Trump posts $91M bond, appeals $83M E. Jean Carroll judgment
Former President Donald Trump posted nearly $92 million for his bond in the defamation case regarding accuser E. Jean Carroll. A federal court in New York received notice of the bond and Trump’s appeal on Friday morning. Trump intends to appeal the decision that was handed down in January that found him liable for defamatory statements made while denying the rape accusations made by Carroll. TRUMP ORDERED TO PAY $83.3 MILLION TO E JEAN CARROLL BY MONDAY OR POST BOND: JUDGE A federal jury in January decided Trump must pay Carroll more than $83 million in damages — $18.3 million in compensatory damages, and $65 million in punitive damages. On Thursday, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan demanded Trump pay the damages by Monday. If Trump wins his appeal, the money will be returned to him. If the appeal process fails, the money will be used in the $83 million payout. TRUMP DEFENDS HIMSELF ON THE STAND, BLASTS E JEAN CARROLL TRIAL: ‘THIS IS NOT AMERICA’ The bond value is higher than the total damages due to a requirement for 110% of the judgment value to be posted during the appeal process. Federal Insurance Company — based in Chesapeake, Virginia — provided the bond money, according to documents signed by the former president. Trump’s lawyers said he made statements about Carroll in an effort to “defend his reputation, protect his family, and defend his Presidency.” A federal jury in New York City decided last year that Trump was not liable for rape but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The former president was ordered to pay $5 million in that trial. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Trump set to take over Republican Party by installing key ally, daughter-in-law to lead RNC
HOUSTON – The Republican Party on Friday will formally once again become what in reality it has been for eight years – the party of Trump. That is when the voting members of the Republican National Committee (RNC), who are gathering for a quickly called general session, are expected to overwhelmingly vote to confirm a key ally of former President Trump and Trump’s daughter-in-law to serve as national party committee chair and co-chair. The RNC gathering, which was scheduled in the last couple of weeks, comes in the same week Trump swept 14 of the 15 GOP primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday – which moved him much closer to officially locking up the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. It also comes just two days after Trump’s last rival for the nomination – former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley – dropped out of the race. “He’s the presumptive nominee. He’s going to be our nominee. He’s going to be the guy to beat Joe Biden, and it’s normal for the presumptive nominee of the party to run the RNC,” longtime RNC committee member from Mississippi Henry Barbour told Fox News on the eve of the meeting. TRUMP CAMPAIGN PUSHES BACK ON TALK THE RNC WILL BE FORCED TO PAY THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S LEGAL BILLS Additionally, New Hampshire GOP chair and former RNC committee member Chris Ager, who is also attending the meeting, emphasized that “Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee and this is the party of Trump.” Longtime RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, whom Trump picked to steer the national party committee after he won the White House in 2016, is stepping down at the meeting. Her departure comes after Trump earlier this year repeatedly urged changes at the committee – after lackluster fundraising last year and his opposition to the RNC’s presidential primary debates – which essentially pushed McDaniel out the door. TRUMP MEETS WITH MCDANIEL, THEN CALLS FOR CHANGES AT THE RNC In her place, Trump picked North Carolina GOP chair Michael Whatley to succeed McDaniel. Whatley, the party’s general counsel, is also a Trump ally and strong supporter of the former president’s repeated claims that his 2020 election loss to President Biden was due to massive voter fraud. The former president also picked his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, for RNC co-chair. She is expected to focus on fundraising for the committee and on media appearances. Trump is also installing campaign adviser Chris LaCivita as RNC chief of staff. LaCivita, a longtime Republican strategist and RNC veteran, will continue to keep his role as one of the two top advisers steering Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. “The people at the RNC know and like Mike Whatley, so he’s a good choice and Lara Trump is a trusted adviser to the president, so why not give him the tools he needs to get the job done. If he trusts those people, let’s give him what he needs to get that win in November,” Ager told Fox News. Trump’s takeover of the RNC is far from controversial. It is traditional as a presidential election cycle moves from the primaries to the general election for the presumptive nominee of the party out of power to take control and merge operations. Barbour emphasized that while “there’s always some drama” at RNC meetings, “it’s really important that the party pull together… and we need the former president leading us on that, bringing us together as a party so we can win not just the White House but the Senate, the House, state, local.” However, there has been some controversy in recent weeks over concerns that the cash-strapped RNC would be forced to pay some of Trump’s massive legal bills. The former president faces four major criminal trials and a total of 91 indictments, as well as a $355 million civil fraud judgment which Trump’s appealing. A political action committee affiliated with the former president has shelled out nearly $80 million in the past two years to pay Trump’s many lawyers. The RNC paid some of Trump’s legal bills when he was in the White House and after he left office. However, McDaniel said two years ago that the committee would stop paying those bills once Trump became a candidate again. LaCivita has said in recent days that the RNC would not be paying the bills. The Trump campaign told Fox News on Wednesday that the committee would “absolutely not” be providing any of its funds to alleviate Trump’s legal costs. “Hard no. Absolutely not. Asked and answered,” a spokesperson reiterated. RNC STARTS 2024 WITH FUNDRAISING SURGE AFTER LACKLUSTER 2023 Barbour recently proposed a non-binding resolution stating that RNC funds could not be used for Trump’s legal bills. However, the resolution was nixed after Barbour was unable to earn the support of RNC members from at least 10 states. “A small group of us offered a resolution to the committee that essentially said that the number one job and the only job of the RNC is to win elections. And if that’s our job, we need to spend our money on that and not on paying anybody’s legal bills,” Barbour told Fox News. He emphasized that “while we came up short… it was an important conversation and the Trump campaign has confirmed indeed that they have no plans to spend any RNC dollars on it and will not do it.” “We appreciate that very much,” he noted. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘I yearn for the girl I used to be’: Gaza women tell their stories
Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip – On International Women’s Day, the women of Gaza are continuing their daily struggle to care for their children and families, and to stay alive. Four women who have been displaced by Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, along with their families, talked to Al Jazeera about their lives now. ‘I’ve forgotten what it means to be a woman’: Nada Abdelsalam Nada Abdelsalam, 34, sits beside her children in front of their tent, baking bread over a wood fire. Since the onset of the war, Nada says she has lost track of the passing days, consumed by the ceaseless demands of caring for her eight children from dawn to dusk in difficult conditions. “Women in Gaza have borne the brunt of this war. Our burdens have multiplied, and our sense of privacy has vanished,” Nada says as she tends to the fire, adding more loaves. Nada Abdelsalam, 34, bakes bread over a wood fire outside her tent in central Gaza [[Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] “Here I am, sitting on the street in a tent, deprived of life’s basic necessities. No water, no electricity, no bathrooms, no sanitation. Nothing,” she adds. Nada was forced to flee from the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza City to Deir el-Balah in central Gaza due to Israeli evacuation orders early in the war. Her home was bombed and destroyed. “I came out with only the clothes I was wearing and some clothes for my children,” Nada says. “I never imagined I’d reach this point. My closet was once full of clothes.” She says she feels ashamed to go outside her tent in the shabby, worn-out clothes she is left with. “I wear a prayer robe for everything – to sleep in, to go out,” She adds. The war has robbed Nada of more than just her home and possessions, she says. She has lost her sense of self too. “I’ve forgotten what it means to be a woman in this war. I feel decades older than my actual age. Even my appearance reflects it.” Nada is one of countless women in Gaza who have been enduring similar exhaustion and heightened responsibilities during the ongoing war. “Before the war, we bought bread from the bakery, laundered clothes with a machine and lived in clean, modern apartments,” Nada recalls. “Now, we’ve regressed to Stone Age methods, baking over open fires and handwashing laundry. “It’s a suffering I wouldn’t wish upon any woman.” Sawsan Al-Zein, 50, lost an eye during an Israeli bombing that destroyed her home near Gaza City at the start of the war [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] ‘This war requires great strength from women’: Sawsan al-Zein In a nearby tent, Sawsan al-Zein, 50, sits with female relatives. The mother of eight lost an eye after being seriously injured in the first week of the war when her house on Salah al-Din Street, east of Gaza City, was bombed. “We were sitting normally that day, following the news of the war, when suddenly I found myself lying in blood,” she recounts. “At the hospital, they told me that my eye was seriously injured, and it was removed immediately. I have one eye now, and I still need to complete my treatment abroad. My hand was injured too, and I cannot move it.” One of her daughters and her son-in-law were killed in the bombing, after which the family fled to Deir el-Balah about five months ago. “Losing my eye affected my psychology greatly,” Sawsan says. “Once the pillar of my household, responsible for managing everything big and small like any mother, now I struggle with basic chores. I can’t cook over an open flame or carry objects due to my injuries.” Despite her daughter’s assistance, Sawsan mourns the impact her injuries have had on her normal life. “Previously, my children used to love my cooking, but now, I’m restricted by my condition,” she says. “Now I cannot, especially in these circumstances, which require great strength from mothers and women to manage their family affairs.” Sawsan’s only wish is for the war to end soon, so she can return home to northern Gaza, even if it lies in ruins. “Life in displacement is harsh, let alone for an injured woman like me who needs special care.” Sawsan says. “We suffer in the simplest aspects of life. Our privacy as women is eroded. Our hearts are heavy with the loss of loved ones and fear for children. What happened to us is enough.” Etemad Assaf, 29, pictured with her two children, is eight months pregnant and is fearful of giving birth in these conditions [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] Terrified to give birth: Etemad Assaf Etemad Assaf, 29, sits on a stone outside her tent, washing clothes by hand. Etemad, the mother of two children who is eight months pregnant with her third, is struggling to care for her family in these circumstances. She fled from Jabalia refugee camp to Deir el-Balah and longs for the time she might be able to return home. “The war turned our lives upside down,” she says, rubbing the clothes with her hand. “Every night I feel like I’m going to give birth now because I’m so tired.” “You see? Is this a suitable life for a pregnant woman? A tent, cold, open air and the lack of the basic necessities of life?” Etemad says she is unable to provide even the basics for her children. “My little daughter, who is 11 months old, needs diapers, and they are expensive. We can barely afford food, and sometimes there is no food to eat at all,” Etemad says. “My big concern now is my impending birth and the dire conditions around me, particularly given what we hear about the complete collapse of hospitals in Gaza.” “The healthcare system is crumbling. There is not even a proper place to rest after delivery.” Etemad says she never imagined how bad things could get. “Two days ago, I looked at myself
Why are millions internally displaced in DRC?
International solidarity campaigns have managed to bring attention to DRC’s decades old conflict, but how can they make a real impact? The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been brought to the world’s attention over the last few months through awareness campaigns on social media. Many of them have also called for the boycott of electronics made with minerals mined from the DRC. But organisations on the ground struggle to achieve change with a corrupt Congolese government that falls short in prioritising its citizens’ interests over those of international mining companies. Presenter: Anelise Borges Guests:Hadija Ali – Volunteer, Friends of the CongoPappy Orion – Founder, Focus on CongoReagan Miviri – Analyst, Ebuteli and Congo Research Group Adblock test (Why?)
British police officer named in Chris Kaba murder pleads not guilty
Judge lifts officer Martyn Blake’s anonymity because there are no ‘immediate’ threats to his safety. A British police officer, named for the first time as Martyn Blake, has pleaded not guilty to the murder in 2022 of Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old Black man. Kaba, who was unarmed, was driving in Streatham Hill, south London, on September 5, 2022, when he was stopped by police firearms specialists. He was shot in the head through the car windscreen and died the following day. The officer who shot Kaba was previously identified only by the codename NX121 because he had faced some threats to his safety. However, Judge Mark Lucraft lifted his anonymity on Friday, saying there was no “real and immediate risk” to Blake after analysing the threats. Blake, 40, entered his not-guilty plea on Friday at London’s Old Bailey court, where he will stand trial on October 2. Members of Kaba’s family were in the courtroom during the brief hearing. The killing of Kaba triggered widespread protests and anger among the country’s Black community, and reignited a national conversation about racism within the police force, as well as the need for reform. The police said at the time that his car had been stopped after his registration number was “linked to a firearms offence in the previous days”. Black Lives Matter UK welcomed the naming of Blake as “a positive development” but said, “we cannot ignore the trauma and pain inflicted” on the Kaba family which “has endured the anguish of seeking answers and accountability for the extrajudicial killing of their loved one”. We also cannot ignore the broader trend where on-duty police officers involved in fatal shootings have evaded conviction for murder or manslaughter. This moment serves as a reckoning for both @metpoliceuk , forcing them to confront the reality that they cannot act with impunity. — #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) March 8, 2024 The group posted on X that this “serves as a reckoning” for the police. “No longer can they hide behind anonymity while inflicting harm and terror upon our communities. Police officers must be held to account.” In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Federation said it was “hugely shocked, saddened and concerned over the decision to name the firearms officer involved in this incident”. Federation chair Rick Prior said that “being a firearms officer in London is one of the world’s toughest jobs. Officers, who volunteer for the role, know the responsibility and accountability that comes with it. It is a job like no other and they need fairness when it comes to scrutiny.” Statement from the Metropolitan Police Federation about the decision to name firearms officer NX121https://t.co/FidQlDIBVK pic.twitter.com/q5uPGB4fM9 — Metropolitan Police Federation (@MPFed) March 8, 2024 Last March, an independent review of London’s Metropolitan Police Service – Britain’s biggest police force – said it was institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic. The review, which was commissioned after a young woman was raped and killed by a serving officer, said the force must “change itself” or risk being broken up. Adblock test (Why?)
Congress releases first list of 39 candidates for Lok Sabha polls 2024, Rahul Gandhi to contest from…
The Congress party on Friday released the first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Saba elections.
Judge in Trump’s Georgia case faces election challenge from civil rights attorney
Civil rights attorney and Atlanta radio host Robert Patillo is planning to challenge Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who has been overseeing the high-profile election interference case against former President Trump and the case to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in the upcoming election. Patillo, a civil rights attorney, is the former executive director of the social justice group Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which was founded by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and has previously billed himself as “a conservative Democrat,” according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Patillo plans to qualify as a candidate for the position on Thursday. The election is set for May with a possible runoff in June. McAfee was appointed to the bench by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp last year to fill a vacancy and is up for election after the term ends on Dec. 31, 2024. NATHAN WADE’S PHONE DATA SHOWS HE MADE MIDNIGHT TRIPS TO FANI WILLIS’ CONDO BEFORE HE WAS HIRED: ATTORNEY “I’ve always told myself if I had an opportunity to fix it from the inside, I would do so,” Patillo told Fox News Digital. “Our campaign is based on the idea of competency, on compassion and on creating change within the court system.” “And you have to have an outside voice, someone who’s outside that prosecutor-to-bench pipeline in order to have the ability to make those changes,” Patillo said in a reference to McAfee, a former prosecutor. Patillo pointed to Trump’s trial and the recent trial of Atlanta rapper Young Thug as examples of the unequal treatment in the court system. “We need to have a system that operates the same for all people, a state where you have the rule of law, not the rule of men, that where you get special treatment based upon your celebrity status based upon the amount of money that you have.” “I think that anybody who’s been through the Fulton County court system would have loved to have had two weeks of hearings on a side issue on your case versus waiting either four or five years for your case to go to trial,” Patillo said, seemingly in a nod to the evidentiary hearings to disqualify Fani Willis. “I think that we need to have a priority set, when we’re moving cases, we’re getting people processed in and out of custody, where guilty people are being convicted and sent to prison, where innocent people are being allowed to return to their lives. And we’re putting together programs for youthful offenders that keep them out of the system for a lifetime, so we can turn those youthful offenders, instead of lifetime criminals, turn them into carpenters and builders or bus drivers. And then that has to be part of what is on any agenda,” Patillo said. Phil Holloway, a conservative legal analyst, posted on X that the Fani Willis “saga just became extra-political.” McAfee is overseeing the sweeping racketeering case against Trump and 18 co-defendants related to allegations of interference in the 2020 election. TRUMP LAWYERS MAKE CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN DA FANI WILLIS ‘IMPROPER’ AFFAIR ALLEGATIONS: ‘IRREPARABLE STAIN’ McAfee is also presiding over allegations brought by a handful of co-defendants that Fani Willis hired special counsel Nathan Wade when they were secretly romantic lovers and financially benefited from his hiring. The bombshell allegations led to a blockbuster evidentiary hearing last month in which Willis and Wade denied the allegations they were in a relationship when he was hired and that Willis never benefited from Wade’s position because she would reimburse him with cash for all the vacations they took together. FANI WILLIS’ TESTIMONY WAS ‘BELLIGERENT’ AND COULD DAMAGE HER CREDIBILITY, FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS McAfee is considering the evidence presented in the hearing and is expected to make a decision whether Willis and her team should be disqualified from the case in the next two weeks. McAfee said at the start of the proceedings this month that it’s “clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one.” McAfee could not be immediately reached for comment.
George Santos announces surprise 2nd run for Congress during SOTU address
Former New York Rep. George Santos announced a surprise comeback campaign while in attendance at the State of the Union (SOTU) address. Santos, who attended President Biden’s speech on Thursday, posted an announcement for his campaign to social media site X while the SOTU address was still ongoing. “I just witnessed a weak, frail president deliver spin and lies to the American people from inside the chambers. I have made several personal sacrifices in the name of serving the American people. My promise is that I will never back down because of my love for this country,” Santos wrote. EX-REP GEORGE SANTOS RETURNS TO CAPITOL HILL FOR BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS “New York hasn’t had a real conservative represent them since I left office arbitrarily, thanks to RINO, empty suits like Nick Lalota,” the former congressman continued. “He is a willing to risk the future of our majority and the future of this country for his own political gain. After a lot of prayer and conversation with my friends and family, I have made a very important decision that will shake things up.” While Santos was previously elected to and then expelled from New York’s 3rd Congressional District, the former lawmaker announced he was running against fellow Republican Rep. Nicholas Lalota in the 1st Congressional District. Santos wrote, “Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over [New York 1st Congressional District]. I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican. The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country.” EMBATTLED GOP REP GEORGE SANTOS EXPELLED FROM HOUSE The former New York Republican congressman was expelled in the wake of a damning House Ethics Committee report that found he misused campaign funds on luxury items and OnlyFans, among other things. Santos has not been convicted of a crime, but he has been indicted on multiple counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, credit card fraud and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Santos told reporters it was his first time being back in the building since he was booted from the House of Representatives late last year along bipartisan lines, with 105 of his fellow Republicans joining Democrats in voting him out. He said he came to watch the primetime address, noting that as a former member he still retains privileges that include entry to the House floor when the body is in session. “I was just visiting with some of my colleagues in a very bipartisan fashion,” Santos said. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Fulton County ethics board won’t hear complaints against Fani Willis
A Fulton County ethics board scheduled to hear complaints filed against District Attorney Fani Willis on Thursday scrapped those plans after finding it lacked jurisdiction. The Fulton County Board of Ethics was scheduled to hear two complaints against Willis after a co-defendant of former President Trump in the Georgia election interference case alleged Willis had an improper affair with special counsel Nathan Wade, whom she hired to prosecute Trump. However, days before the board convened on March 7, the meeting agenda was updated to remove consideration of those complaints. At Thursday’s meeting, Chairman Daraka Satcher announced the board lacked jurisdiction over the complaints because Willis is a state constitutional officer, not a county official, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. “The Fulton County Code of Ethics, our code of ethics, only applies to county officers and employees,” Satcher said in a prepared statement. He said the Georgia State Ethics Commission is the proper body to review the complaints against Willis. NATHAN WADE’S PHONE DATA SHOWS HE MADE MIDNIGHT TRIPS TO FANI WILLIS’ CONDO BEFORE HE WAS HIRED: ATTORNEY Last year, Willis indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants, including Michael Roman, a GOP political operative who first filed motions alleging Willis financially benefited from her romantic entanglement with Wade. A state judge is currently weighing evidence against Willis’ alleged impropriety and whether she and her team should be disqualified from the case. At the same time, state lawmakers have formed a special Senate committee with subpoena power to investigate claims against the district attorney. The two complaints filed with the ethics board are separate from the disqualification proceedings and the state Senate investigation. GEORGIA PROSECUTOR ALLEGES FANI WILLIS ASKED BRADLEY NOT TO TESTIFY ON AFFAIR: ‘THEY ARE COMING AFTER US’ Two individuals, Gregory Mantell and Steven Kramer, filed complaints in January and February, respectively, alleging numerous ethics violations by Willis. Mantell, who founded the Substack blog Investigative News Service, filed his complaint against Willis on Jan. 27. According to Newsweek, Mantelll claims the district attorney’s office improperly denied his records request for expense reports for 2021-2023 and all contracts and payments made to Wade during those years. He had also requested records pertaining to $14.6 million in awards for the Department of Justice, Newsweek reported. Kramer’s lengthy complaint raises questions about the hiring of Wade, the affair, Wade’s compensation, money spent on dates and trips, the possibility that the relationship created a hostile workplace environment and whether taxpayer dollars paid to Wade might have been better spent, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. TRUMP LAWYERS MAKE CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN DA FANI WILLIS ‘IMPROPER’ AFFAIR ALLEGATIONS: ‘IRREPARABLE STAIN’ “The extra resources and financial costs for the court and the district attorney’s office, both paid for by Fulton County taxpayers like me, are to deal with this improper relationship,” Kramer wrote in the Feb. 14 complaint. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a staunch Trump supporter, said she also filed two ethics complaints against Willis and was looking forward to the hearing. Had the Fulton County ethics board found Willis to be in violation of the county ethics code, she would have faced a $1,000 fine. However, since the board determined Willis is outside its jurisdiction, she will not be reprimanded.
Exploring the life and legacy of Dr Pratyaksha Bhardwaj
Dr Bhardwaj has established himself as a trailblazer in the field of obesity through his cutting-edge therapies and groundbreaking research.