NEW YORK NEWS
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has agreed to allow Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee to question former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz about the criminal case against former President Donald Trump. The agreement allows committee members to question Pomerantz under oath next month in Washington and resolves a lawsuit in which Bragg had sought to block Pomerantz from testifying. The agreement was reached after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on Thursday that temporarily halted enforcement of a House subpoena that had called for Pomerantz to testify. The appeals court had been scheduled to hear oral arguments in the dispute on Tuesday. Pomerantz will be accompanied by a lawyer from Bragg’s office during the questioning.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has withdrawn his proposal to appoint Likud lawmaker May Golan as New York consul general. Golan is known to be one of the staunchest supporters of Justice Minister Yariv Levin and his planned judicial reform. The position of consul general in New York had been vacant since Asaf Zamir resigned last month after warning US Jewish donors against the Israeli government’s attempts to overhaul the judiciary. During a press conference, the US Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of State, Vedant Patel, condemned Golan’s past rhetoric, which he described as racist, and warned that such language is particularly damaging when amplified in leadership positions.
The Federal Election Commission has imposed a fine of $53,100 on three committees associated with former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s failed bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. The commission found that the De Blasio 2020 campaign committee had accepted improper contributions from two political action committees set up by de Blasio and others, and failed to disclose the donations in campaign filings. The complaint was filed in 2019 by the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, which alleged that the campaign had “concocted a shell game” to let donors contribute to de Blasio’s presidential run above legal limits by routing money through the two PACs. The de Blasio campaign has agreed to pay the fine and amend its FEC filings.
Former New York Representative Lee Zeldin, who ran for governor in 2022 but was unsuccessful, endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 primary in a statement shared by the Trump campaign on Monday. Zeldin had previously appeared with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in April and was expected to back the governor when he entered the race. Zeldin’s endorsement is significant, since he campaigned with DeSantis, who is seen as a top contender for the Republican nomination. Zeldin served as a congressman representing much of Long Island since 2015 and was defeated by incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul in the heavily Democratic state. However, his strong campaign was credited with helping down-ballot candidates to victory. Zeldin is the latest Republican official to back Trump in recent weeks, joining several Florida congressional members who endorsed the former president, coinciding with a trip by DeSantis to Washington, D.C. The endorsement shows Trump’s continued influence in the Republican Party ahead of the 2024 primary.
The Green Bay Packers have agreed to trade quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their 2023 first-round pick and fifth-round pick to the New York Jets for the Jets’ 2023 first-round pick, second-round pick, sixth-round pick, and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the plays this season. Sources say the deal has a few final details to work out, with Rodgers still needing to take his physical. The trade comes 40 days after Rodgers announced his “intention” to play for the Jets in 2023. The Jets are expected to become prime-time darlings with the acquisition of Rodgers and could play up to six prime-time games. For the Jets, it’s arguably the biggest trade in their history, while for the Packers, it marks the end of an era. After leading them to 11 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl championship in 15 years as the starting quarterback, Rodgers apparently wanted out, even though he said last summer he would “definitely” finish his career with the Packers.
US NEWS
Tucker Carlson, the biggest star on Fox News Channel’s prime time lineup, has left the network. Fox News Media announced that Carlson and the network have agreed to part ways, thanking him for his service as a host and contributor. Carlson’s last episode of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” aired on April 21, and an interim show will be hosted by rotating Fox News personalities until a new host is named. Carlson’s abrupt exit comes after Fox News settled a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for nearly $800 million, and just a week after syndicated talk radio host Dan Bongino left the network due to failed contract negotiations. Carlson has not publicly addressed his departure, and no reports have emerged regarding his future plans.
Don Lemon, the former CNN host, announced in a statement on Monday that he had been fired by CNN. In his statement, Lemon expressed his surprise at the termination, saying that after 17 years with the network, he would have expected to have been informed directly by management. He went on to thank his colleagues and the many teams he worked with and expressed his admiration for their journalistic skills. The news of Lemon’s firing comes after new CEO Chris Licht announced that he intended to restore credibility at the company and reduce hyper-partisan voices. Lemon’s departure from CNN was also preceded by allegations of mistreating women in the workplace. The report claims that Lemon had issues with his female co-hosts and that he had mocked then-CNN anchor Nancy Grace while on air. There were also allegations of diva-like behavior and an obsession with power and fame. CNN is yet to comment on the reasons behind Lemon’s dismissal, and the former host has not publicly commented on his future plans.
BuzzFeed is shutting down its news division, after failing to make money despite rising to a Pulitzer Prize-winning operation. BuzzFeed News was founded in 2011 and soon gained attention for its ambitious and sharp reporting; however, it was unable to square the reliance on digital advertising and the whims of social media traffic with the costs of employing journalists around the world. The news division fell prey to the punishing economics of digital publishing that has laid low many of its peers, marking the end of a venture capital-fueled digital period that left an indelible mark on how journalism is produced and consumed. It was once seen as a serious challenger to legacy media outlets; however, for all its accomplishments, the news division failed to make money. Founding editor Ben Smith, now running Semafor, said he was “really sad” about the closing, stating that it is part of the end of a whole era of media, and “It’s the end of the marriage between social media and news.”
SpaceX Starship rocket’s first test flight was not a perfect launch, as it broke apart, but it was seen as an important step in the next generation of space exploration. The rocket was only able to stay airborne for around four minutes, which was far from ideal, as it needed to stay up for around 90 minutes. The perfect flight for the planned test would have taken the rocket partway around the Earth, from launch at the South Texas launch site to landing in the waters off Hawaii. The rocket did survive the period of maximum atmospheric stress, which happened less than a minute into flight over the Gulf of Mexico. The next stage would have been the Super Heavy booster engines powering down about 40 miles above the Earth, before the Starship vehicle itself separated and lit up its own engines.
An IRS supervisory special agent is seeking whistleblower protections to share information about alleged mishandling and political interference in the ongoing criminal probe into Hunter Biden with Congress. The agent, who oversees a high-profile and controversial investigation, claims to possess information that contradicts Attorney General Merrick Garland’s sworn testimony before Congress on the investigation. The agent’s lawyer alluded to this information in a letter sent to Congress, stating that one of their client’s protected disclosures “contradicts sworn testimony to Congress by a senior political appointee.” The agent also claims to have information about the “failure to mitigate clear conflicts of interest in the ultimate disposition of the case” and “examples of preferential treatment and politics improperly infecting decisions and protocols that would normally be followed by career law enforcement professionals in similar circumstances if the subject were not politically connected.” Some of the disclosures would contain taxpayer and tax return information, according to the letter. The handling of the case has been the subject of internal wrangling. Federal prosecutors have been investigating President Joe Biden’s son since at least 2018 and have weighed bringing charges against him for tax crimes and a false statement. So far, no charges have been filed. The president has said he won’t interfere in the Justice Department’s independence.
Bed Bath & Beyond, the home goods retail giant that dominated the 1990s and 2000s, has filed for bankruptcy. The company’s website posted a statement announcing that it would begin winding down its operations, thanking its loyal customers for their support. The company has secured a $240 million loan to fund its operations during bankruptcy. Though bankruptcy does not necessarily mean that a company is going out of business, Bed Bath & Beyond’s future is uncertain. The company said it would seek to sell some or all of its business. If it does emerge from bankruptcy, its future is likely to be as an online-only retailer. Neil Saunders, an analyst at GlobalData Retail, commented that if Bed Bath & Beyond emerges from bankruptcy at all, it will be a shadow of its former self. The company has been slow to respond to changing consumer habits, struggling to entice customers who have moved on to Amazon, Target, and other chains. In its bankruptcy filing, Bed Bath & Beyond said it had $5.2 billion in debt and assets of just $4.4 billion.
Prosecutors drop charges against Alec Baldwin for involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a cinematographer on the set of Rust due to new evidence showing the gun was modified before delivery. The gun’s modification contradicts the prosecution’s original argument that the gun could not have fired unless Baldwin had pulled the trigger. Charges may be refiled in the future. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, still faces charges of involuntary manslaughter. The shooting occurred on October 21, 2021. Baldwin was practicing with a replica of a vintage revolver, which he was told was “cold” and did not contain live ammunition.
Election 2024
President Joe Biden officially announced his re-election bid on April 25, marking four years since he announced his 2020 campaign. In a video titled “Freedom,” Biden emphasized that his administration still has more work to do, stating that “MAGA extremists are lining up” to cut the social safety net and take away personal liberties. He argued that his administration is the nation’s best hope to defeat a Republican opponent and cement his administration’s successes heading into 2024. Biden launched his campaign in 2019 with a video message warning that four more years of Donald Trump would “forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are.” His 2024 launch video didn’t mention Trump by name, though the specter of a rematch and an acknowledgment of the forces of Trumpism was there. The video features an image of GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters, and a photo of Trump standing beside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a chief rival for the Republican nomination. In his State of the Union address in February, Biden warned of Republicans who “want to take the economy hostage,” painting a contrast with so-called MAGA Republicans.
Larry Elder, a conservative talk radio host who unsuccessfully attempted to replace California’s governor in a 2021 recall effort, has announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Elder, who is 70 years old, made his announcement on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” and followed up with a tweet in which he expressed his belief that the United States is not doomed to decline and that a “new American Golden Age” can be achieved with the right leadership.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his candidacy for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination with a focus on ending the merger of state and corporate power. Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy, a former U.S. attorney general and U.S. senator, vowed to end the corrupt system that threatens to impose a new kind of corporate feudalism on the country. He plans to unify the country by discussing common values and telling the truth to the American people. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and best-selling author, has gained attention in recent years for his stance against vaccines and founding a nonprofit organization called the Children’s Health Defense, which envisions a world free of childhood chronic health conditions caused by environmental exposures. Kennedy expressed concerns about Covid vaccines during the pandemic, including the suspicion that the death of baseball star Hank Aaron may have been tied to the shots. After his announcement, a national poll revealed that 14% of voters who supported President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race would cast a vote for Kennedy in 2024. On the Republican side, former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson have also entered the 2024 race for the GOP presidential nomination, while others such as former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis might join the contest.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, both vying for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2024 presidential race, have criticized the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for not scheduling any primary debates. The DNC recently confirmed that it will not sponsor any primary debates, and instead, it will support President Joe Biden in his re-election bid. Kennedy Jr. expressed his disappointment with the DNC’s decision, stating that it only confirms the belief of many Americans that the system is rigged. Williamson also took to Twitter to express her dismay, stating that there are other candidates and ideas that should be discussed ahead of the 2024 elections.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday as part of a four-country trade mission to bolster his foreign policy credentials ahead of an expected announcement that he will run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. DeSantis praised bilateral ties and Japan’s role as a “great ally” to the United States for many decades. He also commended Japan’s military expansion of $315 billion over the next five years as a necessary move to bolster its defenses amid an increasingly powerful China and North Korea’s missile launches. DeSantis said that a “strong Japan is good for America, and a strong America is good for Japan.” The governor was scheduled to meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi later on Monday before heading to South Korea, Israel, and Britain. DeSantis is among a growing pool of Republican candidates vying for the nomination to run for president in 2024, with an official announcement expected later this year.
Israel
Seven people were wounded in a car-ramming terrorist attack in Jerusalem on Monday. The victims included a man in his 70s who is in serious condition, a woman in her 30s in moderate condition, and three others who were lightly wounded. They were taken to hospitals including Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Hadassah-University Medical Center. One of the victims was hospitalized due to shock. The perpetrator was shot and killed by a civilian at the scene.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen opened the country’s permanent embassy in Turkmenistan on Thursday, signaling the first visit by an Israeli top diplomat since 1994. The opening of the embassy in Ashgabat, the capital, near the Iranian border, strengthens Israel’s position in Central Asia, said Cohen. The establishment of the permanent diplomatic mission marks Israel’s third embassy in former Soviet Central Asia after Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Despite maintaining vast natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan is firmly neutral and has remained largely isolated under autocratic rulers since independence after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
WORLD NEWS
American diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan due to the escalation of fighting between rival factions. The evacuation involved half a dozen aircraft and was conducted in coordination with the Rapid Support Forces. The State Department acknowledges that some records show 16,000 US citizens may be in Sudan, but officials consider those figures to be inflated. The urban warfare has made exiting the nation increasingly difficult, leaving many stranded in the capital city of Khartoum. Multiple other nations have either pulled citizens out of Sudan or are planning evacuations, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan. However, evacuations are challenging, as both sides involved in the conflict have failed to observe ceasefire agreements reached to allow for safe passage. Over 400 people have been killed in the conflict since April 15, and there are shortages of food, medicine, and water. The National Security spokesman John Kirby spoke at a White House press briefing, urging both sides to stop the violence and to abide by a ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach those who need it.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) reported progress in resolving the ongoing strike by approximately 155,000 Canadian federal government workers on Sunday. The union said headway was made on remote work and wage increases for Treasury Board employees. However, the strike will continue for now as talks continue regarding a deal for revenue agency workers. The union stated it will “escalate” its actions on Monday. Since last Wednesday, when 120,000 Treasury Board workers and 35,000 revenue agency staff represented by the PSAC went on strike, a range of public services from tax returns to passport renewals have been affected. Chris Aylward, National President of PSAC, stated that they made some progress on remote work language and both sides moved closer to a resolution on wage increases at Treasury Board. However, he added that talks with the government about wage increases for revenue agency workers, who oversee tax returns, have not made progress.
