The man behind the conservative effort to move the judiciary to the right has ties to many of the groups and people arguing that Donald Trump should stay on the ballot in a case heard before the US supreme court this week.Leonard Leo’s advocacy and financial network played a major role in Trump’s judicial nominations and confirmation hearings as part of his years-long push to make the courts more friendly to conservatives and their causes. Justice Clarence Thomas once joked that Leo was the “No 3 most powerful person in the world”.US ethics groups hail Senate subpoenas for Leonard Leo and Harlan CrowRead moreLeo is the co-chairman of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization that counts five of the current nine justices as current or former members. He also heads a well-funded financial network that works to advance rightwing causes, having received a massive $1.6bn donation to boost his work. His maneuvers have been part of the recent scandals at the supreme court, including a payment he directed to be paid to Thomas’s wife, Ginni, the Washington Post reported in 2023.

Source: Revealed: rightwinger Leonard Leo linked to efforts to keep Trump on ballot | US supreme court | The Guardian

Considered the finest expression of the Sangiovese grape, Brunello di Montalcino is the standard bearer for the Tuscan variety. The vineyards surrounding the beautiful hilltop village of Montalcino received DOC status in 1968, and in 1980 Brunello di Montalcino was upgraded to become Italy’s first DOCG wine region. Signifying “controlled and guaranteed name of origin,” this is the country’s highest designation regarding production standards. Brunello wine is made with a dark, thick-skinned clone of Sangiovese called Sangiovese Grosso that locals call Brunello, which is a nickname for the Italian word for brown.Made with 100 percent Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino wine must age at least two years in oak and an additional four months in bottle prior to release, but wines may not be sold any sooner than five years after the harvest. Riserva wines are sold six years after the harvest. On the one hand, aging prior to release means that the wine is ready to drink when you buy it, while on the other Brunello’s levels of tannins and acidity make it incredibly age-worthy, so these wines can spend decades in your cellar before opening. While the 2018s have just become available, you will not be disappointed if you pick up a bottle from another recent vintage, especially the outstanding 2015 harvest.Expect bold red fruit flavors such as cherry, cranberry and fig with notes of vanilla, licorice, coffee, chocolate, violet or rose and touches of earthiness. Younger bottles will exhibit strong tannins, while those with a bit of age will show a more refined and polished tannic profile. Either way, the wine’s high acidity will keep the tannins from overpowering your palate. Brunello di Montalcino is terrific alongside risotto or pasta with mushrooms, classic Italian American entrees like veal or chicken parmesan, or flame-kissed Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Here are seven to savor now or cellar for a few years.

Source: The 7 Best Brunello di Montalcino Wines to Buy Now in 2023

There are more than 16,000 sanctions imposed against Russia. Yet the Russian economy and war machine grew by 3.6 per cent in 2023 and is projected to grow another 2.6 per cent in 2024.Nearly six per cent of Russia’s gross domestic product goes towards military spending. At a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scrambling to acquire arms, funds and recruits, Vladimir Putin seems confident in his ambitions for the future.How have 16,000 strategic sanctions issued by some of the most powerful economies in the world failed to derail Putin?As I recently watched the news break on CBC about Russia’s robust economy, an advertisement from the World Gold Council popped onto the screen. And there was the answer, hiding in plain sight: Gold.

Source: Vladimir Putin’s gold strategy explains why sanctions against Russia have failed

This was an exciting year for cookbooks. New releases focused on a diverse variety of cuisines and included the debuts of several exciting authors. Interconnectedness was a key theme, with many books drawing from global influences or emphasizing the fusion of international traditions and groups of people. Gastro Obscura spoke with many authors about how their culture and personal experiences have shaped their goals for developing and sharing recipes. We also explored historical cookbooks and the role they played in creating the food we know and love today. From the old to the new, here are our favorite cookbook stories of 2023.

Source: Our Favorite Cookbook Stories of 2023

Donald Trump’s allies have put together a sprawling political operation that continually collects money from major donors, many of whom have interests before the Trump administration.Six groups funded by dozens of ultra-wealthy donors have raised more than $50 million to support President Donald Trump and his agenda since his inauguration, a sharp reversal from his three-year-old pledge to be independent from moneyed interests, a Public Citizen analysis (PDF) has found.It’s a sharp contrast with Trump’s first run for office, which was famously dysfunctional. Our analysis of Federal Election Commission data found that since the start of 2017, the six pro-Trump groups had raised $54.4 million from 136 megacontributors who donated at least $100,000 each, with an average contribution of nearly $400,000.The money has been used to promote Trump’s agenda through ads and support Republican candidates.These six groups, including America First Action and Trump Victory, are fueled with contributions from corporate CEOs, largely from the gambling, finance, real estate and energy sectors, as well as from dark money groups that do not disclose their donors.We analyzed contributions by the six largest groups used by big-money donors to support Trump and Vice President Mike Pence from January 2017 to mid-October 2018. The analysis excludes Trump’s official campaign committee, which is subject to the federal $2,700 cap on individual donations.As the 2020 election season gets underway, the report highlights the growing influence of Trump’s fundraising operation and provides further evidence that moneyed interests, rather than the working class, are the true beneficiaries of Trump’s presidency.With significant contributions from the gambling, finance, real estate and energy sectors, Trump’s bogus claim to be a populist president looking after the common man rings ever hollower.Here’s a look at where the big Trump money is coming from:

Source: The Super-Rich People Backing the Trump Agenda – Public Citizen

The US Navy and US Air Force have tapped Raytheon to design, build and test two high-power microwave antenna systems. These will be used in field-grade directed energy weapons to counter aerial drones and similar threats.

Source: Raytheon to build microwave weapon antennas for US Air Force and Navy

Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has agreed to return at least $1.1bn (£870m) to customers of its defunct lending programme as part of a settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).The company will also pay a $37m fine for “significant failures”.Gemini’s Earn programme was halted during a crypto crash in November 2022.The exchange was co-founded by twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss – known for their legal dispute with Facebook.”Gemini failed to conduct due diligence on an unregulated third party, later accused of massive fraud, harming Earn customers who were suddenly unable to access their assets after Genesis Global Capital experienced a financial meltdown,” NYDFS Superintendent Adrienne Harris said in a statement.”Today’s settlement is a win for Earn customers, who have a right to the assets they entrusted to Gemini.”The NYDFS also said it could bring further action against Gemini if it did not return at least $1.1bn to customers.In a blog post Gemini said it had “worked tirelessly over the past 15 months to advocate for Earn users and seek the return of their assets”.”If approved, we will be returning over $1.8 billion in value (at today’s prices) — $700 million more than when Genesis halted withdrawals on November 16, 2022.”The company also said it would contribute $40m to the conclusion of Genesis’ bankruptcy in order to benefit Earn customers.The Earn programme was offered in partnership with cryptocurrency lender Genesis Global Capital.It was halted in November 2022, followed by Genesis filing for bankruptcy. Since then there has been extensive litigation between Genesis, Gemini and Genesis’ parent company, Digital Currency Group.Gemini Earn customers have been unable to access their funds in those accounts since late 2022. The settlement means they are one step closer to getting their money back.Gemini is run by the Winklevoss twins, Tyler and Cameron, who are also known for a long-running legal dispute with Facebook and its boss Mark Zuckerberg.In January 2023, Gemini and Genesis were charged by US regulators with illegally selling crypto assets to hundreds of thousands of investors.The companies were accused of breaking the law by offering and selling the products through Earn, which launched in 2021.The US Securities and Exchange Commission is in charge of the case.

Source: Winklevoss crypto firm Gemini to return $1.1bn to customers