Catching a case: The U.S. Justice Department says it has filed a lawsuit seeking to recover nine real estate properties in the New Orleans area allegedly bought with funds traced back to a $2 million bribe paid to Mario Roberto Zelaya Rojas, a former Honduran official. The Wall Street Journal reports the lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana, accuses Rojas of soliciting and taking nearly $2.1 million in bribes from a Honduran information technology firm in exchange for prioritizing and expediting payments to it under a $19 million contract with the agency. The bribery proceeds were then laundered into the U.S. and used by Rojas and his brother to buy real estate in the New Orleans area, the complaint alleges. Read the full story (subscription may be required).
Reading the tea leaves: The U.S. economy was growing at a moderate pace in December and early January, helped by gains in sales of autos and other consumer products, increased factory production and a pickup in tourism in various parts of the country, the Federal Reserve says in a report issued today. The Fed says business contacts in its 12 regional banking districts were seeing “modest” or “moderate” growth. The Fed report, known as the “Beige Book” for the color of its cover, will form the basis of discussion at the Fed’s next meeting, set for Jan. 27-28. The Associated Press has the full story.
Here’s the plan: The Obama administration announced today it will impose sweeping new rules on the oil and gas industry that aim to slash methane emissions from the sector. White House officials says the plan aims to cut oil and gas emissions of the powerful heat-trapping greenhouse gas by 40% to 45% from 2012 levels within a decade. The administration first telegraphed its plans to clamp down on methane last March as part of its broad climate action plan, but environmental regulators have insisted that new mandates were not a certainty. The blueprint unveiled today is a mix of coming regulations—hitting both new and existing oil and gas infrastructure—and stepped-up voluntary efforts. The Associated Press has the full story.
