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Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Fulton County Jail Preparing to Book Trump, Allies

Fox 5: All 19 defendants, including former President Donald J. Trump, have until Aug. 25 to voluntarily surrender at the Fulton County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office. “At this point, based on guidance received from the district attorney’s office and presiding judge, it is expected that all 19 defendants named in the indictment will be booked at the Rice Street Jail,” a spokesperson for the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said (Fox 5). CNN: The sheriff will now have to negotiate with Secret Service and Trump’s attorneys about the logistics of Trump’s surrender. Defendants who are not immediately arrested upon indictment – as was the case for Trump and his associates – usually negotiate bond if applicable, as well as other terms of release with the district attorney’s office (CNN).

Fulton County Clerk Offers Explanation for How the Indictment Appeared Online

Spencer Brown: Now, on Tuesday afternoon, the Fulton County Clerk is trying again to explain how the Trump indictment was posted before the grand jury had made its decision. The Fulton County clerk simply picked a few random charges — out of an unknown litany of options with which a defendant can be charged — and those sample charges turned out to be the exact ones the grand jury handed up against Trump? That coincidence remains unaddressed in the multiple statements from county authorities and still deserves some answers (Townhall)? Daily Caller: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis dodged a question about a leaked indictment document that briefly appeared online earlier in the day during her Monday night press conference following the indictment of former President Donald Trump. A grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, handed down ten indictments Monday night, charging Trump and other associates over Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 election results in the state. A document listing charges against Trump was posted on the website of the Fulton County courts Monday afternoon before being deleted, Reuters initially reported (Daily Caller). Greg Price: Reporter asks Fani Willis about the supposedly “fictitious” Trump indictment posted online earlier that now matched the official charges: “I can’t tell you anything about what you’re referring to… I’m not an expert on clerks duties or even administrative duties so I’m not gonna speculate” (Twitter).

Federal Judge Strikes Down Opposition to Biden’s Student Loan Cancelation

Washington Post: A federal judge on Monday denied a bid by two conservative groups to block the Biden administration from canceling the federal student loans of more than 800,000 people who have been in repayment for more than 20 years. The Cato Institute and Mackinac Center for Public Policy filed a lawsuit earlier this month, saying the administration violated federal law by failing to produce the forgiveness policy through the traditional rulemaking process and offer the public the opportunity to comment. U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington of the Eastern District of Michigan issued an 18-page order dismissing the case, concluding the groups lacked the standing to stop one of the administration’s latest efforts to alleviate the burden of student debt (Washington Post). Axios: The administration said it was addressing “historical failures” in which qualifying payments were not properly accounted for in bringing borrowers closer to qualifying for debt forgiveness. Under existing income-driven repayment plans, borrowers can get their remaining student loan balance wiped after they have been making payments for 20 or 25 years (Axios).

Taliban Celebrates Second Year of Afghanistan Takeover

Reuters: Afghanistan’s Taliban marked the second anniversary of their return to power on Tuesday, celebrating their takeover of Kabul and the establishment of what they said was security throughout the country under an Islamic system. After a lightning offensive as U.S.-led foreign forces were withdrawing after 20 years of inconclusive war, the Taliban entered the capital on Aug. 15, 2021, as the Afghan security forces, set up with years of Western support, disintegrated and U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled (Reuters). CNN: The Taliban, which is not recognized by most countries around the world, has declared Tuesday a national holiday. The day is “full of honor and pride for Afghans,” Taliban deputy spokesperson Bilal Karimi told CNN. When the Taliban, a radical Islamist group that had previously ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s, took power in 2021, it initially presented itself as a more moderate version of its former self, even promising that women would be allowed to continue their education up to university. But it has since cracked down instead, closing secondary schools for girls; banning women from attending university and working at NGOs, including the United Nations; restricting their travel without a male chaperone; and banning them from public spaces such as parks and gyms. Women can no longer work in most sectors – and were dealt yet another blow last month when the Taliban closed all beauty salons across the country (CNN).

Judge Rules with Montana Youths in Climate Change Case

National Review: A district judge in Montana sided with a group of youth plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the state alleging that local energy policies violated their rights to a “clean and healthful environment which includes climate as part of the environmental life-support system.” The case hinged on language in the state constitution, which enshrined residents’ “right to a clean and healthful environment” for “present and future generations.” However, Montana laws, some passed as recently as May, constrained local officials from incorporating “greenhouse gas emissions and corresponding impacts to the climate” in energy-project approvals. Moving forward, the state — which derives a third of its energy from coal — will have to adopt a more holistic, environmentally-conscious, approach to energy policies, according to the ruling (National Review). Washington Post: The sweeping win, one of the strongest decisions on climate change ever issued by a court, could energize the environmental movement and usher in a wave of cases aimed at advancing action on climate change, experts say. The ruling — which invalidates the provision blocking climate considerations — also represents a rare victory for climate activists who have tried to use the courts to push back against government policies and industrial activities they say are harming the planet (Washington Post).

Biological Male Breaks Record in Female Powerlifting Competition in Canada

Townhall: A biological male who identifies as “transgender” set a new powerlifting record in Canada in the women’s category. Anne Andres, 40, was competing at the Canadian Powerlifting Union’s 2023 Western Canadian Championship on Sunday. He competed in the Female Masters Unequipped category. Feminist publication Reduxx pointed out that Andres previously “mocked” female athletes before competing against them (Townhall). Reduxx: A trans-identified male set a Canadian women’s powerlifting record at a championship in Manitoba yesterday. Anne Andres, who previously mocked female powerlifters, lifted a total of 210lbs more than the strongest female competitor (Twitter). Libs of TikTok: Anne Andres, a male who identifies as a woman, won first place in a Canadian women’s powerlifting championship yesterday (Twitter).

Illinois Governor Looks to Silence Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers

A federal just has placed an preliminary injunction, calling the law, “both stupid and very likely unconstitutional.” Wall Street Journal: Democrats are eager to make their states havens for abortion, and in Illinois they’re willing to violate free-speech rights along the way. That’s the finding of a federal judge who has enjoined a law to silence groups that run pregnancy help centers. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed a law amending the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to sweep in pregnancy centers that counsel women against abortion. The law, drafted by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, regulates the antiabortion groups on grounds they engage in “deceptive business practices.” Mr. Pritzker is gaining a reputation as a hard-left culture warrior who is happy to silence political opponents (Wall Street Journal). Albert Mohler: They basically in Illinois said, look, we’re going to adopt an act or we’re going to amend Illinois’ Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, to argue that it’s a deceptive business practice for these pro-life centers to make pro-life arguments to women, who might be otherwise seeking an abortion (Briefing).

Lawyer Defending Hunter Biden Recuses Himself from Case to Become a Witness

Financial Times: A lawyer defending US president Joe Biden’s son Hunter in a federal criminal case is seeking to withdraw as counsel because he might become a witness, marking the latest turn of events in fraught legal proceedings. Christopher Clark on Tuesday filed a motion in a Delaware court requesting to be removed from the case involving tax and firearm charges, to which Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty (Financial Times). Axios: The withdrawal from Clark, Biden’s longtime defense lawyer who represented him during plea negotiations, was “necessitated by recent developments in the matter,” the filing reads. “Based on recent developments, it appears that the negotiation and drafting of the plea agreement and diversion agreement will be contested, and Mr. Clark is a percipient witness to those issues,” it continues. With the plea deal at an “impasse,” Biden now faces the threat of a trial (Axios).

Target Faces Lawsuit from Investor for Public Backlash Over LGBT Merchandise

Hill: A conservative legal nonprofit led by Stephen Miller is suing Target on behalf of one of the company’s investors, saying it should have anticipated public backlash to its LGBTQ Pride displays in June. America First Legal — founded by Miller, a former senior adviser to former President Trump — claims the company misrepresented the adequacy of its risk monitoring after its Pride month campaign led to employee harassment, bomb threats and a conservative online hate campaign (Hill). Washington Post: The investor at the center of America First Legal’s lawsuit is Brian Craig, who is described as a Florida resident who spent around $50,000 for 216.450 shares of Target stock in April 2022. A year later the value of his holdings had fallen to $34,839, and then dropped to $28,896 by June 14 — after the backlash against Target had played out — according to the complaint filed on his behalf. The lawsuit argues that the retailer’s sudden loss in market capitalization is a “direct and predictable result of management’s calculated decisions to promote sexualized material to children,” referring to family-themed LGBTQ Pride items (Washington Post).

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Former FBI Agent Backs Whistleblower, IRS Agent Testimony That Joe Biden was Warned Ahead of the FBI Interview with Hunter

Daily Wire: A former FBI agent who worked on the investigation into Hunter Biden has corroborated a major claim made by whistleblower and IRS supervisory special agent Gary Shapley. The unnamed retired FBI supervisory special agent testified to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability in a closed-door session on July 17. The committee released the 65-page transcript of that testimony on Monday. The ex-agent backed up allegations made by Shapley that President Joe Biden’s transition team was tipped off about the FBI’s intent to interview Hunter. The agent said he was notified the evening before the date of the expected interview – planned to be held on December 8, 2020 – that the Biden transition team had been warned (Daily Wire).