Month: November 2024

Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office said on Tuesday that while they oppose President-elect Trump’s attempt to dismiss his criminal hush money conviction in New York, they do not object to postponing sentencing in the case.

The district attorney’s office instead suggested deferring all remaining proceedings in the case until after Trump leaves the White House in 2029. Lawyers for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wrote in a letter to Justice Juan Merchan that Trump should not be sentenced for his crimes, stating: “consideration must be given to various non-dismissal options that may address any concerns raised by the pendency of a post-trial criminal proceeding during the presidency, such as deferral of all remaining criminal proceedings until after the end of defendant’s upcoming presidential term … The People deeply respect the Office of the President, are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency, and acknowledge that Defendant’s inauguration will raise unprecedented legal questions. We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system.”

The sentencing in Trump’s criminal case is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 26. Defense attorneys have asked New York Judge Juan Merchan to dismiss the case ahead of Trump’s impending inauguration. Trump’s defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove said in a filing made public Tuesday that the case must be dismissed because a sitting president is immune from prosecution: “To require President Trump to address further criminal proceedings at this point would not only violate the federal Constitution, but also disrupt the Presidential transition process.  There is no material difference between President Trump’s current status after his overwhelming victory in the national election and that of a sitting President following inauguration.”

Prosecutors said in their filings, however, that they intend to oppose any effort by Trump to dismiss his case outright. Trump’s lawyers said in a previous letter that they would do so, claiming his election meant the case might cause “unconstitutional impediments to President Trump’s ability to govern. ”

Judge Merchan was tentatively scheduled to sentence Trump later this month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He will have the final say regarding the next steps in the case.

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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said Tuesday that the bill she introduced to ban transgender women from using female bathrooms at the U.S. Capitol is a direct response to the election of Sarah McBride, who will become the first openly transgender person in Congress. On Monday, Mace introduced a resolution to prohibit any lawmakers and House employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.”

When asked by reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday if the bill she introduced was in response to McBride, Mace said: “Yes, and absolutely. And then some. I’m not going to stand for a man, you know, someone with a penis, in the women’s locker room. I’m absolutely 100% gonna stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women’s restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms. I will be there fighting you every step of the way.”

McBride, a Democrat from Delaware, didn’t respond to questions on the topic as she entered the House Democratic caucus meeting Tuesday morning.  However on Monday in a post on X, McBride said: “This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia called McBride a “biological man” and said she had confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson at during the House Republican Conference meeting Tuesday morning about what “men in leadership” would do to address their concerns. Greene said: “you know, Sarah McBride … should not be using any of our restrooms in the Capitol, in our office buildings. But Nancy Mace’s resolution doesn’t go far enough. A resolution is just a statement by Congress saying that Congress disagrees with something we need, something more binding. And that’s what I just brought up at the microphones there — in our conference, I directly asked Speaker Johnson what the men in our leadership are going to do about this, because this this has to be stopped.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday that Republicans are trying to resolve the issue but that they will make accommodations for McBride: “This is an unprecedented matter, so we’re going to, we’ll find a resolution that that solves the problem, but we’re working on that … and stay tuned for how we respond. We welcome all new members with open arms who are duly elected representatives of the people. I believe it’s a command we treat all persons with dignity and respect …. this is an issue that Congress has never had to address before. We’re going to do that in a deliberate fashion with member consensus on it, and we will accommodate the needs of every single person.”

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In a move widely expected, Spirit Airlines announced Monday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying they intend to spend the next year attempting to reboot and recover after the pandemic caused a lapse in travel. Spirit also faced issues after an airplane engine recall, and its high-profile failure to merge with JetBlue Airways.

Spirit has lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 and faces looming debt payments totaling more than $1 billion over the next year; the airline said they expect to operate as normal as it works its way through a “prearranged, streamlined” Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and that customers can continue to book and fly without interruption.  Spirit employee’s wages or benefits will not be affected from the Chapter 11 process, adding that vendors and leaseholders would continue to be paid.

The budget airline becomes the first U.S. carrier to file for bankruptcy protection since American Airlines more than a decade ago. Spirit said in a statement: “Spirit expects to continue operating its business in the normal course throughout this prearranged, streamlined Chapter 11 process. Guests can continue to book and fly without interruption and can use all tickets, credits, and loyalty points as normal.”

Shares of Miramar, Florida-based Spirit dropped 25% on Friday after The Wall Street Journal reported that the airline was discussing terms of a possible bankruptcy filing with its bondholders. It was just the latest in a series of blows that have sent the stock crashing down by 97% since late 2018 — when Spirit was still making money.

Spirit’s stock dropped 25% last week after the The Wall Street Journal reported that the airline was discussing terms of a possible bankruptcy filing with its bondholders.

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One person is dead and over a dozen others were hospitalized due to an E. coli outbreak connected to recalled organic carrots.

California grower Grimmway Farms issued a nationwide recall of multiple sizes and brands of baby and whole organic carrots tied to the outbreak, which they produced for some of the country’s leading supermarkets over an E. coli outbreak, which includes Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, Walmart and Whole Foods, amongst others.  Grimmway Farms shared on its website that organic whole carrots sold without a “best-if-used-by” date between Aug.14 and Oct. 23, 2024, and organic baby carrots with “best-if-used-by” dates from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12, 2024. Consumers are urged to check their refrigerators and dispose of any recalled carrots immediately.

The recall comes after reports from 18 states documenting nearly 40 cases connecting its baby carrots with the illness, which led to one death and 15 hospitalizations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement: “Interviews with sick people and traceback findings show that organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms are making people sick. Multiple brands and sizes of bagged organic whole and baby carrots were recalled. These products are no longer for sale at stores but may still be in people’s homes. Check your refrigerators and throw them away.”

The carrots have been removed from retailers, but the CDC has warned consumers to not eat recalled bag carrots and to check their refrigerators or freezers and throw away any carrots that fit the description. Per the CDC, most of those infected with E. coli lived in New York, Minnesota and Washington, followed by California and Oregon, although infections have been reported in states throughout the country.

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The attorney for former Fox News host Pete Hegseth — President-elect Donald Trump’s candidate for defense secretary — confirmed to NBC News on Sunday that Hegseth paid a woman an undisclosed amount after she accused him of sexual assault in 2017, as part of a settlement agreement.

Timothy Parlatore, Hegseth’s attorney, said in a statement: “In 2023, Hegseth paid the complainant as part of a civil confidential settlement agreement and maintains his innocence. This is a situation where a consensual encounter occurred and, unfortunately, the woman had to come up with a lie to explain why the woman had not come back to her husband’s room that night. It wasn’t reported until days later until there was pressure from her husband. It was fully investigated by police and video surveillance as well as multiple eyewitness statements show that she was the aggressor.”

Parlatore’s statement comes after The Washington Post reported that a friend of Hegseth’s accuser sent a memo to the Trump transition team detailing the allegations.  Parlatore confirmed that the memo was related to an encounter Hegseth and the unnamed woman had in Monterey, California, during a conference of the California Federation of Republican Women.

Parlatore said that that Hegseth settled the matter because he feared his career would suffer if her allegations were made public, and that Hegseth was the victim of “blackmail and false claims of sexual assault … knowing that it was the height of the MeToo movement and any public accusation would result in his immediate termination from Fox, Mr. Hegseth ultimately decided to enter into a settlement for a significantly reduced amount.”

In a post on X, Stephen Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said that the president-elect is standing by Hegseth:  “Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed. We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense.”

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Officials confirmed that President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to lift restrictions to allow the use of U.S.-provided long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory. The easing of restrictions would allow Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia. The move also comes as some 10,000 North Korean troops were deployed to the Kursk region of Russia to support Russian troops fighting Ukrainian forces.

U.S. officials had previously resisted the use of the long-range weapons, citing concerns over limited stockpile and the repositioning of Russian assets outside of ATACMS range.  Biden secretly gave Ukraine permission to use American weapons to strike Russia just over the border back in May; at that time, Ukraine was prohibited from using longer-range weapons to strike deeper into the country.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to limit U.S. support for Ukraine in the hopes of ending their war against Russia. As the U.S. has already provided $175 billion in aid to Ukraine – more than any other country – a withdrawal of support would become a major blow to Ukraine defense against Russian attacks.

In an interview with Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would like to end the war with Russia next year through “diplomatic means.”  He added that the war will end “sooner” than it otherwise would have, once Trump becomes president: “It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their citizens.”

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