Defense Rests: Trump's defense concluded after calling just two witnesses, with Trump himself opting not to testify despite initially planning to, blaming a gag order which the judge clarified wouldn't stop him from testifying.
Israeli Media Law: The Israeli government seized and then returned AP equipment citing a violation of a new media law, sparking concerns about press freedom in the coverage of Gaza.
Mar-a-Lago Raid Distortion: Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene distorted FBI policies related to the Mar-a-Lago raid, falsely suggesting extreme measures were intended against Trump, despite standard procedures being followed.
Egypt's Aid Restriction: Egypt's refusal to allow fuel and aid through to Gaza complicates ceasefire negotiations, with recent actions undermining a potential hostage deal.
NOT NEWS NEWS
Alito's Recusal Requested: House Democrats have requested Justice Sam Alito to recuse himself from January 6 related cases due to perceived biases.
Attorney's Disciplinary Hearing: Kari Lake's attorney, Bryan Blehm, failed to appear at his disciplinary hearing, with a recommendation for a temporary suspension of his license.
Super PAC Funding: A Super PAC supporting RFK Jr. received an additional $5M from GOP megadonor Tim Mellon, totaling $25M.
Trump on Contraception: Trump evaded directly answering whether he supports restrictions on contraception, remaining non-committal.
Giuliani's Zoom Mishap: Rudy Giuliani experienced an embarrassing moment when he forgot to turn off his microphone during a zoom arraignment.
Troye Criticizes Pence: Olivia Troye spoke out against Mike Pence’s criticism of Joe Biden's handling of the border crisis during his visit to the border.
Poland's Border Investment: Poland announces a €2.2 billion investment to reinforce its border with Russia and Belarus, enhancing security and deterrence.
Misreported Tucker Carlson Show: Newsweek incorrectly claimed Tucker Carlson launched a show on Russian state TV, whereas Russian TV was merely dubbing his Twitter show.
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1.) Trump NYC hush-money trial update (Day 20)
Defense rests:
[TS] Literally.
Trump's defense rested after calling only two witnesses, neither of whom was Trump himself
Despite initially promising to testify, Trump blamed a gag order for not taking the stand, although Judge Merchan made it clear this did not preclude him from testifying
Trump's criticism of the trial:
Trump told reporters that Judge Merchan should throw out the case for lack of evidence before the jury considers it
"I think it would be great for Judge Merchan to rule from the bench and determine that this is a witch hunt," Trump said. "Any other judge would have thrown this case out."
Jury instructions:
Judge Merchan agreed to give a Trump-specific bias instruction to jurors, although he noted that he already refers to bias, fairness, and implicit bias several times in his normal instructions
During a charging conference, Judge Merchan refused to give Trump special treatment when instructing the jury about the definition of "unlawful means"
Merchan stated, "There's no reason to rewrite the law for this case. What you're asking me to do is change the law, and I'm not going to do that."
Trial timeline:
Judge Merchan excused jurors until Tuesday, May 28, when the prosecution and defense will present closing arguments in the case
The jury may have a verdict by the end of next week
[TS] What do Merchan’s orders to the jurors actually mean? Allison Gill’s explainer:
Jurors will decide whether trump made OR CAUSED to be made false records, AND they don’t all have to agree on the unlawful means to conceal OR COMMIT another crime. They can pick between federal election law, the falsification of other records, or tax crime (“grossed up”).
[RELATED] Trump at a trial presser:
TRUMP: “The Judge hates Donald Trump. Take a look at him. Take a look at where he comes from.”
[TS] What does “take a look at where he comes from” mean? Because he’s Columbian? Strange, because Aileen Cannon is also Columbian-born.
2.) AP: Israeli officials seize AP equipment and take down live shot of northern Gaza, citing new media law.
[UPDATE] The Israeli government reversed its seizure of The Associated Press’s camera and broadcasting equipment, which had been taken for allegedly violating a new media law by providing images to Al Jazeera. After facing criticism from the Biden administration, journalism organizations, and an Israeli opposition leader, Israel's communications minister ordered the equipment's return. The AP’s live video of Gaza resumed early Wednesday, but concerns about press freedom and the use of the foreign broadcaster law remain.
[TS] This was just a colossally dumb mistake from Israel. Who is making these decisions?
3.) Trump distorts FBI policy on Mar-a-Lago raid, MTG claims they were “planning to assassinate Pres Trump.”
[CONTEXT]
This is centered around the raid of Mar-a-Lago (Aug ’22). It was initiated because Trump was suspected of unlawfully retaining classified documents after his presidency. The search warrant, authorized by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and approved by Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, was part of an investigation into potential violations of the Espionage Act, among other federal statutes. These statutes include the illegal removal or destruction of federal government records and obstruction of federal government activity.
What Trump is claiming is a distortion of what was revealed in docs, which shows it's a reflection of the standard FBI policy when conducting such a search. No indication this is a departure from that standard posture anytime the FBI is conducting law enforcement activity.
The Trump brief deceptively truncated the quote (and removed the word "only" without an ellipsis). And it failed to note that this is standard DOJ boilerplate
Trump brief:
vs. DOJ policy:
Trump’s post:
MTG’s response:
[TS] This is wildly irresponsible even for MTG. FBI knew Trump wasn’t there. It was all coordinated with Secret Service in advance.
Also, the question in all this was why was it so important for Trump to keep these documents hidden from the government? No good answers here. Sell them? Use them as blackmail/ leverage over others?
[RELATED] CNN has footage of Nauta (Trump’s personal aide) moving govt boxes from unsealed filings:
“What we're seeing in some of these documents is some images of Nauta… And these images are from surveillance video appear to show him moving boxes sometime around June of 2022. This is after Trump had received a subpoena”
[TS] Additional info from the FL case: Trump not only had classified documents at Mar-a-Lago even after the FBI search, but that some of those documents were in his bedroom. He can't plausibly claim to have been unaware that they were there:
[UPDATE] Christina Bobb weighs in.
WHO IS CHRISTINA BOBB?: Christina Bobb, a former attorney for Donald Trump, was recently indicted in connection with an Arizona "fake electors" scheme. She and 17 others are accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election results by submitting false electoral votes for Trump. Her arraignment is scheduled for May 21, 2024, where she will plead not guilty
[TS] Christina Bobb was present during the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago. She met with FBI agents when they arrived and signed a receipt for the property seized during the search. Extraordinary dishonesty.
4.) POLITICO: Egypt aid restrictions are complicating Gaza cease-fire negotiations
Cairo has reportedly refused to let fuel trucks pass through into the enclave. And two senior administration officials say Egypt has stopped all aid shipments through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
[TS] It goes without saying, no one should use aid to make demands. Not Israel, not Hamas and definitely not Egypt. Get the food in.
[RELATED] CNN is now reporting that Egypt intentionally blew up the latest hostage deal:
"Egyptian intelligence quietly changed the terms of a ceasefire proposal that Israel had already signed off on earlier this month, ultimately scuttling a deal that could have released Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and set a pathway to temporarily end the fighting in Gaza, according to three people familiar with the discussions."
5.) Group of House Democrats ask Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito to recuse himself from Jan 6 related cases.
"It is incontrovertible that at the time the upside-down flag flew from your front lawn, 'Stop the Steal' activists had adopted the inverted flag as their symbol of protest. Their belief that widespread election fraud had thrown the election from former President Trump to then President-elect Biden has never been supported by any evidence"
[TS] A letter? I’m sure it’ll work.
6.) Kari Lake's attorney Bryan Blehm failed to appear for his disciplinary hearing.
The State Bar recommended a suspension of Blehm's license for six months and one day. They did not recommend disbarment, despite Blehm repeatedly saying they were taking away his license. The judge took the matter under advisement.
7.) POLITICO: Super PAC backing RFK Jr. got another $5M from GOP megadonor in April
Tim Mellon, a prolific donor to groups supporting former President Donald Trump and other Republicans, has now given the pro-Kennedy super PAC a total of $25 million.
8.) Trump refuses to clarify his views on contraception when asked.
Q: Do you support any restrictions on a person’s right to contraception?
TRUMP: We’re looking at that.
[TS] This is standard Trump dodge. He’s always about 2 weeks out from some position: Healthcare, Infrastructure, ACA replacement. He could have just said “No.”
9.) Rudy Giuliani forgets to turn off his zoom mic when he went to go pee during his arraignment.
[TS] Sadly, this probably doesn’t even land in the top 5 most embarrassing moments for Rudy.
I mean just this week he launched a coffee brand to make a buck:
10.) Olivia Troye speaks out against Mike Pence’s visit to the border where he criticized Joe Biden.
[WHO IS OLIVIA TROYE?]
Olivia Troye is a former homeland security and counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Mike Pence.
PENCE: The crisis at our southern border affects all 50 states. It’s time for Joe Biden to take this crisis seriously & Secure Our Border Now!
[RELATED] Trumps impact: Sen. James Lankford (R-TX) who spearheaded the bipartisan border bill in the senate now says he will vote AGAINST it on CNN:
11.) EURONEWS: Poland invests €2.2 billion in reinforcing its border with Russia and Belarus
Poland is investing around €2.2 billion to increase security and deterrence along its border with Russia and Belarus, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Saturday.
Tusk revealed that the Shield-East project, which includes building military fortifications, has already begun. Emphasising Poland's strategic position on NATO's and the European Union's eastern flank, Tusk highlighted the country's responsibility for Europe's security.
12.) Newsweek falsely claims that Tucker launched a show on Russia state TV.
Reality: Russian TV is just taking Tucker's show on Twitter and dubbing it.
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