Latest news with #Huebner
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Border Patrol agent David Huebner challenges Nebraska U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith
David Huebner of North Platte says his background in agriculture gives him an advantage against U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. (Courtesy of David Huebner for Congress) LINCOLN — A former U.S. Border Patrol agent has decided to run for Congress in Nebraska's largely rural, sprawling 3rd Congressional District. North Platte native David Huebner will try to do what other Republicans in the district haven't and beat U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb, in a Republican primary. Huebner said he is running to bring some 'energy back' to the seat. 'I like active and present representation,' Huebner said, 'I don't feel like we have that right now from the incumbent.' Huebner said Smith lacks a background in agriculture, and the district wants someone with that background who can advocate for rural issues. He said the issues potential voters have brought up so far are the need for increased border security and improving the agricultural economy. Huebner acknowledges he's an underdog but said he wants to give voters a choice. 'I'm getting out, meeting people … finding out what's important to them,' Huebner said. 'Life is very different in western rural Nebraska than it is in D.C. It's very easy to get out of touch up there.' Smith, from Gering, has represented the district since 2007. Before Congress, Smith served in the Legislature from 1999 to 2007. He is on the House Ways and Means Committee, which is Congress's chief tax-writing committee. The 3rd District includes central and western Nebraska and much of the state's northeastern and southeastern edges. It's one of the nation's most conservative congressional districts by political party registration advantage and voting record. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district by 197,650 voters, according to data maintained by the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office. Smith having a GOP primary opponent is nothing new. He has had at least one primary opponent in every election since 2018 and has never gotten less than 65% of the GOP primary vote. In 2018, he faced three Republican opponents, including current State Board of Education member Kirk Penner. Smith faced four GOP challengers in 2020. Huebner said he differs from previous Smith opponents because he is an active agricultural producer growing hay and raising Black Angus cattle. A Smith campaign spokesperson said the congressman is a 'proven and trusted conservative fighting for Nebraskans alongside President [Donald] Trump,' focusing on issues such as border security and making the Trump tax cuts permanent. 'Adrian has a conservative record that reflects the priorities of Nebraska's Third District,' said Chris Peterson, speaking for Smith's campaign Democrat Becky Lynn Stille has also filed to run. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Reuters
20-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Purdue Pharma fees surpass $250 million for Davis Polk amid new bankruptcy plan
March 20 (Reuters) - (Billable Hours is Reuters' weekly report on lawyers and money. Please send tips or suggestions to opens new tab) Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy entered a new, possibly final phase this week when the drugmaker filed a new $7.4 billion plan to resolve thousands of lawsuits that alleged its OxyContin pain medication caused a widespread opioid addiction crisis in the United States. Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here. The complex bankruptcy has fueled several appeals, including a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that upended an earlier proposed $6 billion settlement that also would have shielded Purdue's wealthy Sackler family owners from civil liability. Along the way, Purdue's journey through the courts has generated sprawling fees for the army of attorneys and other professionals in the case, not least for the company's lead bankruptcy lawyers at Davis Polk & Wardwell. The New York law firm alone has received or requested more than a quarter of a billion dollars in fees since the bankruptcy began in 2019, a review of court filings shows. A U.S. bankruptcy judge in White Plains, New York has approved $246 million so far for the Davis Polk team, led by the firm's restructuring practice co-head Marshall Huebner. The firm has requested another $12.2 million for its work from September 2024 through January. The fees include a 20% discount on the lawyers' standard rates, according to recent court records. Huebner's current hourly rate is $2,645, Davis Polk said, opens new tab in a fee statement earlier this month. Associates at the firm reported hourly billing rates as high as $1,780, and several law clerks billed at $1,065. The statement, covering the month of January, included 54 lawyers and other hourly billers who spent a combined 1,775 hours on the case. Huebner and a spokesperson for Davis Polk had no immediate comment. A spokesperson for Purdue Pharma did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Similarly high billing rates have become the norm in the largest corporate bankruptcies . A recent Reuters review of court filings in other cases showed that several firms are now charging top hourly rates above $2,500. Purdue Pharma filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2019 to address its debts, nearly all of which stemmed from thousands of lawsuits alleging that OxyContin helped kickstart an opioid epidemic that has caused more than half a million U.S. overdose deaths over two decades. The new formal bankruptcy plan Purdue Pharma filed Tuesday fleshes out the settlement with new details about how the money will be allocated to states, local governments and individuals harmed by the crisis. The company plans to begin soliciting votes and opt-in decisions from its creditors in May. After that, the plan would be submitted for final court approval. -- Alan Dershowitz is no longer on the hook to pay more than $12,220 as a sanction for his limited work on an election-related lawsuit on behalf of failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week held, opens new tab that "of counsel" lawyers can be sanctioned for signing court pleadings that are frivolous and lack factual basis. But the court said it would not apply that standard retroactively to Dershowitz, who had argued that he played only a nominal "of counsel" role in Lake's failed lawsuit challenging the use of electronic voting machines. -- U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla in Manhattan awarded $5.6 million, opens new tab in fees to attorneys at Labaton Keller Sucharow as part of a $19.5 million settlement in a securities class action against Barclays. The plaintiffs' attorneys said they spent more than 2,453 hours, opens new tab on the case. Barclays, represented by Sullivan & Cromwell, denied any wrongdoing. Barclays declined to comment, and a lawyer for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a request for one. -- Credit Suisse was on the losing side in a Texas appeal and is on the hook now to pay $500,000 in legal fees, opens new tab to the lawyers for a former wealth advisor at the firm who fought the banking giant over deferred compensation and other matters tied to his departure from the firm. The 5th Court of Appeals in a ruling said arbitrators did not exceed their power in awarding fees to Rogge Dunn Group. A spokesperson for Credit Suisse, now owned by UBS, declined to comment. A lawyer for the plaintiff did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Yum, King cakes! Peoria Bakery sees spike in sales for the item on Mardi Gras
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Mardi Gras has made its way into central Illinois, and one bakery is keeping with the holiday's traditions. Trefzger's Bakery in Peoria sees the most sales of King cakes on Mardi Gras, which translates to 'Fat Tuesday', and is a day for people to eat as much as they want before the 40 days of Lent. New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras Day with costumes and revelry despite weather concerns 'We did 250 of them yesterday, which last week we probably did that amount throughout the whole week,' said Martha Huebner, co-owner of Trefzger's. 'It starts out slow, we get a few orders in January, but then into February, it picks up pretty quickly. Huebner said making these cakes is something fun that they implemented after they became owners. 'It's actually something that we didn't do 30 years ago when my husband and I took over the bakery,' Huebner said. 'It's a fun tradition. It's celebrating kind of coming out of winter for me personally. It's a big old party day.' The way Trefzger's makes their King cake is with a good amount of dough, filling and cinnamon sugar. But what does it taste like? 'It tastes like really delicious, sweet, flaky dough… and sugar,' Huebner said with a laugh. 'It's just sugar, really. Mardi Gras was the last day to get the cakes at Trefzger's, as they are focusing on St. Patrick's Day goodies, which include Irish soda bread, Guinness based bread and cakes. They will also have Hot Cross Buns starting on Wednesday, which will be on sale until Easter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
25-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Purdue Pharma says Sackler opioid payment could grow to $7 billion
NEW YORK, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Purdue Pharma told a U.S. bankruptcy judge on Tuesday that it will finalize a new bankruptcy plan in March, with the company's Sackler family owners potentially paying more than their previously announced $6.5 billion commitment. Purdue's attorney Marshall Huebner told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane at a hearing in White Plains, New York, that the Sacklers might pay up to $500 million more than previously announced, depending on the future sales of the Sacklers' non-U.S. companies. "There is at least a possibility of $7 billion being paid by the Sacklers," Huebner said in court. Purdue, its owners, and several state attorneys general announced the broad strokes of a deal last month that would resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging that its OxyContin pain medication caused a widespread opioid addiction crisis in the U.S. The states at that time had announced that the Sacklers would pay $6.5 billion toward the settlement and Purdue would pay $900 million, but Huebner said Tuesday that the settlement could exceed the $7.4 billion announced value. Parts of Purdue's bankruptcy plan are still confidential, but Huebner said the company was making 'substantial progress' on completing the deal. Purdue could take additional funds from the Sacklers' future sale of their other companies like Mundipharma, which sold opioids outside of the U.S. Those sales will happen outside of Purdue's bankruptcy, and the Sacklers had previously committed to try to sell the companies within seven years. The Sacklers' agreement to share the upside from future divestments mirrored a term in Purdue's previous bankruptcy settlement, when the Sacklers agreed to sell their non-U.S. businesses and exit the opioid business. A representative for one branch of the Sackler family said Tuesday that the deal term was 'not new,' and declined to comment on the families' efforts to sell the non-U.S. companies. Chris Shore, an attorney representing individuals harmed by the opioid crisis, said that the settlement will pay about $800 million into a trust for personal injury claims. That is an increase from the $700 million to $750 million set aside for personal injury claims in Purdue's previous bankruptcy plan. Lane said Tuesday that he was pleased to see that Purdue was beginning to share some 'concrete details' with its creditors, who have waited for about eight months to see how the company would react after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a previous bankruptcy settlement that tried to end all opioid lawsuits against the Sacklers. Lane said that Purdue had shown enough progress to justify a short-term continuation of a litigation ceasefire that has protected the Sacklers from lawsuits while the bankruptcy talks continue. Opioid lawsuits against Purdue and the Sacklers have been on hold since Purdue filed for bankruptcy 2019, and Lane ruled Tuesday that the litigation should not resume before the end of March. Purdue's revised deal does not fully shut off lawsuits against the Sacklers, who have said they will vigorously defend themselves if they are sued.
