The Law is King, Not Trump

By Ken Zino

If you think four agonizing years of Trump mis-administration was enough to endure, or if you want four more years, history was made today. For the first time in our imperfect union, we the people must deal with a former president who now stands accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan, which is part of New York, known, ironically, as the Empire State on its license plates.

Trump remains a citizen of the United States. Moreover, under our law with presumed innocence, the State of New York must now prove its case because Trump pleaded not guilty on all 34 counts. Trump’s contempt for our democracy and law without doubt will be displayed in the latest iteration of his latest presidential campaign -- aka, egotistical grievances and flouting of laws to gain and hold power. He is a stellar example, in my view, of how absolute power corrupts absolutely.

It is true that other presidents and politicians have broken the law. This time our entire democracy is at stake as a result of this corruption. Sadly, today is just an overture playing while cable TV audiences are seated. Whether Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis or the United States of America, as portrayed by Special Counsel Jack Smith are the second and third acts, or vice versa, remains to be seen. Eventually, the juries will be seated.

Thomas Payne, who cautioned us in 1776 that now is not the time for sunshine soldiers or summer patriots, is a reminder that we are what we were.

"Let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarchy, that in America the law is King. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other." [Emphasis added, of course.]

There are no secret supplications in my beating heart today. I will listen to the evidence as more of it unfolds ad nauseum in social media and cable news, but insurrection and the violent and fraudulent elector attempts to stop the peaceful transfer of power to a duly elected president remain against the law in the United States of America.

“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value,” Payne wrote. An ancestor of mine was in the militia during the Revolutionary war. Today, we all need to play such a supporting role here.

_____
COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

…meanwhile…

TRUMP’S PERP WALK – Does Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg have a case against Donald J. Trump? Read our center-column analysis of Bragg’s 34-count indictment charging the ex-prez with “Falsifying business records…” scroll down this center column, then read right- and left-column opinions.

Congress remains on Easter/Passover/Ramadan break. Both chambers return Monday, April 17, with the House in session through Thursday, April 20, and the Senate in session through Friday, April 21. The Hustings returns that week.

_______________________________________________

FRIDAY 4/7/23

Economy Adds a Cool 236k Jobs – The Labor Department counted 236,000 new jobs added in March, compared with 326,000 jobs in February, indicating a cooling economy, finally; a sign the Federal Reserve’s efforts to bring down inflation with nine consecutive interest rate increases is taking hold. Despite the new jobs number released by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday, the unemployment rate fell slightly from 3.6% in February to 3.5% in March, and average hourly earnings were up 4.2% last month, “also easing from recent months” according to The Wall Street Journal.

Job growth continues in leisure and hospitality, government, professional and business services, and health care, the BLS reports.

Lingering question: Will the Fed’s interest rate increases lead the economy to a “soft landing,” or are we headed for a recession?

--TL

_______________________________________________

Does Bragg Have a Case?

By Todd Lassa

New York County Indictment #71543-23 had Democratic pundits, anti-Trump-leaning independents and never-Trump Republicans feeling anxious about the solidity of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr.’s 34-count case against the former president.

Was it the wrong case to come first – or at all -- considering Fulton County, Georgia’s recording of Donald J. Trump calling on the secretary of state for 11,780 more votes in his favor after the 2020 election, last year’s investigation by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the United States Capitol, and a stash of classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46^th president?

Bragg’s indictment accuses Trump of “Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree in violation of Penal Law 175.10.”

“The defendant, in the County of New York and elsewhere, on or about February 14, 2017, with intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof, made and caused a false entry in the business records of an enterprise, to wit, an invoice from Michael Cohen dated February 14, 2017, marked as a record of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, and kept and maintained by the Trump Organization.”

Repeat – no rinse – 34 times.

Former attorney and Trump “fixer” Michael Cohen already has served time for perjury in relation to his falsifying records. Cohen paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in “hush money” prior to the 2016 presidential election to silence her story of having sexual relations with Trump, who then allegedly reimbursed Cohen after winning the election, for “attorney’s fees.” Bragg’s case also draws in $150,000 paid to former Playboy model Karen McDougal via the National Enquirer by former publisher of the tabloid and Trump ally David Pecker in a “catch and kill” scheme to suppress salacious stories.

In a statement on the indictment, DA Bragg said he is charging the former president “for falsifying New York business records in order to conceal information and unlawful activity from American voters by and after the 2016 election. During the election, Trump and others employed a “catch and kill” scheme to identify, purchase and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects. Trump then went to great lengths to hide his conduct, causing dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws.”

But is a business records fraud case based on suppression of a political sex scandal enough?

Justice Juan Merchan has given Trump more than seven months to hone and repeat his 2024 presidential campaign, setting December 4 for his next court date, just two months before the Iowa GOP caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, according to The Hill. Trump added Merchan to his long list of grievances in his Tuesday night echo-chamber speech at Mar-a-Lago, attended by such acolytes as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and MyPillow guy Mike Lindell.

On CNN, former Obama advisor David Axelrod likened Trump’s airing of grievances at Mar-a-Lago to “a guy on a barstool telling you about his bad divorce.”

_____
COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Committing Absurd Acts in Public

By Stephen Macaulay

One of the all-time most famous examples of the Black Power salute occurred at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, when two Black athletes, on the medals podium, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, threw the fist. An exceedingly powerful image that still resonates today.

Donald J. Trump leaves a Manhattan courtroom having been charged with 34 counts related to what DA Alvin Bragg described as a “catch-and-kill scheme” involving falsification of business records to cover up information about him that could have had a negative impact on his 2016 presidential campaign (hardly: remember Trump’s own comment about shooting someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not losing any votes?). . .and he uses the fist gesture.

Does he know what he’s doing? Does the 76-year-old who has a coif that North Korean leaders undoubtedly admire think it makes him look powerful?

Or does he use a clenched fist because any other hand gesture would make it clear just what a short-fingered vulgarian he really is?

Let’s be clear. Donald J. Trump is presumed innocent.

It is up to a jury to determine whether any of the 34 counts hold.

The whole situation is pathetic because the public discourse today is driven in large part by a man who may have paid money to an adult film actress to keep her quiet about what she claims was an affair she had with him. (Let’s say there wasn’t any hanky panky. What was the payment predicated on? It’s not like the man is known for being a philanthropist for wayward girls or anyone else.)

If this was a scenario related to the PTA president, you can be sure that people — on both sides of the political divide — would be aghast.

But because this is a man who is as lauded on one side as he is disparaged on the other, the simple circumstances seem to be irrelevant.

Oh, and what if the local mayor or alderman paid monies to a former Playboy model and not for purposes of a charity she might be running? How long before there would be efforts to have him summarily dismissed?

Even more pathetic than Trump throwing the fist is the fact that there are so many in public who turn a blind eye to this less-than-upstanding behavior.

Millions of people in the United States (and globally) are in a highly religious period. There is Ramadan. Holy Week. Passover. People who celebrate these have a sense of right and wrong and know particularly well when they have transgressed.

Where is the morality in places like Mar a Lago?

Bravado and bluster don’t change correctitude. It is sad there are so many people who try to excuse bad behavior — even if it doesn’t rise to the level of illegality — while ignoring their fundamental sense of morality — even if it isn’t predicated on an organized religious belief.

_____
COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Left With Doubt?

Should Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg have deferred to Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s investigation of ex-President Trump’s alleged incitement of the January 6^th Capitol insurrection, or Mar-a-Lagogate, or to Fulton County, Georgia’s investigation of his alleged meddling in the state’s Electoral College count?

Give us your civilly stated opinions in the Comment section in this column or the one on the right. Or email editors@thehustings.news and let us know whether you lean liberal or conservative in the subject line.

Also up for discussion …

•Trump-era bank deregulation is blamed for failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

•Some Senate Democrats vote with Republicans to stop the D.C. crime bill, as President Biden promises not to veto.

•”Spiritual guru” Marianne Williamson is the first to declare her candidacy for the 2024 Democratic nomination for president. (Biden has yet to declare, though he has given every possible indication he will run again.)

•How House Democrats plan to retake the House majority in 2024.

_____

Indictment #71543-23

Ex-President Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 counts in the case related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels (CNN). PICTURED: Trump with his defense team appears at his arraignment in Manhattan (AP Photo). The indictment is "all about election interference" according to CNN.

This Just In – Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz trounced private attorney Dan Kelly for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat in an ostensibly non-partisan race (AP). Kelly was appointed in 2016 by then-Gov. Scott Waker (R) to the state Supreme Court to fulfill an unexpired term, but lost election for a full term in 2020.

Protasiewicz beat Kelly with 55.1% of the vote according to NBC News, and her tilting of the state Supreme Court to 4-3 liberal indicates a successful challenge to Republican-drawn redistricting maps that have made Wisconsin among the most gerrymandered states in the country, as well as the likely overturning of an 1849 abortion ban triggered by last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health that overturned the 49-year-old Roe v. Wade decision.

The race reportedly became the most expensive ever for a state Supreme Court election, with both sides spending an estimated $40 million-plus.

•••

Meanwhile, in Chicago – Cook County commissioner and former teacher Brandon Johnson has won a runoff election for Chicago mayor, with 51% of the vote to Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas’ 49%, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Though both are Democrats, winner Johnson is a progressive contrast to law-and-order candidate Vallas, who is more of a Richard Daley Democrat.

--TL

_____________________________________________

It's Super Tuesday

TUESDAY 4/4/23

Donald J. Trump’s ‘defense fund’ raised $8 million in the three days since his indictment, senior campaign advisor, Jason Miller, tweeted Tuesday. Trump is on his way to a Manhattan court for his arraignment, expected about 2 p.m. local time Tuesday.

•••

Finland Joins NATO – Finland joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Tuesday, the alliance’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg says. The country’s 800 miles border with to Russia nearly doubles the NATO border with the country. Russia has said it will bolster defenses along that border in response to Finland joining NATO, according to The Guardian.

Meanwhile: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has blocked Sweden’s efforts to join NATO, at least until Turkey’s May 14 elections. Challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu is leading Erdogan in NATO-member Turkey’s polls by 10 points, Reuters reports.

--TL

_______________________________________________

Super Tuesday Indications

MONDAY 4/3/23

Hush Money – Former President Donald J. Trump arrives in Manhattan Monday ahead of his Tuesday perp walk on a reported 34-count indictment connected to $130,000 in hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump’s indictment came after District Attorney Alvin Bragg reviewed a second payment, this one for $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, USA Today reports.

It is not known whether the alleged McDougal hush money ended up in the indictment which remains under seal until Trump appears in court Tuesday.

That hasn’t stopped Republican leaders … from criticizing Bragg’s indictment following the grand jury’s recommendation. This includes Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, “famous for being just Trumpy enough to woo MAGA Republicans without alienating more moderate voters,” according to The Washington Post.

“It is beyond belief that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has indicted a former president and current presidential candidate for pure political gain. Arresting a presidential candidate on a manufactured basis should not happen in America.”

Double-edged or circular argument?: Trump has warned that if he can be “indicated” (see tweet, above) any American can be, uh, indicted for the likes of hush-money payments. Right, say the Trump critics: No one is above the law, not even an ex-president.

Counterpoint: Undeclared 2024 presidential candidates Youngkin, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and ex-Veep Mike Pence have come to Trump’s defense over the Manhattan D.A.’s indictment. Anticipating a GOP implosion under the weight of the ex-prez’s considerable legal issues, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he will declare as an anti-Trump Republican.

“While the formal announcement will be later in April, in Bentonville (Arkansas),” Hutchinson told ABC News This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl Sunday, “I want to make clear to you, Jonathan, I am going to be running. And the reason is, I’ve traveled the country for six months. I hear people talk about the leadership of our country. I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts.”

•••

On Wisconsin’s Supreme Court – It’s the state Supreme Court race that “could change the political trajectory” of the Badger State, notes NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday. Though ostensibly non-partisan, the race between Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz and former state Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly is expected to affect abortion rights, Republican-drawn redistricting maps and former Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) law limiting union rights.

Protasiewicz says she favors women’s choice, indicating she will overturn a Wisconsin pre-Civil War abortion ban that triggered after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, while Kelly says politics would not determine how he would rule on the court. Then-Gov. Walker appointed Kelly, a private attorney, to fulfill the unexpired term of state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser Jr. in 2016, but lost election to a full term in 2020.

The Wisconsin race far exceeds the previous campaign spending record for a state Supreme Court race, which was $15.2 million for a 2004 Illinois election. The race between Protasiewicz and Kelly has cost nearly $29 million, and counting, says Wisconsin Public Radio, quoting the Brennan Center for Justice.

•••

Chicago’s Mayoral Runoff – Last, but not least, Democratic candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson face off in Tuesday’s runoff election for mayor of Chicago, to replace single-term incumbent Lori Lightfoot, who came in a distant third in the February 28 general election amidst a spike in the Second City’s crime rate. Vallas is the former special emergency manager of the Chicago, Philadelphia and New Orleans public school systems who says he will lower crime and improve schools, according to The New York Times, thus conjuring the Richard Daley wing of the city’s Democratic Party.

Johnson is a county commissioner, former teacher and paid organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union who has campaigned on “sweeping new investments in neighborhood schools and social programs,” representing the party’s progressive wing.

Congressional Calendar -- This was to be a quiet two weeks on Capitol Hill. The Senate and House of Representatives are off for Easter/Passover break, returning Monday, April 17.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

_____
COMMENTS: editors@thehusitngs.news

Right of Way?

Does Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s unprecedented indictment of a former president open the floodgates for future ex-commanders-in-chief, including President Biden? Is the U.S. now, as Donald J. Trump says, a third-world country?

Trump has raised more than $5 million off the indictment for his 2024 presidential campaign, NPR reports.

Become a citizen pundit and voice your opinion on the latest center-column news/analysis with your civilly stated opinions in the Comment section, or email editors@thehustings.news and let us know whether you lean conservative or liberal.

Other recent political news up for discussion …

•The GOP is split on whether to continue support for Ukraine in its defense of the Russian invasion, particularly in the House versus the Senate.

•Trump-signed bank deregulation in 2018 is not to blame for the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, says op-ed in The Wall Street Journal.

•Former Vice President Mike Pence, a presumed candidate for president in 2024, finally strikes back at former President Trump at the Washington press corps’ gridiron dinner.

•Is the GOP finally moving on from Trump? (Spoiler alert: no.)

in the subject line.

_____

No One Above the Law?

Finally, Donald J. Trump is indicted? Waiting for heavier charges related to Georgia elector meddling, the 1/6 Capitol insurrection and/or Mar-a-Lagogate? Scroll down to comment on Trump's indictments by a Manhattan grand jury.

•••

Scroll down with the trackbar on the far right for political news and issues covered in the center column, including President Biden’s deal with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last Friday to clamp down on an open border crossing between the U.S. and Canada.

Scroll down this column to read …

•Trump-era bank deregulation is blamed for failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

•Some Senate Democrats vote with Republicans to stop the D.C. crime bill, as President Biden promises not to veto.

•How House Democrats plan to retake the House majority in 2024.

Become a citizen pundit and voice your opinion on these and other recent news stories in the Comment section in this column or the one on the right. Or email editors@thehustings.news and let us know whether you lean liberal or conservative in the subject line.

_____

NY Grand Jury Votes to Indict Trump

THURSDAY-FRIDAY 3/30-31/23

A Manhattan Grand Jury voted to indict the former president, Donald J. Trump in a case focusing on hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Associated Press report. No details are yet known, as the indictment remains sealed, though AP reports that Trump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to an unnamed source.

The indictment comes after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told New York court officials that the grand jury would not be hearing further evidence for weeks, and other matters were on the panel’s agenda before the Passover holiday (WaPo).

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was the first Congress member to comment WaPo says, tweeting “President Donald Trump always fought for us. He puts the American people above corrupt interests. For that reason alone, the powerful will never stop coming for him.”

Or… While House Republicans, with their wafer-thin majority will continue to echo Trump’s “Witch Hunt” response it remains to be seen whether Senate Republicans are ready to move on from 45 and repudiate supporters’ claims.

Perp Walk: Meanwhile, Trump already has said he wants to be cuffed (and martyred) for his supporters.

Bigger Indictments to Come?: On the other side, Democrats and never-Trump Republicans expect Fulton County, Georgia’s investigation into his efforts to alter the Electoral College and investigations in Washington, D.C., over his alleged involvement in the January 6^th Capitol insurrection and for Mar-a-Lagogate, his handling of classified documents at his Florida home.

•••

Russia Holds WSJ Reporter – Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Moscow on charges of “espionage” in the first such case involving a Western journalist since the Cold War. Gershkovich, 31, is a Russian speaker whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. seeks immediate consular access to Gershkovich so that it can provide consular support, The Wall Street Journal reports.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

_______________________________________________

...meanwhile...

WED 3/29/23

Pence Must Testify, But – U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence must testify before prosecutors in the investigation of former President Trump’s efforts to overturn 2020 election results. While the sealed decision, reported by several news outlets including The Washington Post rejects executive privilege for Pence, the judge upholds Pence’s claim of legislative privilege, which means he will not be compelled to give testimony over his role in the formal count of Electoral College votes January 6, 2021, as president of the Senate.

•••

Blame Bank Execs, Not Regulators – Regulators warned Silicon Valley Bank of interest rate and liquidity risks before the bank failed in March, Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Michael S. Barr told the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday, Roll Call reports, where Republicans and at least one Democrat sought to blame the regulators.

Barr told the Senate committee that it is not regulators’ job, but of the bank’s board and senior management to fix such problems, according to Marketplace.

Wednesday: The House Financial Services Committee holds its first hearing on SVB and Signature Bank failures.

--TL

______________________________________

MON-TUE 3/27-28/23

UPDATE II: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on Israeli television Monday night to say he is postponing the vote on judicial reform by one month (NPR).

UPDATE: Sources tell Israel's Haaretz that Netanyahu is expected to freeze judicial overhaul following protests over Defense Minister Gallant's firing.

Another Democracy in Peril? – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s (above) right-wing coalition government is debating whether to delay judicial changes that have sparked civil protest in Israel, The New York Times reports. Worker stoppages have spread throughout the country over the weekend, with the national trade union calling for a strike, which has blocked flights from Ben Gurion airport. Netanyahu last weekend sacked Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who objected to the government’s attempt to give itself greater control over Supreme Court judge selection and to limit the court’s authority over Israel’s parliament.

Netanyahu, once a “staunch defender” of a strong, independent Supreme Court, according to the NYT, is standing trial on corruption charges. Netanyahu’s Likud party-based coalition government risks collapse if he delays judicial control.

•••

In Waco, Texas – From the kick-off rally to former President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, as covered by Politico:

•”Man, he’s dropping like a rock. … They keep saying ‘DeSanctus’ could do well with farmers. I don’t think so. Based on polls, he’s not doing well with anything.”

•The “biggest threat” to the U.S. isn’t China or Russia, but “high level politicians that work in the U.S. government like McConnell, Pelosi, Schumer and Biden.”

Despite Donald J. Trump’s concentration on “grievance” politics, he did make a few campaign promises, Politico reports:

•Mandatory term limits.

•Keeping “men out of women’s sports.”

•Ending “the invasion of the Southern border.”

•End the war in Ukraine and prevent “World War III.”

Meanwhlie: The Trump-Fox News relationship, bumpy to say the least over the last year or so, takes a “warmer turn” when Sean Hannity interviews the former prez Monday night, The Hill says.

•••

This Week – The Senate and House are in session Monday through Thursday. The Senate only is in session Friday. Spring break begins for both chambers next week.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

JOIN THE CITIZEN PUNDITS’ BRIGADE: email your COMMENTS to editors@thehustings.news

Political ‘Witch Hunt’?

Trump supporters believe indictments from a Manhattan grand jury over "hush money" paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels will help the former president's prospects in the 2024 race. What do you think? Will the GOP finally move on? Express your opinion in the Comment section this column or email editors@thehustings.news.

•••

Scroll down this column to read …

•The GOP is split on whether to continue support for Ukraine in its defense of the Russian invasion, particularly in the House versus the Senate.

•Trump-signed bank deregulation in 2018 is not to blame for the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, says op-ed in The Wall Street Journal.

•Former Vice President Mike Pence, a presumed candidate for president in 2024, finally strikes back at former President Trump at the Washington press corps’ gridiron dinner.

•Is the GOP finally moving on from Trump? (Spoiler alert: no.)

Become a citizen pundit and voice your opinion on these and other recent news stories in the Comment section in this column or the one on the left. Or email editors@thehustings.news and let us know whether you lean conservative or liberal in the subject line.

_____

Left to Your Devices

The federal government already has banned TikTok from smartphones issued to its employees, ahead of Thursday’s hearing by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where the 150-million user-strong social media company’s CEO is testifying. Do you think TikTok should be banned from the U.S. altogether?

Scroll down with the trackbar on the far right for political news and issues covered in the center column, and for the following in the left column …

•Trump-era bank deregulation is blamed for failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

•Some Senate Democrats vote with Republicans to stop the D.C. crime bill, as President Biden promises not to veto.

•How House Democrats plan to retake the House majority in 2024.

_____

…meanwhile…

FRIDAY 3/24/23

(The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the ninth consecutive time since the beginning of last year. Chairman Jerome Powell, pictured, called the U.S. banking system “sound and resilient,” while signaling this could be the final increase in its efforts to reduce the inflation rate back to 2%, according to NPR.)

Border Deal to the North – President Biden announced a new rule that will allow Canada to turn back migrants who cross from the U.S. at unofficial, but popular, border crossings – and who cross them from Canada into the U.S. – NPR reports. Biden announced the rule, which takes effect Saturday and will be published in the Federal Register, to Canada’s parliament on Friday, the second day of his visit with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

•••

Defense Was Down During Attack in Syria – The main air defense system was “not fully operational” at a coalition military base in northeast Syria attacked by a suspected Iranian drone Thursday, two U.S. officials told The New York Times Friday. An American contractor was killed and six other Americans were injured in the attack.

According to the report, it is unclear why the defense system failed, and whether the attackers had detected the vulnerability. U.S. forces have been on high alert since January 2021. There have been 78 such attacks by Iranian-backed militias since then, according to the NYT.

--TL

_______________________________________________

THURSDAY 3/23/23

Oh, Canada – President Biden travels to Ottawa Thursday to discuss the war in Ukraine and the crisis in Haiti, with Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau (NPR).

•••

TikTok Testimony – Chew Shou Zi, CEO of the popular Chinese-owned social media site, testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce beginning 10 a.m. Eastern Thursday. Ahead of his appearance, Chew promised to wall off U.S. users’ data and make further safety and security improvements, Semafor reports.

•••

Trump Lawyers Must Turn Over Documents – A three-judge panel for the D.C. Court of Appeals rejected attempts by Donald J. Trump’s legal team challenging a court ruling last Friday that orders the former president’s own lawyers to turn over documents related to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe, according to The Hill. Last Friday’s ruling removes attorney-client privilege between Trump and Evan Corcoran as the former president is believed to have lied to his legal team over whether he returned all the documents from Mar-a-Lago.

Meanwhile: As we await potential Manhattan grand jury charges in another of the former president’s cases, the one involving a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, Trump has raised $1.5 million, MSNBC reports, for his 2024 presidential campaign after he said on his own social media site last Sunday that he would be arrested Tuesday.

As Trump’s GOP Lead Grows: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appears to be facing a backlash against his veiled criticism of the former president. In Morning Consult’s latest poll on the 2024 GOP race, 54% of Republicans polled said they preferred Trump for president, versus 26% for DeSantis. Ex-Veep Mike Pence came in third at 7%, with Nikki Haley edging out former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), 4% to 3%.

A raft of other undeclared candidates all polled at 1% or less, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Woke, Inc.author Vivek Ramaswamy.

--TL

_______________________________________________

WEDNESDAY 3/22/23

UPDATE: Fed Raises Interest Rate 0.25% -- Citing “modest growth in spending and production,” increasing job gains in recent months and inflation remaining elevated, the Federal Reserve raised its interest rate by 25 basis points Wednesday to a range of 4.75% to 5%.

Prior to the 2 p.m. (Eastern) announcement some economists had expected the Fed to stop raising interest rates for the first time since the beginning of 2022 after failures this month of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. But the Fed said in its statement following the increase “The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient.

“Recent developments are likely to result in lighter credit conditions for households and businesses and to weigh on economic activity, hiring and inflation. The extent of these effects is uncertain. The (Fed) Committee remains highly attentive to inflation risks.”

•••

Will They or Won’t They? – There’s nervous anticipation and angst among economists waiting to find out whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates Wednesday afternoon by a quarter-point, half of what was expected to fight inflation before banks began collapsing or whether it will wave off any increase for now. It began with the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank nearly two weeks ago and continued when America’s banking giants had to bail out First Republic Bank with more than $30 billion in emergency funds.

Cuffs for Trump? – Donald J. Trump has told his advisors he “wants to be handcuffed” for an expected court appearance before a Manhattan grand jury, according to The Guardian. The former president is willing to play political martyr for his small, vociferous group of hardcore MAGAtarians who remain sufficiently significant to maintain Trump’s status as the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination for president.

Trump reasons that if he needs to surrender himself to a Manhattan courthouse for fingerprints and mug shots anyway, he might as well turn everything into a “spectacle.”

Uh, yeah, it could become a spectacle.

No Attorney-Client Privilege?: A district court judge has written that “compelling preliminary evidence” uncovered by Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office – you know, the one investigating Mar-a-Lagogate – proves Donald J. Trump “knowingly and deliberately misled” his own lawyers about whether he returned all classified material uncovered at his Florida compound, thus removing attorney-client privilege, ABC News reports. U.S. Judge Beryl Howell wrote last Friday, March 17, before stepping down as D.C. district court judge that prosecutors in the special counsel’s office have made a “prima facie showing that the former president had committed criminal violations,” and orders attorney Evan Corcoran to comply with a grand jury subpoena to testify on six separate lines of inquiry for which he had previously asserted attorney-client privilege.

The report cites “sources who described” the judge’s order to ABC News.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

_____
COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Right Here

TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi faces tough questioning and criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike in Thursday’s hearing by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. We want to know what you think: Should TikTok, with its 150 million users, be banned from the United States if its Chinese parent company does not find a U.S. buyer for it?

Scroll down with the trackbar on the far right for political news and issues covered in the center column, and for the following in the right column …

•The GOP is split on whether to continue support for Ukraine in its defense of the Russian invasion, particularly in the House versus the Senate.

•Trump-signed bank deregulation in 2018 is not to blame for the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, says op-ed in The Wall Street Journal.

•Former Vice President Mike Pence, a presumed candidate for president in 2024, finally strikes back at former President Trump at the Washington press corps’ gridiron dinner.

•Tucker Carlson Tonight's editing of the January 6 Capitol insurrection footage.

•Is the GOP finally moving on from Trump? (Spoiler alert: no.)

_____

What’s Left

We want to hear from you, whether you lean left or right, moderate, progressive or pro-MAGA. Become a citizen pundit and submit your civilly stated comments on the latest political issues and news in the space provided in this column or the one on the right. Or email us at editors@thehustings.news and indicate in the subject line whether you lean liberal or conservative.

Recently in this column:

•Trump-era bank deregulation is blamed for failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

•Senate Democrats vote with Republicans to overturn a District of Columbia criminal code update.

•House Democrats outline their plan to retake the lower chamber’s majority in 2024.

_____

…meanwhile…

WORLD POETRY DAY TUESDAY, 3/21/23

(It's also the first full day of springtime for Trump, the day the former president had expected to be arrested by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's (pictured) over his investigation of possible financial crimes in connection with 45's payment of hush money to two women, including porn star Stormy Daniels. Though an indictment didn't look likely Tuesday, the New York Police Department Monday erected barricades around Manhattan's Criminal Court in anticipation of MAGA protesters.)

House Republicans … are attempting to counter Bragg’s next move with their demand the “George Soros-funded” DA turn over documents in the case and come in for a grilling/hearing.

•••

Kishida Counters Xi – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Kyiv Tuesday for a “show of unity” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the second day of Chinese leader Xi Jingping’s three-day Kremlin sleepover with Russian dictator Vladmir Putin (AP).

Xi, who is said to be on a “peace mission” to Moscow, has invited Putin (charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court last week) to Beijing later this year.

Kishida, who also will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda before returning to Tokyo Thursday, is chairman of the Group of Seven summit this May in Hiroshima. Can a country in the Pacific become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?

--TL

_______________________________________________

...meanwhile...

MONDAY 3/20/23

Weekend of Trump’s Discontent – This is what Donald J. Trump posted on his Truth Social media outlet Saturday: “The far and away leading Republican candidate and former President of the United States of America will be arrested on Tuesday of next week!” (Per The Guardian.)

Trump continues; “Protest, take our nation back!”

Which of His Myriad Cases?: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (pictured above) is expected to charge Trump under his investigation of $130,000 in "hush money" paid to porn star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election by then-Trump fixer Michael Cohen and whether the payments violated campaign finance laws.

Signals, Maybe, But Not Words: Bragg did not confirm speculation he will issue the charges. “As with all our investigations, we will continue to apply the law evenly and firmly and speak publicly only when appropriate,” he said in a private email to his office employees, according to Politico.

Meanwhile: A Trump spokesman “walked back” Trump’s Truth Social rant, saying there is no notification from the Manhattan DA that he has “decided to take his witch-hunt to the next level. President Trump is rightfully highlighting his innocence and the weaponization of our injustice system.” (Per ABC News.)

In the private email according to Politico, Bragg warned “we do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York.” His office has been coordinating protection with the New York Police Department and the Office of Court Administration.

Above the Law?: Former Vice President Mike Pence -- who a week earlier finally called out his ex-boss for being “wrong” about his ability to overturn the Electoral College count on January 6, 2021 -- told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl Saturday on This Week it would be a “politically charged” mistake for Bragg to have Trump arrested.

“I’m taken aback at the idea of indicting a former president of the United States, at a time when there’s a crime wave in New York City that – the fact that the Manhattan DA thinks that indicting President Trump is his top priority. I think is, just tells you everything you need to know about the radical left in this country.”

But Wait, There’s More: Cohen told MSNBC Sunday he has been re-called as a “rebuttal” witness to testify Monday in the hush-money case. Cohen’s former legal advisor, Robert Costello, also is expected to testify, and has signaled to a Trump attorney that he has information that counters Cohen’s previous testimony pinning the hush-money payment on Trump, and thus exonerates him, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.

Mixed Signals?: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) called for calm in the face of potential arrest of the ex-president. “I don’t think people should protest this stuff,” he said at a House GOP issues retreat, The Hill reports. So as to not upset Trump too much, the speaker – who condemned Trump’s complicity in the January 6^th Capitol insurrection before visiting him at Mar-a-Lago in February 2021 – suggested that the ex-president was calling on others to “educate people about what’s going on.”

•••

Also This Week – The Federal Reserve meets Tuesday and Wednesday to set interest rate increases. There is speculation on Wall Street the Fed will hold off on another increase, otherwise expected to be 0.5% to fight inflation, because of the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

Update: The Fed will hike interest rates by 0.25% this week, CNBC says.

Senate: The full Senate is in session Tuesday through Friday.

House: The full House of Representatives is in session Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

•••

USB Merges with Credit Suisse – USB is calling it a merger, though it looks more like a takeover of troubled fellow Swiss bank Credit Suisse. According to USB, the two entered into a merger agreement Sunday after intervention of the Swiss Federal Department of Finance, Swiss National Bank and Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Committee. Shareholders of the failing bank will receive one USB share for every 22.48 shares of Credit Suisse. USB will write off 16-billion Swiss francs (US $17.28-billion) of Credit Suisse debt and will appoint “key personnel” to Credit Suisse. USB hopes to complete the merger by the end of this year.

The "merger" will cost USB $3 billion to take over Credit Suisse, The Wall Street Journal reports.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

_____
COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

What’s Right

Citizen pundits of all stripes are invited to comment on recent political issues and news covered here. Traditional conservatives as well as pro-MAGA populists are encouraged to enter civilly expressed comments in the appropriate space in this column. Or email editors@thehustings.news and indicate the political direction toward which you lean in the subject line.

Recently in this column:

•Senate and House Republicans split on continuing U.S. aid to Ukraine.

•Wall Street Journal op-ed says Trump-era bank deregulation is not to blame for Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failures.

•Tucker Carlson edits January 6 history.

•CPAC becomes Trump-ac.

_____