Cook’s lawyer says the criminal referrals against her ‘fail on even the most cursory look at the facts’.
Published On 17 Nov 202517 Nov 2025
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United States Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook’s lawyer has offered the first detailed defence of mortgage applications that gave rise to President Donald Trump’s move to fire her, saying apparent discrepancies in loan documents were either accurate at the time or an “inadvertent notation” that couldn’t constitute fraud given other disclosures to her lenders.
Cook has denied wrongdoing, but until Monday, neither she nor her legal team had responded in any detail to the fraud accusations first made in August by Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte.
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She has challenged her removal in court, and the US Supreme Court has for now blocked Trump’s firing attempt and will hear arguments in the case in January.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said the department “does not comment on current or prospective litigation, including matters that may be an investigation”.
In a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi seen by the Reuters news agency, Cook’s lawyer Abbe Lowell said the criminal referrals Pulte made against her “fail on even the most cursory look at the facts”.
The two separate criminal referrals Pulte made fail to establish any evidence that Cook intentionally deceived her lenders when she obtained mortgage loans for three properties in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts, the letter said.
Lowell also accused Pulte of selectively targeting Trump’s political enemies while ignoring similar allegations against Republican officials, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Lowell said other recent conduct by Pulte “undercut his criminal referrals concerning Governor Cook”. That behaviour includes the recent dismissal of the FHFA’s acting inspector general and several internal watchdogs at Fannie Mae, one of the mortgage-finance giants under FHFA control.
The letter also cited a recent article by Reuters that said the White House ousted FHFA acting Inspector General Joe Allen right after he tried to provide key discovery material to federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia who are pursuing an indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James.
James was charged with bank fraud and lying to her lender also after Pulte made a referral to the Justice Department. She has pleaded not guilty, and she is seeking a dismissal of the case on multiple grounds, including vindictive and selective prosecution.
Cook’s case is being handled in part by Ed Martin, the Justice Department’s pardon attorney, whom Bondi named as a special assistant US attorney to assist with mortgage fraud probes into public figures.
The case is still being investigated, and no criminal charges have been brought. The department is also separately investigating Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff, also at Pulte’s request.
President Donald Trump promised on Monday that his administration will begin issuing $2,000 “tariff dividend” checks to Americans around the middle of 2026, the most specific timetable he has offered yet on a proposal that can’t seem to find a home within a campaign-esque promise, economic argument and political provocation.
“We’re going to be issuing dividends later on, somewhere prior to … probably the middle of next year, a little bit later than that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, according to Axios. The payments, he said, would go to “individuals of moderate income, middle income.”
The commitment marks an escalation from Trump’s earlier, vaguer assertions that tariffs are generating enough money to fund direct payments to American households. But turning the idea into actual checks is far more complicated than his easy-going rhetoric suggests.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made that clear over the weekend, saying on Fox News that the administration “needs legislation” to distribute any such dividend.
“We will see,” he added. Bessent also implied that the structure could take forms other than a check — for instance, a tax rebate — signaling uncertainty inside the administration about what Trump’s proposal even is.
The math is another obstacle. A $2,000-per-person dividend, even if limited to Americans with low or middle incomes, would cost well over the $200 billion that Trump’s tariffs have brought in. If the checks resembled the COVID-era stimulus structure — which went to adults and children alike— the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the price tag could reach $600 billion. That would mean that Trump’s tariffs would be a net $400 billion negative for the U.S. in 2026, based on current projections.
And the future of that revenue is itself uncertain. The Supreme Court is expected to rule within months on whether Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs by invoking national emergency powers. So far, both conservative and liberal supreme court justices have seemed skeptical of his arguments. If the Court rules against him, the administration may have to somehow refund billions in collected duties to importers, which would be the opposite of Trump’s promised “dividend.” Trump argues the stakes are existential, claiming a loss could cost the U.S. $3 trillion in refunds and lost investment.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
Still, Trump continues to present tariffs as an all-purpose economic engine: a way to protect U.S. factories, pressure foreign governments, strengthen the federal budget, and now, finance what he has described as a populist windfall. Trump and the Republican party broadly have been focused on winning voters’ favor back on “affordability” ever since Democrats’ swept elections earlier this month. The President even said on Friday that he would roll back tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and commodities, even as he continues to insist that tariffs don’t raise prices.
“Affordability is a lie when used by the Dems. It is a complete CON JOB,” he wrote Friday on Truth Social.
Previously unknown organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach have been presented and performed in Germany for the first time in 320 years.
Germany’s Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer called the discovery of the two pieces a “great moment for the world of music”.
They first caught the attention of the Peter Wollny, a researcher of the German composer and musician, in 1992 when he was cataloguing Bach manuscripts at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels.
The organ works – the Chaconne in D minor BWV 1178 and Chaconne in G minor BWV 1179 – were undated and unsigned. Mr Wollny spent the next 30 years working to confirm the identity of the pieces.
They were performed at the St Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is buried and where he worked as a cantor for 27 years.
The two pieces were played by Dutch organist Ton Koopman, who said he was proud to be able to perform them for the first time in 320 years.
He said the pieces were “of a very high quality” and would be “a great asset for organists today, as they are also suitable for smaller organs”.
They are believed to have been composed early in Bach’s career, when he was working as an organ teacher in the town of Arnstadt in Thuringia.
Mr Wollny, who is now the director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, said they displayed several characteristics unique to the composer.
“Stylistically, the works also contain features that can be found in Bach’s works from this period, but not in those of any other composer,” he said.
They are believed to have been written down in 1705 by one of Bach’s pupils, Salomon Günther John.
At a presentation of the works, Mr Wollny said he was “99.99% sure that Bach had written the two pieces” and they have now been added to the official catalogue of his works.
The legal battle between LyricFind and its rival lyrics aggregator, Musixmatch, now has a geopolitical edge.
That’s according to recent court documents seen by MBW.
An amended legal complaint from LyricFind, filed in California on October 24 (read it here), once again confirms that TPG – having acquired a controlling stake in Musixmatch in July 2022 – then considered purchasing LyricFind as well.
According to the complaint, TPG and LyricFind entered into a non-disclosure agreement to explore the acquisition of LyricFind on January 12, 2023.
TPG allegedly gained access to LyricFind’s confidential business information during this due diligence process.
However, the amended complaint confirms that the TPG/LyricFind acquisition negotiations collapsed eleven months later, in December 2023.
Why? That’s a matter of debate.
LyricFind’s complaint alleges that TPG and Musixmatch “wrongfully leaked” confidential information about its firm to Spotify in January 2024 – a month after sale talks stalled.
Specifically, it alleges that TPG “falsely” informed Spotify that LyricFind had “purportedly violated international sanctions related to Russia and purportedly concealed its business dealings from regulators”.
LyricFind states these allegations were “not only a clear breach of [a mutually signed] NDA” but also “grossly and knowingly misrepresent[ed]” information “to try to harm LyricFind’s competitive position”.
The Russia connection
The Russia-related allegation at the center of the dispute could relate to VKontakte (VK), the largest social media provider in Eastern Europe.
According to a purported press comment from a VK spokesperson in January 2023, a new lyrics feature on VK Music and other VKontakte services required rightsholders to submit their lyrics to LyricFind.
At that time, LyricFind was named as “the service that provides the lyrics” to VK.
When asked by MBW about the amended complaint and LyricFind’s historical links to VK, a company spokesperson said: “As we allege in our amended complaint, TPG did try to acquire LyricFind in 2023. When that failed, TPG leaked false information about LyricFind.”
The spokesperson confirmed: “Although LyricFind was a lyric provider for VK, it has not been for years.”
“Although LyricFind was a lyric provider for VK, it has not been for years.”
LyricFind spokesperson
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, VK’s CEO, Vladimir Kiriyenko, was sanctioned by multiple governments in regions including the US, Canada, the UK, and the EU.
Due to the international sanctions, Apple removed VK’s apps from the App Store globally in September 2022
In the same year, in opposition to Russia’s Ukraine invasion, the three major music companies pulled their operations and releases from the market.
Responding to LyricFind’s suggestion that TPG/MusixMatch leaked confidential information obtained during the due diligence process, a MusixMatch spokesperson said: “This vague and meritless claim is unfortunately LyricFind’s latest desperate attempt to distract from their ineptitude.”
“It’s disappointing but not surprising that Lyricfind would claim a ‘breach’ of an NDA in reference to publicly available information simply because they are embarrassed.”
Musixmatch spokesperson
The Musixmatch spokesperson added: “It’s disappointing but not surprising that they would claim a ‘breach’ of an NDA in reference to publicly available information simply because they are embarrassed.”
The segment in LyricFind’s amended complaint RE: alleged NDA breach and Russia allegation
The amended complaint alleges that after the “leaked” information failed to derail LyricFind’s licensing negotiations with Spotify, TPG/Musixmatch executed an “unprecedented” exclusive agreement with Warner Chappell Music.
This exclusive pact apparently granted Musixmatch sole rights to both provide lyric data services and sublicense lyric rights for WCM’s entire catalog to digital services.
LyricFind’s complaint suggests that the exclusive deal between Musixmatch and Warner Chappell was signed on or around March 20, 2024.
At the same time, LyricFind claims it was in the “final stages” of negotiations with Spotify to replace Musixmatch as the streaming giant’s lyrics provider “at a significant discount”.
On what the filing calls “the eve of Spotify’s renewal deadline with Musixmatch”, WCM purportedly informed Spotify of its new exclusive arrangement with Musixmatch.
The result, according to LyricFind: Spotify renewed with Musixmatch “at substantially higher” fees than those offered by LyricFind.
Musixmatch has vigorously disputed multiple of LyricFind’s allegations of anti-competitive behavior RE: its Warner Chappell deal and the impact on Spotify licensing.
In court filings this summer, Musixmatch called LyricFind’s lawsuit “meritless” and a “textbook example of a disappointed competitor seeking to use the courts to achieve what it could not in the marketplace.”
In a statement to MBWearlier this year, a Musixmatch spokesperson asserted that LyricFind sued because “it failed to secure rights and win a contract” with Warner Chappell.
“LyricFind is relying on bluster to distract from its business failures,” the Musixmatch spokesperson said. “Rights owners and digital service providers have a choice about whom they do business with and we’re proud that our partners continue to choose us.”
Musixmatch has also argued that Warner Chappell, as owner of the lyrics, “indisputably has the right to exclusively license and distribute its intellectual property as it sees fit.”
LyricFind’s amended filing further alleges that iHeartRadio ended renewal negotiations with LyricFind upon learning it could no longer service WCM’s lyrics catalog, subsequently signing with Musixmatch “at a price over five times higher than what LyricFind had previously charged”.
LyricFind now estimates its damages in the case exceed USD $1 billion post-trebling.
The company also claims it paid “tens-of-thousands of dollars in outside legal fees” investigating the alleged NDA breach, plus substantial employee time diverted from revenue-generating activities.
The case moves forward following Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley’s September 3 ruling that allowed most of LyricFind’s antitrust claims to proceed.
new video loaded: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Is Sentenced to Death
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Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Is Sentenced to Death
Sheikh Hasina, who is living in exile in India, was convicted in absentia of crimes against humanity during a brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.
On these three counts, we have decided to inflict her with only one sentence: That is, sentence of death.
Sheikh Hasina, who is living in exile in India, was convicted in absentia of crimes against humanity during a brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.
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Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says that if the UN officially recognises a Palestinian state, then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should order targeted assassinations of senior Palestinian Authority officials.
But in addition to Erisman, there were other fast swims.
In the team race, the Riverview Sarasota girls squad won its fifth straight state title, while the Sarasota boys team won its fifth title in six years.
Girls’ Recap
Erisman was the big story with her record-breaking performance in the 100 free. She also won the 50 free in 21.67, which was just short of her best time of 21.61 that has her ranked second in the 15-16 girls’ age group this season.
Erisman also swam anchor for the 200 medley team that broke a state record in a time of 1:38.96, producing a split of 21.51. Brynn Lavigueur (24.16), Aidyn Reese (28.66) and Lilliana Krstolic (24.63) were the other members of the team, which shattered the previous state record of 1:40.81 set in 2023 by Riverview.
In the 400 free relay, Erisman swam anchor for Windermere’s team that also set a state record, producing a split of 47.48. Krstolic (51.58), Lizzy Johnson (51.22) and Lavigueur (48.88) were the other team members for Windermere, which broke the old record of 3:19.39 set in 2023 by the South Florida HEAT.
In addition to Erisman, Lavigueur and Schwenk also won two individual events.
Lavigueur, a senior who has committed to Texas, won the 100 back in 52.21 and the 200 IM in 1:58.23, both personal best times. They were both repeat titles.
Schwenk, a senior who is committed to NC State, swam a personal best time of 1:47.97 to win the 200 free and a personal best time of 54.54 to win the 100 fly.
In the 200 free, Schwenk beat out Wellington sophomore Veronica Mets (1:47.99) by two one-hundredths of a second.
In the 100 fly, Schwenk edged out Newsome junior Janae Sanders (54.58) by four one-hundredths of a second.
Other individual winners were West Boca Raton sophomore Ava Sedlacek in 1-meter diving (444.55 points), Riverview Sarasota senior and Harvard commit Clare Custer in the 500 free (4:;44.59), and Riverview Sarasota freshman Sydney Hardy in the 100 breast (personal best 1:03.76).
Girls Team Standings — Top 5
Riverview Sarasota, 395
Windermere, 305
Creekside, 192
Oviedo, 154
Newsome, 123
Boys’ Recap
After seeing a stretch of four consecutive state titles end last year, Sarasota returned to the top, finishing 23 points better than runner-up Riverview Sarasota.
Sarasota was led by senior and Alabama commit Bogdan Zverev, who won the 200 IM in 1:45.23 and the 100 fly in 46.99, both personal best times.
In the 100 fly, Zverev outtouched runner-up and Jupiter junior Charles Howard (47.00), beating him by one one-hundredth of a second.
The other multiple event winner was Wellington senior Andreas Da Silva, who set personal best times to win the 100 free (43.72) and the 100 back (48.42).
Da Silva also anchored Wellington’s winning teams in both the 200 free and 400 free relays. The other team members in each relay were Julian Granison, Oliver Fergus and Dillon Metz.
The 200 medley relay was won by Winter Park’s team of Denzo Senekal, Ian Heysen, David Fishberg and Mason Nordquist in 1:32.14.
Other individual winners were:
Howard, a Michigan commit, won the 200 free in a personal best time of 1:37.16.
Granison won the 50 free in a time of 20.11.
Hagerty senior Noah Stasik captured the 1-meter diving event with 520.95 points.
Braddock junior Nicolas Kokidko took the 500 free in a personal best time of 4:22.98., He was also runner-up in the 200 free.
Heysen, a senior Virginia commit, won the 100 breast in 54.67, repeating as champion in the event. Last season, he set what remains his personal best of 53.41 in the state prelims before winning the final in 53.95.
A sneaky, stealthy parasite queen can turn an ant colony against itself. Newly-mated queens of two parasitic ant species have been found to sneak into an ant colony, creep towards the resident ant queen, and spray a chemical to trigger matricide, i.e., tricking ants into slaughtering their own mother so she can take over the colony.
Matricide is a rare phenomenon in nature, seldom observed, especially among animals that receive substantial benefits from maternal care. While some insects may kill their queen under certain circumstances, these usually serve the evolutionary interests of the workers. But, in this newly discovered case, the queen elimination in Lasius flavus and Lasius japonicus species arises in a parasitic context, triggered by the invading ant queens from other species – Lasius orientalis or Lasius umbratus.
“I first learned of induced matricide – and I was so stunned that I was at a loss for words for a while,” says the study lead author, Keizo Takasuka, in an email to New Atlas.
In their new study, Takasuka and her colleagues describe an intriguing form of social parasitism in the journal Current Biology. The researchers examined the two parasitic ants, L. orientalis and L. umbratus. After mating, these queen ants started their search for a host colony, such as L. flavus and L. japonicus, and acquired the host odor through direct physical contact with a host worker.
After soaking up the host colony’s scent, the invading queen wanders unnoticed through the nest like an undercover spy to locate the resident queen. On getting closer to the resident queen, she bends her metasoma (abdomen) and sprays an unidentified fluid at the host queen. Researchers hypothesize the sprayed fluid is formic acid.
“Formic acid is a hallmark secretion of the subfamily Formicinae – the group to which Lasius belongs. Given that formicine ants actively use formic acid for various purposes, it is a parsimonious hypothesis that the sprayed fluid here is also formic acid,” Takasuka tells us.
Immediately after the spray, the host workers become agitated by the odor of the formic acid and begin attacking their own mother queen. Takasuka says that the fluid effectively turns the host queen into a perceived menace, a high-priority enemy, rather than merely raising general aggression.
The parasitic ant then repeatedly sprays the host queen every few hours. The worker ant attacks on their queen get more intense with each spray. The study recorded almost 15 sprays from the parasitic queen before the host workers killed and dismantled their mother.
Within 10 days of this matricide, the rival queen starts laying eggs and is accepted as a new queen of the colony.
“I see it just as a fascinating, brutal survival strategy,” Takasuka told us.
Takasuka says that temporary social parasitism has evolved twice within Lasius, and induced matricide appears to have evolved independently in those lineages as well. This suggests that once a parasite possesses a chemical or spraying mechanism that can trick the host workers into perceiving their own queen as an enemy, indirect queen-killing can achieve the goal of colony takeover at a lower risk than direct attack. This provides favorable conditions that preference the evolution of induced matricide.
