On Wednesday, Elon Musk threatened to sue organizations funded by left-wing financier George Soros for falsely claiming "hate incidents" are on the rise, in order to justify censorship. Less than a day later, Biden's 'not weaponized' DOJ slapped SpaceX with a lawsuit for not hiring asylum seekers and refugees.
According to the lawsuit - which has been brewing since 2020, the DOJ found that "SpaceX failed to fairly consider or hire asylees and refugees because of their citizenship status and imposed what amounted to a ban on their hire regardless of their qualification, in violation of federal law," according to Kristen Clarke, assistant AG of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division.
"SpaceX recruiters and high-level officials took actions that actively discouraged asylees and refugees from seeking work opportunities at the company," according to the complaint.
According to data SpaceX provided, the DOJ said that over a nearly four period and across more than 10,000 hires, the company “hired only one individual who was an asylee and identified as such in his application.”
That lone hire came about four months after the DOJ notified SpaceX of its investigation.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. The suit was filed in the Executive Office for Immigration Review, a division of the DOJ that adjudicates immigration cases. -CNBC
SpaceX and other rocket companies have for years asserted that its hiring practices were dictated by the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) law, which regulates the export of regulated technologies, such as rocket parts. An "export" is deemed to have occurred if technology is disclosed to a foreigner, even in the U.S.
Musk responded Thursday night, tweeting "SpaceX was told repeatedly that hiring anyone who was not a permanent resident of the United States would violate international arms trafficking law, which would be a criminal offense," adding "This is yet another case of weaponization of the DOJ for political purposes."
The Biden administration's lawsuit seeks to win "fair consideration and back pay for asylees and refugees who were deterred or denied employment at SpaceX due to the alleged discrimination," along with civil penalties and policy changes from the company.
Will the DOJ go after Northrop, Lockheed and Boeing for the same thing?
AEON Biopharma, Inc. (“AEON” or the “Company”) (NYSE: AEON, AEON WS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a proprietary botulinum toxin complex for the treatment of multiple debilitating medical conditions, today announced that it has received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for U.S. Patent Application No. 17/006,685, titled “Neurotoxin Compositions for Use in Treating Headache” (the “Application”), which involves the Company’s lead asset, ABP-450 (prabotulinumtoxinA) injection. The soon to issue patent will provide protection in the United States for the claimed methods of use of ABP-450 into 2041.
The S&P Global Ratings on Thursday downgraded Hawaiian Electric Industries and all of its rated subsidiaries to 'B-' from 'BB-', citing the company's likely inconsistent access to the capital markets in the aftermath of the recent Maui wildfires.
"Given the essential nature of the services provided by HEI, we believe that having consistent access to the capital markets is fundamental for the long-term success of its operations," S&P said in a note.
S&P said it views the Honolulu-based company's engagement with financial advisors related to scenario planning as indication of the potential for adverse developments regarding its debt service capacity in the future.
The rating agency expects that the economic and potential non-economic damages may exceed the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's initial $5.5 billion damage assessment.
"As the fatalities continue to rise, pressure is likely to increase on all stakeholders, including HEI," it said.
The ratings of the company - Hawaii's largest utility - remain on CreditWatch, where they were placed with negative implications on Aug. 15 after S&P put the company at "BB-".
Moody's and Fitch also downgraded Hawaiian Electric to junk status earlier this month. The company had said it was not looking to restructure but was seeking expert advice amid investor worries over its role in the Maui wildfires that have claimed at least 115 lives.
A US official has informed The New York Times on Thursday that the Pentagon plans to begin training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets inside the US, as part of a program which could start as early as September.
Already a program has been kicked off in the Netherlands and Denmark, which Kiev has complained has been too slow to get off the ground, also given it only includes six Ukrainian pilots. At this rate, the expected date that Ukraine could be piloting the US-made jets in battle keeps getting pushed back- from estimates of next summer to now perhapsend of 2024.
"[We’re] open to training existing pilots if capacity is reached in Europe," a Pentagon spokesperson had initially previewed days ago, on Monday.
"That’s the condition. So, if Denmark and the Netherlands are taking the lead on training, if they just do not have the capacity … to train as many pilots as Ukraine wants to send or plans to send, then we will… help train stateside," the earlier statement added.
But on Thursday more details have come out, apparently with a fuller US commitment, which will see training locations which includes Texas and Arizona.
The NY Times details, "The pilots will first receive English language training in Texas and then begin months of flight training in Arizona, said the U.S. official who addressed the issue on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss future training plans."
Currently Denmark and the Netherlands have pledged quantities of their own Lockheed produced F-16s. The Biden White House earlier this month made the key decision to allow export of its fighters from third-parties, but has yet to commit its own, which could still be coming.
Ukrainian officials have all along bitterly complained it's becoming too little, too late in terms of F-16s aiding the failing counteroffensive. Kiev very obviously lacks any level of air superiority, which would be strategically necessary toward liberating territory. Many analysts are seeing the F-16 program as more about Ukraine's future defense, post-war.
Given the Europe-based pilot training program has a mere half-dozen Ukrainian pilots enrolled, it's not expected that the US program will host a large group of potential pilots.
As for precise location within Texas, the Ukrainians would likely be placed somewhere at one of the multiple Air Force facilities in San Antonio.
A Catholic school system in Massachusetts under the Diocese of Worcester is asking students to behave in accordance with their sex, including while using pronouns and names.
“All students are expected to conduct themselves at school in a manner consistent with their biological sex,” the Diocese said in an Aug. 15 announcement. “School practice shall consider the gender of all students as being consistent with their biological sex, including, but not limited to, the following: participation in school athletics; school-sponsored dances; dress and uniform policies; the use of changing facilities, showers, locker rooms, and bathrooms; titles, names, and pronouns; and official school documents.”
Official documents, including school records, transcripts, and diplomas shall reflect the student’s biological sex as determined at the time of their birth and enrollment.
The new policy prohibits students from engaging in advocacy, celebration, or expression of same-sex attraction in ways that cause “confusion or distraction” to the function of the school like classes, events, and other activities.
It also prohibits bullying, harassment, threats, or acts of violence against students on the basis of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
“While some schools had policies in place, others did not. Individual situations were arising which underscored a need for a single policy which clearly states Church teaching and provides consistent application of that teaching across all our schools,” said David Perda, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the diocese.
The new policy, titled “Catholic Education and the Human Person,” was approved by Bishop Robert McManus in late June and was sent to all Catholic schools to include them in school handbooks this fall. The Diocese is located roughly 45 miles west of Boston.
Some Schools Not Implementing New Rules
The Diocese of Worcester’s new policy is expected to affect 21 Catholic schools in Worcester, with over 5,000 students coming under the purview. However, some schools have indicated that they may not adopt the new guidelines.
In an Aug. 11 letter to Bishop McManus, Xaverian Brothers General Superior Brother Daniel Skala and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Sister Patty Chappell said that the boards of trustees of their religious orders had reviewed the policy, according to Patch.
Demonstrators listen to the speaking program during an "Our Bodies, Our Sports" rally for the 50th anniversary of Title IX at Freedom Plaza in the District of Columbia on June 23, 2022. The rally, organized by multiple athletic women's groups was held to call on President Joe Biden to put restrictions on transgender females and "advocate to keep women's sports female." (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The boards have decided not to implement the new policies in student handbooks at the two schools the orders sponsor—the all-girls Notre Dame Academy in Worcester and all-boys St. John's in Shrewsbury.
“We support our respective boards’ recent determination to uphold their established practices, guided by the principles of our Church and Religious Orders, instead of incorporating the [new policies] into their handbooks,” the letter stated.
Schools under the Diocese of Worcester that do not follow the new policy on gender ideology could face punishment.
Last year, Bishop McManus stripped the affiliation of Nativity School in Worcester, asking that it stop identifying itself as a Catholic school after the institution refused to take down LGBT and Black Lives Matter flags.
Bishop McManus had also prohibited the school from performing Mass ceremonies.
Pope Mixes Messaging
The Diocese of Worcester’s new policy is based on various Biblical sources and references the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as the teachings of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis has “repeatedly stressed the importance of a proper understanding of our sexuality, warning of the challenge posed by ‘the various forms of an ideology of gender that denies the difference and reciprocity in nature of a man and a woman and envisages a society without sexual difference,’” the policy states.
“As Pope Francis notes, we must always respect the sacred dignity of each individual person, but that does not mean the Church must accept the confused notions of secular gender ideology.”
Though the policy cites Pope Francis while dismissing gender ideology, the Pope has given mixed messages regarding the issue over the past years.
Back in 2013 when asked about the sexual orientation of priests, the Pope replied, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” according to AP.
In 2015, Pope Francis criticized gender ideologies, comparing such theories to nuclear weapons and genetic manipulation.
In 2021, Pope Francis came under criticism from the gay community after the Vatican stated that the church cannot bless same-sex unions. In an interview with AP in January this year, the Pope said homosexuality was “not a crime,” but that it is a “sin.”
The Diocese of Worcester’s decision to ban preferred pronouns comes as several institutions are imposing pronoun use and punishing people who do not comply with such measures. Teachers have been expelled from schools for not using such pronouns due to their religious beliefs.
In a recent interview with The Washington Examiner, Tyson Langhofer, a senior counsel at advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), suggested that as the issue of pronoun use becomes widespread, SCOTUS may have to intervene.
“I do believe that the Supreme Court is going to have to weigh in on this if schools continue adopting these policies, which it appears that they're doing,” he said.
“This issue is very [common] … And I think it's because there's a lot of misinformation out there from outside advocacy organizations, which are pressuring schools, telling them what they can and can't do.”
New York City’s legal marijuana market could generate $1.2 billion in sales and $47 million in tax revenue for city coffers when fully operational — but the high times might not happen until after 2030.
The long wait for the bud bucks to finally bloom is due to the current slow rollout of the opening of pot stores, of which only a handful of legal shops have opened, a new analysis released Thursday reveals.
“The rollout of the legal cannabis market has been slowed, however, by several challenges: illicit sales by unlicensed businesses, siting and funding issues for dispensary owners, and multiple lawsuits that have halted market growth in its tracks. As a result, the specific timeline for market maturation is unclear,” the city Independent Budget Office said in its report.
“It is exciting to contemplate a new source of revenue from legal cannabis sales, but it’s also important to take a realistic look at when and whether NY can count on this fiscal boost,” said IBO Director Louisa Chafee.
There are just 23 licensed cannabis retail stores that have opened in the state, 9 of them in the five boroughs.
Acourt injunction has recently froze licensing, after a judge concluded the Office of Cannabis Management likely broke the law by giving convicted pot dealerspreference over disabled vets and other social equity applicants in the awarding of licenses.
The city collects a 4% cannabis excise tax on each sale of ganga. The state collects a 9% excise tax plus a potency tax on the distribution of cannabis.
The sales and tax revenue estimates are based on scenarios on how many licensed cannabis stores open each year and the ongoing impact of the blatant illicit market
The City’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) predicts by 2027, the city will collect $38 million in cannabis tax revenue based on $950 million in sales.
IBO said that such market growth is possible — only if an average of 24 dispensaries opens per year, with each store making an average of $8.1 million in annual sales.
The cannabis industry in New York may only be fully functional by 2030.Paul Martinka
But IBO also said that if the current slow growth patterns continue the city will not reach $950 million in annual sales until after 2030.
Meanwhile, the city sheriff’s office said there’s a massive illicit weed market, with 1,500 unlicensed pot smoke shops operating in Gotham.
With the backing of Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, the state legislature and City Council recently passed tougher laws that have beefed up enforcement against illicit operators, but the IBO said it’s too soon to determine what impact they will have.
IBO said an estimated 1,500 unlicensed weed stores may hold as much as $484 million worth of untaxed cannabis products in total.
“If all those products were sold legally, the sales would generate $19.4 million in tax revenue for New York City. The NYC City Council recently passed legislation aimed at deterring the illegal smoke shops,” the analysis said.
As of July, 241 out of 463 cannabis retail dispensary licenses have been awarded to dealers in the five boroughs, or 52 percent.Sara Brittany Somerset sarabsomerset@gmail.com
IBO also said it reviewed sales and revenue from the legal marijuana markets in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington State — where pot has been legal for more than five years — to project sales in the Baked Apple.
It also based sales and tax revenue on the number of pot shops expected to open in the city.
As of July, 241 out of 463 cannabis retail dispensary licenses have been awarded to dealers in the five boroughs, or 52 percent.
Taking 52 percent of total statewide retail sales each year, IBO estimated the total citywide sales in each year of the forecast.
“IBO determined New York City could eventually see sales that could yield between $833.6 million and $1.2 billion in annual taxable sales. A market of this scale would yield between $33 million to $47 million in annual city revenue. However, New York State’s unique requirements for retail licenses have resulted in a slower rollout of the legal market,” the analysis said.
Despite the slow legal pot sales, New York City is already considered thelargest consumer of weed of any municipality on the globe.
Denizens of the five boroughs inhale or consume 62.3 metric tons of pot per year, a figure that translates to a staggering 62 million grams, or 6.9 grams a year consumed by the city’s typical resident, according to one cannabis tracker.
