Justice Department

ExxonMobil reaches $300 mn clean air settlement with US regulators

New York - AFP

ExxonMobil will spend $300 million to upgrade eight US chemical facilities and resolve allegations it spewed excess emissions of benzene and other dangerous chemicals into the air, US regulators announced Tuesday. The US petroleum giant will install new pollution controls and monitoring equipment at plants in Texas and Louisiana, according to a consent decree announced by the Justice Department, theRead more

US sues ex-Deutsche Bank exec for securities fraud

New York - AFP

The Justice Department brought civil fraud charges Monday against a former Deutsche Bank executive over alleged misrepresentations on more than $1 billion in mortgage-backed securities sold ahead of the 2008 financial crisis. US prosecutors are seeking an unspecified civil penalty from Paul Mangione, former Deutsche Bank head of sub-prime trading, charging that he misrepresented the quality of loans backing aRead more

Sweeping review could affect US police operations

Washington - Arab today

US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has ordered a sweeping review of federal agreements with dozens of law enforcement agencies, an examination that reflects President Donald Trump’s emphasis on law and order and could lead to a retreat on consent decrees with troubled police departments nationwide. In a memorandum dated March 31 and made public Monday, the attorney general directed his staffRead more

US cities urged to get tough on migrants

Washington - Arab Today

Donald Trump’s attorney general warned US cities that turning a blind eye to illegal migrants could jeopardize billions in federal funding, as the administration doubled down on tough immigration policies Monday. Jeff Sessions demanded so-called “sanctuary cities” — from Boston to Chicago to Los Angeles — do more to turn illegal immigrants over to the federal authorities for deportation. “TheRead more

Long before new hacks, US worried by Russian spying

Washington - Arab Today

Years before Russian intelligence agencies stood accused of interfering in the US presidential election and of orchestrating a massive Yahoo data breach, there was lingerie model Anna Chapman and her band of “Illegals” — Russian spies who assumed false identities and lived as deep-cover agents in middle-class America. The busting-up of that spy ring, along with the arrest two yearsRead more

Immigration judges headed to 12 U.S. cities to speed deportations

Washington – Arab Today

The U.S. Justice Department is developing plans to temporarily reassign immigration judges from around the country to 12 cities to speed up deportations of illegal immigrants who have been charged with crimes, according to two administration officials. How many judges will be reassigned and when they will be sent is still under review, according to the officials, but the JusticeRead more

Trump dismisses dozens of Obama-era federal prosecutors

Washington - Arab Today

The administration of US President Donald Trump on Friday moved to clean house at the Justice Department, demanding the resignations of 46 federal prosecutors appointed during the two terms of his predecessor Barack Obama. Presidents often order political appointees in several agencies to resign when they take office, but the abrupt nature of the move caught some by surprise —Read more

NAACP head: Sessions pledges to enforce civil rights laws

Washington - Arab Today

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been on the job less than a month but has already made some civil rights groups nervous by indicating the Justice Department will likely soften its focus on protecting voter rights and monitoring troubled police departments. The head of the NAACP met with Sessions on Friday at the attorney general’s request. The private meeting wasRead more

US administration defends ‘lawful’ travel ban

Washington - Arab Today

A US appeals court is set to hold a hearing on Tuesday over President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban, which the government is defending as a “lawful exercise” of his authority. The White House on Monday urged the court to reinstate the ban in the interests of national security three days after a federal judge barred enforcement of the controversialRead more

Trump Appoints Son-in-Law as White House Top Adviser

Washington - Arab Today

US President elect Donald Trump has appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner as the White House senior adviser Trump transition team said in a statement that Trump named the 36-year-old husband of his daughter Ivanka to be senior advisor to the president. "Kushner will work closely with chief of staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Stephen Bannon to execute president-electRead more