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<ul class="summary-list"><li>TD Bank shares fell 8% after it pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering charges and agreed to pay a $3 billion fine.</li><li>The charges involved a scheme by Chinese cartels bribing TD employees at bank branches in New York and New Jersey.</li></ul>Shares of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/td-stock">TD Bank</a> dropped as much as 8% on Thursday after it pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a $3 billion fine stemming from charges over its anti-money-laundering practices.The penalty is the largest ever anti-money-laundering fine imposed on a bank by US officials, eclipsing the nearly $2 billion fine HSBC paid in 2014 for transferring billions of dollars on behalf of Mexican drug cartels.Canada-based TD Bank's US unit also accepted an asset limit set by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regarding how big its asset size can grow.The bank cannot grow past its current $370 billion in asset size for as long as the asset cap is in place.This is the first time an asset cap has been levied against a bank since 2018 when Wells Fargo accepted an asset limit due to its fake account-opening scandal."The OCC's coordinated and comprehensive action, including the imposition of an asset cap, will ensure that the bank focuses on building proper controls commensurate with its risk profile," acting Comptroller of the Currency <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2024/nr-occ-2024-116.html">Michael Hsu said.</a>The charges stem from an investigation that revealed TD Bank didn't have proper anti-money laundering practices in place.The lack of controls enabled a money laundering scheme to take place by Chinese drug cartels that were linked to fentanyl sales.The Chinese criminal operation involved bribing bank employees at TD branches in New York and New Jersey, allowing hundreds of millions of dollars in fentanyl sales to be laundered.TD Bank's settlement includes the Department of Justice, FinCEN, the Federal Reserve, and the OCC.In a statement in August, TD Bank CEO Bharat Masrani said, "We recognize the seriousness of our U.S. AML program deficiencies and the work required to meet our obligations and responsibilities is of paramount importance to me, our senior leaders, and our boards."Masrani has since said he will retire from the company in April.TD Bank stock has since pared its gains to about 6%, trading at $59.88 at 1:29 p.m. in New York.TD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

TD Bank falls 8% after it faces $3 billion fine and growth caps over charges of enabling fentanyl-linked money laundering scheme

The Budget 2024-2025 announcement by Union Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> saw productivity and resilience in <keyword id="19931887" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="agriculture" source="keywords">agriculture</keyword> being prioritised above all else. With a desire to turn focus on <keyword id="19934969" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="farmers" source="keywords">farmers</keyword>, or Annadatas, ₹1.52 lakh crore has been allocated for agriculture and its allied sectors. This is quite an increase from the Interim Budget announcement of ₹1.27 lakh crore in February 2024. It is being speculated that this substantial focus on the agricultural sector stems from the BJP's vote share dipping in semi-urban and rural areas during the recent Lok Sabha elections. In fact, when Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> returned for a third term in office, the first file he signed was for the release of the 17th instalment of the PM <keyword id="22000840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kisan-nidhi" source="keywords">Kisan Nidhi</keyword> scheme, ET reported. However, the government's commitment to transforming agriculture and potentially the lives of Indian farmers could lead to the agricultural sector growing at 3.7% in the current fiscal, compared to 1.4% last year, as per the CII. <h2>Key initiatives in agriculture</h2>Transforming Agriculture Research The government is set to conduct a comprehensive review of the agricultural research framework, with an emphasis on enhancing productivity and developing climate-resilient crop varieties. Funding will be allocated on a challenge basis, including to private sector initiatives. This research will be overseen by domain experts from both governmental and non-governmental organizations. Release of New Varieties A total of 109 new high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties of 32 field and horticulture crops will be introduced for farmers to cultivate. Promoting Natural Farming In the next two years, the government plans to transition one crore farmers to natural farming practices, supported by certification and branding efforts. This initiative will be carried out through scientific institutions and willing <keyword id="20030597" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gram-panchayats" source="keywords">gram panchayats</keyword>, with 10,000 bio-input resource centers to be established based on need. Missions for Pulses and Oilseeds To achieve self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds, the government will strengthen their production, storage, and marketing. As outlined in the interim budget, a strategy is being implemented to attain 'atmanirbharta' (self-reliance) for oilseeds like mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111930255" title="Economic Survey calls for urgent agricultural reforms; cites growth hurdles" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Vegetable Production &amp; Supply Chains Large-scale clusters for vegetable production will be developed near major consumption centers. The government will support Farmer-Producer Organizations, cooperatives, and startups to streamline the vegetable supply chain, including collection, storage, and marketing. Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture Building on the success of a pilot project, the government, in partnership with states, will facilitate the implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture over the next three years. This year, a digital crop survey for Kharif crops will be conducted in 400 districts, integrating details of six crore farmers and their lands into registries. Additionally, Jan Samarth-based Kisan Credit Cards will be issued in five states. Shrimp Production &amp; Export Financial support will be provided to establish a network of Nucleus Breeding Centres for shrimp broodstocks. NABARD will facilitate financing for shrimp farming, processing, and export. National Cooperation Policy A new National Cooperation Policy will be introduced to promote systematic and comprehensive development of the cooperative sector. This policy aims to fast-track rural economic growth and create large-scale employment opportunities. <h2>Budget allocation highlights</h2><ul><li>PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi: Will be retaining its allocation of ₹60,000 crore to provide direct financial assistance to 11.8 crore small and marginal farmers.</li><li>Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: Allocated funds to provide crop insurance to four crore farmers, protecting them from adverse weather conditions.</li><li>e-NAM Expansion: Integration of 1,361 mandis into the e-NAM platform to enhance market efficiency and transparency, benefiting 1.8 crore farmers with an expected trading volume of ₹3 lakh crore.</li></ul><h2>Government committed to Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh</h2>The Finance Minister said that the government is fully committed to financing and expeditiously completing the Polavaram irrigation project, which is considered a lifeline for Andhra Pradesh and its farmers. <h2>Future directions</h2>The government aims to increase public and private investment in post-harvest infrastructure and supply chains, promoting aggregation, modern storage, and efficient processing to reduce losses and improve food security. Additionally, the dairy and fisheries sectors will see significant development, with initiatives to boost productivity and exports, contributing to a sustainable and prosperous agricultural ecosystem. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111951205" title="Budget 2024-25: Changes to tax slabs, increased standard deduction and other changes to direct taxation" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

What does Union Budget 2024-2025 have in store for farmers and the agricultural sector?

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana also popularly called as PM-Kisan is a scheme that is meant to benefit the farmers in the country. Under the <keyword id="7289466" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pm-kisan">PM Kisan</keyword> scheme, every farmer in the country will be given a total amount of Rs. 6,000 issued in three instalments of Rs. 2,000. PM-Kisan yojana targets to provide financial assistance to the small and marginal level farmers in the nation. The PM Samman Nidhi Yojana benefits the Indian farmers in all states by providing INR 6,000 financial assistance for the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, farming supplies and pesticides. The payment is released as per the details published on the official website of the scheme <a href="http://pmkisan.gov.in">pmkisan.gov.in</a>. You can follow the steps given below to check the PM Kisan balance. How to check PM Kisan Samman Nidhi status or PM Kisan balance Visit the official website of the Indian Government’s <a href="http://pmkisan.gov.in">PM Kisan Samman Nidhi</a> scheme. You can find the latest updates on the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi on this website. Move the mouse curser on the ‘Farmer’s Corner Section. You will find a drop down menu. Select the option ‘Beneficiary List’. In this list, you will find the status of your application for the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Alternatively, you can also click on the direct link <a href="http://pmkisan.gov.in/">pmkisan.gov.in</a>. Here also you will find the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi list for your village. In this list, you will find the name of the farmer and the amount allotted for the farmer in their bank account. After landing on the beneficiary list of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, you need to choose the name of your state, district, Sub-District, Block and Village one by one from the drop down menus. Once you have selected all these entries, you must click on the ‘Get Report’ section for checking the list of your village for the details of the Kisan Samman Nidhi with regard to this present phase. On the list of Kisan belonging to your village, choose your name from the alphabetical list to know the status of the financial aid given to you under this scheme. See Also - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/article/how-to-check-pradhan-mantri-jan-dhan-yojana-account-balance/articleshow/75182470.cms">How to check Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana Balance</a>

How to check PM Kisan scheme money and balance

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Trump hush-money jury deliberated for 4.5 hours Wednesday before breaking for the day.</li><li>First thing Thursday, they'll get read-backs of key testimony by David Pecker and Michael Cohen.</li></ul>Former President Donald Trump's Manhattan jury deliberated for four-and-a-half hours on Wednesday — and their first note to the judge shows they were deep in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-trial-jurors-smoking-gun-cohen-stormy-daniels-2024-5">the hush-money conspiracy weeds</a> before breaking for the day.First thing Thursday, they'll be back in the courtroom, listening to their requested read-backs of four sections of testimony — about 30 minutes worth in total — that deal with the origins of Trump's alleged 2016 election interference scheme.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jurors-seated-donald-trump-trial-manattan-trial-who-are-they-2024-4">The five-woman, seven-man jury</a> asked to hear testimony by two key prosecution witnesses, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and former Trump attorney and "fixer" Michael Cohen.They also asked that the judge re-read <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-trial-jury-verdict-sheet-documents-j2024-5#:~:text=Prosecutors%20say%20Trump%20caused%2034,then%2Dlawyer%2C%20Michael%20Cohen.">the one-hour jury charge </a>they heard Wednesday morning. These instructions explained the felony falsifying business records charge that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-trial-falsified-documents-heart-case-2024-5">Trump faces 34 counts of</a>, plus the underlying federal and state laws relating to that charge.To convict, jurors must find that Trump falsified business records in order to hide an intent to commit <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-case-relies-never-used-election-conspiracy-law-2024-4">an underlying state election conspiracy law</a> that itself requires an intent to commit yet more "unlawful" behavior.Trump pleaded not guilty and has denied any wrongdoing.Wednesday's lack of verdict meant there would be no immediate decision on this alleged <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/latest-trump-hush-money-battle-how-instruct-jurors-on-law-2024-5">Russian nesting doll of wrongdoing</a>."We've received a note," New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan announced after the defense and prosecution filed back into the courtroom. The note was sent out just after 3 p.m., he said.In it, jurors asked for four read-backs from the prosecution case.<div type="image" title="mcdougal" height="2894" width="2000" msid="110547899" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="4b9ec031-9c3d-4eb6-87bb-30d4779f3150">'Karen is a nice girl'</h2>First, they asked to hear Pecker's testimony "regarding the phone conversation with Donald Trump while David Pecker was at the investor meeting," the jury note read.They were asking, in other words, for the "Karen is a nice girl" testimony.In this chunk of testimony from April 25, Pecker recounted being at an investor meeting in New Jersey in late June 2016.Pecker testified that Trump called him during the meeting, eager to talk about Karen McDougal, the former Playboy Bunny who was threatening to go public with a story before the 2016 election — denied by Trump — of a nearly yearlong affair with the then-Apprentice star in 2006.This read-back is significant in that Pecker's testimony positions Trump at the center of what prosecutors call a "catch and kill" conspiracy to illegally influence the 2016 election by hiding salacious stories from voters."When I got on the phone, Mr. Trump said to me: 'I spoke to Michael. Karen is a nice girl. Is it true that a Mexican group is looking to buy her story for $8 million?'" Pecker testified.Pecker testified he told Trump he "absolutely" didn't believe a Mexican group was planning to buy McDougal's story for that much money."And then he said, 'What do you think I should do?'" Pecker's testimony continued. "I said, 'I think you should buy the story and take it off the market.'"<div type="image" title="Michael Cohen." height="1667" width="2500" msid="110547900" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="edc1d9fb-f382-4f68-b6e6-4dde0f61aa7c">'The boss is going to be very angry'</h2>The second chunk of the transcript to be read back Thursday morning concerns still more of Pecker's testimony. It's the former supermarket tabloid publisher's take on a failed deal with Trump, who wanted to buy the life rights for McDougals's alleged affair story from the National Enquirer for $125,000.Trump was concerned that should anything happen to Pecker — "He could get hit by a truck" Trump was caught on tape joking — the National Enquirer's secret records might not be secure, prosecutors have argued.Pecker described speaking to his own attorney, deciding not to sell McDougal's rights after all, and then breaking the news to Cohen just one month before the 2016 election.Cohen began "screaming at me," Pecker told jurors in the testimony section to be read back Thursday."And he said — excuse me, Michael Cohen said — 'The boss is going to be very angry at you.'"The read-back is significant in that it again shows Trump directly involved in the catch-and-kill conspiracy that prosecutors say underlies the indictment.Trump, prosecutors allege, caused 34 Trump Organization records to be falsified to hide a series of reimbursement payments he made to Cohen throughout 2017, his first year in the White House.Cohen had fronted a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, buying her silence just 11 days before the 2016 election, according to the prosecution's case. Trump has denied any sexual encounter with Daniels.Cohen's reimbursement — including nine checks Trump personally signed — were falsely logged in Trump Org's books as legal fees to disguise their true, election-altering origins, prosecutors allege.<div type="image" title="A court artist's sketch of David Pecker speaking in court and wearing a suit and tie." height="1875" width="2500" msid="110547901" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="c88ddfc9-a168-4b3d-884c-a1b7d3bfba38">That secret Trump Tower meeting</h2>The third and fourth read-backs on tap for jurors Thursday morning concern Cohen and Pecker's testimony describing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trial-shocker-jurors-can-hear-trump-2015-hush-money-meeting-2024-3">a secret August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower</a>.Trump had just announced his candidacy for president, the two witnesses testified and had called a meeting at his Manhattan skyscraper, where he kept offices for the Trump Organization and his budding campaign.For around 20 minutes, in Trump's 26th-floor office, they discussed with Trump how the National Enquirer could help get him elected, Cohen and Pecker testified.It was at this meeting that the illegal campaign conspiracy underlying Trump's indictment was hatched, according to the witnesses.Under the alleged conspiracy, Pecker, Trump's longtime friend, would alert Cohen when negative stories arose. Pecker testified he also agreed during the meeting to publish favorable stories about Trump and unfavorable stories about Trump's opponents, including a story falsely claiming that Republican primary opponent Ted Cruz had five mistresses.Cohen and Pecker's testimony about this pivotal meeting cuts both ways.On cross-examination, Pecker conceded that he had been using the National Enquirer to help Trump in similar ways for years, without any connection to campaign strategy — because these kind of stories simply sold well.Jurors were told to return to court at 9:30 a.m. local time and to expect to deliberate until 4:30 p.m. — unless they ask to work late, in which case they could stay until 6 p.m. local time.

Trump hush-money jury to start second day of deliberations re-hearing Cohen, Pecker 'conspiracy' testimony 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hope Hicks, a former longtime advisor to Donald Trump, took the witness stand in his hush-money trial Friday.</li><li>Just after Trump's lawyer began cross-examining her, she broke down in tears.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hope-hicks-bio-trump-spokeswoman-2017-2">Hope Hicks</a>, an ex-White House aide and longtime advisor to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, broke down in tears while on the witness stand Friday in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-court-beginning-hush-money-criminal-trial-2024-4">former president's hush-money criminal trial</a>.Her voice cracked as she began answering questions in the afternoon from defense lawyer Emil Bove, who had asked her whether the Trump Organization created the position of communications director to persuade her to join the company in October 2014.After answering "yes," Hicks grabbed a tissue and turned to her left while sitting on the witness stand. She turned her face and body away from the courtroom audience."Ms. Hicks, do you need a break?" the trial judge, Juan Merchan, asked."Yes, please," she responded in a cracked voice, while facing away from the judge.After the judge announced a break just before 3 p.m., Hicks walked across the courtroom, passing by Trump without looking at him.Hicks is a key witness in the trial, potentially linking Trump directly to what prosecutors call an election-influencing scheme to purchase a porn star's silence in the days before the 2016 presidential election.On the stand in the chilly 15th-floor downtown Manhattan courtroom, she said she was testifying pursuant to a subpoena in the historic case.Prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office allege Trump falsified 34 business records in order to cover up an illegal $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.The payment, delivered by Trump's ex-personal attorney and former fixer Michael Cohen, was wired to Daniels 11 days before the 2016 presidential election to buy her silence over a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stormy-daniels-lawyer-statement-trump-affair-romantic-2024-5">records shown as evidence in the trial</a>.Trump's lawyers have claimed the payment was not an illegal campaign contribution, and that it was made to avoid personal embarrassment.But Hicks — Trump's 2016 campaign press secretary — testified about working with Trump and Cohen as the campaign responded to media inquiries about the scandal.In their opening statements last week, prosecutors said the campaign was particularly vulnerable to the perceptions of female voters following the publication of the "Access Hollywood" tape. And so Trump sprung into action to block Daniels from going public about an affair she says she had with him, they said."I was definitely concerned this was going to be a massive story and make the news cycle for the next couple of days — at least," Hicks said on the witness stand earlier Friday, describing her reaction to learning of the tape.In her testimony, Hicks hurt Trump by showing how deeply he — and the campaign — worried about infidelity stories going public in the weeks before the election.Hicks became emotional as prosecutors wrapped up their direct examination of her.Her final answer helped bolster the district attorney's case. She said Trump was happy that news of the hush-money arrangement with Daniels had become public in 2018."I think it was Mr. Trump's feeling that it was better to be dealing with it now," she said, "rather than just before the election."Hicks took the witness stand again after a five-minute break, looking flushed but calmer.On cross-examination, she helped the defense by distancing the campaign from Cohen and his hush-money machinations."He was not looped in on the day-to-day" of the campaign, though he appeared to want to be, Hicks told jurors."He went rogue at times, it was fair to say?" Bove asked her."Yes," Hicks answered, smiling. "I used to say that he likes to call himself a fixer or Mr. Fixit. But it was only because he first broke it that he was Mr. Fixit."Also during cross-examination, Hicks described Trump as a loving husband who genuinely cared about protecting his family from stories of infidelity."I don't think he wanted anyone in his family to be hurt or embarrassed by anything that happened on the campaign," she said."He wanted them to be proud of him," she added of "Mrs. Trump" and the rest of Trump's family.Speaking to reporters in the hallway after the court day, Trump declined to answer Business Insider's question about his reaction to Hicks's testimony, saying he was bound by the gag order that New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan imposed, preventing him from talking about witnesses.He pivoted to attacking the Manhattan district attorney's office, which he said has "absolutely ruined and destroyed" the lives of "a lot of great people.""They've destroyed people's lives. They've gone out, hired lawyers, they've been with lawyers for years. They suck dry," he said. "And it's a shame. It's a shame what they've done.<h2>Hicks described the Trump campaign's frenzied reactions to the 'Access Hollywood' tape</h2>Hicks was one of Trump's most trusted advisors in his 2016 climb to the presidency. Federal prosecutors have previously said in court papers from the 2019 prosecution of Michael Cohen that she could directly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hope-hicks-kellyanne-conway-could-directly-link-trump-hush-money-2023-3">tie Trump to the so-called "catch-and-kill" scheme</a>.She formally joined the Trump Organization in October 2014 after working with the public relations firm Hiltzik Strategies. As Trump began running for president, in 2015, she switched to a campaign role and traveled with him across the country, she testified.On October 7, 2016 — less than a month before the election — Hicks received an email from Washington Post reporter David Fareholdt, informing her he had obtained the video, sending a transcript of Trump's remarks about grabbing women "by the pussy," and requesting a response from Trump.She forwarded it to other campaign leaders: Jason Miller, David Bossie, Kellyanne Conway, and Steve Bannon."Deny, deny, deny," Hicks wrote in an email, suggesting one possible response.Hicks then went to the 25th floor of Trump Tower, she testified, where she said Trump was preparing for a presidential debate with Miller, Conway, Bannon, Jared Kushner, and Chris Christie."We weren't sure how to respond yet," she testified Friday. "We were trying to obtain the information and were processing the shock internally."Trump responded "that that didn't sound like something he would say," Hicks said.Hicks said she was "a little stunned" at the time and struggled to get her bearings."I was definitely concerned this was going to be a massive story and make the news cycle for the next couple of days, at least," she said."There was consensus amongst us all that the tape was damaging," she added. "This was a crisis."<div type="image" title="donald trump hope hicks" height="2898" width="4012" msid="109826278" hostid="261"></div>After a while, Trump presented a more dismissive attitude, Hicks said."It was just two guys talking, locker room talk. It was something that we shouldn't get too concerned over," Hicks said, relaying Trump's attitude. "He didn't want to offend anybody but he felt it was pretty standard for two guys talking about somebody."Hicks said media coverage of the "Access Hollywood" tape was so all-consuming that no one had paid attention to the Category 4 hurricane that was expected to hit the East Coast at the time."It dominated media coverage," she said. "I would say the 36 hours leading up to the debate."<h2>Then came the Stormy</h2>The Trump campaign realized it had a potential problem with female voters in the wake of the tape's release, Hicks said.Prosecutors suggested that dynamic colored the reaction to another inquiry from a journalist — Michael Rothfeld at The Wall Street Journal — on November 4, just four days before the 2016 election.The email came when Trump's private jet had landed in Ohio for a "hanger rally" with the plane in the background. Rothfeld had asked about a secret $150,000 arrangement between American Media Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer, and Karen McDougal. In the agreement, AMI bought the exclusive rights to McDougal's story about an affair the former Playboy bunny said she had with Trump in 2006, when he was married to Melania Trump — but never published any articles about it.Hicks had a phone call with Rothfeld, where he also mentioned Stormy Daniels, she testified.Hicks tried to control the story, reaching out to Jared Kushner, who she said was friendly with the Journal's owner Rupert Murdoch."He had a very good relationship with Rupert Murdoch and I wanted to see if we could buy a little extra time to deal with this," she testified.Kushner said he "wasn't going to be able to reach Rupert," she said.Hicks also said she reached out to Michael Cohen, knowing he had a relationship with American Media Inc. owner David Pecker. And she reached out to Pecker's office as well.Pecker "explained that Karen McDougal was paid for magazine covers and fitness columns, and it was all very legitimate," Hicks said. "And that was what the contract was for."After relaying that to Trump, Hicks said that Trump wanted to speak to Pecker himself and "have an understanding of what was going on." On another phone call, with Trump, Pecker assured him the payment to McDougal was for fitness columns, Hicks testified.Trump then personally crafted a campaign statement denying the accusations from McDougal, and any knowledge of the deal.The published Journal article made mention of a possible affair and similar deal with Stormy Daniels, but focused on McDougal.When the Journal published another article, in 2018, focused on the $130,000 Daniels, Hicks was at that point the White House communications director.Trump told her Cohen had paid the $130,000 in hush-money "out of the kindness of his own heart" to protect him.Hicks testified she found Trump's explanation hard to believe."I'd say that would be out of character for Michael," she said, to laughter in the court's overflow room. "I didn't know Michael to be an especially charitable person. Or selfless person. He's the kind of person who seeks credit."This story has been updated with additional details.

Hope Hicks broke down in tears on the witness stand during Trump-damaging testimony at hush-money trial

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Mary &amp; George" takes viewers inside the raucous 17th century court of Britain's King James I.</li><li>The series focuses on the sexual power-plays of a mother and son in the royal court.</li></ul>"<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mary-and-george-starz-queer-drama-cast-who-theyre-playing">Mary &amp; George</a>," Starz's latest steamy drama, tells the outrageous story of one of history's most committed "momager."Long before Kris Kardashian helped build a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-kardashian-net-worth">$1.7 billion empire</a> in the aftermath of her daughter Kim's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ray-j-accuses-kris-jenner-lying-about-sex-tape-involvement-2022-9">sex tape scandal</a>, there was Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore), who molded her son, George (Nicholas Galitzine), into a sophisticated sexual weapon to gain social standing and political power in the court of Britain's King James I (Tony Curran).Together, the duo became the monarch's closest advisors and were given the lofty titles of Countess and Duke of Buckingham. But, as the seven-part historical drama series, which began airing on April 5, shows, it took a lot of scheming for the <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mary-and-george-challenge-stately-homes-filming-orgies-sex-scenes-2024-4">mother-son duo </a>to get to the top — and stay there.<h2>'These two people were just playing the game that already existed'</h2>While "Mary &amp; George," which is based on Benjamin Woolley's 2017 biography "<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=f5e6f745ffcee7fb53efe218fab1b32cc2cea7f3c1b06854bf49745b629a94a9&amp;postID=6616b12697126ae3b2008d03&amp;postSlug=mary-and-george-scandalous-true-story-behind-starz-historical-drama-2024-4&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FKings-Assassin-Secret-Murder-International%2Fdp%2F1250125030%23%3A~%3Atext%3DBook%2520overview%26text%3DAn%2520absorbing%2520account%2520of%2520the%2Cpower%2520seemed%2520to%2520defy%2520gravity.">The King's Assassin: The Secret Plot to Murder James I,"</a> takes some liberties with the historical record, it paints a largely accurate portrait of the court of England's James I (and Scotland's James VI) and the constant jockeying for power among his courtiers.<div type="image" title="Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in &quot;Mary &amp; George.&quot;" height="2000" width="3000" msid="109270082" hostid="261" sizebytes="819956"></div>As the series depicts, George Villiers rose from minor, down-on-their-luck gentry to the first person not of royal blood to be given a dukedom. He was the second of Mary Villiers's four children with her husband, the elder Sir George Villiers. Sensing her son's preternatural charm and appeal early on, Mary spent what little money she had after her husband's death on sending him to France to be educated in dancing, fencing, and the general good manners needed for a courtier's life.George returned to England in his early 20s and soon captured the king's attention — just as Mary had planned.Speaking to Business Insider, D.C. Moore, the creator of "Mary &amp; George," said that the "lack of pearl-clutching from Mary over what's she doing" drew him to this largely unexplored part of British history."It was common at the time to put hot young men in front of James in order to try and lure him and try and get a new favorite in place," he continued. "It was the game of the age. So these two people were just playing the game that already existed."James already had a male favorite in his court at the time, a Scottish noble named Robert Carr, who held the title of Earl of Somerset and quite a lot of power thanks to the king's affection for him.<div type="image" title="Laurie Davidson as Robert Carr and Tony Curran as King James in &quot;Mary &amp; George.&quot;" height="1200" width="1800" msid="109270229" hostid="261" sizebytes="148604"></div>As well as Mary, others would benefit from George replacing Carr as the king's favorite, according to another royal historian, Alan Stewart. As he wrote in <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=6843022e8c464970a573667ed971f04bcb174f9dfe2351f30e59d9d3ef2b00c3&amp;postID=6616b12697126ae3b2008d03&amp;postSlug=mary-and-george-scandalous-true-story-behind-starz-historical-drama-2024-4&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FCradle-King-Life-James-VI%2Fdp%2F1845951603">his biography of King James I</a>, money was raised by Carr's opponents to purchase George a new wardrobe and secure him a position as Royal Cup-bearer.George soon supplanted Carr in the king's esteem. After Carr and his wife were implicated in a poisoning and imprisoned in the Tower of London, George cemented his position as the king's favorite with a promotion to Master of the Horse in 1616. The next year, he was made Earl and, in 1618, promoted to Marquess of Buckingham, then finally, in 1623, Duke of Buckingham.<h2>Sexual or platonic? The nature of King James and George Villiers's relationship is debated</h2>While <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4288956">historians have debated</a> the nature of the relationship between James and his favorites, there is evidence to suggest that James and George enjoyed a romantic bond together, and possibly a sexual one too.In a letter to George sent in 1623, the king ended with the salutation, "God bless you, my sweet child and wife."<div type="image" title="Tony Curran and Nicholas Galitzine in &quot;Mary &amp; George.&quot;" height="2000" width="3000" msid="109270230" hostid="261" sizebytes="136376"></div>In an undated message to the monarch, George reminisced about a night spent at Farnham in Surrey, where he wrote that the two men lay so close together that "the bed's head could not be found between" them.According to the <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7436409.stm">BBC</a>, the restoration of one of the king's residences in the early 21st century revealed a previously unknown passage linking rooms belonging to James and George.While Tony Curran, who portrays King James in "Mary &amp; George," said that he believed George used his "sexual currency" to rise through the royal court, he also felt convinced that there was a genuine connection between the two, that may have even been love."I think his relationship with George was was one of was one of friendship, of respect and ultimately of love," he said. "There was tenderness there, but George was also someone he could lean on politically as well."<h2>The three people in the room during the death of King James</h2>Until James died in 1625, George was the king's constant companion and closest advisor, enjoying control of all royal patronage.He married in 1620 to Katherine Manners, the daughter of the Earl of Rutland and one of the wealthiest heiresses in Britain. According to <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-story-behind-mary-george-180984086/">Smithsonian Magazine</a>, the advantageous match was another of his mother's schemes; she forced Katherine to spend a night in the same house as George, which <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://archive.org/details/georgevillierss00unkngoog/page/n23/mode/1up?q=%22enticing+the+maiden%22">cast doubt</a> on her honor and left her with no choice but to marry George to protect her reputation.<div type="image" title="Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in &quot;Mary &amp; George.&quot;" height="1200" width="1800" msid="109270234" hostid="261" sizebytes="204050"></div>Mary also benefited from George's elevated position; following the death of her second husband, she traded up to a richer husband and became a regular fixture at court.When James I died at age 58 following a bout of malarial fever, both George and Mary were by his beside, according to Woolley. The pair are said to have sent for their own doctor, turning away royal physicians, applied poultices to his body, and even gave him poison they tricked him into believing was medicine.Also in the room was James's son and heir, the future King Charles I, who colluded with George to ensure his ascendancy to the throne."No one was in that room other than those three people," Moore told BI. "There is some level of dramatic license that we've taken, but for me, it feels very true to the spirit of how Mary and George lived their lives."Unsurprisingly, once Charles took power, George retained his powerful position in court for the first three years of his reign until he was assassinated in 1628 at age 35."We're dancing around the history. There is some creation on our side but I think also we're not that far from the truth.""Mary &amp; George" is released weekly on Fridays at midnight on the Starz app and the Starz linear channel at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The real story of the scheming, social-climbing mother and son who seduced a 17th-century king, as shown in new  drama 'Mary & George'  

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Opening statements began in Donald Trump's hush-money trial on Monday. </li><li>Trump faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in the historic case.</li></ul>Opening arguments in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-court-beginning-hush-money-criminal-trial-2024-4">Donald Trump's historic criminal trial</a> got underway on Monday with a prosecutor describing the case as being about a "criminal conspiracy," while a defense attorney for the former president likened hush-money payments to "democracy.""This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a coverup," Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told the 12-person Manhattan jury in the hush-money trial.Prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office allege Trump illegally falsified business records by covering up a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.The payment, handled by Trump's ex-personal attorney and former fixer Michael Cohen, was made to Daniels 11 days before the 2016 presidential election to buy her silence over a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, prosecutors allege.Trump, who faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records, has repeatedly denied having an affair with Daniels."He falsified those business records because he wanted to conceal his and others' criminal conduct," Colangelo said of Trump.Trump was not watching Colangelo at the start of his opening statement. Rather, he was looking straight ahead from his seat at the defense table.Interestingly, in describing the reason for the coverup of the $130,000 payment to Daniels, the prosecutor did not refer to an "alleged" sexual encounter with the adult film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.Instead, Colangelo said the hush money was paid to make sure voters "did not learn about a sexual encounter with the candidate."During his opening statements, Colangelo told jurors about a similar scheme to silence ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, who has said that she had a nearly year-long sexual relationship with Trump beginning in 2006. Trump has also denied having any affair with McDougal.Colangelo also left out an "allegedly" to describe McDougal's claim of an extramarital affair with Trump.Colangelo said her claim that she had an affair with Trump was found to be credible by editors with the National Enquirer. The prosecutor told the jury McDougal was paid $150,000 "to make sure that she didn't publicize her affair with Donald Trump before the 2016 election."In contrast, Colangelo referred to the National Enquirer paying a Manhattan doorman $30,000 earlier in 2015 to "catch and kill" a story about "an alleged illegitimate child" of Trump that lived in the building.This rumor proved untrue — the so-called illegitimate child was a fiction, prosecutors have said.Colangelo pleaded with the jury to "use common sense" and warned them to avoid "any side shows" that may erupt."Focus on the testimony," Colangelo urged.<h2>'President Trump is innocent,' Trump's lead attorney proclaimed</h2>Meanwhile, Trump's lead attorney, Todd Blanche, declared, "President Trump is innocent" at the start of his opening statements."President Trump did not commit any crimes," Blanche said. "The Manhattan District Attorney's Office should never have brought this case."Blanche described his high-profile client as "larger than life," but also "a man, a husband, a father, and he's a person, just like you and me.""You'll learn President Trump had nothing to do with any of those 34 pieces of paper except he signed the checks," Blanche told the jurors, adding, "In the White House. While he was running the country. That's not a crime."There was a non-disclosure agreement, Blanche conceded. But there's nothing wrong with Cohen paying Daniels to protect Trump's brand and keep Daniels from embarrassing Trump's family, the defense lawyer said."I have a spoiler alert for you. It's called democracy," Blanche said of the hush-money payment."Michael Cohen paying Stormy Daniels — or Stephanie Clifford — in return for her agreeing not to publicly spread false claims, false claims against President Trump, is not illegal," Blanche said.Blanche spent the bulk of his opening statement attacking Cohen and Daniels — two key witnesses for the prosecution — as opportunists who are obsessed with Trump and have built livelihoods around attacking him."He cheated on his taxes," Blanche said of Cohen, who in 2018 pleaded guilty to criminal charges, including bank fraud and tax evasion, in connection to the hush-money payment. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison. "He lied to banks, He lied about a side business he had, taxi medallions, in addition to other things," Blanche said. "And in 2018, as the people alluded to, he got caught."Blanche ripped Cohen as a "convicted perjurer," and said Cohen on Sunday night posted on social media "that he wanted to see President Trump in an orange jumpsuit."<div type="image" title="Michael Cohen at Donald Trump's civil fraud trial in New York." height="1667" width="2500" msid="109509504" hostid="261" sizebytes="135666"></div><h2>Michael Cohen: The 'facts will come out' at trial</h2>Cohen told Business Insider on Monday in response to Blanche's remarks: "The facts will come out at the time of trial that contradicts Todd Blanche's mischaracterizations of me."Blanche, in his opening statement, went on to say that any testimony from Daniels "does not matter.""She has no idea what Michael Cohen wrote on those invoices," Blanche said of Daniels. "So her testimony, while salacious, does not matter."Blanche added that Daniels "has made a livelihood out of these allegations.""She's made hundreds of thousands of dollars," Blanche said without mentioning the "Make America Horny Again" strip club tour that the porn star embarked on after news of the hush-money scandal broke.Meanwhile, Blanche said, Daniels owes Trump "somewhere around <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bombshells-in-stormy-documentary-have-trump-lawyers-raging-2024-3">$600,000</a>" due to her legal losses to Trump.<h2>Ahead of openings, Trump blasted the case as a political 'witch hunt'</h2>Before Trump headed into the 15th-floor courtroom Monday morning to hear opening statements in the case, he ignored a shouted question from a reporter asking him where his wife <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-melania-trump-hush-money-trial-presence-experts-2024-4">Melania Trump</a> was. Instead, Trump took the opportunity to bash the case against him as a political "witch hunt.""I'm here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia, and lots of other places campaigning, and it's very unfair," Trump told reporters in the courtroom hallway.Prior to opening statements, Trump lost his bid to keep jurors from seeing the infamous <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-defends-infamous-access-hollywood-comments-in-deposition-video-2023-5">Access Hollywood "grab 'em" transcript</a>.And much of Trump's prior court losses will be fair game for prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on cross-examination should Trump take the stand.Prosecutors can cross-examine Trump about his civil New York fraud trial and his E. Jean Carroll losses, but they can't ask Trump about the total monetary value of the judgments from these trials, which surpasses $500 million combined.Additionally, prosecutors can also bring up that Trump twice <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-takes-stand-after-violating-fraud-trial-gag-order-2023-10">violated his fraud-trial gag</a> order and was fined $15,000 for doing so.Finally, prosecutors can touch on a stipulation with the New York Attorney General's Office, in which the Trump Foundation was dissolved due to what the presiding judge, New York Supreme Justice Juan Merchan, on Monday called Trump's "self-dealing."Before openings, there were a few juror wobbles. The day was shortened by half — until 12:30 p.m. — so that juror number 6, a software engineer, could make her 1 p.m. emergency dental appointment for a toothache.And the day began with juror number 9, a speech therapist, being briefly questioned in private after she expressed concern about media attention."Juror number 9 is going to remain with us, so again that is not going to be an issue," the judge said after they conferred with her for a few minutes in the judge's robing room.

Hush money isn't illegal, it's 'democracy,' Trump lawyer says in defiant trial opening statements

New Delhi, Feb 24 () The Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday asked the West Bengal government to join the ambitious central scheme, PM-Kisan, which completed one year of operation without the state on board. Barring West Bengal, all other states and union territories are implementing the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) which has benefited 8.45 crore farmers so far in the country, against the target of 14 crore farmers. The minister also launched PM-Kisan mobile App on completion of one year of the implementation of the scheme. Tomar said: "West Bengal has not yet joined the scheme. There are 70 lakh farmers in the state. Benefits worth about Rs 4,000 crore will reach to these farmers if implemented." Of the 70 lakh farmers from the state, about 10 lakh farmers have already self-registered for the scheme via the online portal of PM-Kisan, he said and added the cash benefit to these farmers will reach once the state government verifies the data. Stating that the cash benefit under the scheme will not only help farmers but also boost the state economy, Tomar said: "Our officials have approached the state government in this regard many times. I have also written twice to the chief minister urging to join the scheme. But no reply has come yet from the CM." Tomar said some states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Sikkim are slow in authenticating their farmers' data and the central government is pursuing with them seriously. The aim is to achieve the target of 14 crore farmers by next year. On PM-Kisan portal, the centre has received data of total 9.74 crore farmers. Already, payment has been made to 8.45 crore farmers, he said. About 85 per cent of the farmers data registered under the scheme has been Aadhar verified, the rest will be completed soon, he added. Under the scheme, the centre is paying Rs 6,000 annually in three equal installments to eligible farmers. LUX DRRDRR

Centre appeals WB govt to join PM-Kisan scheme

<ul>
 
<li>As much as ₹600 billion ($9 billion) was spent, this election, according to a report by the Center for Media Studies. </li><li>The money spent in India’s 2019 general election was more than the money spent in a much richer country like US. </li><li>The cost of every vote in India is pegged at ₹700, according to the estimate. </li></ul>The Lok Sabha Poll 2019 is a vicious, vigorous money guzzler--- where candidates fought at ‘any cost’. The Election Commission of India (ECI) confiscated more than twice the amount of cash, gold and liquor they did, last year. But that seems to have had no effect on the amount spent on this costliest election ever, anywhere. According to a report by the Center for Media Studies, as much as ₹600 billion (nearly $9 billion) was spent, this election. Even in a much richer country like the US, the total amount of money spent in the last election in 2016 was relatively lesser at $6.5 billion for congressional and Presidential races combined, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/14/somebody-just-put-a-price-tag-on-the-2016-election-its-a-doozy/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.adcc2dd254d0">campaign watchdog Open </a>Secrets. This amount of money spent on election does more damage than just being a financial burden. “Even though the horrors of money are obvious, why will they legislate in their own self interest till sufficient advocacy on the ground pushes for it?” commented S Y Quraishi, former chief election commissioner (CEC) of India, said in a foreword to the report. Excessive money spent in campaigning is a harbinger of bad governance which will be ridden with vested interests who would want bang for the buck spent on electing a candidate or a government. According to Quraishi, the next election will be no better in terms of being free, fair and transparent, if the rising tide of criminalisation of politics and overarching influence of money in politics isn’t stemmed. Direct ‘Benefit’ Transfer More than two-thirds of India’s legislators are millionaires, many times over. It is hence not surprising that the candidates of this election have dug deep into their pockets. This time, newer and convenient delivery models of election bribing has come to the fore. “For the first time it is confirmed that bank transfer of money on the eve of poll has become a new route to lure voters in the name of one or more scheme,” the report said. As per the estimates, the cost of every vote is pegged at ₹700. One of the examples is the transfer of money to farmers under PM-KISAN, a central government scheme announced in the recent budget. Business Insider found that in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, farmers received the money into their bank accounts less than 48 hours before the polling. While this may be clear in legal terms as the PM-KISAN scheme was rolled out before the the Election Commission's model code of conduct kicked in. However, it cannot be denied that the transfer may have timed to influence the voter's choice in the nick of time. 
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 Poll candidates have also diversified their offerings to voters. As per the seizures reported by the Election Commission, drugs and narcotics, liquor, gold and silver have made to the list of handouts, along <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/election-2019-gold-confiscated-in-tamil-nadu-ahead-of-second-phase/articleshow/68933494.cms">with other freebies</a>. “It is high time that Parliament deliberates on poll expenditure for campaigns, and about election funding, preceded by serious national discussions,” the report said. But, like Quraishi doubted with lawmakers who have spent ‘so much’ to get there, will try to restrict money--- will remain a big question. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebooks-ad-archive-report-50-facebook-ads-by-bjp/articleshow/68304281.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">BJP spends too much on political advertising on Facebook as Congress spends too little — yet again</a>

You Searched For "Money in PM kisan scheme" and got 9 results

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