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Attorney General Becerra Announces $40 Million Nationwide Settlement with Apria Healthcare STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Asia Argento Accuses ‘Fast And The Furious’ Director Rob Cohen of Sexual Assault VARIETY Asia Argento is making fresh accusations of sexual abuse against “The Fast and the Furious” director Rob Cohen.

Ex-VW Manager Released Early From Diesel-Rigging Prison Term BLOOMBERG Former Volkswagen AG executive Oliver Schmidt, whose 2017 arrest at the Miami airport made global headlines, was released from prison after serving a bit more than half his sentence on charges related to the diesel-emissions scandal.

Allison Herren Lee Named Acting Chair of the SEC SEC The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has designated Allison Herren Lee as Acting Chair of the agency.

#MeToo hits Serbia as teacher at acting school is arrested over student rape allegations EURONEWS The news of the arrest of the famous director, screenwriter and acting teacher Miroslav "Mika" Aleksic has hit Serbia like a bombshell. Three young women who attended his prestigious acting school in Belgrade have alleged that he raped or sexually harassed them. The 68-year-old denied the accusations.

Georgetown University academic Chris Brummer in lead for CFTC chair REUTERS Georgetown University academic Chris Brummer has emerged as the leading candidate to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), according to three people with knowledge of the discussions. The White House is expected to make an announcement on that and other financial regulator roles soon, one of the people said. read more »

Volkswagen faces EU fine for missing 2020 emissions targets REUTERS Volkswagen faces a fine of more than 100 million euros ($121 million) for missing EU targets on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its 2020 passenger car fleet, the world’s largest carmaker said on Thursday. Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating emissions tests on diesel engines, a scandal that has cost it more than 30 billion euros in regulatory fines and vehicle refits, mostly in the United States. read more »

Ex-Coach Sentenced to 10 Years for Raping Star Skater NEW YORK TIMES A former national speedskating coach in South Korea was sentenced on Thursday to more than a decade in prison on charges of raping an Olympic athlete.

Space Force delays deal to ‘further evaluate’ contractor found to have acted fraudulently WASHINGTON POST

Harvey Weinstein can be questioned in accusers’ civil lawsuit, judge rules REUTERS A federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday rejected Harvey Weinstein's request to delay a deposition in a civil lawsuit by women who accused the imprisoned movie producer of sexual abuse and workplace harassment.

Automakers delay recalls to minimize stock penalties, avoid being the first safety issue in news cycle, study shows NEWSWISE Whether consciously or unconsciously, automotive firms time their product recalls to minimize stock price penalties, resulting in unnecessary delays and clusters of subsequent recalls by other companies, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.

Gary Gensler, Biden's pick to head SEC, has reputation as tough regulator NBC In nominating Gary Gensler to serve as chairman for the Securities and Exchange Commission, President-elect Joe Biden is likely to please progressives, who have been agitating for more bank oversight after four years of deregulatory policy under President Donald Trump’s SEC pick, Jay Clayton, who stepped down in December.

New York Mets GM Jared Porter fired for sending explicit texts, images to reporter ESPN The New York Mets fired general manager Jared Porter on Tuesday, a day after ESPN reported that he sent explicit, unsolicited texts and images to a female reporter in 2016 while working for the Chicago Cubs in their front office.

Toyota settles U.S. probe into delayed emissions defect reports for $180 million REUTERS Toyota Motor Corp settled a lengthy Justice Department civil probe into its delayed filing of emissions-related defect reports for $180 million, the government said on Thursday. The government said the settlement resolved Toyota’s “systematic, longstanding violations of Clean Air Act emission-related defect reporting requirements, which require manufacturers to report potential defects and recalls affecting vehicle components designed to control emissions.” read more »

Justice Department Recovers Over $2.2 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2020 DOJ

Young, attractive women 'more likely to be believed’ when making sexual harassment accusations, study finds YAHOO Women who are both young and attractive are more likely to be believed when making accusations of sexual assault, a new study has found.

Boeing to pay $25M to settle fraud case at drone unit Insitu that sparked whistleblower complaint SEATTLE TIMES Boeing’s drone subsidiary, Insitu, will pay $25 million to settle a federal lawsuit accusing it of fraudulently overcharging the government on no-bid military contracts by billing for new parts but using recycled ones.

U.S. asks Tesla to recall 158,000 vehicles for touchscreen failures REUTERS The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Wednesday asked Tesla Inc to recall 158,000 Model S and Model X vehicles over media control unit failures that could pose safety risks by leading to touchscreen displays not working.

Percentage of Women Who’ve Experienced Online Sexual Harassment Has Doubled Since 2017 MARKET WATCH A survey of more than 10,000 people concluded that the percentage of women who say they’ve experienced online sexual harassment has doubled since 2017, from 8% to 16%, as the share of men experiencing online sexual harassment remained about the same.

Florida Must Do Better at Stopping Sexual Abuse in Foster Care, Top Official Says TAMPA BAY TIMES During the most recent fiscal year, 92 children alleged that they were sexually abused by foster parents. Just six of those allegations were verified by the state. Zero children under the age of five had their complaints substantiated.