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Tuesday, April 23, 2024
trump indictments
June 9, 2023
Raheem J. Kassam
News

WATCH: MSNBC’s Maddow Admits Trump Indictments a ‘Political Solution’ to 2024.

Liberal media darling Rachel Maddow said the quiet part out loud on Thursday night, admitting that Joe Biden’s Justice Department may be looking for a “political solution” in its cases against former President Donald John Trump. Maddow’s clip has since gone viral, with many recognizing her comparison to the 1970s case of Vice President Spiro Agnew as a dog whistle for election interference.

The news comes as new data shows Trump trouncing Biden in a head-to-head, while his opponents such as Governor Ron DeSantis still struggle against the incumbent president.

“You have to wonder if the Justice Department is considering whether there is some political solution to this criminal problem,” Maddow told Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC.

“Whether part of the issue here is not just that Trump has committed crimes, but that Trump has committed crimes and plans on being back in the White House. Do they consider as part of a potential plea offer, something that would proscribe him… proscribe him from running for office again? I don’t know.”

In other words: if Trump agrees to not run in 2024, the charges magically go away. You know, like a tin-pot dictatorship.

Watch: 

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Washington National Cathedral
30 minutes ago
Ed Kozak
News
Religion

National Cathedral Features Islamic Hadiths & Quran Readings Today. Here’s Why…

World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by chef José Andrés, is holding a memorial service at Washington’s National Cathedral on Thursday for its seven aid workers who were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. In addition to Christian and Jewish readings, the ‘multi-faith’ service will feature readings of an Islamic Hadith and excerpts of the Quran. The National Cathedral is a consecrated Episcopalian church, and traditional Christian teaching is clear that holding services of non-Christian religions — in this case, Islam and Judaism — in a consecrated church is sacrilegious and desecrates the Holy space.  

According to the service’s program, after the anthem in procession and opening hymn, attendees will be seated, and the service will commence with a reading from the Hadith, the sayings of Mohammed, by Imam Dr. Talib M. Shareef. Later in the service, excerpts from the Quran — Fatir 35:10 and Fussilat 41:34-35 — will be read, as well as a Muslim prayer. The sacrilegious service will also feature readings from the Jewish Talmud and Jewish prayers.

In 2015, a ‘multi-faith’ service featuring Islamic readings at St John’s church in Waterloo, London, was condemned by the Anglican Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun. “Whilst it is very important to build good interfaith relations, it is clear that an act of worship from a non-Christian faith tradition is not permitted within a consecrated Church of England building,” Chessun said at the time. The Episcopal Church in America is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Shareef, the Muslim cleric featured in the service, is the imam and president of Masjid Muhammed, a historically African-American mosque in Washington, D.C., that was founded by the extremist and racist Nation of Islam as Temple 4.

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World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by chef José Andrés, is holding a memorial service at Washington's National Cathedral on Thursday for its seven aid workers who were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. In addition to Christian and Jewish readings, the 'multi-faith' service will feature readings of an Islamic Hadith and excerpts of the Quran. The National Cathedral is a consecrated Episcopalian church, and traditional Christian teaching is clear that holding services of non-Christian religions — in this case, Islam and Judaism — in a consecrated church is sacrilegious and desecrates the Holy space.   show more
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1 hour ago
Jack Montgomery
Election 2024
Politics

Trump Joins Gaetz, Luna With Realist Position on Mike Johnson: ‘We Have a Majority of One, OK?’

Donald Trump has signaled his support for Speaker Mike Johnson, who has been under fire from some conservatives after untethering military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan from border security in a series of standalone bills. The former President said he believes the Speaker is “trying very hard” in an interview with radio host John Fredericks. He also reminded listeners of the arithmetic Johnson is facing in the House of Representatives.

“Look, we have a majority of one, OK? So, it’s not like he can go and do whatever he wants to do,” Trump said when asked how he squared the “divide between MAGA and Mike Johnson.”

Even nominal control of the House would be jeopardized by this small margin if Johnson were ousted. Democrats would only need the votes of a handful of Republicans-in-name-only to install Democrat minority leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The position echoes the reluctant position of Reps. Gaetz, Luna, and others on this issue. Realistic Members of Congress understand that handing the gavel to Democrats six months before an election would lead to an immediate avalanche of subpoenas for almost everyone on the political right, as well as efforts to stack the Supreme Court, and ban Donald Trump from the ballot before November.

“…it’s a tough situation when you have [a majority of] one,” Trump added. “I think he’s a very good man, I think he’s trying very hard, and, again, we’ve gotta have a big election, we’ve got to elect some people in Congress, much more than we have right now.”

Trump also said it was essential to get rid of certain bad actors among Republican lawmakers. “We have to elect some good senators. Get rid of some of the ones we have now, like [Mitt] Romney — and others,” he said. “We have to have a big day, and we have to win the presidency.”

“If we don’t win the presidency, our country, I’m telling you, I think our country could be finished,” he warned.

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Donald Trump has signaled his support for Speaker Mike Johnson, who has been under fire from some conservatives after untethering military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan from border security in a series of standalone bills. The former President said he believes the Speaker is "trying very hard" in an interview with radio host John Fredericks. He also reminded listeners of the arithmetic Johnson is facing in the House of Representatives. show more
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Biden Israel Palestine
2 hours ago
Jack Montgomery
Politics
War
World

Joe Biden Thinks There are ‘Fine People on Both Sides’ of the Israel-Hamas Protests.

Joe Biden is trying to walk a fine line as anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests grip U.S. college campuses, seeking to denounce anti-Semitism while placating Muslim and young progressive voters who oppose the Israeli government’s operations against Hamas in Gaza.

“Do you condemn the anti-Semitic protests on college campuses?” a reporter asked Biden during an Earth Day event on Monday.

“I condemn the anti-Semitic protests; that’s why I’ve set up a program to deal with that,” the Democrat said. “I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians,” he added hastily.

The 81-year-old Democrat has claimed for years that, when Donald Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides” during protests against the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, he was including “white supremacists, Nazis, and the KKK.”

In fact, Trump specifically said he was referring to people “other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists,” and even some anti-Trump figures, such as Mike Rapaport, have admitted they were wrong to repeat the “fine people” hoax as recounted by Biden.

Biden now finds himself having to suggest there are fine people among anti-Semites on college campuses ahead of the elections in November. The White House has been treading carefully throughout the conflict in Gaza, fearing backlash from traditionally Democrat-supporting voters in swing states like Michigan.

Biden is also struggling with young voters, who skew more pro-Palestinian than older voters, partly as a result of the war. The Democrat led Donald Trump by 23 points at this stage in the 2020 election, but his current lead is just eight points.

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Joe Biden is trying to walk a fine line as anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests grip U.S. college campuses, seeking to denounce anti-Semitism while placating Muslim and young progressive voters who oppose the Israeli government's operations against Hamas in Gaza. show more
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2 hours ago
Raheem J. Kassam
Politics

Mike Johnson APOLOGIZED to Joe Biden. Here’s Why…

Beleaguered House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reportedly apologized to Joe Biden for his televised eye rolls during the State of the Union address earlier this year. Writing for RealClearPolitics, Philip Wegmann explains:

This past March, Johnson felt he owed Biden an apology. Seated just over the president’s shoulder during the State of the Union address, the speaker couldn’t mask his expressions of exhaustion and exasperation as Biden laid into Republicans. The two next met on Capitol Hill for the Friends of Ireland luncheon where Johnson toasted Biden as “America’s most famous Irishman.” On loan from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, his pint glass was the same one Reagan used during a 1984 visit to Ireland. The Guinness the Southern Baptist speaker drank was non-alcoholic.

Johnson pulled Biden aside to “apologize for the eye-roll memes that went around the world.” The president laughed, then told the speaker he was glad Johnson was better behaved than Nancy Pelosi had been during the speeches of his predecessor: “I’m just grateful you didn’t rip my speech up.” The speaker replied, “Well, Mr. President, don’t think my friends back home didn’t want me to light it on fire.”

Johnson is currently fending off challenges to his leadership, specifically relating to the recent foreign aid packages designed to assist Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.

Johnson emphasized, “When I go home, I want to look my kids in the eye and tell them that daddy acted like a gentleman.”

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Beleaguered House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reportedly apologized to Joe Biden for his televised eye rolls during the State of the Union address earlier this year. Writing for RealClearPolitics, Philip Wegmann explains: show more
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young trump supporters image by Gage Skidmore
3 hours ago
Jack Montgomery
Election 2024

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: Biden’s Young Person Lead Over Trump Shrinks to Single Digits.

The Spring 2024 Harvard Youth Poll found Donald Trump’s support among voters aged 18-29 — the key to Joe Biden’s reelection prospects — now stands at 37 percent. The Democrat incumbent leads his predecessor by eight points, at 45 percent, but this is a drastic drop from his 23-point lead among younger voters at this stage in the 2020 election.

Biden’s lead over Trump is much smaller among young men — at six points — than among women, at 33 points. He is also less popular among the youngest Generation Z voters, aged 18-24, than among voters aged 25-9, by a margin of 12 points.

Trump-backing youngsters are also far more enthusiastic than Biden-backing youngsters. Seventy-six percent of young Trump supporters say they “enthusiastically support their candidate,” while just 44 percent of young Biden supporters say the same.

Regarding their priorities, younger voters put the economy and immigration at the top of the list. Trump generally outperforms his successor in polling on both issues.

Reuters/Ipsos polling on 18-29-year-old voters in March painted an even bleaker picture for the 81-year-old Democrat, with a 29 percent to 26 percent advantage — just three points.

The findings come as Biden is already struggling with black male voters, another demographic key to his official victory in the 2020 election.

Trump enjoys solid support among America’s hardest workers, with support at 80 percent among people working over 60 hours a week. Biden, meanwhile, only takes a decisive advantage among people working 29 hours or less.

Similarly, Biden enjoys majority support among people who believe they have an “above average” or “far above average” income. In contrast, Trump enjoys majority support among people who think their income is average, below average, or far below average.

These developments likely contribute to Trump’s current lead in six out of seven swing states.

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The Spring 2024 Harvard Youth Poll found Donald Trump's support among voters aged 18-29 — the key to Joe Biden's reelection prospects — now stands at 37 percent. The Democrat incumbent leads his predecessor by eight points, at 45 percent, but this is a drastic drop from his 23-point lead among younger voters at this stage in the 2020 election. show more
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China Spying
3 hours ago
NatSec
World

5 Charged With Spying For China, Including Govt Aide.

Two British men and three German citizens have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Communist China. In Britain, Christopher Berry of Witney and Christopher Cash of Whitechapel have both been charged with violations of the Official Secrets Act. Cash is a parliamentary pass holder and worked as a research aid for Conservative Member of Parliament Alicia Kearns. The Crown Prosecution Service says Berry and Cash “will be charged with providing prejudicial information to a foreign state, China, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 26.”

GERMAN PLOT TO EXPORT LASER TECH.

In Germany, two police raids resulted in the arrest of three German citizens. They are accused of breaching the country’s export laws. State officials say they illegally obtained and sent a laser device to China at some point prior to June 2022.

German police allege that one of the suspects acted as an agent on behalf of an employee of China’s Ministry of State Security. This individual facilitated a partnership between his Chinese handler and the other two German nationals. At the time of the arrests, the three conspirators were in the process of negotiating additional research and technology transfers to their Chinese partners.

“We are keeping an eye on the significant danger from Chinese espionage in business, industry and science,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement. She continued: “We are watching these risks and threats very closely and have warned and sensitized people clearly so that protective measures can be stepped up everywhere.”

U.S. CONTINUES EFFORTS AGAINST TIKTOK.

American lawmakers, meanwhile, are continuing their efforts to reign in TikTok. Over the weekend, Congress advanced legislation to force the Chinese technology and entertainment conglomerate ByteDance to either divest from the TikTok social media app or face its ban. TikTok is accused of having lied about its data-sharing policies, with mounting evidence showing the social media app has transferred American user data to China — something it has claimed it would not do.

The effort to reign in TikTok has received opposition from more libertarian and progressive lawmakers, as well as a major lobbying and public relations campaign backed by ByteDance.

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Two British men and three German citizens have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Communist China. In Britain, Christopher Berry of Witney and Christopher Cash of Whitechapel have both been charged with violations of the Official Secrets Act. Cash is a parliamentary pass holder and worked as a research aid for Conservative Member of Parliament Alicia Kearns. The Crown Prosecution Service says Berry and Cash "will be charged with providing prejudicial information to a foreign state, China, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 26." show more
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4 hours ago
Raheem J. Kassam
Culture

Jerry Seinfeld’s New Pop Tart Movie Contains a ‘Very Funny January 6 Parody.’

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has declared that the film business is no longer the commanding force it once was in our society and culture. In an interview with GQ magazine to discuss his new Pop-Tart movie, “Unfrosted,” Seinfeld expressed admiration for the unwavering dedication of his colleagues but noted a crisis permeating the industry.

Asked what he thinks has replaced film, Seinfeld responds: “Depression? Malaise? I would say confusion. Disorientation replaced the movie business. Everyone I know in show business, every day, is going, What’s going on? How do you do this? What are we supposed to do now?”

Another pull from the interview mentions a “very funny January 6 parody,” which interviewer Brett Martin calls “a little surprising, given how apolitical [Seinfeld has] been.” The scene isn’t in the trailer (below), but will doubtless do the rounds when the movie is released in early May.

But the 69-year-old stand-up and sitcom actor refused to get drawn on the question, instead pivoting to October 7 and antisemitism in America: “Well, I’m Jewish. And you grow up learning about antisemitism, but it’s kind of in a book. It never crossed my mind that people would look at me as anything other than, ‘I like this comedian. I don’t like this comedian.’ I think most Jews of my generation never thought about antisemitism. It was from history books. And then it was something different. It was something different.”

“Unfrosted,” a comedy based on the development of the Pop-Tart and the intensifying rivalry between Kellogg’s and Post during the early ’60s, features Seinfeld alongside Melissa McCarthy. Amy Schumer plays the head of Post. Seinfeld is credited with writing the script, marking his most significant film project since his role in the 2007 animated comedy Bee Movie, where he was a writer, producer, and lead voice.

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Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has declared that the film business is no longer the commanding force it once was in our society and culture. In an interview with GQ magazine to discuss his new Pop-Tart movie, "Unfrosted," Seinfeld expressed admiration for the unwavering dedication of his colleagues but noted a crisis permeating the industry. show more
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Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Given how huge a Seinfeld fan I am (I even watched the entire show backwards, once, to get a different perspective on the character arcs), I sure hope this doesn’t suck, and that the January 6th reference isn’t cringe as all hell (it probably will be)
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Given how huge a Seinfeld fan I am (I even watched the entire show backwards, once, to get a different perspective on the character arcs), I sure hope this doesn’t suck, and that the January 6th reference isn’t cringe as all hell (it probably will be) show more
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5 hours ago
War
World

Russian Troops Storm Chasiv Yar After Speaker Mike Johnson’s Pushes Ukraine Aid Through.

The Ukrainian military confirmed on Monday that a force of between 20,000 and 25,000 Russian troops is attempting to seize the eastern town of Chasiv Yar and its surrounding area in the Donetsk region. News of the Russian offensive comes on the heels of the U.S. House of Representatives’ approval of a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine.

According to Kyiv’s top commander, the Russians aim to secure the town by May 9, which marks Soviet Victory Day in World War Two. The town holds strategic high ground in the partially-occupied Donetsk region. Its capture by Russia would bring Russian forces significantly closer to two critical Ukrainian-controlled cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

A representative for the eastern military command, Nazar Voloshyn, maintains Ukraine retains full control of Chasiv Yar. Despite the difficult situation on the ground, Voloshyn emphasized that Ukrainian forces are not only holding the line but are also expecting reinforcements. “Our defenders are both receiving reinforcement and stabilizing the line,” he said.

The Russian offensive comes as Ukraine expects potentially imminent U.S. military aid, hoped to alleviate urgent ammunition shortages. Acknowledging that the circumstances in Chasiv Yar are tough for its troops, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism in a message on Telegram, stating, “receiving the necessary assistance will even out the situation.”

A $61 billion aid package for Ukraine was passed on Saturday following a complete u-turn by Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, who had earlier promised not to support aid for the Eastern European country until the U.S.-Mexico border was secure.

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The Ukrainian military confirmed on Monday that a force of between 20,000 and 25,000 Russian troops is attempting to seize the eastern town of Chasiv Yar and its surrounding area in the Donetsk region. News of the Russian offensive comes on the heels of the U.S. House of Representatives' approval of a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine. show more
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14 hours ago
Ed Kozak
Culture
Education

Biden’s Title IX Changes Mandate Transgender Pronouns in Schools.

Last week, the Biden government announced its latest Title IX regulations, which deliver protections for gender identity, without explicitly mentioning “transgender” terminology. These rules, set to take effect on August 1, will mean all public schools risk legal and fiscal consequences if non-compliant. While not stating so outright, the regulations are viewed as enabling transgender students access to restrooms and changing rooms of their choice and would force schools to use students’ ‘preferred pronouns.’ Biden regime officials appeared to confirm these concerns in a press call with LGBTQ activists.

“These regulations make it crystal clear that no one should have to abandon their educational aspirations due to discrimination, whether it’s based on pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other sex-based factors,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.

‘A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT WOULD BE RECOGNIZED.’

Addressing a direct question about pronoun use, another Biden official confirmed that schools could be penalized for refusing to use transgender pronouns.

“The way that we would analyze that question is to assess whether a student is experiencing a sex-based hostile environment,” the official said. “[I]f the facts meet those standards, which is if, under the totality of the circumstances, sex-based conduct that is subjectively and objectively offensive to a student and to a person in the school community and it rises to the level that it limits or denies access to education, then a hostile environment would be recognized and we would evaluate whether the school had taken sufficient steps to remedy that hostile environment.”

Critics contend these regulations infringe on First Amendment rights by mantheydating recognition of gender identity and could prove to be an issue for the Biden government in court. “There are First Amendment problems with this regulation that the agency repeatedly dismisses without addressing. This will be a problem for the Biden admin in litigation,” wrote lawyer and child advocate Julie Hamill on X (formerly Twitter).

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Last week, the Biden government announced its latest Title IX regulations, which deliver protections for gender identity, without explicitly mentioning "transgender" terminology. These rules, set to take effect on August 1, will mean all public schools risk legal and fiscal consequences if non-compliant. While not stating so outright, the regulations are viewed as enabling transgender students access to restrooms and changing rooms of their choice and would force schools to use students' 'preferred pronouns.' Biden regime officials appeared to confirm these concerns in a press call with LGBTQ activists. show more
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Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Did you catch my joke in the copy?
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Did you catch my joke in the copy? show more
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15 hours ago
News
Politics

Trump May Pocket $1.25 Billion *MORE* From Truth Social.

Former President Donald Trump could be set for a $1.25 billion windfall if his social media company Truth Social can avoid significant negative volatility over the next two days. If the shares remain at or above $17.50 until the close of trading on Tuesday, Trump is due to acquire an additional 36 million company shares. As of midmorning on Monday, shares stood slightly below $36.

According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Trump Media & Technology Group–which controls Truth Social–could issue more shares to those invested in the company before its SPAC merger, including Trump himself. Awarding these shares is conditioned on the steady maintenance of an average price per share exceeding $12.50 for at least 20 of its first 30 trading days. Tuesday will mark the 20th trading day since the merger, and the share price has remained well above the stipulated figure.

If the share price stays above $17.50, 40 million additional shares will be issued. Trump, who owns most of the company’s stock, would be eligible to receive 90 percent of the newly issued certificates, which amounts to 36 million shares. At current prices, this would amount to a $1.25 billion windfall for the former President.

While Trump is currently limited in his ability to sell his shares in the Trump Media & Technology Group, the company board could lift the restrictions by a vote. This would allow the former President to tap a massive cash flow to use in his legal defense and presidential campaign.

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Former President Donald Trump could be set for a $1.25 billion windfall if his social media company Truth Social can avoid significant negative volatility over the next two days. If the shares remain at or above $17.50 until the close of trading on Tuesday, Trump is due to acquire an additional 36 million company shares. As of midmorning on Monday, shares stood slightly below $36. show more
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