March 2023

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Talon Talk, sponsored by the Sam Spurgeon Law Firm: Limited time available for Warhawks basketball teams to iron out wrinkles before conference tournament |

  • March 13, 2023

ULM hoops will split the next two games, home and away.

Thursday, Keith Richard and company will host Appalachian State, who’s just at .500 in Sun Belt play.

For the first time since the 2018-19 season, the Warhawks are in the thick of the league conference race.

To date, the team is fifth with a 7-5 record.

“I think what we’ve done is once we got towards February 1, and as a coach, you hope your team can play meaningful games in February, ” says Richard. “We got [six] games left, and everyone of them is going to matter in the league race.”

The ULM women prepare for a rare Thursday morning matchup in Mobile. The Warhawks visit South Alabama, with tip-off at 11:00 a.m.

They have six games left, with three at home and away as well.

Brooks Donald-Williams and company currently sit No. 12 out of 14 teams in the league standings.

They aim to enter the upcoming Sun Belt tournament as a higher seed.

“I think one of the biggest strengths is that we continue to get better, ” says Williams. “We’ve gotten better. That has to be a strength going in at the end of the year. Competing for rankings in the conference tournament, those types of things. We’re continuing to get better. Getting different production from different folks.”

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FTX’s new boss says security was so weak that founders could ‘download half a billion dollars’ of crypto without detection

  • March 12, 2023
John J. Ray III and Sam Bankman-Fried.

John J. Ray III (left), the new CEO of FTX, and Sam Bankman-Fried, his predecessor.Nathan Howard/Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

  • FTX’s new CEO berated the crypto exchange’s security in court testimony.

  • John J. Ray III said an FTX exec could have downloaded $500m of crypto and walked away.

  • Ray also described his first 48 hours in charge of FTX as “pure hell.”

FTX’s weak security meant its cofounders — who have both been charged with fraud — could easily have stolen hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of crypto, the bankrupt firm’s new CEO said in court testimony.

John J. Ray III, who was drafted in to oversee FTX after its collapse and previously handled Enron’s liquidation, made the comments at the Delaware bankruptcy court Monday.

“Literally one of the founders could come into this environment, download half a billion dollars’ worth of wallets onto a thumb drive, and walk off with them,” he said in a recording of the hearing reviewed by Insider. “And there’d be no accounting for that whatsoever.”

Ray said FTX crypto wallets have now been moved into “cold storage,” adding that the crypto firm previously had “hot wallets in a system where multiple people had access to passwords.”

“Where we are today is pretty satisfying,” he added.

Then-CEO Bankman Fried resigned his position, and FTX filed for bankruptcy protection in the US on November 11. FTX lawyers later said the company ran out of assets partly because executives had a $65 billion line of credit to draw on customers’ funds.

Bankman-Fried was arrested in December and has pleaded not guilty to charges including fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance violations. When contacted by Insider, a spokesperson for Bankman-Fried declined to comment on Ray’s remarks.

Ray told the court Monday his first

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Li Auto Inc. Launches Li L7, A Five-Seat Flagship Family SUV

  • March 12, 2023

BEIJING, China, Feb. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Li Auto Inc. (“Li Auto” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LI; HKEX: 2015), a leader in China’s new energy vehicle market, today launched Li L7, a five-seat flagship family SUV. Built to redefine five-seat family SUVs, Li L7 brings a new flagship experience to family users, particularly families of three.

  • A Deluxe Home: Li L7 features an exceptional second-row space with a “Queen’s Seat” mode, a comfortable interior, and a “Double Bed Mode,” as well as premium audio-visual equipment and many other flagship configurations.
  • A Mobile Home: Supported by the Company’s self-developed all-wheel drive range extension system, Li L7 boasts a CLTC range of 1,315 kilometers and a WLTC range of 1,100 kilometers, as well as acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, offering outstanding travelling experience to family users.
  • A Safe Home: Li L7 is developed according to the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index’s (C-IASI) G rating (the highest rating) criteria for 25% frontal offset impact tests on both the driver and passenger sides and is one of the few mainstream five-seat SUVs in China in the RMB300,000 to RMB400,000 price range equipped with rear side airbags. Designed with the Company’s “Safety House” concept and “Green House” standard, Li L7 is built to protect each family’s safety and health.
  • A Smart Home: Li L7 boasts smart space and autonomous driving systems that keep evolving, creating an increasingly intelligent home for users’ families.
  • An Aesthetic Home: Li L7 is the most dynamic model in Li Auto’s product lineup. With its splendid 3D halo light and welcoming interior, it is the embodiment of aesthetics and functionality for superior comfort.

Li L7 is available in three trims, Air, Pro, and Max, catering to the wide-ranging needs of family users. Li L7 Air comes

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The Schall Law Firm Encourages Investors in Iris Energy Limited with Losses of $100,000 to Contact the Firm

  • March 12, 2023

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2023 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Iris Energy Limited (“Iris” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ:IREN) for violations of the federal securities laws.

The Schall Law Firm, Monday, February 6, 2023, Press release picture

Investors who purchased the Company’s shares pursuant and/or traceable to the Company’s initial public offering conducted on November 17, 2021 (the “IPO”) and/or between November 17, 2021 and November 1, 2022, inclusive (the “Class Period”), are encouraged to contact the firm before February 6, 2023.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm’s website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected].

The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. The Company’s Bitcoin miners were unlikely to generate cash flow sufficient to service debt financing. The Company’s financing agreements to procure equipment were not sustainable. Based on these facts, the Company’s public statements throughout the IPO period were false and materially misleading. When the market learned the truth about Iris, investors suffered damages.

Join the case to recover your losses.

The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.

CONTACT:

The

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Hc: Typo In Vehicle Number No Ground To Refuse Insurance | Bengaluru News

  • March 11, 2023
BENGALURU: A mere typographical error that creeps in while mentioning the vehicle number in a complaint pertaining to an accident case cannot be a ground to come to any other conclusion, the high court observed in a recent order.
Upholding the Rs 2 lakh compensation with 6% interest awarded to P Suma by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Mysuru, Justice HP Sandesh pointed out that there is no evidence placed before the court to support the insurer’s argument that the vehicle is falsely implicated. The fact that the offending vehicle (car) bearing no. KA-55-M-0178 was insured with the second respondent (insurer) is not in dispute and the same has been taken note of by the tribunal, the judge noted while dismissing the appeal filed by Oriental Insurance Company.
Around 10.30am on November 27, 2009, Suma, a senior typist at the agricultural office in Mysuru city and seven months’ pregnant then, was riding a Scooty to her workplace when a speeding car dashed against her vehicle near BN Rao Bahaddur Institute gate, Hunsur Double Road. As a result, she fell down and sustained injuries. She was shifted to BM Hospital and was in ICU for eight days.
Claiming that she had spent a huge amount for the treatment and recuperation, Suma had moved the tribunal seeking compensation, citing Rs 20,000 a month as her income. The registration number of the offending car was mentioned as no. KA-55-N-0178, instead of KA-55-M-0178 .
On February 20, 2016, the tribunal awarded her Rs 2.04 lakh compensation with 6% interest.
Challenging the award, the insurer argued there is no policy with regard to vehicle no. KA-55-N-0178 and it is a case of duplication on the part of the claimant.
On the other hand, Suma argued there was a typographical error in mentioning
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Ron Kind joins D.C. law firm as senior policy adviser following retirement from Congress

  • March 11, 2023
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind of La Crosse, speaking at the 2016 Democratic Party of Wisconsin State Convention in Green Bay, did not run for reelection in 2022 after representing the western part of the state for 26 years.

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind of La Crosse, speaking at the 2016 Democratic Party of Wisconsin State Convention in Green Bay, did not run for reelection in 2022 after representing the western part of the state for 26 years.

WASHINGTON – Former U.S. Rep. Ron Kind isn’t cutting ties with D.C. following his retirement from Congress at the end of last year.

The Wisconsin Democrat is joining the Washington-based law firm Arnold & Porter as a senior policy advisor with the firm’s legislative and public policy practice, the group told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Kind will counsel the firm’s clients dealing with the government on issues ranging from tax and trade regulations to health care and retirement security issues. Some of that work could involve helping clients navigate recent legislation passed through Congress.

“It’s a good fit because it checks all the right boxes for me,” Kind told the Journal Sentinel. “It’ll be fun to be able to continue working in those areas that I’ve devoted so much of my life to already.”

Kind, who represented Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District since his election in 1996, served on the House Ways and Means Committee, a powerful panel that is effectively Congress’ chief tax-writing body, carving out a role on Capitol Hill as a pro-trade Democrat. He focused throughout his career, in part, on health care-related issues and was largely recognized as one of the more bipartisan members of Congress during his 26 year tenure.

His move into the D.C. policy world is not unusual for lawmakers after they retire from Congress. Former Connecticut Democratic U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd serves as senior legal counsel for Arnold & Porter.

In an interview, Kind, who received a law degree from the University of Minnesota and was previously a district attorney in Wisconsin, said he is

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Disgraced Attorney Tom Girardi’s Competency Uncertain In Fraud Trial

  • March 10, 2023

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Disgraced former attorney Tom Girardi, co-founder of the defunct Los Angeles law firm Girardi Keese, appeared in federal court Monday and had a not-guilty plea entered on his behalf to charges of embezzling more than $15 million from several of his legal clients.

Girardi, the ex of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Erika Jayne, was indicted last week on fraud charges for allegedly embezzling over $15 million of funds from clients, according to court documents. Girardi was disbarred last year and diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in March 2021 and now lives in a memory care facility in Orange County. His younger brother has control of all medical and financial decision-making as Girardi is in a court-ordered conservatorship, the Los Angeles Times reported.

After his appearance Monday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, Girardi, 83, was allowed to remain free on $250,000 bond.

Find out what’s happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

When asked last week about Girardi’s ability to stand trial in light of reports of his dementia, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said the defendant’s competency “has not been evaluated by a federal criminal court.”

Girardi was indicted on five counts of wire fraud in Los Angeles and eight additional counts in Chicago. He is accused of defrauding clients and misappropriating funds as far back as 2010, according to the indictment. Girardi and his Chief Financial Officer Christopher Kamon, 49, of Palos Verdes “knowingly and with intent to defraud, devised, participated in, and executed a scheme to defraud victim clients to whom defendant [Girardi] and Girardi Keese had agreed to provide legal services,” prosecutors allege.

Find out what’s happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Girardi would negotiate a settlement on behalf of his client but would

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Forsyth, Guilford motorists face steep auto insurance premium hike request

  • March 10, 2023

Motorists in Forsyth and Guilford counties would pay a higher annual automobile insurance premium rate than the statewide request made last week by the N.C. Rate Bureau. The N.C. Insurance Department announced Thursday the request has been submitted to Commissioner Mike Causey, with an effective date of Oct. 1.

The rate requests are made by territory and listed by ZIP codes. The statewide request is for a 28.4% hike. Some counties, such as Davidson and Guilford, are split into two or more territories.

A 29.6% increase is being requested for motorists in the 350 territory that consists primarily of Davie and Forsyth counties, along with the Forsyth portion in Colfax, High Point and King. The 350 territory also includes nine ZIP codes in Greensboro, as well as all of Jamestown, Summerfield and Oak Ridge.

Meanwhile, there is a 34.6% increase for the 340 territory that consists of 19 ZIP codes in Greensboro and six in High Point.

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The bureau is an independent group representing insurers writing policies in North Carolina. It typically asks for rate increases — some substantially higher in areas prone to damage from natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods and winter storms. However, the insurance commissioner typically seldom agrees to a rate anywhere close to the bureau’s full request.

Other proposed rate increases affected the 14-county Triad and Northwest N.C. are:

27.6% increase for the 320 territory that consists of communities in Alamance, Davidson, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties.

  • 31% increase for the 360 territory that includes Lexington, Thomasville, Wallburg and Welcome.
  • 27.6% increase for the 370 territory that includes Linwood.
  • 27.1% increase for the 480 territory that includes Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties.

It is the bureau’s first auto insurance premium rate increase request for private passenger motorists

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Burr joins global law firm in first private sector move

  • March 10, 2023

Former U.S. Sen. Richard Burr didn’t need very long to transition into a new professional career, joining the global law firm of DLA Piper.

The firm said Tuesday that Burr, of Winston-Salem, will work with the firm’s Regulatory and Government Affairs practice group as a principal policy adviser.

The Republican retired from Congress in January after serving five terms in the U.S. House and three terms in the U.S. Senate.

Under congressional rules, Burr cannot lobby his former Senate colleagues for two years.

Burr spent much of his time in Congress preferring a lower profile even as he took leadership roles in key Senate public health, finance and foreign intelligence committees.

Burr will join the firm with a team of policy advisers that will supplement its legal, policy, economic, medical and technological attorneys and advisers in the health care and life sciences field.

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Among the advisers are Margaret Martin, the committee’s former senior adviser of health policy, and Michael Sorensen, Burr’s former director of operations.

“We are excited to join DLA Piper and help clients navigate the funding, regulation, policy and political landscape of the health care system, from drug development to patient care,” Burr said in a statement.

Burr said his team will provide “unparalleled insight and strategic advice at a time of regulatory and political uncertainty.”

“In addition to the draw of DLA Piper’s strong platform, its expansive global footprint is one of the reasons we chose the firm,” Burr said. “Life sciences is global by every nature, and this allows us to build a roadmap to advise clients no matter where they’re doing business.”

Burr’s duties will include being chairman of the firm’s Health Policy Strategic Consulting practice “to provide policy advice, strategic consulting and a wide range of related services to life

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What mortgage company changes mean for your home loan

  • March 9, 2023

It’s been a bumpy ride for mortgage companies lately. Some lenders have gone out of business, merged with other companies or narrowed their focus. And more changes are likely in 2023.

What does all this mean for borrowers?

Here are answers to common questions, whether you’re shopping for a mortgage or paying off a home loan.

What’s behind the shakeout?

A key factor: higher mortgage rates. Demand for home loans plummeted last year as the Federal Reserve raised a key interest rate to control inflation and mortgage rates spiked in turn. The average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage doubled from near-historic lows in early January 2022 to almost 6.4% at year’s end, according to Freddie Mac, an enterprise created by Congress in 1970 to support the U.S. housing finance system.

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Higher mortgage rates shrink buying power, so elevated rates shut out some prospective home buyers, already squeezed by eye-popping home prices.

And for homeowners who had locked in historically low rates in prior years, the spike removed money-saving incentives to refinance their mortgages. Unless your primary aim is to cash out some home equity, it doesn’t make sense to refinance to a higher rate.

As a result, fewer people applied for mortgages. Mortgage applications to buy homes dropped almost 40% year over year in the last few months of 2022, and refinance applications were down almost 90%, according to a December Mortgage Bankers Association forecast report.

Higher rates also increased risk for banks and mortgage companies that buy mortgage loans from lenders.

What if my lender goes bust?

Here’s what would happen:

  • If the lender that issued your loan goes out of business or goes bankrupt after the mortgage has closed, you’ll be unaffected. The loan terms will stay the same. If the
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March 2023
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