Anonymous ID: 5d8fa6 Oct. 11, 2024, 3:43 a.m. No.21745192   ๐Ÿ—„๏ธ.is ๐Ÿ”—kun

Considering the NAACP asked for this in both cases, it's probably a good thing they refused to extend it.

 

2 US Judges Refuse to Extend Voter Registration Following Hurricanes

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/judges-hurricanes-judges/2024/10/10/id/1183645/

 

Two federal judges have declined to extend voter registration in Florida and Georgia for the country's Nov. 5 elections, following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

 

Civil rights groups had argued the storms, which have collectively killed more than 200 people and cut power supply to millions, left residents with "hardships" that hindered their ability to register to vote ahead of the deadlines.

 

Despite this, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta denied a request by the state's NAACP chapter, the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda, and New Georgia Project on Thursday to extend the state's voter registration up to Oct. 14.

 

In a bench ruling, that was not immediately available online, Ross said arguments made by the plaintiffs' "lacked clarity and detail," according to CNN.

 

"We did not hear from anyone specifically who could not register to vote," Ross said.

 

The ruling came a day after U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee denied a similar request made by the League of Women Voters of Florida and the state NAACP chapter to extend the Oct. 7 deadline by 10 days.

 

The NAACP, which advocates for racial justice and rights for Black Americans, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Florida, historically a battleground state, has shifted right in recent years.

 

Georgia is one of seven closely contested states that are expected to determine the outcome of the presidential race between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate.

Anonymous ID: 5d8fa6 Oct. 11, 2024, 3:58 a.m. No.21745230   ๐Ÿ—„๏ธ.is ๐Ÿ”—kun   >>5256 >>5286 >>5298 >>5356 >>5365

Speaker Johnson: Congress Won't Return to Fund FEMA

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/mike-johnson-congress-fema/2024/10/10/id/1183656/

 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected the notion on Thursday that Congress should return from its recess to approve more funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency after two major hurricanes, Politico's E&E News reported.

 

Congress is in recess until after the election in order for lawmakers to campaign. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has maintained that FEMA will be out of disaster relief funds before hurricane season is over at the end of November.

 

However, Johnson believes the $20.3 billion allocated in the funding bill last month should be enough.

 

"To be clear: Congress will act again upon its return in November to address funding needs and ensure those impacted receive the necessary resources," Athina Lawson, a spokesperson for Johnson, said in a statement Thursday.

 

"In the meantime, the Administration needs to focus on getting the existing and sufficient disaster relief out to the millions of Americans in dire need and work to assess the extent and nature of the damage. Until the Administration does the work to provide an assessment, any action by Congress will be premature."

 

According to Mayorkas, FEMA has enough money for responding to the "immediate needs" from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but future disasters would bring serious issues unless more funding is approved.

Anonymous ID: 5d8fa6 Oct. 11, 2024, 4:06 a.m. No.21745255   ๐Ÿ—„๏ธ.is ๐Ÿ”—kun   >>5298 >>5356 >>5365

TD Bank Pleads Guilty, Pays $3B for Money Laundering

https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/td-bank-money-laundering/2024/10/10/id/1183603/

 

Two TD Bank units have pleaded guilty to U.S. criminal charges and agreed to pay $3 billion in combined penalties to resolve federal government probes into money laundering, U.S. authorities said Thursday.

 

The plea deal includes imposition of an asset cap and other limitations to its business, authorities said. The bank has pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money and conspiring to fail to file accurate reports or maintain a compliant anti-money laundering program, the Justice Department said.

 

The asset cap, imposed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, is a rare step typically reserved for severe cases. It would deal a major blow to TD, which has sought to expand further in the U.S., which accounts for about a third of the bank's income.

 

TD also agreed to pay $3 billion in combined penalties to U.S. banking regulators, the Justice Department and the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

 

The deal resolves investigations by the Justice Department, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. It is also includes the imposition of independent monitoring.

 

An asset cap is "worst case scenario" for TD, said Cormark Securities analyst Lemar Persaud prior to details of the plea deal being announced. The bank has already set aside $3 billion for the fine.

 

Persaud drew a parallel with Wells Fargo, which has a $1.95 trillion asset cap in place following a fake accounts scandal, which has constrained its earnings. An asset cap would also constrain TD's profits but to a lesser extent than it did for Wells Fargo, he said.

 

The TD probe has led to "significant underperformance of the stock and, we believe, the retirement of the current CEO Bharat Masrani," Persaud said.

 

TD is Canada's second biggest bank and the 10th largest in the U.S. The lender first revealed it was responding to inquiries from regulators and law enforcement last year, just months after it terminated a $13 billion acquisition of regional lender First Horizon.

 

Federal authorities began probing TD's internal controls after agents discovered a Chinese criminal operation bribed employees and brought large bags of cash into branches to launder millions of dollars in fentanyl sales through TD branches in New York and New Jersey, a source confirmed.

 

TD has spent millions to strengthen its compliance programs, fired dozens of staff at its U.S. branches and named its Canadian personal banking head Ray Chun as its new CEO, distancing its new chief from the money laundering scandal.

 

CEO Masrani, who has been at the helm for nearly a decade and previously led its U.S. operations, will retire next year. Masrani has said he takes full responsibility for the money laundering issues that have plagued the bank.