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Wednesday, February 21, 2024

2/21 WAKE-UP CALL: NY State May Seize Trump Properties

NY Post graphic 2/21/24

New York Attorney General Letitia James vowed on Tuesday to ask a judge to seize Donald Trump’s assets — including some of his prized Big Apple properties — if he fails to pony up the $355 million judgment against him, the NY Post reports. “If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets,” James told ABC News. 

The former president will have to cough up the money even as he seeks to appeal Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron’s bombshell decision Friday fining Trump, 77, the mind-boggling amount, James said. Trump and others were ordered to pay a combined $364 million, with interest included, which totals $450 million, according to the AG’s office.

➤BIDEN PUSHES FOR 'TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE: U.S. President Joe Biden spent months wanting a "pause" in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. But with Israel preparing for a ground offensive in Rafah, his rhetoric is shifting to emphasize the need for a "temporary ceasefire". It sounds like a slight rhetorical difference, but it is one that inches Biden closer to many around the world and to critics within his own Democratic Party who want a permanent ceasefire to a war in which nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed. The U.S. has vetoed three draft U.N. Security Council resolutions on the Israel-Hamas war. The most recent two vetoes blocked language demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. But Washington has now proposed its own draft resolution enshrining the word "ceasefire".  The draft calls for a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas and opposes a major ground offensive by its ally Israel in Rafah, according to the text seen by Reuters.

➤HALEY PUSHES ON: A defiant Nikki Haley reaffirmed her commitment to stay in the Republican presidential race Tuesday, despite pressure from Donald Trump and a grim outlook in a recent poll in her home state. "I’m not going anywhere," Haley said in a fiery speech. She also argued that another Trump administration would be a "disaster" and that many Republican politicians who publicly support his candidacy "dread him" behind closed doors. Her remarks came hours after an exclusive Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll showed that among those very likely to vote in South Carolina's Republican primary, Trump leads Haley, 63%-35%.

➤SUPREME COURT REJECTS ADMISSIONS CASE: The Supreme Court rejected a case seeking to block selective public schools from using race-neutral admissions policies. Conservative activists argued they are illegally designed to increase Black and Hispanic enrollment at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., one of the best public high schools in the U.S. School authorities can pursue measures that may promote integration without classifying individual students by race. The case was seen as a follow-on to the court’s decision in June that struck down affirmative action in university admissions. It more directly involved a 2007 ruling that barred school boards from promoting integration by using race as a factor in pupil assignments but that suggested officials could consider the racial impact of broader policies such as where to build new campuses.


➤DATA SHOWS BOOMING ECONONY, WALL STREET THINKS OTHERWISE:  A few high-profile inflation, GDP and labor market reports have shown a hot economy, but many economists have minimized these surprises. While it isn’t unusual for investors to look past reports contradicting a hopeful narrative, economists often warn against overreacting to one round of often-volatile data—good or bad. Investors are hoping for growth strong enough to avoid a recession but mild enough to allow the Fed to cut interest rates. 

➤U-S/RUSSIAN BALLERINA CHARGED WITH TREASON: Russia detained a woman with dual U.S. and Russian citizenship over suspected treason, alleging that she raised money for the Ukrainian war effort, authorities said. 

Separately, a Russian court upheld the detention of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, following President Vladimir Putin’s recent remarks that he is open to a prisoner exchange. Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, is now set to remain behind bars until at least March 30, more than a year after he was taken into custody for alleged espionage. WSJ and the U.S. government vehemently deny the charge.

➤FBI INFORMAT HAD CONTACT WITH FOREIGN INTEL: An FBI informant charged with lying to investigators about a fictitious bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company has “had contact with foreign intelligence services, including Russian intelligence agencies,” prosecutors alleged  in court documents on Tuesday.  Alexander Smirnov's contacts included a figure prosecutors called "Russian Official 1," whom the informant allegedly described as "the son of a former high-ranking Russian government official, someone who purportedly controls two groups of individuals tasked with carrying out assassination efforts in a third-party country." 

Smirnov was indicted last week on charges he lied to the FBI, falsely telling them that executives with now-defunct Ukrainian energy company Burisma had paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in bribes. 

➤POPULAR PARENT BLOGGER RUBY FRANKE SENTENCED TO PRISON: Ruby Franke, a mother and web personality, was sentenced to four consecutive one-to-15-year prison terms in Utah for aggravated child abuse. Franke, known for her YouTube channel "8 Passengers," vlogged the abuse of her children. The charges included denying food and water, kicking her son while wearing boots, and depriving him of oxygen. Franke pleaded guilty to four counts as part of a plea deal and will testify against her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, who faces similar charges.

➤2 ADULTS CHARGED IN DEADLY KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SUPER BOWL VICTORY PARADE SHOOTING: Two men, Dominic M. Miller and Lyndell Mays, have been charged with second-degree murder and other felony charges in connection with the deadly shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally. Both men, aged 18 and 22 respectively, are held on $1 million bail. 

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker emphasized the commitment to holding every shooter accountable for their actions during the incident.

➤MISSING 11-YEAR-OLD'S BODY FOUND IN TEXAS RIVER: POLICE: The body of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, who went missing last week after she failed to catch her school bus, has been found near the Trinity River in Livingston, Texas. Audrii was last seen on February 15 near her father's home. Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons expressed deep sorrow over the discovery, stating, "My heart aches with this news.

➤WATCH OUT, A DEAD SATELLITE IS FALLING BACK TO EARTH: Space junk, specifically pieces from the retired European Space Agency satellite ERS-2, is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere around 11:32 a.m. ET on Wednesday. While the chances of it hitting someone are incredibly small, those with irrational fears of rare but dangerous events should be on alert. vThe satellite, launched in 1995 and retired in 2011, has been gradually descending since then. 

⚾YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO, TYLER GLASNOW 'SAFE BET' TO START SEOUL SERIES: Shohei Ohtani is expected to start as the designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their opening season games in South Korea. Additionally, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow are likely to start in the two-game Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres on March 20-21, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. bHowever, Roberts mentioned that plans could be subject to change.

🏈PATRIOTS' MATTHEW SLATER RETIRES FROM NFL AFTER 16 SEASONS: Matthew Slater, who holds the NFL record for the most special teams Pro Bowl appearances with 10, has announced his retirement after 16 seasons. Slater expressed gratitude and love for the game in a social media post shared by the New England Patriots, stating that it's time for his relationship with the game to evolve.

⚾RAYS SIGN AMED ROSARIO TO 1-YEAR, $1.5M CONTRACT: Infielder Amed Rosario has signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. The 28-year-old is expected to contribute with a strong bat against left-handed pitching and may see playing time at shortstop, second base, and possibly in corner-outfield spots.

📺CHRIS CARAY HIRED AS TV BROADCASTER FOR OAKLAND A'S GAMES: Chris Caray, part of the fourth generation of his family in MLB broadcasting, has been appointed as a play-by-play announcer for Oakland Athletics games on NBC Sports California. His father, Chip Caray, is the TV play-by-play voice for the St. Louis Cardinals, and his grandfather, Skip Caray, called games for the Atlanta Braves for 32 years.

➤WEDNESDAY'S WEATHER MAP:




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