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Friday, March 31, 2023

Wake-Up Call: Grand Jury Votes To Indict Donald Trump




Donald Trump was indicted for his role in paying hush-money to a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election, marking the first time in American history that a former president has faced criminal charges. 

The grand jury returned the indictment of Mr. Trump after a vote on Thursday, kicking off a process in which the former president is expected to come to New York to face the charges. The indictment, sought by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (above top) , isn’t public. “This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender,” a Bragg spokeswoman said.

In New York, judges routinely keep charges under wraps until defendants make their initial appearance in court. Mr. Trump is likely to surrender and appear for his arraignment on Tuesday, said Susan Necheles, one of his lawyers.  Necheles and fellow Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said, “He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in Court.”

Necheles and fellow Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said, “He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in Court.” Mr. Trump said that Democrats had “done the unthinkable—indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference.” Trump said that Democrats had “done the unthinkable—indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference.”

Donald Trump was indicted for his role in paying hush-money to a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election, marking the first time in American history that a former president has faced criminal charges.

The former president is expected to come to New York to face the charges. The indictment, sought by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, isn’t public. “This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender,” a Bragg spokeswoman said.

Trump is likely to surrender and appear for his arraignment on Tuesday, said Susan Necheles, one of his lawyers.

The indictment of Donald Trump is unlikely to derail his 2024 White House bid and could help in the GOP primary, but it could also further alienate swing voters turned off by the controversies that continue to swirl around him since he left office.

➤DOJ NOT PLEASED WITH INDICTMENT: Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney on Thursday announced that Trump would be criminally charged. DoJ officials told The New York Times they were worried that Trump's indictment by New York prosecutors could complicate the work of Special Counsel Jack Smith - appointed by the attorney general, Merrick Garland, to investigate both Mar-a-Lago classified documents and Trump's actions in relation to the efforts to overturn the election. The Justice Department had no comment about the Trump indictment. The White House has also refused to comment. Trump blasted the indictment and said Democrats would regret persecuting an innocent man when his supporters dumped them out of office. In the meantime, the Manhattan district attorney's office said it was in touch with Trump's lawyers to arrange his surrender in New York.

A New York judge will soon unseal criminal charges against Donald Trump related to a payment to a porn star. The alleged coverup that followed the payment is likely to be as important for the future of the case.

SPECIFIC CHARGES UNKNOWN FOR NOW: The Manhattan district attorney’s office could unveil any number of charges, including those related to the payment to Ms. Daniels or a separate $150,000 payment to a former Playboy model who alleged that she had an affair with the former president. The grand jury has heard detailed accounts of both deals, according to people familiar with the investigation.


Evan Gershkovich
➤RUSSIA DETAINS WSJ JOURNALIST: Russia charged an American journalist with spying while NATO moved closer to adding Finland as a member, deepening Moscow's tensions with the West as the war in Ukraine reached its 400th day on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke in his Thursday evening video address of the "tremendous path" his country had taken in 400 days of resistance since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. "Ukraine will win at the front ... we will not leave a single trace of Russia on our land, and we will not leave any enemy unpunished either. We are preparing news about this," he said. He did not give details, but the Ukrainian military has been planning a counteroffensive.

Earlier on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal denied espionage allegations against its reporter Evan Gershkovich and demanded his immediate release. The Kremlin said he had been "caught red-handed" but presented no documentary or video evidence. The White House condemned Russia's actions and urged U.S. citizens living or travelling in Russia to leave immediately. "These espionage charges are ridiculous. The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a news briefing.

➤ACTIVISTS PROTEST AT TN CAPITOL: Gun control activists were seen storming Tennessee's State Capitol Thursday amid rising fears of a left-wing uprising at a rumored protest in Washington, DC. Footage of the insurrection shows progressive protesters battling with cops as they attempted to gain access to the legislature in Nashville. Hundreds of people were seen inside the lobby and yelling from the gallery at concerned lawmakers. The protest against guns comes after transgender shooter Audrey Hale on Monday gunned down six people, including three nine-year-old kids, at a Christian school in Nashville.

Paltrow whispers to Sanderson
➤PALTROW WINS CASE: A jury found Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault in a skiing collision with a retired optometrist that occurred on a Utah ski slope in 2016, in a civil trial that concluded Thursday.  Terry Sanderson, 76 years old, sued Ms. Paltrow in 2019, alleging she rammed into him while they were both skiing at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. Mr. Sanderson has said Ms. Paltrow left him with a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious afflictions.  Paltrow, an Academy Award-winning actress and founder of the lifestyle brand Goop, countersued him FOR $1. She alleged Sanderson was responsible for the collision, which knocked her down from behind as he came down the ski slope. Ms. Paltrow was on a ski vacation with her two children and her now husband, Brad Falchuk, and his two children. Sanderson’s legal team asked the jury during closing arguments Thursday to consider awarding him nearly $3.3 million in damages. A jury that deliberated for just over two hours dismissed Mr. Sanderson’s claims. The jury found Mr. Sanderson 100% at fault and awarded Ms. Paltrow the $1 she requested in a countersuit.

Paltrow's court victory has already spurred a number of memes online pertaining to her specific lifestyle brand. One meme posted by an account called vodkalana poked fun at Paltrow's recent disclosure that she mostly drinks just some bone broth for lunch. 'Somebody's celebrating with TWO cups of Bone Broth tonight!' wrote the account atop a picture of Paltrow laughing on the witness stand.

➤FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST FREE PREVENTATIVE CARE: A federal judge in Texas has issued a ruling that prevents the Biden administration from enforcing a law requiring insurers to provide patients with free screenings for serious diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease. The law is part of the 2010 health care reform law known as Obamacare. The ruling is a nationwide injunction and takes effect immediately. However, sources in the insurance industry told The New York Times that insurers are unlikely to make immediate changes to their plans without notice. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is likely to appeal the decision.


➤BLACK HAWK CRASH KILLS 9: Nine U.S. soldiers were killed late Wednesday after two Black Hawk helicopters belonging to the 101st Airborne Division crashed in southwestern Kentucky. The accident occurred during a training exercise.

➤FLORIDA LEGALIZES GUNS WITHOUT PERMITS: The Florida Legislature has approved a law to allow Florida residents to carry guns without a state permit. Governor Ron DeSantis vowed to sign the measure into law quickly. A total of 25 other states have similar laws on the books.

⚾DAMN YANKEES! Aaron Judge hit a home run in his first appearance as captain of the New York Yankees yesterday. His team defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-0 on Major League Baseball’s opening day. Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole wowed the crowd, too, striking out 11 players to set a franchise record for Opening Day. Yet another Yankee, shortstop Anthony Volpe, got a huge ovation from the fans in The Bronx for a walk with a stolen base. It was Volpe’s major league debut.

  • CHECK IT OUT: Click here for all the scores from Opening Day.

⚾BASEBALL AT WARP SPEED: Marcus Stroman, starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, gets the dubious honor of being the first to commit a pitch-clock violation under new rules just introduced for Major League Baseball. The 20-second pitch clock ran out as Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich was at the plate with a 1-2 count and rookie Brice Turang was on second base. The umpire announced the violation and the clock made it a 2-2 count against Yelich. The Cubs won the game 4-0.The pitch clock was introduced to speed the pace of play. Players have just 30 seconds to resume play between batters. Between pitches, pitchers have 15 seconds with nobody on and 20 seconds if there’s a baserunner.
⚾1 IN 3 BASEBALL FANS WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD TICKETS IN 2023: Are you a Major League Baseball fan? You may need to save up for Opening Day! In a poll of 1,000 fans, 35% say they won't be able to afford to go out to the ball game in 2023. How much do Americans need to work to see their favorite pastime? In Houston, Astros fans may need to work up to nine hours to buy three tickets, and Yankee fans need to work a full day to go to three games. These calculations were made based on ticket price and average hourly wage. Does any team sell affordable tickets? The San Diego Padres charge $27.44 for an average ticket, and a Colorado Rockies ticket is just $25.51. Feel like splurging? A suite in Yankee stadium will set you back $15,000.

🏀ALABAMA’S BRANDON MILLER GOES FOR THE NBA: After just one season at Alabama’s Crimson Tide, Brandon Miller has decided to enter the 2023 NBA Draft, he told ESPN yesterday. Miller, who is 20 years old, is widely viewed as the top draft prospect in college basketball. He was in the news in January when he was accused of supplying the gun that was used to murder a woman in Tuscaloosa. Two men are facing murder charges in the case but Miller has not been accused of a crime.

⚾ROCKY START FOR JUSTIN VERLANDER: New York Mets starting pitcher Justin Verlander landed on the injured list on Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. He is described as having a low-grade shoulder muscle strain and doesn’t expect to miss much time.

🎾IT’S MEDVEDEV VS. KHACHANOV IN MIAMI: Daniil Medvedev stopped Christopher Eubanks’ winning streak at the Miami Open with a 6-3, 7-5 victory in the quarterfinals yesterday. Medvedev next goes up against fellow Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat Argentinian player Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-2.

🏀ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER AWARD FOR CAITLIN CLARK: University of Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark has won the Wade Trophy, the highest honor in women’s college basketball. The award is presented by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. This was hours after she was announced as the winner of the Associated Press women’s basketball Player of the Year award.



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