From confusing instructions to misleading summations, the Trump trial now in jury’s hands
The sound of laughter was revealing. Inside the media room at the hush money trial, say those who were there, many of the reporters openly chuckled when the prosecutor took jabs at Donald Trump. They found that quite amusing. For all the craziness surrounding the first criminal trial of a former president, the closing arguments – and the judge’s confusing instructions – packed some surprises. Now the media’s biggest challenge is filling air time and column inches – let’s bring in ex-jurors from other cases! – while waiting for the seven men and five women to deliver a verdict. TRUMP STRATEGY: HITTING BLUE AREAS, COURTING MINORITIES AND UNFRIENDLY AUDIENCES The consensus of those who were there is that Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, who has little experience in such cases, spoke in a monotone EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONALLY RAISING HIS VOICE. At least his summation lasted only three hours. Josh Steinglass of the Manhattan D.A.’s officer was far more passionate and animated, but he spoke for an eye-glazing five hours. Who on earth thought that was a smart idea? The jurors clearly lost focus as he got into the weeds of calls and emails, then repeated much of it, and kept them there until 8 p.m. How much information is the jury supposed to absorb? That was equally true yesterday as Judge Juan Merchan spent an hour on the crucial jury instructions that only lawyers could love. If someone testified falsely, you can disregard his entire account. Michael Cohen, whose credibility was savaged by the defense, is an “accomplice.” IT FEELS ‘HORRIBLE’ WAITING FOR JURY TO DELIBERATE: CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY The jury can’t convict on Cohen’s word alone, but can use his testimony if it’s corroborated with other evidence. The extent of the defendant’s participation doesn’t matter as long as there’s a “general intent to defraud.” Ah, but intent does not require premeditation. The defendant must be found to have falsified business records or caused them to be falsified. As long as the jury agrees on the facts, they can use different reasoning, whether it applies to, say, election fraud or taxes. And the mystery crime that supposedly boosts this into felony territory? A violation of New York election law, about which we’d heard almost nothing. Whew. Got that? JUDGE MERCHAN ‘MUDDIED UP THE WATERS’ TO TRY AND MAKE TRUMP TRIAL A ‘VERY COMPLICATED CASE’: JUDGE JEANINE PIRRO It comes down to the jurors just using their common sense. Todd Blanche scored some points, such as branding Cohen the GLOAT (Greatest Liar of All Time). But he left several gaping holes. The defense lawyer began by saying that Trump and Stormy Daniels have repeatedly denied that a sexual encounter took place in 2006. Well, Stormy did lie about it in exchange for the money from Cohen, but she just as obviously now insists there was a hookup, as she testified. Blanche said the president may have been too busy to focus on the 11 reimbursement checks he signed for Cohen. He argued that there was no email showing a conspiracy – uh, even incompetent criminals who have seen a couple of mob movies know you don’t leave a paper trail. Blanche said the National Enquirer didn’t engage in catch-and-kill deals with the Trump campaign – of course they did, while the term wasn’t used, and that was confirmed by David Pecker. The biggest shortcoming: The Trump defense didn’t address the emails, texts, Signal messages and banking records that back up Cohen’s account – because they don’t have an alternative version of events. The prosecution tried to knock down Blanche’s argument that Cohen did legal work for Trump and his wife in 2017 which the president might have thought was legitimate. But Cohen devoted less than 10 hours to that work and, Steinglass said, had spent more time being cross-examined at the trial. Yes, Cohen lied over the years, Steinglass said, yes he stole from the Trump Organization, but now he’s just a “tour guide” for the evidence. Right. The prosecutor said Trump’s team had “shamed” Stormy and suggested her story has not changed over the years. Of course it has! SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES Steinglass did rebut the argument that there was no panic as the media pursued the porn star after the “Access Hollywood” tape by citing Hope Hicks’ saying they all felt Trump could lose the election. The most absurd moment for the prosecution came when he hypothetically reenacted a 90-second call in which Cohen claims he both complained about harassing calls from a 14-year-old and discussed the Stormy situation with Trump. Only took 46 seconds! But if you don’t buy that, Steinglass said, maybe Cohen got the date wrong. Oh, and who in the Biden campaign thought it was a brilliant idea for Robert De Niro to show up at the courthouse and start slamming Trump?
Shashi Tharoor’s personal assistant detained at Delhi airport, accused of smuggling gold from Dubai
As per the sources, Kumar, who arrived at Delhi Airport from Dubai, was questioned by Customs officials about the source of the gold and why he was bringing it to India.
Trump’s New York hush-money trial: 12 legal terms explained
The trial of former President Donald Trump in New York, which has dominated headlines in the United States and across the world, is entering its final stage after more than six weeks of proceedings. On Wednesday, jurors began the process of making a decision about whether to find Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The outcome of the trial could have major implications for the US presidential election in November and affect the future of the country for years to come. Never before has a US president, past or present, faced criminal charges. Prosecutors have argued that Trump fudged the business records to conceal a hush-money payment that could have hurt his chances in the 2016 elections. But Trump and his defence team have denied any wrongdoing, instead framing the charges as politically motivated. Media coverage of the hush-money case has described the process largely by using legal terms. But it is not always easy to understand judicial jargon like “indictment” and “arraignment”. Below, Al Jazeera explains 12 basic legal terms that readers may frequently come across in the news and how they apply to the Trump trial. Prosecutor: A government lawyer who presents a criminal case on behalf of the state In most jurisdictions in the US, the lead prosecutor — also known as the district attorney (DA) — is directly elected. A state’s top prosecutor is known as the attorney general. Part of a prosecutor’s job is to decide whether to file charges against a suspected criminal. If the case proceeds to court, the prosecutor must then argue in favour of the charges, by presenting evidence that a crime has been committed. In the Trump trial, for instance, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg assembled a team of prosecutors to argue Trump’s guilt. They include Joshua Steinglass, a veteran assistant DA who delivered a five-plus-hour closing argument on Tuesday. Criminal charges: Accusations of a crime levelled by a prosecutor Trump is facing 34 criminal charges in New York, each one representing a business record he is accused of falsifying. At the heart of the case are payments totalling $130,000 made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels that prosecutors allege were concealed through the business records, which include cheques, invoices and accounting entries. Prosecutors say Trump directed his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to pay Daniels for her silence during the 2016 election season. Daniels claimed to have had an affair with Trump in 2006, something he denies. After Cohen paid Daniels the hush money, prosecutors say Trump reimbursed the ex-lawyer and hid the charges by filing them under “legal expenses”, in order to cover his tracks. Trump ultimately won the 2016 presidential race. Indictment: An official set of charges approved by a grand jury Generally, to launch a criminal trial, there must be a formal written complaint outlining the charges: an indictment. In cases like Trump’s, a randomly selected group of citizens come together to determine whether there is sufficient evidence — or probable cause — to bring a suspect to trial. This is called a “grand jury”. Unlike a trial jury, which weighs questions of guilt, a “grand jury” only considers whether there is enough evidence to warrant a trial. Trump, for instance, was indicted in New York on March 30, 2023, becoming the first former president to face criminal charges. He has decried the decision as a “witch-hunt” — a position that has become his standard response to all of his legal woes. Arraignment: A legal hearing where defendants are formally presented with the charges An arraignment is often the first time a defendant — the person accused of a crime — has to appear in court. The court reads the charges and notifies the defendant of his or her rights. In some cases, the defendant is also asked to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. Trump was arraigned on April 4, 2023. He first arrived at the Criminal Court in Lower Manhattan, where his fingerprints were taken. Then, he joined his lawyers in the courtroom, where the indictment was unsealed, or made public. Trump pleaded not guilty at the arraignment. His first appearance in front of a judge saw crowds of protesters and counterprotesters gather outside the court. Jurors: Randomly chosen citizens who assess the guilt of a defendant In criminal cases in the US, courts generally require 12 jurors to be selected from the general population. These 12 jurors listen to the evidence that the prosecution and the defence team present during a trial, and then they decide what the outcome of the case should be. Jury selection generally starts the trial period. To arrive at 12 jurors in the Trump trial, nearly 300 prospective jurors were considered. The judge, prosecutors and defence lawyers were tasked with determining whether each candidate could be fair and impartial in the case — judging Trump by the letter of the law, rather than using personal motives. Many of the prospective jurors were quickly dismissed after they indicated they could not be impartial. But within four days of the trial’s start, 12 jurors were selected, as well as six alternates who must also sit through the entire length of the trial. The alternates step in if a juror cannot fulfil their duty. The 12 jurors from New York will decide the Trump case. Their decision must be unanimous for Trump to be found guilty. Verdict: The jury’s decision after a trial A verdict in the Trump case is expected in the coming days. Sometimes juries only need a few hours to arrive at a decision. In other cases, the process can take weeks. Jury deliberations: When the jurors discuss the evidence and try to reach a verdict Jury deliberations begin after the prosecution and defence finish presenting their arguments. First, the judge gives the 12 jurors instructions about how to interpret the law. Then the jurors meet behind closed doors to weigh the evidence and make a decision about the defendant’s guilt. The jury
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 825
As the war enters its 825th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Fighting Ukraine reported that nine people were killed in Russian attacks in five regions of the country, including two in Nikopol in southern Ukraine. One of the dead was an ambulance driver whose vehicle was hit by a Russian drone. The man’s wife, who was travelling with him, was injured. Nikopol is located just across the river from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said search and recovery efforts at a Kharkiv hardware superstore hit by Russian bombs last weekend had ended. The death toll rose to 19 after a man who was severely burned in the attack died in hospital. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that weapons provided by the United States were helping Ukraine stabilise the front line amid intensifying Russian attacks and that Washington would “adapt and adjust” its approach to military support in line with battlefield developments. Politics and diplomacy US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell accused China of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. Campbell said Chinese assistance was helping Moscow reconstitute elements of its military, including long-range missile, artillery and drone capabilities, and its ability to track battlefield movements. European and NATO countries needed “to send a collective message of concern to China about its actions, which we view are destabilising in the heart of Europe”, he said. Beijing says it is neutral in the war but has deepened its relationship with Russia since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the US Treasury, met Ukrainian officials in Kyiv to discuss US financial support, enforcing sanctions on Russia and using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s benefit in its war against Moscow. Dmitry Suslov, a senior researcher at the Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, a Russian think tank that is close to the Kremlin, said Moscow should consider a “demonstrative” nuclear explosion to cow the West into refusing to allow Ukraine to use its arms against targets inside Russia. Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko joined Moscow in suspending the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) that limits the number of tanks, combat aircraft and other military equipment that can be deployed in Europe. Belarus borders Ukraine and Russia and hosted Russian soldiers before Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Polish security services arrested a man suspected of trying to obtain photos of military vehicles crossing the border into Ukraine, as well as three men, two of them Belarusian citizens, accused of committing arson on the orders of Russian intelligence. Prominent Russian nationalist and former militia commander Igor Girkin lost his appeal against a four-year jail term over his criticism of the conduct of the war in Ukraine, the RIA Novosti state news agency reported. Weapons Adblock test (Why?)
Chinese man arrested for allegedly running ‘largest ever’ malware network
US officials say army of 19 million infected computers enabled fraud, identity theft and child exploitation. Authorities in the United States have announced the dismantling of a global network of 19 million infected computers used to facilitate and cover up cybercrimes including fraud, identity theft and child exploitation. Yunhe Wang, 35, was arrested on Friday for allegedly running the botnet known as “911 S5”, the US Department of Justice said on Wednesday. Wang is alleged to have run the botnet comprising infected IP addresses in more than 190 countries over an eight-year period from 2014, generating millions of dollars offering cybercriminals access to the network for a fee. Wang is alleged to have generated $99m through the scheme, using his illicit gains to buy luxury cars and real estate in the US, St Kitts and Nevis, China, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. Wang allegedly propagated his malware through Virtual Private Network (VPN) programs, such as MaskVPN and DewVPN, and pay-per-install services that bundled his malware with other program files, including pirated versions of licensed software, according to court documents. Department of Justice officials said they seized assets valued at approximately $30m, and identified additional forfeitable property worth approximately $30m, as part of the operation, which was carried out in coordination with law enforcement in Singapore, Thailand and Germany. “This Justice Department-led operation brought together law enforcement partners from around the globe to disrupt 911 S5, a botnet that facilitated cyber-attacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats and export violations,” Attorney General Merrick B Garland said in a statement. “This case makes clear that the long arm of the law stretches across borders and into the deepest shadows of the dark web, and the Justice Department will never stop fighting to hold cybercriminals to account,” Garland added. FBI Director Christopher Wray said the dismantled network was “likely the world’s largest botnet ever”. “This operation demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to working shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners to protect American businesses and the American people, and we will work tirelessly to unmask and arrest the cybercriminals who profit from this illegal activity,” Wray said in a statement. Wang faces charges of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, substantive computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison Adblock test (Why?)
Weather Update: When will Delhi, Noida, Gurugram get respite from heatwave? IMD shares big update on monsoon
Weather conditions are likely going to turn positive for the progress of Southwest monsoon over Lakshadweep, Kerala and north-eastern states during a similar period.
IMD update: Pre-monsoon showers likely to begin by today in Kerala, check forecast here
Pre-monsoon showers are continuing to lash Kerala, where heavy downpours, alternating between intense and intermittent, since Tuesday have left many low-lying areas of the state submerged.
Bihar schools closed due to severe heatwave conditions till…
Bihar government has ordered the closure of all schools, coaching institutes, and anganwadi centres until June 8 due to extreme heatwave conditions, with temperatures exceeding 44 degrees Celsius.
Biden tells Black voters Trump wanted to tear gas them during ‘peaceful’ George Floyd protests
President Biden, while drumming up support from Black voters in Philadelphia on Wednesday, said former President Trump wanted to tear gas those who “peacefully protested” George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared at Girard College, a predominantly Black boarding school in Philadelphia, thanking Black voters for helping to clinch presidential victory in November 2020. During his speech, the president focused on items that his administration worked on to better the lives of Black voters, including the elimination of lead pipes for safer drinking water; the removal of pollution near fenceline communities; affordable high-speed internet; and the protection of the Affordable Health Care Act. “A promise made, and a promise kept,” Biden said. 2024 REMATCH: TRUMP AIMS TO EXPAND THE MAP IN HIS BATTLE WITH BIDEN As he made his pitch to the room, Biden pulled no punches toward his chief opponent in the presidential election. Biden told the crowd that Trump called Jan. 6 rioters patriots and that he wants to pardon every one of them. “Let me ask you: What do you think [Trump] would have done on Jan. 6, if Black Americans had stormed [the Capitol],” Biden asked. “I don’t think he’d be talking about pardons. This is the same guy who wanted to tear gas you as you peacefully protested George Floyd’s murder.” Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. TRUMP AHEAD OF BIDEN IN THESE KEY SWING STATES: POLL In May 2020, public protests and demonstrations in Philadelphia in response to the death of Floyd and against alleged police brutality started out as peaceful assemblies before turning violent. The violence involved defacing an iconic statue of famed former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo, demonstrators climbing atop glass fixtures near the SEPTA subway entrance, and at least a dozen storefronts along the popular Chestnut and Walnut street corridors getting looted or defaced. Several Philadelphia Police Department vehicles were reportedly set ablaze in the vicinity — as well as a Pennsylvania State Police cruiser — and a Starbucks was seen engulfed in flames on Dilworth Plaza, which sits along the west rampart of City Hall. FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN WARNS ‘THE VIEW’ WE WILL LOSE ALL OF OUR RIGHTS’ IF TRUMP GETS ANOTHER SCOTUS JUDGE Police officers ultimately equipped themselves in riot gear before reportedly confronting a crowd near the Municipal Services Building at 16th and Arch streets. The officers were said to have pressed the crowd back as they threw projectiles, and tried to push through the police line by using a fence. As a result of the initial night of protests, over a dozen police officers were injured and a mandatory curfew was put in place. The White House did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital seeking clarification on Biden’s remarks about the protests being peaceful. Protests and riots broke out across the nation in the spring and summer of 2020, after Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis police custody. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Kansas Gov. Kelly to call special legislative session over tax cuts
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that she will call a special legislative session on tax cuts beginning June 18. The move comes after the Democratic governor vetoed three Republican plans to cut taxes this year, setting up a high-stakes election-year tussle with the GOP-controlled Kansas Legislature. “I am committed to working with the Legislature to deliver responsible, sustainable tax cuts for all Kansans,” Kelly said in a statement. “A special session provides the opportunity for bipartisan collaboration on comprehensive tax relief that does not threaten Kansas’ solid fiscal foundation. By working together, we can swiftly come to a compromise to put more money back into Kansans’ pockets.” KANSAS BILL CRACKING DOWN ON FOREIGN LAND OWNERSHIP VETOED BY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR Lawmakers this month sent Kelly a proposal to cut income, sales and property taxes by a total of $1.45 billion or more over three years. She vetoed the measure after the Legislature adjourned, blocking lawmakers from attempting to override her. Kelly and Republican leaders have agreed on eliminating state income taxes on retirees’ Social Security benefits, which kick in when they earn $75,000 a year. They also agree on reducing a state property tax for schools and eliminating the state’s already set-to-expire 2% sales tax on groceries six months early, on July 1. But almost half of the cuts in the latest bill were tied to changes in the personal income tax. The state’s highest tax rate would have been 5.57%, instead of the current 5.7%. GOP leaders have grown increasingly frustrated as they’ve made what they see as major concessions, including giving up on moving Kansas from three personal income tax rates to one. All 40 Senate seats and 125 House seats are on the ballot in this year’s elections, and Democrats hope to break the Republican supermajorities in both chambers. Both parties believe voters will be upset if there is no broad tax relief after surplus funds piled up in the state’s coffers.