ever had.”...

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Richard Farmer, an 83-year-old psychiatrist from Memphis, was found guilty of three counts of distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose... According to the evidence presented during his trial, Farmer prescribed opioids to three sisters with whom he was having sexual contact.

Shalala — a first-term congresswoman representing Florida’s 27th District — called on Sanders to “speak to some of my constituents” before choosing to “sing the praises of a murderous tyrant” such as Castro, who took control of Cuba by way of a deadly revolution and remained in power for decades as a dictator.

Smollett, 37, is expected to plead not guilty to the six counts of felony disorderly conduct during Monday's hearing. Moments after he arrived, Abel and Ola Osundairo - the two Nigerian brothers who say he paid them to attack him - showed up at the courthouse with their attorney. She told DailyMail.com last week that the pair were prepared to testify for either side in the case and that they want Smollett to 'tell the truth'.

From toothbrushes in luxury island resorts to 3D printing filament, products made from hemp-based plastics are popping up in consumer products since the crop was made legal in the United States in 2018 for the first time in 80 years...

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— J Owen Shroyer (@allidoisowen) February 24, 2020

Between 2011 and 2012, 49-year-old Clifton Collins bought 6,000 Bitcoin using money he earned from growing and selling weed, reports The Irish Times. At the time, the cryptocurrency's price varied between $4 and $6. Today it stands at over $9,700. But Collins isn't enjoying any euphoria for the windfall -- because his landlord threw out his Bitcoin codes.

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"Right away it was clear it was ancient, and we recognized the script it was written in: Luwian, the language used in the Bronze and Iron ages in the area." Translated by OI scholars, the pronouncement boasted of defeating Phrygia, the kingdom ruled by King Midas, legendary ancient ruler said to have a golden touch...

In both subpoenas, which are not yet publicly available, Apple demands L3Harris subsidiary Azimuth Security and Santander provide data including: all communications between the companies and Corellium, details on how they use the iPhone-virtualizing technology, all internal communications about the use of the tech, all contracts, and all information they have on the startup’s cofounder Chris Wade...

The engineered bacteria live in the guts of honey bees and act as biological factories, pumping out medicines protecting the bees against two major causes of colony collapse: Varroa mites and deformed wing virus. The researchers believe their method could one day scale up for agricultural use because the engineered bacteria are easy to grow, inoculating the bees is straightforward and the engineered bacteria are unlikely to spread beyond bees...