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Best of the Web: Manhattan Grand Jury votes to indict Donald Trump, Trump responds, DeSantis says Florida will not extradite

Christopher Bertman
Timcast
Thu, 30 Mar 2023 00:01 UTC
trump
Trump Will Be The First Former President To Be Indicted.

A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former president Donald Trump Thursday evening.

The grand jury's vote regards an alleged settlement made with adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the former president's 2016 campaign, according to five people with knowledge of the matter per the New York Times. Trump and Daniels allegedly had a sexual encounter in 2006, according to the claim.

Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges after office.

Comment: Trump responds, from Timcast:
"This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," the former president wrote in a statement. "From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower ... the Radical Left Democrats ... have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement."

Trump referenced previous efforts to indict him, including claims the former president had ties to Russia, two impeachment attempts, and last year's raid on Mar-a-Lago.

"The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference."


"Never before in our Nation's history has this been done," Trump continued. "Weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President has never happened before."

"I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden," Trump concluded. "The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it."

Trump followed up his response in a Truth Social post:
These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America, and the leading Republican Candidate, by far, for the 2024 Nomination for President. THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. IT IS LIKEWISE A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!
"This evening we contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal," said a spokesperson for New York district attorney Alvin Bragg. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."
DeSantis says his state will not assist in an extradition request. From Timcast:
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has responded to the news of former President Donald Trump's indictment, saying that it is a "weaponization of the legal system."

DeSantis also said that his state would not assist in an extradition request if one is made for the former president.

News of Trump's indictment by a New York grand jury broke on Thursday, despite previous reports that the grand jury hearing evidence was taking a month-long break.

"The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis tweeted. "It is un-American."


DeSantis accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law" to get the indictment.

"The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent."

DeSantis also said that his state will not assist with any potential extradition requests "given the questionable circumstances."

"Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda," DeSantis said.

George Soros, a far-left billionaire who tends to fund extremist candidates, pledged to donate at least a million dollars to Braggs' campaign through his Color of Change PAC. In their endorsement, the PAC noted that the now-District Attorney would not continue a justice system that "protects and privileges the powerful and well-connected."


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Chess

Certainty Trap: L'Entente is a bitter pill for the West

Alastair Crooke
Strategic Culture
Mon, 27 Mar 2023 00:00 UTC
Xi-Putin L'Entente

The West is stuck between the public sentiment which it contrived and the reality on the ground, Alastair Crooke writes.

Consequential Strategic Change - Upon leaving his meeting with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping said to Putin, "Change is coming that hasn't happened in 100 years - and we are driving this change together".

The 'Entente' was sealed during hours of talks over two days, and amidst a plethora of signed documents. Two powerful states have formed a duality that, in marrying a gigantic manufacturing base to the pre-eminent raw materials supplier and the advanced weaponry and diplomatic nous of Russia, leaves the U.S. in the shade. A seat in the shadows (assumed through volitation, or inability to contemplate such radical transition) reflects the U.S. with its back turned towards participation in the unfolding multipolar world.

Comment: See also:


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Bullseye

Russia has right to fight security threats, 'it's creating a more equitable world order' - Nicaragua Foreign Minister FM

Rahim Volkov
teleSUR
Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:00 UTC
Moncada Lavrov Nicaragua Russia
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada (L) and Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov (R) in Moscow, Russia, March 30, 2023. The Nicaraguan chancellor ratified his country's willingness to promote world peace and stability in a meeting with Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Lavrov in Moscow.
In a meeting with Russian chancellor Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, Nicaraguan Foreign Affairs Minister Denis Moncada ratified that his country recognizes the security threats that forced Russia to start the special military operation in Ukraine.

"Russia is a sovereign and independent country. As such, it has the right to live with dignity and fight any threats posed against its integrity," Moncada stated in Moscow.

The Nicaraguan chancellor stressed that he will continue to support the Russian government's fight for world peace and stability. "The active and dynamic contribution of Russia, China, and Iran to international relations is creating a more equitable world order," he praised.

Comment:



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Arrow Up

World Court rules US illegally froze some Iran assets, must pay compensation


Reuters
Fri, 31 Mar 2023 02:24 UTC
International Court of Justice
© ReutersThe case before the International Court of Justice was initially brought by Tehran against Washington for allegedly breaching a 1955 friendship treaty.
In a partial victory for Iran, judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday ruled Washington had illegally allowed courts to freeze assets of some Iranian companies and ordered the United States to pay compensation, the amount of which will be determined later.

However, in a blow for Tehran, the World Court said it did not have jurisdiction over US$1.75 billion in frozen assets from Iran's central bank.

Acting Legal Adviser Rich Vise of the US State Department said in a written statement that the ruling rejected the "vast majority of Iran's case", notably where it concerned the assets of the central bank. "This is a major victory for the United States and victims of Iran's state-sponsored terrorism," Vise added.


Comment: Exemplary US denial right there.


Comment: Regardless of the fact that the US won't be paying the fine, overall, geopolitical events signal a positive shift for Iran, meanwhile the outlook for the US seems to only be getting worse:

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MIB

WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich arrested in Russia over spying claims

Will Stewart and James Callery
The Daily Mail
Thu, 30 Mar 2023 21:22 UTC
Evan Gershkovich
© AFP/GettyEvan Gershkovich was detained in Russia on suspicion of spying for the US
Moscow's Lefortovo district court on Thursday ordered US journalist Evan Gershkovich to be arrested on spying charges and held in pre-trial detention until May 29.

Gershkovich, 31, was detained in Yekaterinburg in the Urals where he was on an assignment for The Wall Street Journal. Gershkovich told the court on Thursday that he was not guilty of espionage, something he has been accused of by the FSB security service, the state TASS news agency reported.

The reporter - an accredited foreign correspondent in Moscow - was held over alleged 'illegal activities' and was 'suspected of espionage for the US government', the FSB said. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Gershkovich had been 'caught red-handed'. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage.

The Journal said in a statement: 'The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.'

Comment: The CIA has a long history of recruiting media figures to use in propaganda campaigns and to spy while on foreign assignments. Russia has ample reason for its suspicions.

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Light Saber

Rep. Jim Jordan: IRS has 'hard deadline' to hand over documents on Matt Taibbi house raid

Thomas Kika
Newsweek
Thu, 30 Mar 2023 20:27 UTC
Jim jordan daniel werfel IRS raid matt Taibbi
© Kevin Dietsch; Alex Wong/Getty ImagesHouse Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan on Monday requested IRS documents related to the search of journalist and weaponization committee witness Matt Taibbi's home. In inset, IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel.
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan has demanded that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) turn over copies of documents related to its search of journalist Matt Taibbi's home on the day he testified before the weaponization subcommittee.

Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, has been leading the investigation into the alleged "weaponization" of the federal government, based on concerns from conservatives that some agencies have had a bias against them under the Biden administration.

Despite GOP insistence, Democrats in Congress have frequently questioned the validity of the investigation and the quality of some witnesses that have been called to testify.

Taibbi is an independent journalist who collaborated with Twitter owner Elon Musk on the "Twitter Files," a project that claimed to reveal new information about prior Twitter leadership's attempt to suppress a story relating to Joe Biden's son, Hunter, in the lead-up to the 2020 election. Conservatives widely hailed the project as evidence of "Big Tech" bias against them.

Comment: Congressman demands IRS explain Matt Taibbi home visit

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Chess

Western Europe once ruled the world, now its former powers are just vassals of the US

Timur Fomenko
RT
Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:17 UTC
PutXi
© Alexey Maishev/SputnikChinese President Xi Jinping • Russian President Vladimir Putin meet for talks
Kremlin • Moscow, Russia
Russia and China are shaping global politics while the US dominates its dependents across the Atlantic, leaving them as mere passengers...

The meeting of Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Moscow last week was met with predictable accusations in Western circles that Moscow was becoming "subservient" or even a "vassal" of Beijing.

MEP Guy Verhofstadt, a Euro-fantasist and former prime minister of Belgium, jeered on Twitter, "Putin's appalling legacy now includes turning Russia more and more into a Chinese vassal state," oblivious to the irony of his own words. As the United States took the lead in denouncing China's peace plan for the Ukraine conflict, publicly setting out the conditions on which it should end, the European Union was nowhere to be seen, or at least had nothing original to say.

This makes Verhofstadt's comments a damning display of lacking self-awareness. Russia and China are setting out their vision for a new multipolar world, while the US struggles against them in seeking to maintain its hegemonic position. Meanwhile, the European Union has been reduced to the status of a mere bench player in it all, and has become effectively irrelevant. The failure of EU countries to stake out their own will and position amidst the larger powers, as well as their total subservience to the US, has made a mockery of the "strategic autonomy" concept once championed by Emmanuel Macron.

Comment: Is the EU ready to exit the hologram, face reality and change course? Or, is 'US programming' complete.

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Briefcase

Report: House Republicans to subpoena Antony Blinken for Afghanistan withdrawal dissent cable

Kristina Wong
Breitbart
Tue, 28 Mar 2023 00:00 UTC
Blinken
© Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken
House Republicans will deliver a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday to turn over classified cables related to the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, according to a report.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-TX) told the Associated Press on Monday the State Department notified him that it would not turn over a dissent cable written by diplomats at the Kabul Embassy shortly before the August 2021 withdrawal.
"We have made multiple good faith attempts to find common ground so we could see this critical piece of information. Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has refused to provide the Dissent Cable and his response to the cable, forcing me to issue my first subpoena as chairman of this committee."
According to the Wall Street Journal, the cable sent July 2021 warned Blinken about the potential fall of Kabul through a special dissent channel, which officials can use to express contrarian views to senior State Department officials. The State Department had previously offered to share the "substance" of the cable via a briefing, according to the AP.

McCaul first requested the cable back in January, after he became chairman of the committee.
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Arrow Up

Trump's lead over DeSantis doubles in latest GOP primary race poll

Rachel Schilke
Washington Examiner
Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:32 UTC
TrumpDeSan
© AP/Evan Vucci/Miami Herald/Matias J. Ocner/Barry Reeger/PennLiveFormer US President Donald Trump • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Support for former President Donald Trump is continuing to increase within the GOP primary for the 2024 election, gaining the majority of support from Republicans, while many Democrats hope President Joe Biden is in his last term.

A recent Fox News survey found that Trump received 54% of the vote when respondents were read a list of 15 declared and likely Republican candidates, doubling his lead over Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). In March, Trump held a 30-point lead over DeSantis (54%-24%) compared to a 15-point lead in February (43%-28%).

Of those who supported Trump in 2020, 60% will support him in the 2024 primary, while 25% pick DeSantis and 5% pick former Vice President Mike Pence. When asked who their second choice would be, Trump primary voters said they would back the Florida governor over the former vice president, and DeSantis supporters said they would vote for Trump.
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Jet4

Ukraine can't defend itself against Russia's newest jets


RT
Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:35 UTC
R jets
© RIA Novosti/Getty ImagesRussian SU-35 fighter jets
The Su-35 has given Moscow's forces "increasing dominance" of the skies, a Kiev government source has told the network...

Russia's latest generation of Su-35 fighter jets has capabilities that Kiev's forces can't neutralize, a senior Ukrainian government official has told ABC News.

The newest Su-35s are equipped with "very effective radar and long-distance rockets," enabling them to attack Ukrainian jets and provide air support for Russian ground troops, the unidentified source said in an article posted on Monday. Ukraine "does not have capabilities" to counter this threat, he added.

Kiev sees Russian air superiority as a "real risk," the official admitted, making its push for more air defense systems from the US "priority No. 1" for Ukraine. "This is a problem," another unidentified official said. "What we keep telling the Americans is that in the end, there is no other solution than to give us fighter jets." He claimed that Russia has 12 times more military aircraft than Ukraine.

Comment: A couple of outdated fighter jets Ukraine can't fly will not change the future.

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