First a trickle, then a stream and now a torrent. US tech giants are cutting thousands of jobs almost every day. The darlings of COVID-19 lockdowns have seen their profits squeezed as lives returned to normal after months of staring at screens.
During the pandemic boom times, the headcounts of Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook parent Meta grew bloated due to overzealous hiring as demand for their products and services soared. But as decades-high inflation took hold and operating costs rocketed, Silicon Valley had no option but to trim the fat.
Tech firms have collectively cut more than 330,000 positions over the past 12 months, according to a tally by research platform TrueUp, including nearly 90,000 since the start of this year.
With inflation still stubbornly high, interest rates rising and slowing growth, the natural conclusion is that the tech sector’s woes will quickly spread to the wider US economy. But economists have cited several reasons why further layoffs may be limited.
Spotify is among the tech platforms that saw record growth during COVID lockdownsImage: Thomas Trutschel/photothek/picture alliance
Tech sector ‘overhired’
“Employment in the tech sector is up about 8% from pre-pandemic levels, while total employment is just right above pre-pandemic levels,” Olu Sonola, head of US Regional Economics at Fitch Ratings, told DW. “This suggests that the sector overhired in 2021 and 2022 … to the tune of about 200,000 to 300,000 jobs.”
High-profile names like Twitter, Spotify and Tesla represent the future trajectory of the US economy, so any negative news is more likely to hit the headlines and skew public perceptions. But large numbers of workers across all sectors change jobs every day as the US has one of the world’s most flexible labor markets.
“The number of layoffs [across the US economy] every month is about 1.5 million,” Karen Dynan, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told DW, versus 30,000 per month in the tech sector. “The [tech] layoffs have gotten a lot of attention, however, their direct effect on overall US employment is limited.”
US consumer spending is still strong but is not enough to stop Amazon from laying off workersImage: George Frey/Getty Images
Many tech firms still hiring
While some tech firms have cut positions, many others are still recruiting aggressively thanks to a red-hot jobs market that has left employers across several sectors struggling to fill vacancies and workers demanding higher pay.
A scan of job sites by TrueUp on Friday found more than 179,000 open positions within big tech, startups and so-called unicorns — new privately held firms worth at least $1 billion (€0.92 billion). A survey by ZipRecruit last month found that four out of five fired US tech workers found a new job within three months.
Eight out of the 10 best-ranked jobs in the US are still technology roles — including developers, engineers, and machine learning — according to a ranking by Indeed.com, giving tech applicants the best job prospects in any industry in 2023.
Many of the announced job losses also affect employees outside the US.
Despite inflation, US spending spree continues
Economists are divided over whether the US will enter a recession this year as consumer spending — which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity — remains strong.
Consumption fell slightly in November and December, according to the US Department of Commerce. Credit card debt is also rising — evidence that Americans are having to borrow more to maintain their spending levels, which is likely unsustainable.
A clear sign of a recession would be an increase in overall unemployment, but the jobless figure fell by 0.2% to 3.5% in December. The number of people claiming jobless welfare for the first time hit a historic low last week of 190,000.
Some job losses but no cull
“We are seeing some signs of pressures subsiding in the labor market broadly — wage growth is softening, use of temporary workers is dropping, job openings are starting to come down. So we will probably see layoffs pick up in the labor market generally,” Dynan said.
Fitch’s Sonola thinks the labor market will “significantly cool” during 2023 but doesn’t expect the layoffs in the tech sector to extend to the broader jobs market.
Few analysts expect the same hike in unemployment as during the 2007/8 financial crisis when the US jobless figure reached 7.5%.
“At most, I see unemployment creeping up to 5% from the current historic low of 3.5% in the US,” Karin Kimbrough, chief economist at LinkedIn told US television broadcaster CNBC.
Many firms across multiple sectors, including education health care and retail are still struggling to hire new workers. To tempt them, grocery giant Walmart said this month it would hike its wages to more than $17.50 per hour — having already increased pay several times during the pandemic. In 2021, the retailer’s starting wage was $12.
Many US retailers have put up wages several times to attract workersImage: AP
Labor market still tight
Rival chains Target and Costco have made similar moves and are seen as unlikely to cut jobs while demand remains strong.
“Companies are very reluctant to let go of workers because they’ve struggled so much in terms of staffing,” Rubeela Farooqi of High Frequency Economics told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Even with all of the recent layoffs, most tech companies are still vastly larger than they were before the pandemic. Despite announcing 12,000 job losses last week, Google owner Alphabet has hired more than 100,000 staffers since 2018. Amazon’s decision to fire 18,000 people, meanwhile, is just a fraction of its 1.5 million global workforce.
The one outlier is Twitter, which culled around half of the social media platform’s staff of 7,500 after it was acquired by Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, The downsizing has drawn criticism and praise, with critics warning of falling content moderation standards while Musk said the job losses were necessary to ensure the future of the loss-making platform.
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Bieber’s record-breaking pop hits from “Baby” to “Sorry” are no longer his after the superstar sold the rights to all his early career music.
The Canadian-American pop star’s six albums, including his most recent album “Justice,” are part of the massive catalog sale deal with Hipgnosis, a U.K-based music investment company.
Top artists like Sting, Bob Dylan and Shakira have in recent years sold rights to their catalogs for massive sums, but at 28 Bieber is the youngest superstar singer to do so. Hipgnosis acquired Shakira’s catalog in 2018.
Bieber’s publishing copyrights, songwriter’s ownership, master recordings and all rights of his entire catalog of recordings made through 2021 are now owned by Hipgnosis. That covers 290 titles, including hits like “Peaches” “Beauty and the Beat” music that Bieber has been releasing since he was 13.
The deal’s financial details have not been disclosed, but Billboard Magazine reports that the sale was worth an estimated $200 million.
“Justin is truly a once in a generation artist and that is reflected and acknowledged by the magnitude of this deal.” Scooter Braun, Bieber’s longtime manager, said in a statement Tuesday.
All of Bieber’s six official studio albums have been certified platinum or multiplatinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and he’s recorded 33 singles that have been designated platinum or multi-platinum globally. A song or album that sells more than a million copies receives platinum certification, while works that surpass two million sales become multiplatinum.
Bieber is the eighth most listened to artist in the world on Spotify, with 69 million monthly listeners and over 30 billion streams. His video for “Baby” has been streamed more than 2.9 billion times on YouTube.
“The impact of Justin Bieber on global culture over the last 14 years has truly been remarkable,” said Merck Mercuriadis, the founder of Hipgnosis Song Management.
Mercuriadis said that Bieber is a defining artist in the streaming age and “the acquisition ranks among the biggest deals ever made for an artist under the age of 70.”
CINCINNATI — The Baltimore Ravens could have a different look on offense in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Ravens will rest running back J.K. Dobbins and wait until pregame warmups before determining a starting quarterback, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Baltimore (10-6), which has already clinched a playoff spot, can’t win the AFC North but still has a chance to host a postseason game next week as a result of how the NFL handled the unbalanced schedule created by the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.
If the Ravens beat the Bengals (11-4) on Sunday and then face them in the wild-card round, a coin flip will determine whether the game will be played in Baltimore or Cincinnati. Baltimore, which is currently the No. 6 seed in the AFC, can move up to the No. 5 seed if it beats Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Chargers lose to the Denver Broncos.
The biggest question mark for the Ravens is at quarterback. Lamar Jackson (knee) has been ruled out for the fifth straight game, and backup Tyler Huntley is questionable with tendinitis in his right shoulder after starting the last four games.
Huntley did not throw much at all this week, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Friday that there was “a really good chance” that Huntley would play. If Huntley can’t play, Anthony Brown would become the third undrafted rookie to make a start for the Ravens, joining Huntley and Anthony Wright. Brown took the first-team reps in practice this past week.
The Baltimore offense has struggled mightily in Jackson’s absence. In four games without Jackson, the Ravens have averaged 12.3 points per game (second-worst in the league), totaling an NFL-low three touchdowns.
The Ravens would have an added challenge without Dobbins. Since coming off injured reserve four games ago, Dobbins has led the NFL in rushing with 397 yards. He has acknowledged that he’s not at full strength and hasn’t regained his breakaway speed after missing all of last season with torn ACL, LCL and meniscus in his left knee.
Asked Thursday if he would be fine with not playing Sunday, Dobbins said: “It’s all up to the coaches.”
Without Dobbins, Baltimore would rely more on Gus Edwards, who only carried the ball three times for two yards last game. Harbaugh said last week that there’s “really no excuse” for Edwards’ reduced role.
The Ravens, who are nine-point underdogs, are 3-36 (.077) outright when being underdogs by seven or more points, according to ESPN Stats & Information research — the worst record of any team since the 1970 merger.
With two regular-season games remaining, the playoff-bound Eagles are hobbling to the finish line.
During the team’s 40-34 loss to the Cowboys on Saturday, a pair of key starters went down with injuries. Right tackle Lane Johnson sustained an abdominal injury, while cornerback Avonte Maddox sustained a toe injury. Coach Nick Sirianni on Monday said both players are expected to miss “a little bit of time.” According to league sources, Johnson is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season, although the team is hopeful he returns for the playoffs.
The Eagles play the Saints (Jan. 1) and Giants (Jan. 7 or 8) at Lincoln Financial Field. If the Eagles defeat the Saints this upcoming Sunday, they’ll clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed, which would secure them a bye week along with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their first playoff game would be in approximately three-and-a-half weeks — on either Jan. 21 or 22 – at Lincoln Financial Field.
» READ MORE: What we learned from Eagles-Cowboys: Jonathan Gannon’s record vs. top quarterbacks is still suspect
“They’ll probably miss a little bit of time. We’re still evaluating through everything,” Sirianni said. “But we’ll never put a timetable on anybody. It’s early on in the process here too with these guys, so we want to get some information back. But it’s kind of looking that way. We’ll see on the severity and how long it will be.”
Starting quarterback and NFL MVP candidate Jalen Hurts also is dealing with a shoulder injury that sidelined him on Saturday. Without Hurts, the Eagles rolled out backup Gardner Minshew, who completed 24 of 40 passes for 355 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. There’s a chance Minshew could be under center again this weekend with Hurts’ status still up in the air.
“As far as Jalen goes, we’ll see, it’s one day at a time here,” Sirianni said. “We saw how much he wanted to play [vs. Cowboys], and how much he did to get his body ready. His body heals different than yours and mine. He’s going to do everything that he can do to get himself healthy. If he’s healthy, he’ll play.”
Meanwhile, Johnson, 32, was injured during the fourth quarter on Saturday. He was replaced by reserve offensive lineman Jack Driscoll. Following the game, Johnson was spotted leaving the visitors’ locker room sporting a medical bandage around his waist/groin area. Further tests revealed Johnson had torn a tendon in his abdominal area, a league source said.
» READ MORE: Eagles lick their wounds while still in position to clinch the NFC East division title and No. 1 seed
The Eagles are hopeful that Johnson will return for the postseason, although that could depend on how his body responds to treatment over the next several weeks, a league source said.
Johnson, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection, has been a key anchor to one of the NFL’s best offensive lines since the Eagles selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2013 draft. He hasn’t allowed a sack in 28 games, which is the longest streak in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
”He’s just dialed in,” tight end Dallas Goedert said recently. “Anytime he gets his hands on somebody, it’s game over. That record is a [heck] of a feat. Anytime he steps on the field, he’s the best tackle there is.”
Johnson initially suffered an abdomen injury earlier in the month during the Eagles’ Week 14 victory over the New York Giants. At the time, Johnson described his injury as a “tweak” to his “lower right ab/oblique area.” While Johnson missed the second half of that game, he was back in the starting lineup the following week in Chicago.
Over Johnson’s 10 seasons, the Eagles are 72-44-1 (.620) when he plays, and just 12-20 (.375) without him in the lineup.
With Johnson sidelined for an extended period, the Eagles currently face a couple of personnel decisions. Driscoll is the de facto reserve at right tackle, but the coaching staff might consider moving Jordan Mailata from left to right tackle and inserting backup Andre Dillard in at left tackle.
In Maddox’s case, the Eagles might rely on backup Josiah Scott, who struggled against Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb. When healthy, the Eagles boast one of the NFL’s best defensive back trios with Maddox starring in the slot alongside outside cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
But Maddox, 26, has already missed six games this season due to injuries. He’s recorded 43 tackles, one interception, and three passes defensed over nine games. Maddox sustained his toe injury while he recorded a sack on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the first half.
“As much as we want these guys to play, it’s always about their health first and the long-term health for the player,” Sirianni said. “Anything is on the table. I love the fact that Jordan has some versatility. I love that Andre and Jack are really good backups. We have a lot of faith in them to go out there and do their jobs.
“We’re bummed about Lane missing any time. But we’re also confident in the guys that we have on the roster.”
Sirianni concluded: “One of the earliest talks we had during training camp is … adversity is coming. When you go through these things in life and football, when you have the leaders that we have, it makes those roads a little bit easier to navigate. Is it still hard? Absolutely it’s still hard. Are we still mad about our loss? Absolutely we are. But sometimes that fuels you to dig even deeper so you don’t let each other down. We’re going to dig deeper, we’re going to find more answers.”
Most major league owners treat their teams like businesses. Steve Cohen, one of his former employees said, approaches the Mets like something else entirely.
“The way he looks at this business is so different than his hedge fund,” the employee said Wednesday. “It’s more like how he buys art. And he just spends whatever it takes on art. The guy’s got a billion dollars worth of art in his house. He gets it because he can.”
As baseball’s wealthiest owner, Cohen is better positioned to assemble a super-team than any other. But the fraternity of owners does not usually look kindly to those who break from the pack, particularly when it raises costs for them.
“I think it’s going to have consequences for him down the road,” said an official with another major league team who was not authorized to speak publicly. “There’s no collusion. But … there was a reason nobody for years ever went past $300 million. You still have partners, and there’s a system.”
Cohen’s choice to hike his payroll to upward of $380 million before luxury-tax penalties — with a 12-year, $315 million agreement with Carlos Correa his latest prize — has already polarized the industry. He’s not just blowing past $293 million, which is the fourth and highest tier of the competitive balance tax — the penalty level introduced to the sport in March, which was immediately dubbed the “Steve Cohen tax.” He’s taken his payroll to a total level the sport hasn’t seen ever. And relative to his peers’ spending, Cohen is an outlier the game hasn’t seen since George Steinbrenner.
For at least two other groups, Cohen is a blessing: Mets fans, for one. And players. Cohen wants to win, which players love. But his spending also grows their overall markets and their haul.
Carlos Correa (Jeffrey Becker / USA Today)
Why have baseball players and their union fought against a salary cap for so long? The news you woke up to Wednesday morning is one of the many reasons. The Mets almost certainly could not sign Correa this winter in a cap system. Another Steinbrenner could never rise to spend again, period.
Steinbrenner’s son Hal, the Yankees’ chairman, has been more reserved with his spending relative to his father or Cohen. After a news conference for Aaron Judge on Wednesday, he said he didn’t regret voting for Cohen to become an owner.
“I don’t think I’ve ever regretted voting for any owner,” Steinbrenner said.
When a reporter told Steinbrenner that Cohen’s overnight agreement with Correa had “big-footed” the Judge announcement, Steinbrenner seemed amused.
“That sounds ugly: big-footed, what does that even mean?” he said. “It doesn’t bother me. Look, Steve’s put together a great team. We have a great team, too. So it doesn’t bother me. The timing is what it is. I’m focused on today.”
Steinbrenner generally praised the Mets, calling it “phenomenal” for the city and rivalry to have two great baseball teams.
There’s no guarantee the Mets win, of course. As another pricey Cohen pick-up, Justin Verlander, noted Tuesday, “the playoffs are a crapshoot.” But the Mets’ winter is arguably a boon to the sport. They’re creating a lot of news, and maybe more importantly to an entertainment business, they’re creating a storyline: the Evil Empire reimagined. Baseball thrives when there is theater, and teams trying to one-up each other creates drama.
“David and Goliath,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday. “I think it’s all good for narratives. They’re trying to put together a team that can’t be beat, and that their competition’s going to look forward to trying to beat.
“There’s a lot of owners out there spending a lot of money to make their franchises better, not just Steve Cohen and the New York Mets. He’s not a standalone in that way. We’ve spent a lot of money ourselves this winter. But there’s a lot of teams moving and shaking, and in most cases, that costs money.”
Fans of teams in smaller markets might disagree.
“Our sport feels broken now,” a different rival executive said Wednesday. “We’ve got somebody with three times the median payroll and has no care whatsoever for the long-term of any of these contracts, in terms of the risk associated with any of them. How exactly does this work? I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it.”
That leads back to an age-old question: Are other owners not able to spend, or not willing to spend? Many with the league and some clubs would say the former, depending on the team, and many on the players’ side would suggest the latter. What teams believe they can afford is subjective based on what individual owners feel is appropriate for them, and most club financial records are not publicized. But different clubs definitely do have different revenues, and Cohen certainly has the deepest pockets based on reporting of his net worth.
“I think everyone in this room understands that we have a level of revenue disparity in this sport that makes it impossible for some of our markets to compete at some of the numbers we’ve seen,” commissioner Rob Manfred said generally at the Winter Meetings earlier this month. “And, you know, that’s not a positive. It’s like everything else in life, there’s good and bad in it.”
Whether Cohen ultimately cares how other owners feel, or whether he could actually be meaningfully hurt if he ignores those feelings, is a different question.
“This game is based on partnership and relationships, and these small markets are going to be really pissed at him,” the club official said. “They’re going to try and gin up s— and cause Rob (Manfred) to f—— get pissed at him. It’s not that they can do anything to him, but everybody needs help in this game. I don’t think he’s going to get any help.”
George Steinbrenner was long the target of other owners. In 2002, for example, Larry Dolan, then Cleveland’s owner, said, “George is a large part of our problem.”
How much did those attitudes hamper Steinbrenner in the end? Other owners did set out to change the system, at the least. Cashman last year noted that recent CBAs were designed “to prevent the Yankees from being the Yankees.”
Which brings us to the most recent CBA. One of the trade-offs the owners received for increasing the CBT thresholds was the creation of a new penalty tier that many in the industry thought only the Mets or the Dodgers would be likely to approach. In 2022, any dollars spent above $290 million would be taxed starting at 80 percent. The Mets were over by about $10 million.
In 2023, that upper tier starts at $293 million, and the Mets will be taxed at 90 percent for every dollar above. (They’re at a higher percentage this year because they’re a second-time offender.)
“If he would have went up to the Cohen tax, a little over, I think he would have been fine,” the club official said of Cohen. “But the fact that he blew past it, it kind of like embarrassed Rob and a lot of people. He went so far beyond it, it rendered the whole CBA — made them look stupid on the CBA negotiation. He flaunted it in their face.”
Hal Steinbrenner was a part of Manfred’s labor committee that worked closely on the new CBA. Wasn’t the fourth tier intended to dissuade exactly what Cohen has done?
“Well, or anybody,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday. “Clearly, yeah clearly, competitive balance is important to the game, and I remember meeting with you guys in March and I said, ‘No teams’ fans should come to spring training thinking they have no chance to make the playoffs.’ That’s not good for baseball. So, yeah, there was certainly a purpose to that.”
But there appears reason to doubt that the players or the owners thought the Cohen tax would have a strong effect. In the 2023 Mets case, every dollar over $293 million would have been taxed at 75 percent in the old CBA, compared to 90 now. A 15 percent difference, particularly for an owner already inclined to spend so much, is apparently not too meaningful.
In March, the owners certainly would have loved something more stringent — a higher tax rate, for example, never mind a cap. But the players also would have fought against it. Ultimately, baseball’s economic system grants an owner the freedom to spend, with some restraints. Players have long wanted that freedom preserved.
“If an owner is willing to spend 90 percent tax over $300 million, no CBA would solve for that absent an actual cap,” a person on the league’s side said Wednesday.
Nonetheless, as the players’ side has reckoned with in the last five years after the 2016 CBA, the result is the result, no matter the intent. The “Cohen tax” isn’t doing much of anything to deter its namesake, and Manfred might have some increasingly unhappy owners to calm down because of that.
And this is where Cohen’s spending could have a deeper effect. It’d be a little hyperbolic, a little cheeky to already be asking: Where were you when Steve Cohen started the 2026 lockout? But Cohen may have lit the fuse on perhaps the most quintessential behind-the-scenes fight in baseball: the big market versus the smaller market.
— The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal contributed to this story.
(Photo of Steve Cohen: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
Ever since “Titanic” came out 25 years ago, a debate has arisen about a pivotal scene toward the end that has become almost as iconic as the film itself.
Now, director James Cameron is hoping to put a definitive end to the speculation that Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) could have survived after the sinking of the infamous oceanliner, if only his beloved Rose (Kate Winslet) had scooched over just a bit on the floating door that kept her out of the freezing waters that eventually claimed so many lives. (It’s a conundrum that has drawn commentary from Hollywood luminaries such as Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, as well as Winslet herself in the past).
Cameron said he conducted a “forensic” study to show that the door could not possibly have supported them both.
“We have done a scientific study to put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all,” Cameron told The Toronto Sun on Friday.
“We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie,” he continued, adding that they used “two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water and we tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was, there was no way they both could have survived.”
“Only one could survive,” Cameron said.
The study will be the subject of a special for National Geographic, timed to the 25th anniversary re-release of “Titanic” in 4K, according to Cameron. Though, the network has yet to reveal specifics.
CNN has reached out to National Geographic for comment.
Cameron, who previously commented on an episode of “Mythbusters” that explored whether Jack had to die, ultimately copped it all to an artistic decision.
“No, he needed to die,” Cameron said in the new interview. “It’s like Romeo and Juliet. It’s a movie about love and sacrifice and mortality. The love is measured by the sacrifice.”
The “Avatar: Way of Water” filmmaker added that his hope with the new special on “Titanic” and Jack’s death scene is that “maybe… maybe… after 25 years, I won’t have to deal with this anymore.”
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We’re in the thick of the holiday season, so we’re still seeing good deals on a number of gadgets and tech gear we recommend. Apple’s iPad Air, for instance, is down to its second-lowest price to date at $500, while Amazon’s Fire HD 8 is down to an all-time low of $55. The Xbox Series S is still $60 off, and a range of Tile Bluetooth trackers and Samsung storage gear are on sale as well. There are plenty more discounts of note beyond that, so here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Apple iPad Air
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Apple’s iPad Air is on sale for $500, which is the lowest price we’ve seen outside of a very brief drop to $479 in August. Typically, the 10.9-inch tablet has retailed closer to $550 in recent months. We gave the iPad Air a review score of 90 earlier this year, and we named it the best iPad for most people in a recent buying guide. It’s not cheap, but it represents a noticeable upgrade over the entry-level iPad, providing many of the iPad Pro’s best features at a lower price.
If you want a more affordable model, though, the 10.2-inch iPad is down to $280 and still a more complete package than most tablets around that price. The newer 10th-generation iPad is also on sale for $399; that’s a decent option with a more conveniently placed webcam, though compared to the Air it lacks second-gen Apple Pencil support, a laminated display and a faster M1 chip.
Buy iPad Air at Amazon – $500
Buy iPad (10th gen) at Amazon – $399
Buy iPad (9th gen) at Amazon – $280
Xbox Wireless Controller
Aaron Souppouris / Engadget
If you need a spare gamepad for your Xbox or PC, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S controller is still discounted to $40, extending the deal we saw on Black Friday. While this isn’t the lowest price we’ve ever tracked, it’s still roughly $10 lower than its usual street price. Just note that, while comfortable, this controller uses a pair of AA batteries by default, not a rechargeable unit.
Buy Xbox Wireless Controller at Microsoft – $40
Buy Xbox Wireless Controller at Target – $40
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Ubisoft
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopeis one of the higher-profile Nintendo Switch exclusives of the year, a charming and well-reviewed turn-based strategy game starring Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Ubisoft’s cutesy Rabbids mascots. The game only released in late October, but Amazon is holding a one-day sale on Friday that brings it all the way down to $32, which is a $28 discount. If stock runs dry there, note that it’s also available for $40 at Walmart.
Over on Steam, meanwhile, the seminal puzzle game Portal is down to just $1. And if you’re looking for a new tabletop game instead, the classic strategy game Catan is on sale for $25, while the accessible train-themed game Ticket to Ride is available for $24. Neither board game deal is an all-time low, but they both represent the best prices we’ve seen this year.
Buy Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope at Amazon – $32
Samsung storage device sale
Samsung
Numerous Samsung storage devices are on sale at Amazon, bringing a handful of recommended SSDs and microSD cards down to their lowest prices to date. We recapped this sale earlier this week, but the highlights include the 1TB 980 Pro SSD for $100 and the 128GB Evo Select microSD card for $14.
Shop Samsung storage device sale at Amazon
$100 Apple Gift Card + $10 Amazon credit
Apple
If you spend $100 on an Apple gift card at Amazon, you can get a $10 store credit to spend on future purchases at no extra cost. This offer applies to both digital and physical gift cards. If you buy the former, use the code APPLEGC at checkout to redeem the offer. If you use the latter, use the code APPLEPGC instead. Best Buy is running a similar promotion, too, if you’d rather shop there. As a reminder, you can use an Apple gift card for App Store credit, subscription services like Apple Music or iCloud, and/or purchases made at a physical Apple store.
Buy $100 Apple Gift Card + $10 bonus credit at Amazon
Amazon Echo Show bundles
Engadget
Amazon is running a couple of notable bundle deals for its Echo Show smart displays. First, a bundle that includes the 5.5-inch Echo Show 5 and a Blink Mini indoor security camera is on sale for $50, which is about $15 less than what those devices would cost individually. (The display alone is still available for $35.) Second, the 8-inch Echo Show 8 is still discounted to an all-time low of $70, and you can grab a Kids version of the Echo Show 5 alongside it for no extra cost. It’s also available with a Blink Mini for $85.
We gave the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5 review scores of 87 and 85, respectively, last year. The former is a better option for most, as it’s generally faster and has a superior camera for video calls, though the latter can be useful if you’re looking to use the display as a sort of smart alarm clock. Either way, you’ll get the most out of an Echo Show if you already own other Amazon gear and use Alexa often.
Buy Echo Show 5 + Blink Mini at Amazon – $50
Buy Echo Show 8 + Echo Show 5 Kids at Amazon – $70
Amazon Fire HD 8
Amazon
Amazon’s newest Fire HD 8 tablet is back on sale from $55, which matches the all-time low we saw over Black Friday. This is far from a premium device, and you’ll have to put up with Amazon promoting its own services all over the OS. Still, it’s competent enough at the basics if you merely want a tablet for casual web browsing, e-book reading and video streaming every now and then.
For a step up, consider the Fire HD 10 for $90. That’s not an all-time low, but it’s still a decent price for a device with a bigger display and smoother performance.
Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon – $55
Logitech and Razer gaming mice
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Logitech’s G305 Lightspeed is a wireless gaming mouse we’ve recommended to those on a budget, offering a compact yet comfortable shape, consistent sensor performance and up to 250 hours of battery life through a single AA battery. It’s currently on sale for $28.49 at Amazon when you clip an on-page coupon, matching the lowest price we’ve tracked. Note that the offer only applies to the black model of the mouse, though, not the lilac version pictured above.
If you’re willing to pay a bit extra for a lighter and faster gaming mouse, Razer’s Viper Ultimate is worth a shout, and it’s currently on sale for $60 with an RGB charging dock. This is an ambidextrous mouse with shortcut buttons on either side, though its shape is a bit larger and flatter than the G305. On its own, it normally retails around $70; with the dock, it usually costs closer to $85.
Buy Logitech G305 Lightspeed at Amazon – $28
Buy Razer Viper Ultimate + charging dock at Amazon – $60
HyperX Cloud Alpha
Rozette Rago/Wirecutter
HyperX’s Cloud Alpha gaming headset is on sale for $55, which isn’t an all-time low but still comes in about $15 lower than its usual street price. Though you can find better sounding headphones for the price, the Cloud Alpha’s profile is still decently well-balanced, its included boom mic should yield few complaints and its design is both sturdy and comfortable to wear for hours at a time.
Buy HyperX Cloud Alpha at Amazon – $55
Buy HyperX Cloud Alpha at HP – $55
Tile tracker sale
Tile
Amazon is running a sale on various Tile Bluetooth trackers. The offers include the Tile Mate for an all-time low of $18 and the diminutive Tile Sticker down within a dollar of its best-ever price at $19.60. The Tile Pro is back at its all-time low of $25, while a dual-pack that includes a Mate and a wallet-friendly Tile Slim is $10 off its usual street price at $40.
To be clear, if you own an iPhone, Apple’s AirTags remain a more powerful and precise option for keeping tabs on your wallet, keys or other frequently misplaced items. If you use Android, though, Tile’s trackers are generally the best alternative, with the next largest crowd-finding network and a wider range of designs. Just be aware that only the Tile Pro includes a replaceable battery.
Shop Tile tracker sale at Amazon
Samsung Smart Monitor M8
Samsung
Samsung’s 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 is down to a new low of $400, beating its average street price over the last few months by roughly $200. The 4K, 60 Hz, VA panel here isn’t the most accurate thing you can buy out of the box, but it’s solid for this deal price.
The M8’s main selling point, though, is that it doubles as a small smart TV (albeit without a tuner). It uses Samsung’s Tizen interface, allowing it to stream Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video and similar apps even when it’s not hooked up to a computer. It comes with a webcam, remote, microphone and built-in speakers, and it can double as a SmartThings hub for compatible smart home gear. You have to actually use this smart TV functionality for the M8 to be worth it, but if so, it’s one of the more versatile monitors on the market.
Buy Samsung Smart Monitor M8 at Amazon – $400
Buy Samsung Smart Monitor M8 at Samsung – $400
Apple Magic Keyboard
Chris Velazco/Engadget
If you want to use an iPad Air or 11-inch iPad Pro more like a laptop, Apple’s Magic Keyboard case provides a relatively comfortable typing experience, a smooth trackpad, good weight distribution and an extra USB-C port for charging your tablet. We gave it a review score of 84 back in 2020. The main downside is that it’s wildly expensive, but right now it’s a bit more affordable at $210. That’s not an all-time low, but it’s still about $75 less than its typical street price over the last few months.
If you use a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, meanwhile, the Magic Keyboard for that tablet is on sale for $249 at Walmart, which is within $10 of its all-time low.
Buy Apple Magic Keyboard (11-inch) at Amazon – $210
Sony WH-1000XM5
Billy Steele/Engadget
We’ve seen this deal for past few weeks, but Sony’s noise-canceling WH-1000XM5 headphones are down to $348, which is a $50 discount and tied for the lowest price we’ve seen. We gave the XM5 a review score of 95 in May for its comfortable fit, powerful ANC, 30-hour battery life and pleasing (yet customizable) sound. Right now, it’s the top pick in our best wireless headphones guide.
Buy Sony WH-1000XM5 at Amazon – $348
Apple MacBook Air M2
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
The entry-level version of Apple’s M2 MacBook Air is back down to $1,049. We’ve seen this deal a few times in recent months, but it still matches the lowest price we’ve seen and beats Apple’s MSRP by $150. The latest Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave it a review score of 96 in July. Note that this configuration has slower storage performance than pricier SKUs, but that shouldn’t be a major issue on a day-to-day basis unless you’re doing more involved work like editing high-res video and photos. If you need more storage, though, a 512GB model is down to a low of $1,300 at Best Buy.
If you want a more affordable entry into macOS, note that the older MacBook Air that runs on Apple’s M1 chip is still on sale for $800, matching its all-time low. This model has a more dated design than the M2-based Air, but it remains a fantastic value when it’s discounted to this extent.
Buy MacBook Air M2 at Amazon – $1,049
Buy MacBook Air M1 at Amazon – $800
Apple MagSafe Charger
Chris Velazco/Engadget
Apple’s MagSafe Charger is on sale for $30, which is within $3 of the best price we’ve tracked and roughly $7 off its usual street price. There are certainly cheaper wireless chargers, but this one aligns easily with any recent iPhone and can supply up to a 15 W charge, which is a smidge more than non-MagSafe alternatives. You can still use it to charge AirPods and other Qi-compatible devices, too.
Buy Apple MagSafe Charger at Amazon – $30
Buy Apple MagSafe Charger at Walmart – $30
LG C2 OLED TV 65-inch
LG
The 65-inch version of LG’s C2 OLED TV is available for $1,442 at eBay from authorized reseller BuyDig. That’s a new low, but you have to use the code JOLLY15 at checkout to see the discount. Typically, this TV has gone between $1,700 and $1,800 in recent months. The C2 can’t get as bright as a competitor like Samsung’s S95B OLED TV, so it’s best suited in darker or moderately-lit rooms, but it still provides the deep black levels, high contrast and wide viewing angles you’d expect from a high-end OLED display.
Buy LG C2 65-inch at eBay – $1,442
Xbox Series S
Aaron Souppouris / Engadget
If you’re buying for a non-4K TV, the Xbox Series S is worth highlighting at its current sale price of $240. We saw a few gift card deals on Black Friday that effectively dropped the compact console lower, but this is still $60 off Microsoft’s MSRP. We gave the Series S a review score of 85 at launch: It’s a clear step behind the Xbox Series X (and PS5) in terms of power, it lacks a disc drive, and its 512GB of built-in storage isn’t much, but it’s still capable of playing all the same games as its pricier sibling.
Buy Xbox Series S at Amazon – $240
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
The chief Black Friday deal we saw for Meta’s Quest 2 VR headset, which pairs a 128GB model with the popular rhythm game Beat Saber and the classic horror game Resident Evil 4 for $349, is still available at multiple retailers. Normally, the Quest 2 alone retails for $399.
It’s worth remembering that Meta jacked up the price of the Quest 2 by $100 earlier this year, but this is the best offer we’ve seen in the time since, and the headset itself remains the best option for most people interested in VR even after the price hike. We gave the device formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2 a review score of 89 back in 2020.
Buy Meta Quest 2 bundle at Walmart – $349
Buy Meta Quest 2 bundle at Best Buy – $349
Google Nest Thermostat
Google
Google’s Nest Thermostat is on sale for $90, which is about $25 off its typical street price and within a few dollars of the lowest price we’ve seen. This is Google’s entry-level smart thermostat — it doesn’t have the nicer dial control or remote sensor support of the Nest Learning Thermostat, but for smaller homes, it offers similar energy-saving and HVAC monitoring features at a lower cost. It’ll also support the new Matter smart home standard, something Google hasn’t committed to with the Learning Thermostat.
Buy Google Nest Thermostat at Amazon – $90
Fitbit Charge 5
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
This is another deal we’ve seen for much of the holiday season, but you can still get Fitbit’s Charge 5 for $100, which is within a dollar of the wearable’s all-time low and about $20 less than its usual street price. The Charge 5 is the top recommendation in our guide to the best fitness trackers, and we gave it a review score of 82 last year due to its reliable activity tracking, built-in GPS and full-color OLED display.
Buy Fitbit Charge 5 at Amazon – $100
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook
Lenovo
A configuration of Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 5i with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is on sale for $300. That’s $30 more than the all-time low we saw on Black Friday, but still about $70 off this config’s typical street price in recent months. This is the top pick in our guide to the best Chromebooks: The specs here are enough to run Chrome OS smoothly, and in general the notebook’s backlit keyboard, port variety, bright 1080p touchscreen and eight-hour battery life impress for the price.
Buy Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i at Amazon – $300
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The prosecution rested its case on Monday in the criminal trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s real estate company on charges including tax fraud after calling five witnesses over three weeks, setting the stage for the Trump Organization to begin to mount its defense.
Jurors in New York state court in Manhattan last week heard from the prosecution’s star witness Allen Weisselberg, the company’s former chief financial officer, who testified that the Trump Organization paid his personal expenses including rent and car leases for more than a decade, allowing him to avoid paying taxes on $1.76 million in income.
The Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world, could face up to $1.6 million in fines for the three tax fraud counts and six other counts it faces, if convicted. It has pleaded not guilty.
Trump has not been charged in the case. Trump, a Republican who last week launched another bid for the presidency in 2024, has called the charges politically motivated. Alvin Bragg, the current Manhattan district attorney, is a Democrat, as is the DA who brought the charges last year, Cyrus Vance.
The company has sought to shift the blame onto Weisselberg as well as Donald Bender, an outside accountant with the Mazars firm who prepared tax returns for the company and Weisselberg. Lawyers for the company have said they plan to call Bender as a witness. Mazars in February dropped the company as a client and said it could no longer stand behind a decade of Trump’s financial statements.
The district attorney’s office charged the Trump Organization and Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty to charges including grand larceny and tax fraud in an August deal with prosecutors calling for a jail sentence of five months if he testified truthfully in the trial.
Weisselberg during three days of testimony said he worked with the Trump Organization’s controller to misreport his and others’ income on company tax forms, which let the company save on salary payments as well as payroll taxes. The testimony gave a boost to the prosecutors, who in order to win a conviction must show that executives acted in their official capacity when committing crimes.
Under cross-examination by the defense, Weisselberg said his intention in carrying out the arrangement was to benefit himself, calling the company’s savings a “byproduct.” He choked up as he said he was embarrassed about having betrayed the Trump family’s trust.
Weisselberg, who has worked for the company for nearly half a century, is on paid leave from the Trump Organization.
The prosecution began presenting its case on Oct. 31. Its final witness on Monday was Mukaila Rabiu, an auditor with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
The case is separate from a $250 million civil lawsuit filed by New York’s attorney general against Trump, three of his adult children and his company in September, accusing them of overstating asset values and his net worth to get favorable bank loans and insurance coverage.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday named a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s investigations related to Trump including his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving office and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Noeleen Walder)
Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.
Hong Kong CNN
—
World leaders are converging in Phnom Penh this weekend for the first in a series of international summits in Southeast Asia over the coming week, where divisions between major powers and conflict threaten to overshadow talks.
The first stop is the Cambodian capital where leaders from across the Indo-Pacific will meet alongside a summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders, followed next week by a meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) leaders in Bali and of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bangkok.
The stacked diplomatic line-up will be a test of international appetite for coordination on issues like climate change, global inflation and rising food prices on the back of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic– and the first time that all three events are being held in person since the outbreak began in 2020.
Sharp geopolitical divisions of the type not seen in decades loom over this political calendar, as the war in Ukraine has radically transformed Russia’s relationship with the West, the top two global economies US and China remain locked in intensifying competition, and the rest of the world is pressed to pick a side.
Whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin will make any appearance during the stretch of diplomatic dates remains uncertain. Both US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to attend two of the summits in Southeast Asia – a region that has long been ground-zero for influence-jockeying between Beijing and Washington.
Xi is re-emerging on the world stage after years without travel during the pandemic, having secured a norm-breaking third term in power, while Biden heads east fresh from a better-than-expected performance by his party in the US midterm elections. Both would be expected to pitch their country as a stronger partner and more responsible global actor than the other.
The two will meet face-to-face on Monday on the sidelines of the G20, their first in-person encounter since Biden’s election, the White House said on Thursday. Beijing on Friday confirmed Xi’s travel plans to the G20 and APEC summits, and said he would hold bilateral meetings with Biden and several other leaders.
Talks between the two could help to avert an escalation of tensions between the powers. But for the leaders meeting during the string of summits in coming days, cinching robust agreements on tackling global issues – already a tough bargain at the best of times – will be a challenge.
Even the most regional of the meetings, the ASEAN summit of Southeast Asian leaders – which kicked off in Phnom Penh on Friday and is slated to address strengthening regional stability as well as global challenges – will reflect fractured world politics, experts say.
But unlike the other major meetings, which may be more squarely focused on the fallout from the war in Ukraine, ASEAN leaders are entering the summit and related meetings this weekend under pressure to address a spiraling conflict within their own bloc:as Myanmar remains in turmoil and under military rule nearly two years after a brutal coup ousted the democratically elected government.
Differences between Southeast Asian countries on how to handle that conflict, compounded by their criss-crossing allegiances with great powers – and a reticence from the bloc to appear to take sides between the US and China – will all impact how much the group can agree on and what it can accomplish across the gamut of summits, experts say.
“Normally this season would be very exciting – you have three major world summits in Southeast Asia – Phnom Penh, Bali and Bangkok,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science in Bangkok.
“But (ASEAN) is very much divided on Russian aggression, on the Myanmar coup crisis, on China’s belligerence in the South China Sea and so on, and this means that ASEAN is in bad shape,” he said.
At a United Nations vote last month, seven of the 10 ASEAN countries, including the Myanmar representative who is not backed by the ruling military, voted to condemn Russia’s annexation of four regions of Ukraine, while Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam abstained.
But ASEAN as a bloc has also taken a step to tighten ties with Kyiv at this week’s events, signing an amity and cooperation treaty with Ukraine in a ceremony with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Phnom Penh on Thursday.
The bloc aims to use consensus among its states as its strength when it brings larger world players to the table, for example in its adjacent East Asia Summit that brings together 18 Indo-Pacific countries, including Russia, China and the United States, and also meets this weekend.
“If ASEAN cannot get its house in order, if ASEAN cannot rein in a rogue member like the Myanmar military regime, then ASEAN loses its relevance,” Pongsudhirak said. “On the other hand, if ASEAN is united, if it can muster commitment and resolve … it can have a lot of pulling power.”
Nearly two years since the military coup crushed Myanmar’s fledgling democracy, rights groups and observers say freedoms and rights in the country have deteriorated sharply; state executions have returned and the number of documented violent attacks by the ruling military junta on civilian infrastructure, including schools, has surged.
Numerous armed rebel groups have emerged against the ruling military junta, while millions of people have resisted its rule through forms of civil disobedience.
The weekend’s summits in Phnom Penh will pull the conflict back into international focus, as Southeast Asian leaders try to find a path forward, after Myanmar’s ruling junta failed to implement a peace plan negotiated in April of last year. The country remains part of ASEAN, despite calls from rights groups for its ejection, but has been barred from sending political-level representatives to key events.
ASEAN foreign ministers held a last-ditch attempt to hash out a strategy late last month, with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who chaired the meeting, stressing in a statement afterwards that the challenges were down to “the complexity and difficulty of Myanmar’s decades-long protracted conflicts, which has been further exacerbated by the current political crisis.”
But observers have low expectations for a tougher line, at least while Cambodia chairs the bloc, and are already looking to next year when Indonesia assumes leadership in 2023.
Addressing the “ongoing crisis” will be a focus for Biden in talks with Southeast Asian leaders as he attends ASEAN summits over the weekend, the White House said on Tuesday. Since the coup, the Biden administration has launched targeted sanctions against the military regime and held meetings with the opposition National Unity Government.
China, on the other hand, has shown support to the ruling military junta and would be unlikely to back tough action, observers say. A months-long inquiry into the situation in Myanmar released by an international team of lawmakers last month accused Russia and China of “supplying both weapons and legitimacy to an otherwise isolated regime.”
That, too, could have an impact on outcomes this weekend, according to political scientist Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.
“Because of Russian and (Chinese) support for the junta, any efforts toward a solution by ASEAN would require some form of engagement with them, whether this is to get buy-in or even just non-opposition,” Chong said.
The crisis in Myanmar is not the only area where US and China division may loom over the ASEAN summits, even as issues like China’s aggression in the South China Sea – where Beijing asserts territorial claims that conflict with those of several Southeast Asian countries – may be of lesser importance this year.
ASEAN will hold its usual side summits with both the US and China respectively, as well as other countries, and China’s number two leader, the economy-focused Premier Li Keqiang arrived earlier this week as Xi’s representative.
As Southeast Asian leaders seek to shore up their economic stability, they are likely to raise concerns about the impact of US-China competition on the region, its trade and supply chains, for example in the wake of a US export ban on semi-conductors to China, according to Chong.
“ASEAN states are going to try and find some way to navigate all this, and will be looking to both Beijing and Washington to see what sort of leeway they can provide,” he said.
WAUKESHA, Wis. – Prosecutors on Thursday, Oct. 20 rested their case in the Darrell Brooks trial, charged in the November 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade attack.
After the prosecution rested, the court took its lunch break for the day. Immediately following the break, Brooks is expected to make his deferred opening statement to the jury – and begin presenting his defense.
Case called Thursday
Before the jury was brought in Thursday, Brooks told the court he was there as third-party intervener. Judge Jennifer Dorow asked that he not reference subject matter jurisdiction – an issue Brooks has repeatedly raised throughout the trial – because it is not based on law or fact. Brooks then responded, saying he had “common sense” ot know that he can’t reference it.
Additionally, the wording of Count 76 against Brooks was changed to reflect that an alleged domestic battery “near Frame Park” as opposed to “at Frame Park.”
“We’re not asking to change any of the facts, dates or charges,” said Assistant District Attorney Zachary Wittchow.
“It is right for this court to hear this motion. The jury will ultimately be instructed. The charges are based off the information. There is no prejudice to Mr. Brooks, and it doesn’t change the charge in any way,” Dorow said, granting prosecutors’ request.
District Attorney Sue Opper explained her intent to recall Waukesha Police Det. Thomas Casey. Opper said Casey’s “focus” during his previous testimony was on the layout of the parade route; now, she sought to gather his testimony on identifying victims and the driver of the red SUV.
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“It will help the jury understand some of the things on the back end that he was involved with during the parade,” Opper said.
“The prosecution feels they’ve been efficient in their presentation – it seems like an attempt to me to get more questions in that should have been asked in the first place,” said Brooks.
Thomas Casey recalled
The jury was brought into the courtroom around 9:10 a.m. Thursday – and Casey took the stand, recalled by the state. The detective went through the process of identifying persons who were injured in the Waukesha Christmas Parade incident. He became the lead investigator on the case the night of the attack.
Casey told the court that police detectives were sent to five different hospitals to identify possible victims as they came in. As part of the process, the detective said, officials had to come up with parameters that would positively identify a true victim. He said the victims had to be in the street of the parade route and receive hospital care. The detective said people who were injured after the fact, from other instances, were not considered victims.
Waukesha Police Detective Thomas Casey
Casey indicated there were three other members of the Xtreme Dance Team – including a 10-year-old boy – who were injured in the parade incident, but not listed on the state’s charges. He also indicated a white hood and navy hat that belonged to Dancing Grannie Virginia Sorenson was found on the red SUV that was later located in Waukesha.
The detective testified investigators obtained “300 to 400 videos” of the parade incident. He stated he watched all of them – and asserted Brooks was driving the red SUV through the parade in all of them.
“I’ve never seen anyone driving the SUV other than the defendant, none of the vehicles we looked at showed anyone else in the vehicle,” Casey said. “Never showed the vehicle coming to a complete stop on the parade route.”
Some of the videos captured the license plate of the red SUV involved in this case. Casey testified police also found a video on social media where Brooks was recorded next to the SUV with matching plates. Brooks had his back to the camera in that video.
The detective testified that the SUV was found on Maple Road and that officials got a key from Brooks. At that time, Casey said, the red SUV was in processing so he took the key there and it worked the door lock and the ignition lock of the vehicle. Casey also told jurors Brooks’ fingerprints, the three women he has children with, and Brooks’ mother all identified the suspect in the parade incident as Darrell Brooks. However, Brooks objected to “being called that name.”
“That’s the name he’s always gone by,” Casey said.
The jury was shown video of the backyard of Dawn Woods, Brooks’ mother, which showed a red Ford Escape – the type of SUV in question. That video was dated 1:26 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2021 – the afternoon of the parade attack. Casey testified that Woods gave police the video that night.
Brooks began his cross-examination of Casey around 10 a.m. During this cross, Brooks argued no one can tell who has their back to the camera in the photo that had been shown in court. Casey said he watched the entire video – and he testified it was indeed Brooks.
Casey further testified that he learned Brooks had use of the SUV at the time of the attack. He also said he had been to Brooks’ mother’s house to talk to her, and knows the video of the SUV in the backyard on the afternoon of Nov. 21, 2021 is at that house.
Brooks asked Casey if the detective interviewed his child, and if he has “heard the term double jeopardy.” The prosecution objected. Casey continued to testify about what he saw at the scene.
“I remember a horn beeping and (Brooks) driving into me and not stopping when I pounded on the vehicle,” said Casey, describing Brooks as looking angry. “I’ve been driving a long time. When people beep their horns they are late or angry – that’s why I concluded they were angry.”
Casey added it was a possibility that someone would beep their horn to get out of the way. He testified speaking to Brooks’ mother multiple times to gather more information and a warrant for Brooks’ Waukesha County Jail cell that was served July 1, 2022.
“Why did you serve the warrant?” Brooks asked before again raising his “the state is an entity” questions, as he has throughout the trial.
“The jury will strike those comments,” Dorow said, following prosecutors’ objection.
Darrell Brooks trial: Waukesha County DA Sue Opper reacts to Brooks’ actions in court
Darrell Brooks trial: Waukesha County DA Sue Opper reacts to Brooks’ actions in court
Upon re-direct, prosecutors presented another video. Brooks argued that the court was “just creating exhibits now. I have all the exhibits – and this was never in it.” The video, Opper said, was from Brooks’ social media, and Brooks described it as “mind boggling.”
As Casey’s testimony resumed, he said he had “no doubt” that Brooks was the man in the video standing next to the red SUV.
“When was this video made an exhibit?” Brooks asked. He became upset when someone at the state’s table began laughing.
“I’m advising both parties to display restraint,” said Dorow.
Brooks then asked Casey why he wanted to review the video again, the detective answered in case “anyone asked questions about it,” and the jury was excused.
Darrell Brooks trial: Judge Dorow, defendant spar over evidence, testimony in the case
Darrell Brooks trial: Judge Dorow, defendant spar over evidence, testimony in the case
With the jury no longer in the courtroom, Opper said the video Brooks was upset about was sent as part of the initial discovery.
“I see what you people are trying to do, and it’s not fair, and it’s not right,” said Brooks.
“That video was no part of (initial discovery).”
Dorow asked Brooks if he was familiar with the video, and Brooks asked what that had to “do with it.” Dorow said the video was relevant and that Brooks “opened the door” to have Casey identify him in the video. As the judge and district attorney spoke, Brooks began interrupting.
“Stop gesturing me, rolling your eyes and talking over me,” Dorow told Brooks.
“We’ve been patient with Mr. Brooks. You haven’t told him to sit down and be quiet. You haven’t done that, and we know why,” Opper said.
Opper explained that when Brooks “opened the door,” they played the video without audio.
“He doesn’t like it because the evidence is stacking up and stacking up,” Opper said. “He can cite no law that I can’t make an exhibit.”
NOTE: FOX6 News will update this post as new testimony is presented in court.
Prosecutors say Brooks drove a red SUV through the parade route on Nov. 21, 2021, killing six and injuring more than 60 others.
On Nov. 21, 2021, according to prosecutors, Brooks met up with his ex-girlfriend in Frame Park, the same woman he is accused of running over with his red SUV earlier in November 2021. She told police they argued in his SUV before he started driving, and he “was driving around with one hand and striking her in the face with his other hand.” She eventually got out and called her friends for help.
Waukesha parade attack victims identified
Soon after that, according to prosecutors, Brooks drove that red SUV through the parade route, killing Jackson Sparks, 8, Virginia Sorenson, 79, LeAnna Owen, 71, Tamara Durand, 52, Jane Kulich, 52 and Wilhelm Hospel, 81. More than 60 others were hurt.
