Zorro
Zorro's JournalTrump's New York Fraud Trial in Limbo After His Legal Gambit Works
Trump’s lawyers are going after Judge Arthur F. Engoron, saying he’s overstepped his bounds.An appellate judge has taken the remarkable step of hitting pause on the New York Attorney General’s upcoming bank fraud trial against Donald Trump—granting the former president’s request in a surprise hearing on Thursday that was closed off to the public.
Now, a full five-judge appellate panel is set to make a decision that could fundamentally alter the case on the eve of trial. And if they take longer than a few days, it will delay the trial altogether.
Appellate Justice David Friedman’s rapid decision—following a brief 3:45 p.m. virtual hearing—acquiesced Trump’s frantic last-minute attempt to derail a trial that threatens to destroy his corporate empire. The former president’s lawyers have turned the heat on the judge overseeing this case—by suing him directly.
Trump was represented by Florida attorney Christopher Kise, according to court employee conversations overheard by this reporter. According to paperwork obtained by The Daily Beast, three lawyers from the AG’s office were also present at the virtual hearing.
Shortly after the appellate judge’s decision, James released a statement, saying, “We are confident in our case and will be ready for trial.”
In an emergency court filing Thursday morning, attorneys for the former president and his associates cited an “urgency” that required New York’s higher courts to step in. They want an appellate judge to commence an “Article 78 special proceeding” against Justice Arthur F. Engoron, one that would force him to decimate a case brought by Attorney General Letitia James.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-turns-new-york-ag-case-against-judge-arthur-f-engoron
Suburbanites Baffled By Person Outdoors Who Isn't Delivering Something
SUGAR LAND, TX—Confused by the man outside who was not wearing a UPS uniform or carrying a package of any kind, local suburbanites expressed bafflement Thursday when they looked out their front windows and saw a person walk by who wasn’t delivering anything.
“Huh, our Amazon orders already came today, so what’s this guy doing?” said resident Felicity Truesdale, admitting she was at a loss to explain the presence of an individual outdoors who was dressed in casual clothing and, instead of holding a DoorDash or Grubhub bag, was completely empty-handed.
“I don’t understand why he doesn’t go inside. He’s heading down the sidewalk at an ordinary pace—where could he possibly be going? I should probably call the police just to let them know. I assume that’s against the law.”
At press time, Truesdale had reportedly decided to play it safe by evoking her state’s “stand your ground” law and shooting the man dead where he stood.
https://www.theonion.com/suburbanites-baffled-by-person-outdoors-who-isn-t-deliv-1850821874
Jan. 6 rioter likens herself to Jesus: 'I did the right thing'
When Yvonne St Cyr was one of the first people to enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the Idaho woman said she thought it was her right to crawl through a broken Senate office window to stop Joe Biden from becoming president.
But as she was sentenced Wednesday to 2½ years in federal prison for her role in the riot, St Cyr said she understood what Jesus felt like when he accepted his fate before he was crucified. And she told the judge that she didn’t feel remorse for her actions.
“I did the right thing,” St Cyr said, according to NBC News. “I know it sounds delusional.”
St Cyr, 55, of Boise, was convicted in March on two felony counts of civil disorder and several misdemeanors. U.S. District Judge John Bates sentenced St Cyr to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Prosecutors had recommended she serve 33 months in prison due to her history of criminal activity and her dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps. She was also ordered to pay thousands of dollars in restitution and fines, including $2,000 to the Architect of the Capitol.
https://wapo.st/3Rk1ma8
Republicans Demand Biden Tell Them Why They Are Impeaching Him
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In an irate letter to the White House, Kevin McCarthy and other congressional Republicans have demanded that President Biden reveal why they are impeaching him.
The letter claims that, after Republicans announced their impeachment inquiry, “the White House has stubbornly refused to provide us with any reasons for our doing so.”
The Republicans go on to demand that Biden reveal the rationale for his ouster “immediately, or face the consequences.”
“The American people are waiting, Mr. President, for you to explain to us why we are impeaching you,” the letter concludes. “Your silence will not be forgiven.”
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/republicans-demand-biden-tell-them-why-they-are-impeaching-him
U.S. Education Department launches investigation into New College of Florida board, admin
The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into New College of Florida’s trustees and administration following a civil rights complaint filed on Aug. 22, according to a letter sent Friday from the agency to college Interim President Richard Corcoran.
The DOE’s Office of Civil Rights said it plans to investigate the college on the basis of disability discrimination and determine whether it "excluded qualified persons with disabilities from participation in, denied them the benefits of, or otherwise subjected them to discrimination in its programs, activities, aids, benefits, or services.."
It also plans to investigate whether New College failed to ensure that its communications with individuals with disabilities were as effective as its communications with others.
The government said it may request documents and interviews with individuals at New College with knowledge of the facts of the case and may also visit New College itself if necessary, the letter said.
The civil rights complaint outlined an ongoing trend of discrimination against "protected groups" such as LGBTQ+ students, and the creation of a hostile environment toward those students. It requested that the federal departments launch a formal investigation into the college's leadership and compel action to remedy damages the complaint claims leaders have caused.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/education/2023/09/08/new-college-of-florida-subject-of-u-s-doe-discrimination-investigation/70801941007/
Florida advises against new COVID vaccine for under 65s, contradicting CDC
Source: Tampa Bay Times
Guidance runs counter to that from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends the shot for everyone 6 months and up.
Floridians under 65 should not get the new COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new recommendation Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced Wednesday afternoon that runs counter to federal guidance.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended the vaccine for everyone 6 months and older ahead of an expected busy flu and COVID-19 season this fall. The updated vaccine, which is tailored to better protect against an omicron subvariant, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week.
Ladapo, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, announced his recommendation at a Tallahassee round table discussion attended by the governor. It comes as cases of COVID-19 in Florida have risen over the summer, with almost 24,000 cases reported in the final week of August. That’s more than double the number from one month earlier, but infection levels remain far below those the state recorded during surges of both the delta and omicron variants.
His recommendation states that the new booster was approved without “meaningful” clinical trial data performed in humans and without proof of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. But it does not rule out the vaccine for Floridians 65 and older, instead stating that they should discuss the vaccine with their health care provider.
“I will not stand by and let the (Food and Drug Administration) and (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) use healthy Floridians as guinea pigs for new booster shots that have not been proven to be safe or effective,” DeSantis said in a news statement “Once again, Florida is the first state in the nation to stand up and provide guidance based on truth, not Washington edicts.”
Read more: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/09/13/floridas-surgeon-general-recommends-nobody-under-65-get-new-covid-vaccine/
This quack needs to have his medical license revoked.
G.O.P. Candidates Must Pledge to Go to Prison for Trump to Qualify for Next Debate
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In order to qualify for the next nationally televised debate, Republican Presidential candidates must sign a pledge to go to prison in place of Donald J. Trump, the Republican National Committee has confirmed.
Ronna McDaniel, the R.N.C. chairperson, said that agreeing to serve hard time for Trump was the “only way” that G.O.P. candidates could prove their loyalty to the Party.
As for whether Trump had been asked to sign a pledge agreeing to go to prison for any of his Republican rivals who might become convicted of a crime, McDaniel said, “Absolutely not. He’s very busy these days, and we didn’t want to bother him.”
Nearly all of the G.O.P. contenders immediately agreed to sign the pledge, with the exception of Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson, the latter of whom said that he preferred to be “hog-tied.”
“I’m sorry to hear that Asa feels that way,” McDaniel said. “Being asked to go to prison in place of Donald Trump is an honor that comes around only four or five times in a lifetime.”
In a related matter, the R.N.C. chair confirmed that none of the candidates had agreed to go to prison in place of Senator Lindsey Graham.
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/gop-candidates-must-pledge-to-go-to-prison-for-trump-to-qualify-for-next-debate
DeSantis' affordable housing director placed on leave -- again
Source: Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ affordable housing director was placed on administrative leave for a second time after an investigation determined he created a hostile work environment and violated other policies.
During a Friday meeting, the board of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation voted to place its executive director, Mike DiNapoli, on paid leave for the second time in two months.
The decision was made to appease board member Meredith Ivey, a former DeSantis spokesperson who is now a deputy secretary of the Department of Commerce. Ivey said she needed more time to read the report, but blasted its contents and voiced support for DiNapoli.
“I personally do not have a high opinion at all of the inspector general report,” Ivey said. “It seems very sloppy, one-sided, read more like a media hit piece.”
The board also voted Friday to prohibit employees who spoke to the inspector general from being fired without cause. Ivey voted against it.
Read more: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/09/08/floridas-affordable-housing-director-suspended-again-dinapoli-investigation-desantis/
Lordy, Trump's Lawyer's Voice Memos About BOXES HOAX
This summer, we learned about recordings Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran made last year documenting his thoughts, feelings, recollections, and reflections on an entire month of the quest for Donald Trump to turn over the documents he stole from the American people. It was apparently very narrative-style, very page-turner, very Drag Queen Story Hour! And investigators had them.
Corcoran talked about meeting with Trump in May about the Justice Department’s subpoena for the missing documents, and about how he tried in June to search Mar-a-Lago in response to an impending visit from the feds to collect anything Trump had been refusing to turn over.
Remember, we are learning about all this because in March, both DC District Court Judge Beryl Howell and an appeals court panel ruled that attorney-client privilege didn't apply with Corcoran because of the crime-fraud exception, because of a reasonable belief Trump had lied to him about the location of certain classified documents. That’s why Corcoran isn’t on the documents case anymore. (He was at Trump’s arraignment in DC, though.)
Trump’s people were/are reportedly very scared of Corcoran’s recordings.
Now ABC News has reviewed the transcripts and is reporting on just how bad they really are.
https://www.wonkette.com/p/lordy-trumps-lawyers-voice-memos
Proud Boy to Be in Prison Until He Is Elderly Boy
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—After receiving a twenty-two-year sentence, a former Proud Boy acknowledged that he will be in prison until he is an Elderly Boy.
“Yes, I will eventually be an Elderly Boy,” Enrique Tarrio told reporters. “However, let’s be clear: while we Proud Boys are considering changing the name of our group, ‘Elderly Boys’ is not one of the options in the mix.”
Tarrio said that, because of the behavior of other former Proud Boys at their trials, “Despondent Boys,” “Weepy Boys,” and “Belatedly Remorseful Boys” were all names that the organization was considering.
“We’ve been holding focus groups, but so far there’s been no consensus,” he said. “We may have to bring McKinsey in on this.”
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/proud-boy-to-be-in-prison-until-he-is-elderly-boy
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