Thursday, March 23, 2023

Wake-Up Call: Trump Reportedly Ready For The Perp Walk


The grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels will reconvene today, according to people familiar with the matter.  It wasn’t clear why they skipped a session Wednesday. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office declined to comment. The grand jury could still hear from additional witnesses, or prosecutors could formally present charges, the final step before the panel votes on whether to indict. The former president has denied any wrongdoing and accused Bragg, a Democrat, of damaging his electoral prospects for his 2024 presidential bid.

➤FEDS DO IT AGAIN: The Fed raised interest rates by another quarter-percentage point The ninth consecutive monthly increase aimed at battling inflation brings the benchmark federal-funds rate to a range between 4.75% and 5%, the highest level since September 2007. Will this rate hike be the last? In its post-meeting policy statement, the Fed hinted that banking-sector stress might prompt the central bank to change course, omitting a phrase used in the past eight missives: “ongoing increases.” Despite Chair Jerome Powell’s assurance that the banking system is sound, financial stocks fell. Short-term Treasury yields, which closely follow Fed policy expectations, also declined as traders discounted how much more the central bank would raise rates going forward.

➤BIDEN APPROVAL DROPS: Approval of President Joe Biden has dipped slightly since a month ago, nearing the lowest point of his presidency as his administration tries to project a sense of stability while confronting a pair of bank failures and inflation that remains stubbornly high. That’s according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which shows there have been modest fluctuations in support for Biden over the past several months. The president notched an approval rating of 38% in the new poll, after 45% said they approved in February and 41% in January. 

His ratings hit their lowest point of his presidency last July, at 36%, as the full weight of rising gasoline, food and other costs began to hit U.S. households. In recent months, approval of Biden had been hovering above 40%. Interviews with poll respondents suggest the public has mixed feelings about Biden, who is expected to announce a reelection bid this summer.

➤RUSSIAN DRONES ATTACK:  Ukrainian cities, including an apartment blocked were targeted Wednesday, but a months-long ground assault on the eastern town of Bakhmut could be stalling in the face of fierce resistance, according to Ukrainian and British military experts. Russian forces unleashed a wave of air strikes in the north and south of Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin bid farewell on Wednesday to Chinese leader Xi Jinping following a two day visit to Moscow by his fellow autocrat and "dear friend". But staunch resistance by Ukrainian defenders in Bakhmut, the site of Europe's deadliest infantry battle since World War Two, led British military intelligence to believe Russia's assault on the town could be running out of steam. There was still a danger, however, that the Ukrainian garrison in Bakhmut could be surrounded, Britain's defence ministry said in its intelligence update on Wednesday.

➤DeSANTIS CLARIFIES UKRAINE POSITION: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sought to clean up comments where he called Russia's brutal war on Ukraine a 'territorial dispute' after drawing rebukes against 'isolationism' but praise from Fox News host Tucker Carlson. 'Well, I think it's been mischaracterized. Obviously, Russia invaded — that was wrong. They invaded Crimea and took that in 2014 — That was wrong,' DeSantis told Piers Morgan in an interview more than a week after his initial comments. He also rolled out tough talk against Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a 'war criminal' and saying he should be 'held accountable,' while dissing Russia as 'basically a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons' during a week when Putin huddled with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow.


➤CALL HIM ‘DESANTIMONIOUS’: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he kind of likes the nickname “DeSantimonious,” given him by former President Donald Trump, but he doesn’t know what the word means and he can’t spell it. DeSantis has largely ignored the former president’s attacks on him as he edges ever closer towards an announcement of his own candidacy for president. But he hinted in a recent interview that his governing style would be very different from Trump’s. He said his administration would be marked by “no daily drama, focus on the big picture, and put points on the board.” His interview with Piers Morgan airs today on Fox News.

➤DO NOT USE THESE EYEDROPS: A third death has been reported from a rare strain of bacteria found in a recalled brand of eye drops. The drug-resistant bacteria are linked to dozens of infections and cases of blindless and have even required the surgical removal of eyes. Global Pharma Healthcare has recalled the Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops, distributed last month by EzriCare and Delsam Pharma. A total of 68 people are known to have been infected with the bacteria.

➤BAN ON FOOD ADDITIVES CONSIDERED: The California legislature is considering banning some popular processed candies including Skittles and Nerds because they contain chemicals linked to health problems including an increased risk of cancer and behavioral problems in children. The foods contain red dye number 3, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propyl paraben. All of those chemicals are banned throughout the European Union, where the same brands are sold without the additives.

➤TIK TOK INFLUENCERS LOBBY CONGRESS: Twenty of the video-sharing app’s stars rallied in Washington on the company’s dime to send the message that a ban would cause widespread popular opposition. The Biden administration recently demanded that the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, sell its stake or risk a possible ban. Lawmakers have national-security concerns about how the company uses U.S. user data and how its algorithms might influence what they see. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to appear before a House committee tomorrow. TikTok says it isn’t beholden to Beijing and is a vital platform for 150 million American users. The influencers’ lobbying blitz portrayed the app as an avenue for launching small businesses and a discussion forum for social issues.

➤STUDY: AMERICAN IQ AVERAGE DROPS IN THREE OUT OF FOUR ABILITY SCORES: An analysis of 394,378 IQ scores taken between 2006 and 2018 has shown drops in three abilities: verbal reasoning, matrix reasoning, and letter and number series. Scores of 3D rotation, however, have increased between 2011 and 2018. However, the overall IQ score has gone down. But does this necessarily mean Americans are dumber than before? "It could just be that they’re getting worse at taking tests or specifically worse at taking these kinds of tests," Elizabeth Dworak of Northwestern University said. Other possible reasons for decline include poor nutrition, societal focus on different skills, media exposure, and education changes.

➤END OF THE ROAD FOR THE ICONIC CAMARO: General Motors is retiring the Chevrolet Camaro muscle car at the end of model year 2024 as the automaker shifts to an all-electric lineup by 2035. On Wednesday, GM said the final sixth-generation Camaros will come off the assembly line at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in January next year. Scott Bell, vice president, Global Chevrolet, did not say what will replace the muscle car, but said "this is not the end of Camaro’s story."

➤DENVER SCHOOL SHOOTER DEAD: The 17-year-old boy suspected of shooting two Denver high school administrators during a routine weapon check Wednesday was found dead of an apparent suicide, according to local reports. Police found Austin Lyle’s body near his car around 9 p.m., law enforcement sources told 9NEWS Denver. The 2005 Red Volvo XC90 was found in a remote mountain area roughly 50 miles southwest of Denver. Cops told neighbors that shelter-in-place orders had been lifted. “They should be relieved that we came up here and solved the problem,” Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said.

➤GWYNETH PALTROW IN COURT FOR SECOND DAY: Medical experts have told a court in Utah that a retiree was left with significant physical and emotional challenges after Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly crashed into him on a ski slope - an accident with which he was 'obsessed'. Neuropsychologist Sam Goldstein testified that Terry Sanderson, 76, had significant mental problems after the collision. He said Sanderson, a retired ophthalmologist, is 'obsessed' with what happened. The trial is expected to last a week. She claims that Sanderson skied into her in 2016.  Sanderson claims that he was hit by Paltrow.

Paltrow, who was listening intently as her legal team cross-examined Goldstein, heard that Sanderson had claimed he was feeling better just a few weeks after the accident - only to develop persistent anxiety and confusion, among other symptoms, later on.  Goldstein told court that he believed these symptoms to be the result of the concussion he sustained during the February 2016 crash. Under cross examination, the medical expert said Sanderson had previously suffered from depression - but insisted it was 'accelerated' by the crash.

🏀CLIPPERS’ PAUL GEORGE NEEDS A BREAK: Los Angeles Clippers player Paul George will be out for at least two or three weeks after sustaining a sprained right knee during the last quarter of Tuesday night’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The last of the Clippers’ regular games is on April 9th so we may not see him again this season.

🏀PELICANS CLEAR WILLIAMSON’S RETURN: The New Orleans Pelicans have cleared Zion Williamson to return to the game pending a reevaluation of his hamstring injury two weeks from now. He hasn’t played since early January. The timeline puts his earliest possible return at four days before the regular season’s end.

🎾ANDREESCU ADVANCES IN MIAMI: Canadian tennis pro Bianca Andreescu defeated Britain’s Emma Raducanu 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 yesterday to advance to the second round of the Miami Open. Both players won the U.S. Open while they were still teenagers.

🏈ELIJAH MOORE MOVES TO THE BROWNS: The New York Jets are trading wide receiver Elijah Moore to the Cleveland Browns, according to multiple reports yesterday. The Jets are getting the number 42 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in exchange.

🏀KEEPING UP WITH MARCH MADNESS: March Madness is getting truly mad this week with four games scheduled for today (Thursday) and four more on Friday, culminating in an Elite Eight on Saturday. CHECK IT OUT: CBS Sports ranks the Sweet 16 games for watchability.

⚾SAY HELLO TO SUPERSTAR SHOHEI OHTANI: A new baseball superstar was crowned this week when Japan defeated the United States to claim the 2023 World Baseball Classic Trophy. Shohei Ohtani, who is both a batter and a pitcher, struck out Mike Trout, his teammate on the Los Angeles Angels, to end the game in a 3-2 win for Japan. The cap Ohtani was wearing is already on its way to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The U.S. won the last time the Classic was played, in 2017.
🏀MARK CUBAN IS TWEETING MAD: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN that he will protest the team’s 127-125 loss last night to the Golden State Warriors, calling it the result of a bad call. In a tweet, Cuban said an officiating error led the Mavericks to believe that they had possession of the ball after a timeout late in the third quarter. He says an official changed the call during the timeout but didn’t tell the Mavs.


➤TWISTERS HITS SECTIONS OF L-A: One person was confirmed injured when a rare tornado hit a section of Los Angeles. 11 mostly industrial buildings were red-tagged, meaning they were too dangerous to inhabit, and six more buildings sustained damage, according to the weather service.

The National Weather Service had determined that a “weak” tornado touched down in Carpinteria on Tuesday. It was rated EF0 on a 0 to 5 scale and had winds of up to 75 miles per hour. The Montebello event, which occurred at 11:14 a.m. Wednesday, was stronger, at EF2, with winds up to 110 mph.

“People feel like we don’t get tornadoes in California, but we do actually get them here,” said Carol Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “To get a tornado in any one spot is very rare, but to see a few of them a year is not uncommon.”



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