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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.

Biden to name Gary Gensler as U.S. SEC chair REUTERS Gary Gensler will be named chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by President-elect Joe Biden, said two sources familiar with the matter, an appointment likely to prompt concern among Wall Street firms of tougher regulation.

How Buttigieg Might Start The #MeToo Movement In Automotive Safety Design FORBES

SEC Charges Real Estate Fund Manager With Misappropriating Over $7 Million From Retail Investors SEC The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged fund manager Eric C. Malley and his company MG Capital Management L.P. with defrauding retail investors in two real estate funds managed by MG Capital.

Judge Signs Off On $73M Preliminary Settlement in UCLA Doctor Case MY NEWS L.A. A federal judge has given preliminary approval of a settlement in which the University of California system agreed to pay $73 million to more than 5,500 women who were patients of a former UCLA gynecologist who has been charged with 20 felony counts of sexual assault, it was announced Monday.

Hyundai recall 471,000 Tucson SUVs: Automaker says owners should park outside USA TODAY Hyundai is adding about 471,000 SUVs to a September U.S. recall for an electrical short in a computer that could cause fires. And the company is warning owners to park the SUVs outdoors until the problem is repaired.

New law cracks down on shell companies to combat corruption ABC A watershed reform of U.S. money laundering laws could allow investigators to uncover the proceeds of foreign bribery, drug trafficking and terrorism in just a few keystrokes The new legislation quietly passed by Congress last month after a decade-long fight is the most sweeping banking reform of its kind since passage of the Patriot Act, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Remote-Working Sexual Harassment Exacerbated Since Spring Lockdown, Poll Finds THE INDEPENDENT A quarter of women suffering sexual harassment while working from home say the misconduct was exacerbated after the government announced a lockdown in March and more time was spent online working remotely, new data shows.

Tesla’s sudden accelerations were user error, US government says THE VERGE

Boeing agrees to pay $2.5B+ to settle criminal fraud charges over 737 MAX SEATTLE TIMES Boeing has agreed with the U.S. government to pay more than $2.5 billion to defer prosecution and resolve a charge of “criminal misconduct” in its certification of the 737 MAX, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.