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Monday, February 19, 2024

2/19 WAKE-UP CALL: Fraud Ruling To Dent Trump's Bank Account

Trump's empire will have to reimagine how it does business. While the $355 million New York fraud ruling against Donald Trump stands to put a serious dent in his bank account, it is the nonmonetary punishments that could be particularly painful. For the next three years, the former president is banned from serving as an executive for any New York company and from applying for loans from financial institutions registered with or chartered in New York state. The latter could have the greatest impact because most large U.S. banks are registered or have charters with New York.

➤GOFUNDME LAUNCHED TO HELP PAY TRUMP'S LEGAL FEES: The wife of an investor has launched a GoFundMe to help fund former President Donald Trump’s mounting legal expenses in the wake of Friday’s verdict in the New York fraud case. The GoFundMe has a goal of $355 million — the amount that Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay in penalties in a civil fraud case. As of Saturday night, the GoFundMe had already raised more than $185,000 from some 4,000 donors.

➤UKRANIAN CITY FALLS TO RUSSIANS: Russian forces have captured their first Ukrainian city in months. Russia raised its flag over the eastern city of Avdiivka after Ukraine’s top military commander ordered his outgunned troops to withdraw this weekend. Moscow's troops had pushed rapidly into the city in recent days as Ukraine’s lack of artillery ammunition hamstrung efforts to hold the invaders back. Control over the city puts Russia closer to its strategic aim of seizing all of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Biden administration said the city's fall was the price for Congress’s failure to send Kyiv more military aid.

The Russian military has taken full control of the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant, Russian state news agencies reported on Monday, after most of the town fell to Russian forces over the weekend following months of devastating combat. Russia said on Sunday it was in control of the town in the Donetsk region, but that Ukrainian units were entrenched at the plant - Ukraine's last stronghold on the northwestern edges of Avdiivka.


➤WIFE OF DEAD DISSIDENT IN BRUSSELS:  The widow of Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin's nemesis who died in an Arctic prison last week, joins EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, days before the two-year mark of Russia's war on Ukraine. Yulia Navalnaya told a Western gathering of leaders, diplomats and other officials in Munich on Friday that Putin and his allies would bear responsibility "for what they did to our country, to my family, to my husband".

The chairman of the bloc's 27 foreign ministers' discussions on Monday, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, announced Navalnaya's visit, saying the gathering would highlight "support to freedom fighters in Russia and honour the memory of Alexei Navalny". Navalny, a 47-year-old former lawyer, rose to prominence campaigning against corruption in Putin's Russia. He was known for his fiery rhetoric at public protests and in court rooms, vocal presence on social media, and his team's elaborate video investigations into state graft.

➤U-S SENDING MORE WEAPONS TO ISRAEL:  The U.S. plans to send weapons to Israel while at the same time pushing for a cease-fire in Gaza. The Biden administration is preparing to send bombs and other weapons, estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars, to Israel, according to current and former U.S. officials. The proposed arms delivery includes roughly a thousand each of MK-82 bombs, KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions that add precision guidance to bombs, and FMU-139 bomb fuses, the officials said. The planned weapons transfer comes as Israel prepares to launch an assault on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where more than one million Palestinians are sheltering from the war.

➤ATTACKS PAUSED ON U-S TROOPS: A visit by the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force to Baghdad has led to a pause in attacks on U.S. troops by Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, multiple Iranian and Iraqi sources told Reuters, saying it was a sign Tehran wants to prevent a broader conflict. Esmail Qaani met representatives of several of the armed groups in Baghdad airport on Jan. 29, less than 48 hours after Washington blamed the groups for the killing of three U.S. soldiers at the Tower 22 outpost in Jordan, the sources said.

Qaani, whose predecessor was killed by a U.S. drone near the same airport four years ago, told the factions that drawing American blood risked a heavy U.S. response, 10 of the sources said. He said the militias should lie low, to avoid U.S. strikes on their senior commanders, destruction of key infrastructure or even a direct retaliation against Iran, the sources said. While one faction did not initially agree to Qaani's request, most others did. The next day, elite Iran-backed group Kataib Hezbollah announced it was suspending attacks.

➤2 OFFICERS, 1 PARAMEDIC SHOT DEAD: Two police officers and a paramedic were fatally shot early Sunday while responding to a domestic abuse call in the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville, and the shooter (top) has also died, authorities said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the victims were responding to a call of a "family in danger." Police were called at about 1:50 a.m. to a residence on a report of a domestic situation where a man was reportedly armed and barricaded with family members. 

Seven children — ranging in age from 2 to 15 — were among those in the home when police arrived, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. Responding officers spent "quite a bit of time" negotiating with the suspect before the suspect opened fire, Evans added.

➤500-GALLON UNDERGROUND PROPANE TANK FOUND AT VIRGINIA HOME THAT EXPLODED, KILLED A FIREFIGHTER AND INJURING OTHERS: In Sterling, Virginia, a tragic incident occurred when a 500-gallon underground propane tank exploded at a home on Friday, resulting in the death of firefighter Trevor Brown and injuries to several others. The leaking propane had entered the homes, leading to the explosion while firefighters were inside. The scene was described as "total devastation," with extensive damage and a debris field extending into the street and neighboring homes. Initially, nine firefighters were reported injured, but the count was later updated to at least 10, including two occupants of the home with minor injuries. 


The occupants and their pets were safely evacuated, and four first responders remain hospitalized.

➤REP. TLAIB CALLS ON FELLOW DEMOCRATS TO VOTE 'UNCOMMITTED' IN PROTEST AGAINST BIDEN IN MICHIGAN: Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, critical of President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, is urging Michigan residents to vote "uncommitted" in the state's primary. Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman in Congress, expressed a sense of neglect from the government and encouraged voters to make their voices heard. This comes amid growing discontent within the Democratic Party over Biden's approach to the conflict, particularly in a state with a significant Arab American and Muslim population.

➤DAYTONA TO RACE MONDAY: Due to inclement weather, NASCAR announced that Sunday’s DAYTONA 500 has been postponed until Monday at 4 p.m. ET. The DAYTONA 500 now joins the NASCAR Xfinity Series race (11:00 a.m. ET) on Monday, creating the first-ever Monday doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway. The original broadcast networks remain unchanged. The NASCAR Xfinity Series race will broadcast on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The DAYTONA 500 will be live on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Fans with Saturday grandstand tickets and admission to the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone may attend both the NASCAR Xfinity Series race and the DAYTONA 500. Fans looking to buy or sell reserved seats for the DAYTONA 500 should visit SeatGeek, the Official Ticket Marketplace of NASCAR. Tickets are available for Monday’s event. FOX’s NASCAR RaceDay will remain scheduled for today. Fans can tune-in at 11 a.m. ET on FS1 and FOX at 1 p.m. ET.

🏀NBA All-Star Game: Eastern Conf All-Stars 211 Western Conf All-Stars 186

🏀McCLUNG, LILLARD REPEAT AS ALL-STAR DUNK, 3-POINT CHAMPIONS: Mac McClung became the fifth player in NBA history to win back-to-back dunk contests when he ended All-Star Saturday night with a clinching 50-point slam over Shaquille O'Neal. Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard secured his second consecutive NBA 3-point championship by winning this year's competition on the final shot attempt. After advancing to the final round on a tiebreaker, Lillard entered the last rack tied at 24 points with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. He clinched the victory by making a single shot in the final round.

🏀LEBRON JAMES SAYS HE HOPES TO END CAREER AS MEMBER OF LAKERS: LeBron James, ahead of his record-setting 20th NBA All-Star Game appearance, acknowledged being closer to the end of his illustrious career than the beginning. The 39-year-old expressed contentment as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for the past six years and expressed a preference for finishing his playing days with the team. While James does not have a precise plan for his final stage in basketball, he hopes to continue wearing the purple and gold for the Lakers, citing the organization's greatness and history. However, he remains uncertain about the duration or the uniform he'll wear in the future.

🏀UCLA'S SEBASTIAN  MACK EJECTED FOR FLAGRANT 2 AGAINST UTAH: During UCLA's 70-69 loss to Utah, Sebastian Mack received a flagrant foul 2 and was ejected from the game. Mack, the Bruins' leading scorer at 13.5 points per game, appeared to strike Utah's Branden Carlson in the face with his forearm or elbow during the first half. Carlson, initially down on the court, received attention from a trainer before walking off to the locker room. He later returned to score off an offensive rebound at the buzzer, securing Utah's victory.

⚾SHOHEI OHTANI WON'T PLAY IN DODGERS' SPRING TRAINING OPENER: Shohei Ohtani, recovering from elbow surgery, did not participate in live batting practice, delaying his spring training debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that Ohtani will not play in the upcoming opener against the San Diego Padres.bDespite this, Roberts expressed optimism about Ohtani's physical progress, noting that he is ahead of schedule and has worked diligently in his recovery.

➤MONDAY'S WEATHER MAP:



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