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Scheffler Zalatoris Thomas Burns Lowry 276
YES. Nobody beats TRUMP, who lies almost every time he opens his mouth.
Fact Checker Analysis... of LYIN' President Trump
In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims
The Fact Checker’s database of the false or misleading claims made by President Trump while in office.
Updated Jan. 20, 2021
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/?itid=lk_inline_manual_11
Today in History: March 1, Watergate figures indicted
" Fifty years ago, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. published “The Imperial Presidency,” a study of the growing war-making abilities of the presidency and the parallel erosion of Congress’s constitutionally mandated power to declare war. Written during the Watergate scandal... "
Democratic National Committee office in the luxurious Watergate complex in Washington, shown April 20, 1973. (AP Photo)
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published 11:00 PM CST, February 29, 2024
Today in History:
On March 1, 1974, seven people, including former Nixon White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, former Attorney General John Mitchell and former assistant Attorney General Robert Mardian, were indicted on charges of conspiring to obstruct justice in connection with the Watergate break-in. (These four defendants were convicted in January 1975, though Mardian’s conviction was later reversed.)
On this date:
In 1815, Napoleon, having escaped exile in Elba, arrived in Cannes, France, and headed for Paris to begin his “Hundred Days” rule.
In 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state as President Andrew Johnson signed a proclamation.
In 1893, inventor Nikola Tesla first publicly demonstrated radio during a meeting of the National Electric Light Association in St. Louis by transmitting electromagnetic energy without wires.
In 1932, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family home near Hopewell, New Jersey. (Remains identified as those of the child were found the following May.)
In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, back from the Yalta Conference, proclaimed the meeting a success as he addressed a joint session of Congress.
In 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from the spectators’ gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five members of Congress.
In 1966, the Soviet space probe Venera 3 impacted the surface of Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to reach another planet; however, Venera was unable to transmit any data, its communications system having failed.
In 1971, a bomb went off inside a men’s room at the U.S. Capitol; the radical group Weather Underground claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn blast.
In 2005, Dennis Rader, the churchgoing family man accused of leading a double life as the BTK serial killer, was charged in Wichita, Kansas, with 10 counts of first-degree murder. (Rader later pleaded guilty and received multiple life sentences.) A closely divided Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for juvenile criminals.
In 2010, Jay Leno returned as host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”
In 2012, online publisher and conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart died in Los Angeles at age 43.
In 2015, tens of thousands marched through Moscow in honor of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who had been shot to death on Feb. 27.
In 2020, state officials said New York City had its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, a woman in her late 30s who had contracted the virus while traveling in Iran. Health officials in Washington state, announcing what was believed at the time to be the second U.S. death from the coronavirus, said the virus may have been circulating for weeks undetected in the Seattle area.
In 2021, Vernon Jordan, who rose from humble beginnings in the segregated South to become a champion of civil rights before reinventing himself as a Washington insider, died at 85.
In 2022, in his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden aimed to rally the American public to bear the costs of supporting Ukraine’s fight to stave off the massive Russian invasion.
https://apnews.com/article/biden-state-of-the-union-4d6eb9fed9a46bb4efb63ea4e015725c
https://apnews.com/article/today-in-history-1188cc6781283a478693f10500bed423
92-year-old Plymouth man celebrates his birthday on Leap Day for the 23rd time
Joe Mazan KSTP
Updated: 40 minutes ago
Published: February 29, 2024 - 5:28 PM
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/92-year-old-plymouth-man-celebrates-his-birthday-on-leap-day-for-the-23rd-time/
Thursday is a special day for one Plymouth man.
Mal Moore turned 92 years old but is only celebrating his 23rd birthday.
Man who assaulted four officers during Capitol riot is sentenced to nearly 3 years in prison
This image from police body-worn camera video, contained and annotated in the Justice Department’s government’s sentencing memorandum, supporting the sentencing of Brian Mock, shows Mock at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Mock, the owner of a landscaping company and a former debt collector, was arrested for helping other rioters remove police barricades and committing four separate assaults against police officers who were attempting to block the rioters’ progression. (Department of Justice via AP)
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Updated 11:50 AM CST, February 22, 2024
"Authorities are still working to identify more than 80 people wanted for acts of violence at the Capitol... "
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Minnesota man who repeatedly attacked police officers during the U.S. Capitol riot, wielded a police baton as a weapon and stole two riot shields was sentenced on Thursday to nearly three years in prison.
Brian Mock, 44, .. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.232983/gov.uscourts.dcd.232983.1.1_2.pdf .. helped remove two police barricades before he assaulted four officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, siege. He shoved one of the officers in the chest and knocked him onto the ground, where other rioters kicked and hit him.
Mock asked for leniency before Chief Judge James Boasberg sentenced him to two years and nine months in prison.
“I’m not someone who showed up in tactical gear, with tasers and bear spray,” he said. “It’s a moment that I got caught up in.”
But the judge said Mock clearly came to Washington, D.C., expecting violence on Jan. 6.
“So it’s hard to think you came simply as a bystander,” Boasberg said.
Boasberg convicted Mock of all 11 counts .. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.232983/gov.uscourts.dcd.232983.105.0.pdf .. in his indictment, including felony assault charges, after hearing testimony without a jury. Mock testified and represented himself at his July 2023 trial.
Prosecutors recommended sentencing Mock to nine years and one month in prison. He’ll get credit for the nearly one year that he spent in jail awaiting trial.
Mock said jail was a traumatic experience for him. The judge noted that Jan. 6 was a “scarring” experience for the officers whom he assaulted.
“These were searing moments for them and searing moments for the country,” Boasberg added.
Mock, a landscaping company owner and former debt collector, was arrested in June 2021 on riot-related charges. He wasn’t charged with entering the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Mock recruited his girlfriend and another friend to drive with him to Washington, D.C., for then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6. Before leaving, Mock told his oldest son that he might die there.
Mock was the focus of a New York Times article that explored his relationship with his oldest son. Prosecutors cited Mock’s comments to the newspaper as evidence of his lack of remorse and refusal to accept responsibility for his crimes.
[...]
Approximately 1,300 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol attack. https://interactives.ap.org/jan-6-prosecutions/
Over 800 of them have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving prison terms ranging from a few days to 22 years.
https://apnews.com/article/enrique-tarrio-capitol-riot-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-da60222b3e1e54902db2bbbb219dc3fb
[...]
https://apnews.com/article/brian-mock-minnesota-capitol-riot-35df46938dc75791221274b62a541cba
Empty Seats, Mar-a-Lago Guests Ignoring Trump During Speech
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/empty-seats-mar-a-lago-guests-ignoring-trump-during-speech/vi-BB1iB9M8?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=LCTS&cvid=b097af5318fc4c199ce4ea33e51395bd&ei=32#details
Climate Change...
From the unique vantage point in space, NASA collects critical long-term observations of our changing planet.
Using five decades of satellite, airborne, ground, and space-station based observations, NASA-funded researchers are working to understand Earth's evolving, interconnected systems and to decipher natural and human-caused changes.
Those space-based views are supplemented by cutting-edge modeling tools, new technologies for observation, and hundreds of scientists and engineers. “NASA is committed to empowering scientists, decisionmakers, and people around the world to make data-based decisions when it comes to climate," says NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
Visit NASA's Global Climate Change website https://climate.nasa.gov/
NASA's leading climate change website provides accurate, accessible, and actionable information about our rapidly changing climate, from the global perspective of NASA. Visit the website.
Recent NASA Climate News Highlights
[...]
https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/
Climate Change...
From the unique vantage point in space, NASA collects critical long-term observations of our changing planet.
"Carbon offsets are flawed but we are now in a climate emergency "
Using five decades of satellite, airborne, ground, and space-station based observations, NASA-funded researchers are working to understand Earth's evolving, interconnected systems and to decipher natural and human-caused changes.
Those space-based views are supplemented by cutting-edge modeling tools, new technologies for observation, and hundreds of scientists and engineers. “NASA is committed to empowering scientists, decisionmakers, and people around the world to make data-based decisions when it comes to climate," says NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
Visit NASA's Global Climate Change website https://climate.nasa.gov/
NASA's leading climate change website provides accurate, accessible, and actionable information about our rapidly changing climate, from the global perspective of NASA. Visit the website.
Recent NASA Climate News Highlights
[...]
https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/
Judge orders Trump and his companies to pay $355 million in New York civil fraud case
01:00
https://apnews.com/article/trump-civil-fraud-verdict-engoron-244024861f0df886543c157c9fc5b3e4
By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and JENNIFER PELTZ
Updated 4:32 PM CST, February 16, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge ordered Donald Trump and his companies on Friday to pay $355 million in penalties, finding they engaged in a yearslong scheme to dupe banks and others with financial statements that inflated his wealth.
Trump won’t have to pay out the money immediately as an appeals process plays out, but the verdict still is a stunning setback for the former president.
If he’s ultimately forced to pay, the magnitude of the penalty, on top of earlier judgments, could dramatically diminish his financial resources. And it undermines the image of a successful businessman that he’s carefully tailored to power his unlikely rise from a reality television star to a onetime — and perhaps future — president.
Judge Arthur Engoron concluded that Trump and his company were “likely to continue their fraudulent ways” without the financial penalties and other controls he imposed. Engoron concluded that Trump and his co-defendants “failed to accept responsibility” and that experts who testified on his behalf “simply denied reality.”
“This is a venial sin, not a mortal sin,” Engoron, a Democrat, wrote in a searing 92-page opinion. “They did not rob a bank at gunpoint. Donald Trump is not Bernard Madoff. Yet, defendants are incapable of admitting the error of their ways.”
Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, and a civil lawsuit. You can track all of the cases here.
https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html
He said their “complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological” and “the frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience.”
He said their “complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological” and “the frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience.”
Trump, who built his reputation as a real estate titan, also was barred from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation for three years or from getting a loan from banks registered in his native state.
A New York judge has ordered Donald Trump and his companies to pay $355 million. The judge found they engaged in a years-long scheme to dupe banks and others with financial statements that inflated his wealth. (Feb. 16)
Globe breaks heat record for 8th straight month.
Golfers get to play in Minnesota’s ‘lost winter’
By SETH BORENSTEIN and STEVE KARNOWSKI
Updated 9:22 PM CST, February 7, 2024
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — For the eighth straight month in January, Earth was record hot, according to the European climate agency. That was obvious in the northern United States, where about 1,000 people were golfing last month in a snow-starved Minneapolis during what the state is calling
“the Lost Winter of 2023-24.” https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/journal/lost-winter-2023-24.html
For the first time, the global temperature pushed past the internationally agreed upon warming threshold for an entire 12-month period, with February 2023 to January 2024 running 2.74 degrees Fahrenheit (1.52 degrees Celsius) hotter than pre-industrial levels, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service .. https://climate.copernicus.eu/ ..of the European Space Agency. That’s the highest 12-month global temperature average on record, Copernicus reported.
The globe has broken heat records each month since last June.
https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-warming-heating-earth-europe-copernicus-60eb12d11b7e5f694848673bb58512d3
January 2024 broke the old record from 2020 for warmest first month of the year by 0.22 degrees Fahrenheit (0.12 degrees Celsius) and was 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.66 degrees Celsius) warmer than the late 1800s, the base for temperatures before the burning of fossil fuels. Even though it was record hot in January, the level above normal was lower than the previous six months, according to Copernicus data.
...
GRAPHICS
https://apnews.com/article/record-hot-no-snow-climate-change-ff0f384d60bb4229d720fc73c602e502
Biden and Trump: How the two classified documents investigations came to different endings
1 of 2 | This image, contained in the report from special counsel Robert Hur, shows the box where classified Afghanistan documents were found in the garage of President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Del., during a search by the FBI on Dec. 21, 2022. (Justice Department via AP)
This image, contained in the indictment against former President Donald Trump, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom and shower in the Lake Room at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. (Justice Department via AP)
By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
Updated 11:14 PM CST, February 8, 2024
Classified documents were found in a damaged cardboard box in President Joe Biden’s cluttered Delaware garage, near where golf clubs hung on the wall. A photo in former President Donald Trump’s indictment, meanwhile, shows stacks of boxes filled with documents under a chandelier in an ornate Mar-a-Lago bathroom.
In Biden’s case, special counsel Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney for Maryland nominated by Trump, concluded in a report released Thursday that the president should not face criminal charges, despite finding evidence that Biden willfully retained classified information.
Trump, on the other hand, is scheduled to stand trial on charges alleging he hoarded classified documents at his Florida estate and thwarted government efforts to get them back.
...
https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-trump-special-counsel-b5589ea8f066ede51c8138665f108f7a
The Cases Against Trump: A Guide
Fraud. Hush money. Election subversion. Mar-a-Lago documents.
One place to keep track of the presidential candidate’s legal troubles.
By David A. Graham
FEBRUARY 8, 2024, 1:27 PM ET
Not long ago, the idea that a former president—or major-party presidential nominee—would face serious legal jeopardy was nearly unthinkable. Today, merely keeping track of the many cases against Donald Trump requires a law degree, a great deal of attention, or both.
In all, Trump faces 91 felony counts across two state courts and two different federal districts, any of which could potentially produce a prison sentence. He’s also dealing with a civil suit in New York that could force drastic changes to his business empire, including closing down its operations in his home state. Meanwhile, he is the leading Republican candidate in the race to become the next president—though the Supreme Court has now heard a case seeking to disqualify him. If the criminal and civil cases unfold with any reasonable timeliness, he could be in the heat of the campaign at the same time that his legal fate is being decided.
David A. Graham: The end of Trump Inc.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/judge-rules-trumps-business-empire-committed-fraud/675466/
Here’s a summary of the major legal cases against Trump, including key dates, an assessment of the gravity of the charges, and expectations about how they could turn out. This guide will be updated regularly as the cases proceed.
New York State: Fraud
In the fall of 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil suit against Trump, his adult sons, and his former aide Allen Weisselberg, alleging a years-long scheme in which Trump fraudulently reported the value of properties in order to either lower his tax bill or improve the terms of his loans, all with an eye toward inflating his net worth.
When?
Justice Arthur Engoron ruled against Trump and his co-defendants in late September 2023, concluding that many of the defendants’ claims were “clearly” fraudulent—so clearly that he didn’t need a trial to hear them. (He also sanctioned Trump’s lawyers for making repeated frivolous arguments.) Engoron has also fined Trump a total of $15,000 for violating a gag order in the case. The trial ended in January, and a ruling is currently expected in mid-February.
How grave is the allegation?
Fraud is fraud, and in this case, the sum of the fraud stretched into the millions—but compared with some of the other legal matters in which Trump is embroiled, this is pretty pedestrian. The case is also civil rather than criminal. But although the stakes are lower for the nation, they remain high for Trump: Engoron could bar Trump’s famed company from business in New York, strip it of several key properties, and fine Trump hundreds of millions of dollars.
How plausible is a guilty verdict?
Engoron has already ruled that Trump committed fraud. The outstanding questions are what damages he might have to pay and what exactly Engoron’s ruling means for Trump’s business and properties in New York.
Manhattan: Defamation and Sexual Assault
Although these other cases are all brought by government entities, Trump also faced a pair of defamation suits from the writer E. Jean Carroll, who said that Trump sexually assaulted her in a department-store dressing room in the 1990s. When he denied it, she sued him for defamation and later added a battery claim.
When?
In May 2023, a jury concluded that Trump had sexually assaulted and defamed Carroll, and awarded her $5 million. A second defamation case produced an $83.3 million judgment in January 2024.
How grave was the allegation?
Although these cases don’t directly connect to the same fundamental issues of rule of law and democratic governance that some of the criminal cases do, they were a serious matter, and a federal judge’s blunt statement that Trump raped Carroll has gone underappreciated.
What happens now?
Trump has appealed both cases. During the second trial, he also continued to insult Carroll, which may have courted additional defamation suits.
Manhattan: Hush Money
In March 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg became the first prosecutor to bring felony charges against Trump, alleging that the former president falsified business records as part of a scheme to pay hush money to women who said they had had sexual relationships with Trump.
When?
The case is set to go to trial on March 25. In September, the judge overseeing the case signaled that he is open to changing the date, given the various other court cases that Trump is juggling, but he also said he didn’t think it was worth discussing until February.
How grave is the allegation?
Falsifying records is a crime, and crime is bad. But many people have analogized this case to Al Capone’s conviction on tax evasion: It’s not that he didn’t deserve it, but it wasn’t really why he was an infamous villain. That this case alleges behavior that didn’t directly attack elections or put national secrets at risk makes it feel more minor—in part because other cases have set a grossly high standard for what constitutes gravity.
How plausible is a guilty verdict?
Bragg’s case faces hurdles including arguments over the statute of limitations, a questionable key witness in the former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, and some fresh legal theories. In short, the Manhattan case seems like perhaps the least significant and most tenuous criminal case. Some Trump critics were dismayed that Bragg was the first to bring criminal charges against the former president.
Department of Justice: Mar-a-Lago Documents
Jack Smith, a special counsel in the U.S. Justice Department, has charged Trump with 37 felonies in connection with his removal of documents from the White House when he left office. The charges include willful retention of national-security information, obstruction of justice, withholding of documents, and false statements. Trump took boxes of documents to properties where they were stored haphazardly, but the indictment centers on his refusal to give them back to the government despite repeated requests.
David A. Graham: This indictment is different
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/trump-indictment/674345/
When?
Smith filed charges in June 2023. Judge Aileen Cannon has set a trial date of May 20, 2024. In November, she rejected Trump’s request to push that back but said she would reconsider timing in March. Smith faces a de facto deadline of January 20, 2025, at which point Trump or any Republican president would likely shut down a case.
How grave is the allegation?
These are, I have written, the stupidest crimes imaginable, but they are nevertheless very serious. Protecting the nation’s secrets is one of the greatest responsibilities of any public official with classified clearance, and not only did Trump put these documents at risk, but he also (allegedly) refused to comply with a subpoena, tried to hide them, and lied to the government through his attorneys.
How plausible is a guilty verdict?
This may be the most open-and-shut case, and the facts and legal theory here are pretty straightforward. But Smith seems to have drawn a short straw when he was randomly assigned Cannon, a Trump appointee who has sometimes ruled favorably for Trump on procedural matters. Some legal commentators have even accused her of “sabotaging” the case.
Fulton County: Election Subversion
In Fulton County, Georgia, which includes most of Atlanta, District Attorney Fani Willis brought a huge racketeering case against Trump and 18 others, alleging a conspiracy that spread across weeks and states with the aim of stealing the 2020 election.
When?
Willis obtained the indictment in August 2023. The number of people charged makes the case unwieldy and difficult to track. Several of them, including Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis, struck plea deals in the fall. Willis has proposed a trial date of August 5, 2024, for the remaining defendants.
How grave is the allegation?
More than any other case, this one attempts to reckon with the full breadth of the assault on democracy following the 2020 election.
How plausible is a guilty verdict?
Expert views differ. This is a huge case for a local prosecutor, even in a county as large as Fulton, to bring. The racketeering law allows Willis to sweep in a great deal of material, and she has some strong evidence—such as a call in which Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” some 11,000 votes. Three major plea deals from co-defendants may also ease Willis’s path, but getting a jury to convict Trump will still be a challenge. Complicating matters, Willis is now under fire for a romantic relationship with an attorney she hired as a special prosecutor.
Department of Justice: Election Subversion
Special Counsel Smith has also charged Trump with four federal felonies in connection with his attempt to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. This case is in court in Washington, D.C.
When?
A grand jury indicted Trump on August 1, 2023. The trial was originally schedule for March 4, but Judge Tanya Chutkan said in early February that the date would change, as an appeals court deliberated on Trump’s claim of absolute immunity. A three-judge panel roundly rejected that claim on February 6, but no new trial date has been announced yet. As with the other DOJ case, Smith will need to move quickly, before Trump or any other Republican president could shut down a case upon taking office in January 2025. Other tangential legal skirmishes continue: In October, after verbal attacks by Trump on witnesses and Smith’s wife, Chutkan issued an order limiting what Trump can say about the case.
David A. Graham: Trump attempted a brazen, dead-serious attack on American democracy
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/trump-indicted-january-6-jack-smith/674886/
How grave is the allegation?
This case rivals the Fulton County one in importance. It is narrower, focusing just on Trump and a few key elements of the paperwork coup, but the symbolic weight of the U.S. Justice Department prosecuting an attempt to subvert the American election system is heavy.
How plausible is a guilty verdict?
It’s very hard to say. Smith avoided some of the more unconventional potential charges, including aiding insurrection, and everyone watched much of the alleged crime unfold in public in real time, but no precedent exists for a case like this, with a defendant like this.
Additionally …
In more than 30 states, cases have been filed over whether Trump should be thrown off the 2024 ballot under a novel legal theory about the Fourteenth Amendment. Proponents, including J. Michael Luttig and Laurence H. Tribe in The Atlantic, argued that the former president is ineligible to serve again under a clause that disqualifies anyone who took an oath defending the Constitution and then subsequently participated in a rebellion or an insurrection. They said that Trump’s attempt to steal the 2020 election and his incitement of the January 6 riot meet the criteria.
Cases were brought in many states, and state authorities issued conflicting opinions. Several states ruled against removing Trump from the ballot, but the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine secretary of state both disqualified him, ruling that he had engaged in an insurrection—a remarkable legal finding. Trump then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
When?
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case on February 8. The timing for a decision is not clear.
How grave is the allegation?
In a sense, the claim made here is even graver than the criminal election-subversion cases filed against Trump by the U.S. Department of Justice and in Fulton County, Georgia, because neither of those cases alleges insurrection or rebellion. But the stakes are also much different—rather than criminal conviction, they concern the ability to serve as president.
How plausible is a disqualification?
Though there is a robust debate among legal scholars on this question, the nine who matter are the ones on the Supreme Court, and they appeared very skeptical of arguments in favor of disqualification during the February 8 hearing.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/donald-trump-legal-cases-charges/675531/
That's Brilliant -- Lyin' Trump's resume for 2024 Presidential Election
Donald Trump: Three decades
4,095 lawsuits
An exclusive and ongoing USA TODAY analysis of legal filings across the United States finds that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and his businesses have been involved in thousands of legal actions in federal and state courts over the past three decades.
They range from skirmishes with casino patrons to million-dollar real estate suits to personal defamation lawsuits.
YOUR: https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=173801040
Watch Groundhog Day 2024: Punxsutawney Phil declares an early spring
Updated February 2, 2024 8:07 AM ET
By Bill Chappell
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-prognosticating groundhog, during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., on Friday.
Barry Reeger/AP
Punxsutawney Phil, the renowned groundhog who's been predicting when winter will end since 1887, says things are about to warm up.
"Glad tidings on this Groundhog Day. An early spring is on the way," a proclamation was read out at Gobbler's Knob, elating a crowd of thousands of people who had weathered dark and cold to see the famous rodent.
Masses of people came to Punxsutawney, Pa., to see the small town's famous groundhog perform his annua duty in person. But even more visited online to see live video streamed from the event.
The event was livestreamed on PCNTV, a Pennsylvania nonprofit, and by The Associated Press.
11:11
List of snowiest places in the United States by state
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The list of snowiest places in the United States by state shows average annual snowfall totals for the period from mid-1985 to mid-2015.
Only places in the official climate database of the National Weather Service, a service of NOAA, are included in this list. Some ski resorts and unofficial weather stations report higher amounts of snowfall than places on this list. Official weather stations are usually located in populated places and snowfall statistics for isolated and unpopulated areas are often not recorded.
Mount Rainier and Mount Baker in Washington are the snowiest places in the United States which have weather stations, receiving 645 inches (1,640 cm) annually on average. By comparison, the populated place with the highest snowfall in the world is believed to be Sukayu Onsen in the Siberian-facing Japanese Alps. Sukayu Onsen receives 694.5 inches (1,764 cm) (nearly 58 feet) of snow annually. Nearby mountain slopes may receive even more.[1]
The amount of snow received at weather stations varies substantially from year to year. For example, the annual snowfall at Paradise Ranger Station in Mount Rainier National Park has been as little as 266 inches (680 cm) in 2014-2015 and as much as 1,122 inches (2,850 cm) in 1971–1972.[2]
Weather stations with highest snowfall in the United States by state, 1985-2015
GRAPHICS:
[...]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snowiest_places_in_the_United_States_by_state
List of snowiest places in the United States by state
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The list of snowiest places in the United States by state shows average annual snowfall totals for the period from mid-1985 to mid-2015.
Only places in the official climate database of the National Weather Service, a service of NOAA, are included in this list. Some ski resorts and unofficial weather stations report higher amounts of snowfall than places on this list. Official weather stations are usually located in populated places and snowfall statistics for isolated and unpopulated areas are often not recorded.
Mount Rainier and Mount Baker in Washington are the snowiest places in the United States which have weather stations, receiving 645 inches (1,640 cm) annually on average. By comparison, the populated place with the highest snowfall in the world is believed to be Sukayu Onsen in the Siberian-facing Japanese Alps. Sukayu Onsen receives 694.5 inches (1,764 cm) (nearly 58 feet) of snow annually. Nearby mountain slopes may receive even more.[1]
The amount of snow received at weather stations varies substantially from year to year. For example, the annual snowfall at Paradise Ranger Station in Mount Rainier National Park has been as little as 266 inches (680 cm) in 2014-2015 and as much as 1,122 inches (2,850 cm) in 1971–1972.[2]
Weather stations with highest snowfall in the United States by state, 1985-2015
GRAPHICS:
[...]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snowiest_places_in_the_United_States_by_state
‘Pandemic of snow’ in Anchorage sets a record for the earliest arrival of 100 inches of snow
The city is well on track to break its record of 134.5 inches.
People pose in front of Snowzilla, a snowman measuring more than 20 feet tall in Anchorage, Alaska, on Jan. 10.Mark Thiessen / AP
Jan. 30, 2024, 3:12 AM CST / Source: The Associated Press
By The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Even by Alaska standards, there’s a lot of snow this winter.
So much snow has fallen — so far, more than 8.5 feet— that roofs on commercial buildings are collapsing around Anchorage and officials are urging residents to break out their shovels to avoid a similar fate at home. Over the weekend, there was nearly 16 more inches of snowfall, pushing Alaska’s largest city past the 100-inch mark earlier than at any other time in its history.
The city is well on track to break its all-time record of 134.5 inches.
Now, even winter-savvy Anchorage residents are getting fed up with the snow-filled streets and sidewalks, constant shoveling and six days of pandemic-era remote learning. It’s already in the record books with this year’s snowfall, at eighth snowiest with a lot of time left this season.
“It’s miserable,” said Tamera Flores, an elementary school teacher shoveling her driveway on Monday, as the snow pile towered over her head. “It’s a pandemic of snow.”
Last year, 107.9 inches fell on Anchorage, making this only the second time the city has had back-to-back years of 100-plus inches of snow since the winters of 1954-55 and 1955-56.
This year, the roofs of three commercial structures collapsed under loads of heavy snow. Last year, 16 buildings had roofs collapse with one person killed at a gym.
The city last week issued guidance urging people to remove snow from their home roofs. Officials said there were snow loads of more than 30 pounds per square foot.
“That is a lot of weight,” the notice said. It gave the example of a home with 1,500 square feet of roof with 30 pounds per square foot of snow, which would be supporting about 45,000 pounds, or “about 8 full size light duty pickup trucks.”
Since it’s so early in the season, people should think about removing the snow, especially if there are signs of structural distress. These include a sagging roof; creaking, popping, cracking or other strange noises coming from the roof, which can indicate its under stress from the snow; or sticking or jammed doors and windows, a sign the snow might be deforming the structure of the house.
Signs have popped up all over town from companies advertising services to remove the snow from roofs.
Some fun has come from a whole lot of snow.
The deluge of snowfall this year prompted one Anchorage homeowner to erect a three-tiered snowman standing over 20-feet-tall. Snowzilla, as it’s named, has drawn people to snap photos.
Last week, Anchorage had below zero temperatures overnight for seven days, and it only snowed after it warmed up Sunday.
But Anchorage residents may not be able to hold on to the old adage that it’s too cold to snow.
Sunday’s storm was the first time since 1916 that over an inch of snow fell in Anchorage when temperatures were 2 degrees or colder, said Kenna Mitchell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
And a return to bitter cold is likely what’s on tap later this week. An upper level high pressure system could move back in, dropping temperatures back to below zero at night, possible into the minus 10s.
“This winter is definitely rough, but us Alaskans are definitely built different,” resident Damon Fitts said as he shoveled the driveway at his residence.
“We can handle 100 inches of snow and still make it to work on time,” he said. “We can put up with a lot.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pandemic-snow-anchorage-sets-record-earliest-arrival-100-inches-snow-rcna136311
‘Pandemic of snow’ in Anchorage sets a record for the earliest arrival of 100 inches of snow
The city is well on track to break its record of 134.5 inches.
People pose in front of Snowzilla, a snowman measuring more than 20 feet tall in Anchorage, Alaska, on Jan. 10.Mark Thiessen / AP
Jan. 30, 2024, 3:12 AM CST / Source: The Associated Press
By The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Even by Alaska standards, there’s a lot of snow this winter.
So much snow has fallen — so far, more than 8.5 feet— that roofs on commercial buildings are collapsing around Anchorage and officials are urging residents to break out their shovels to avoid a similar fate at home. Over the weekend, there was nearly 16 more inches of snowfall, pushing Alaska’s largest city past the 100-inch mark earlier than at any other time in its history.
The city is well on track to break its all-time record of 134.5 inches.
Now, even winter-savvy Anchorage residents are getting fed up with the snow-filled streets and sidewalks, constant shoveling and six days of pandemic-era remote learning. It’s already in the record books with this year’s snowfall, at eighth snowiest with a lot of time left this season.
“It’s miserable,” said Tamera Flores, an elementary school teacher shoveling her driveway on Monday, as the snow pile towered over her head. “It’s a pandemic of snow.”
Last year, 107.9 inches fell on Anchorage, making this only the second time the city has had back-to-back years of 100-plus inches of snow since the winters of 1954-55 and 1955-56.
This year, the roofs of three commercial structures collapsed under loads of heavy snow. Last year, 16 buildings had roofs collapse with one person killed at a gym.
The city last week issued guidance urging people to remove snow from their home roofs. Officials said there were snow loads of more than 30 pounds per square foot.
“That is a lot of weight,” the notice said. It gave the example of a home with 1,500 square feet of roof with 30 pounds per square foot of snow, which would be supporting about 45,000 pounds, or “about 8 full size light duty pickup trucks.”
Since it’s so early in the season, people should think about removing the snow, especially if there are signs of structural distress. These include a sagging roof; creaking, popping, cracking or other strange noises coming from the roof, which can indicate its under stress from the snow; or sticking or jammed doors and windows, a sign the snow might be deforming the structure of the house.
Signs have popped up all over town from companies advertising services to remove the snow from roofs.
Some fun has come from a whole lot of snow.
The deluge of snowfall this year prompted one Anchorage homeowner to erect a three-tiered snowman standing over 20-feet-tall. Snowzilla, as it’s named, has drawn people to snap photos.
Last week, Anchorage had below zero temperatures overnight for seven days, and it only snowed after it warmed up Sunday.
But Anchorage residents may not be able to hold on to the old adage that it’s too cold to snow.
Sunday’s storm was the first time since 1916 that over an inch of snow fell in Anchorage when temperatures were 2 degrees or colder, said Kenna Mitchell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
And a return to bitter cold is likely what’s on tap later this week. An upper level high pressure system could move back in, dropping temperatures back to below zero at night, possible into the minus 10s.
“This winter is definitely rough, but us Alaskans are definitely built different,” resident Damon Fitts said as he shoveled the driveway at his residence.
“We can handle 100 inches of snow and still make it to work on time,” he said. “We can put up with a lot.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pandemic-snow-anchorage-sets-record-earliest-arrival-100-inches-snow-rcna136311
NRA head Wayne LaPierre, testifying at corruption trial, confirms details of lavish lifestyle
In testimony Friday morning, the longtime chief of the gun rights organization confirmed that he used the group’s resources on private planes, family trips and gifts for friends.
Wayne LaPierre arriving at New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, on Jan. 11. Anthony Behar / Sipa USA via AP file
Jan. 26, 2024, 1:01 PM CST
By Daniel Arkin and Melissa Chan
Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association’s longtime leader, confirmed under oath in a New York City courtroom Friday that he used the organization’s financial resources on chartered private jets, family trips, black car services and high-end gifts for friends.
LaPierre, 74, other NRA leaders and the organization itself are fending off a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James in 2020 that alleges they violated nonprofit laws and redirected millions of dollars of NRA funds for personal use.
He took the stand Friday morning for the first time, answering most questions with a simple “yes” or “no.” Citing health issues, he has previously said that he intends to resign at the end of the month from the gun rights group, which he has led for more than 30 years as its executive vice president.
LaPierre testified that he had no knowledge of the large sums the NRA was spending on chartered private planes and black car services, though he did not dispute the dollar figures when presented with invoices and receipts.
He confirmed under oath that NRA funds were used to bankroll a flight from the Bahamas to Washington, D.C., in 2017 that cost more than $22,000, for example. He conceded that NRA rules mandate that employees fly coach.
He testified that, on occasion, family members would fly on private planes when he was not present. He authorized a $11,000 flight taken by his niece Colleen Sterner, an NRA employee, and her daughter, for instance.
He testified that he and his family often traveled on a luxury yacht, known as Illusions, owned by David McKenzie, the head of a television production company that had a contract with the NRA. McKenzie and his wife hosted the LaPierres for vacations in the Bahamas and joined them for trips to India and Abu Dhabi.
[...]
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nra-head-wayne-lapierre-testifying-corruption-trial-confirms-details-l-rcna135842
Jury says Donald Trump must pay an additional $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll in defamation case
By LARRY NEUMEISTER, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and JENNIFER PELTZ
Updated 5:11 PM CST, January 26, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury ordered Donald Trump to pay $83.3 million in additional damages to the longtime advice columnist E. Jean Carroll on Friday, delivering a stinging, expensive rebuke to the former president who has continued to attack Carroll over her claims that he sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store.
The award, when coupled with a $5 million sexual assault and defamation verdict last year from another jury in a case brought by Carroll, raised to $88.3 million what Trump must pay her. Protesting vigorously, he said he would appeal.
Carroll clutched her lawyers’ hands and smiled as the seven-man, two-woman jury delivered its verdict. Emotional afterward, she shared a three-way hug with her attorneys. She declined comment as she left the Manhattan federal courthouse.
Trump had attended the trial earlier in the day, but stormed out of the courtroom during closing arguments read by Carroll’s attorney. He returned for his own attorney’s closing argument and for a portion of the deliberations, but left the courthouse a half hour before the verdict was read.
“Absolutely ridiculous!” he said in a statement shortly afterward. “Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon.”
It was the second time in nine months that a civil jury returned a verdict related to Carroll’s claim that a flirtatious, chance encounter with Trump in 1996 at Bergdorf Goodman’s Fifth Avenue store ended violently. She said Trump slammed her against a dressing room wall, pulled down her tights and forced himself on her.
In May, a different jury awarded Carroll $5 million. It found Trump not liable for rape, but responsible for sexually abusing Carroll and then defaming her by claiming she made it up. He is appealing that award, too.
Trump is also awaiting a verdict in a New York civil fraud trial, where state lawyers are seeking the return of $370 million in what they say were ill-gotten gains from loans and deals made using financial statements that exaggerated his wealth.
As for Trump’s ability to pay, he reported having about $294 million in cash or cash equivalents on his most recent annual financial statement, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. Testifying at his civil fraud trial last November, he Trump boasted: “I have very little debt, and I have a lot of cash.”
---------------
Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, and a civil lawsuit.
You can track all of the cases here.
https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html
---------------
Trump skipped the first Carroll trial. He later expressed regret for not attending and insisted on testifying in the second trial, though the judge limited what he could say, ruling he had missed his chance to argue that he was innocent. He spent only a few minutes on the witness stand Thursday, during which he denied attacking Carroll, then left court grumbling “this is not America.”
This new jury was only asked how much Trump, 77, should pay Carroll, 80, for two statements he made as president when he answered reporters’ questions after excerpts of Carroll’s memoir were published in a magazine — damages that couldn’t be decided earlier because of legal appeals. Jurors were not asked to re-decide the issue of whether the sex attack actually happened.
Carroll’s attorneys had requested $24 million in compensatory damages and “an unusually high punitive award.” The jury awarded $18.3 million in compensatory damages and another $65 million in punitive damages — meant to deter future behavior.
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, urged jurors in her closing argument Friday to punish Trump enough that he would stop a steady stream of public statements smearing Carroll as a liar and a “whack job.”
Trump shook his head vigorously as Kaplan spoke, then suddenly stood and walked out, taking Secret Service agents with him. His exit came only minutes after the judge, without the jury present, threatened to send Trump attorney Alina Habba to jail for continuing to talk when he told her she was finished.
“You are on the verge of spending some time in the lockup. Now sit down,” the judge told Habba, who immediately complied.
The trial reached its conclusion as Trump marches toward winning the Republican presidential nomination a third consecutive time. He has sought to turn his various trials and legal vulnerabilities into an advantage, portraying them as evidence of a weaponized political system.
Though there’s no evidence that President Joe Biden or anyone in the White House has influenced any of the legal cases against him, Trump’s line of argument has resonated with his most loyal supporters who view the proceedings with skepticism.
Carroll testified early in the trial that Trump’s public statements had led to death threats.
“He shattered my reputation,” she said. “I am here to get my reputation back and to stop him from telling lies about me.”
She said she’d had an electronic fence installed around the cabin in upstate New York where she lives, warned neighbors of the threats and bought bullets for a gun she keeps by her bed.
“Previously, I was known as simply as a journalist and had a column, and now I’m known as the liar, the fraud, and the whack job,” Carroll testified.
Trump’s lawyer, Habba, told jurors that Carroll had been enriched by her accusations against Trump and achieved fame she had craved. She said no damages were warranted.
To support Carroll’s request for millions in damages, Northwestern University sociologist Ashlee Humphreys told the jury that Trump’s 2019 statements had caused between $7.2 million and $12.1 million in harm to Carroll’s reputation.
When Trump finally testified, Kaplan gave him little room to maneuver, because Trump could not be permitted to try to revive issues settled in the first trial.
“It is a very well-established legal principle in this country that prevents do-overs by disappointed litigants,” Kaplan said.
“He lost it and he is bound. And the jury will be instructed that, regardless of what he says in court here today, he did it, as far as they’re concerned. That is the law,” Kaplan said shortly before Trump testified.
After he swore to tell the truth, Trump was asked if he stood by a deposition in which he called Carroll a “liar” and a “whack job.” He answered: “100 percent. Yes.”
Asked if he denied the allegation because Carroll made an accusation, he responded: “That’s exactly right. She said something, I consider it a false accusation.” Asked if he ever instructed anyone to hurt Carroll, he said: “No. I just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly, the presidency.”
The judge ordered the jury to disregard the “false accusation” comment and everything Trump said after “No” to the last question.
Earlier in the trial, Trump tested the judge’s tolerance. When he complained to his lawyers about a “witch hunt” and a “con job” within earshot of jurors, Kaplan threatened to eject him from the courtroom if it happened again. “I would love it,” Trump said. Later that day, Trump told a news conference Kaplan was a “nasty judge.”
https://apnews.com/article/trump-carroll-defamation-trial-e4ea8b93cdeb29857864ffd8d14be888
MORE: "Defamation Trial II: The Trumpening"
Jury says Donald Trump must pay an additional $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll in defamation case
By LARRY NEUMEISTER, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and JENNIFER PELTZ
Updated 5:11 PM CST, January 26, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury ordered Donald Trump to pay $83.3 million in additional damages to the longtime advice columnist E. Jean Carroll on Friday, delivering a stinging, expensive rebuke to the former president who has continued to attack Carroll over her claims that he sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store.
The award, when coupled with a $5 million sexual assault and defamation verdict last year from another jury in a case brought by Carroll, raised to $88.3 million what Trump must pay her. Protesting vigorously, he said he would appeal.
Carroll clutched her lawyers’ hands and smiled as the seven-man, two-woman jury delivered its verdict. Emotional afterward, she shared a three-way hug with her attorneys. She declined comment as she left the Manhattan federal courthouse.
Trump had attended the trial earlier in the day, but stormed out of the courtroom during closing arguments read by Carroll’s attorney. He returned for his own attorney’s closing argument and for a portion of the deliberations, but left the courthouse a half hour before the verdict was read.
“Absolutely ridiculous!” he said in a statement shortly afterward. “Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon.”
It was the second time in nine months that a civil jury returned a verdict related to Carroll’s claim that a flirtatious, chance encounter with Trump in 1996 at Bergdorf Goodman’s Fifth Avenue store ended violently. She said Trump slammed her against a dressing room wall, pulled down her tights and forced himself on her.
In May, a different jury awarded Carroll $5 million. It found Trump not liable for rape, but responsible for sexually abusing Carroll and then defaming her by claiming she made it up. He is appealing that award, too.
Trump is also awaiting a verdict in a New York civil fraud trial, where state lawyers are seeking the return of $370 million in what they say were ill-gotten gains from loans and deals made using financial statements that exaggerated his wealth.
As for Trump’s ability to pay, he reported having about $294 million in cash or cash equivalents on his most recent annual financial statement, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. Testifying at his civil fraud trial last November, he Trump boasted: “I have very little debt, and I have a lot of cash.”
---------------
Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, and a civil lawsuit.
You can track all of the cases here.
https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html
---------------
Trump skipped the first Carroll trial. He later expressed regret for not attending and insisted on testifying in the second trial, though the judge limited what he could say, ruling he had missed his chance to argue that he was innocent. He spent only a few minutes on the witness stand Thursday, during which he denied attacking Carroll, then left court grumbling “this is not America.”
This new jury was only asked how much Trump, 77, should pay Carroll, 80, for two statements he made as president when he answered reporters’ questions after excerpts of Carroll’s memoir were published in a magazine — damages that couldn’t be decided earlier because of legal appeals. Jurors were not asked to re-decide the issue of whether the sex attack actually happened.
Carroll’s attorneys had requested $24 million in compensatory damages and “an unusually high punitive award.” The jury awarded $18.3 million in compensatory damages and another $65 million in punitive damages — meant to deter future behavior.
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, urged jurors in her closing argument Friday to punish Trump enough that he would stop a steady stream of public statements smearing Carroll as a liar and a “whack job.”
Trump shook his head vigorously as Kaplan spoke, then suddenly stood and walked out, taking Secret Service agents with him. His exit came only minutes after the judge, without the jury present, threatened to send Trump attorney Alina Habba to jail for continuing to talk when he told her she was finished.
“You are on the verge of spending some time in the lockup. Now sit down,” the judge told Habba, who immediately complied.
The trial reached its conclusion as Trump marches toward winning the Republican presidential nomination a third consecutive time. He has sought to turn his various trials and legal vulnerabilities into an advantage, portraying them as evidence of a weaponized political system.
Though there’s no evidence that President Joe Biden or anyone in the White House has influenced any of the legal cases against him, Trump’s line of argument has resonated with his most loyal supporters who view the proceedings with skepticism.
Carroll testified early in the trial that Trump’s public statements had led to death threats.
“He shattered my reputation,” she said. “I am here to get my reputation back and to stop him from telling lies about me.”
She said she’d had an electronic fence installed around the cabin in upstate New York where she lives, warned neighbors of the threats and bought bullets for a gun she keeps by her bed.
“Previously, I was known as simply as a journalist and had a column, and now I’m known as the liar, the fraud, and the whack job,” Carroll testified.
Trump’s lawyer, Habba, told jurors that Carroll had been enriched by her accusations against Trump and achieved fame she had craved. She said no damages were warranted.
To support Carroll’s request for millions in damages, Northwestern University sociologist Ashlee Humphreys told the jury that Trump’s 2019 statements had caused between $7.2 million and $12.1 million in harm to Carroll’s reputation.
When Trump finally testified, Kaplan gave him little room to maneuver, because Trump could not be permitted to try to revive issues settled in the first trial.
“It is a very well-established legal principle in this country that prevents do-overs by disappointed litigants,” Kaplan said.
“He lost it and he is bound. And the jury will be instructed that, regardless of what he says in court here today, he did it, as far as they’re concerned. That is the law,” Kaplan said shortly before Trump testified.
After he swore to tell the truth, Trump was asked if he stood by a deposition in which he called Carroll a “liar” and a “whack job.” He answered: “100 percent. Yes.”
Asked if he denied the allegation because Carroll made an accusation, he responded: “That’s exactly right. She said something, I consider it a false accusation.” Asked if he ever instructed anyone to hurt Carroll, he said: “No. I just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly, the presidency.”
The judge ordered the jury to disregard the “false accusation” comment and everything Trump said after “No” to the last question.
Earlier in the trial, Trump tested the judge’s tolerance. When he complained to his lawyers about a “witch hunt” and a “con job” within earshot of jurors, Kaplan threatened to eject him from the courtroom if it happened again. “I would love it,” Trump said. Later that day, Trump told a news conference Kaplan was a “nasty judge.”
https://apnews.com/article/trump-carroll-defamation-trial-e4ea8b93cdeb29857864ffd8d14be888
YES! ABSOLUTELY! TRUMP, THE COWARD, HATES THE MILITARY AND VETERANS
REPOST: Trump, under fire for alleged comments about veterans, has a long history of disparaging military service
[...]
Trump told senior advisers that those who served in Vietnam were “losers” because they didn’t find a way to avoid service, a person familiar with the matter told The Post.
[...]
Military historians said there is no precedent for a commander in chief to have made such attacks on the military he oversees.
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=158153640&txt2find=TRUMP%2BVETERANS
and the list continues......
Donald Trump testifies for less than 3 minutes in defamation trial and is rebuked by judge
1:09
https://apnews.com/article/trump-carroll-defamation-lawsuit-trial-0f2618e7fa839ace26de76e1a6ce274f
Former President Donald Trump was on and off the witness stand at a jury trial Thursday in less than 3 minutes but not before breaking a judge’s rules on what he could say by claiming that a writer’s sexual assault allegations were a “false accusation.” (Jan 25) (AP video by Ted Shaffrey)
By JENNIFER PELTZ and JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Updated 5:12 PM CST, January 25, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — He testified for under three minutes. But former President Donald Trump still broke a judge’s rules on what he could tell a jury about writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual assault and defamation allegations, and he left the courtroom Thursday bristling to the spectators: “This is not America.”
Testifying in his own defense in the defamation trial, Trump didn’t look at the jury during his short, heavily negotiated stint on the witness stand. Because of the complex legal context of the case, the judge limited his lawyers to asking a handful of short questions, each of which could be answered yes or no — such as whether he’d made his negative statements in response to an accusation and didn’t intend anyone to harm Carroll.
But Trump nudged past those limits.
“She said something that I considered to be a false accusation,” he said, later adding: “I just wanted to defend myself, my family and, frankly, the presidency.”
After Judge Lewis A. Kaplan told jurors to disregard those remarks, Trump rolled his eyes as he stepped down from the witness stand. The former president and current Republican front-runner left the courtroom during a break soon after, shaking his head and declaring to spectators — three times — that “this is not America.”
Carroll looked on throughout from the plaintiff’s table. The longtime advice columnist alleges that Trump attacked her in 1996, then defamed her by calling her a liar when she went public with her story in a 2019 memoir.
While Trump has said a lot about her to the court of public opinion, Thursday marked the first time he has directly addressed a jury about her claims.
But jurors also heard parts of a 2022 deposition — a term for out-of-court questioning under oath — in which Trump vehemently denied Carroll’s allegations, calling her “sick” and a “whack job.” Trump told jurors Thursday that he stood by that deposition, “100%.”
Trump didn’t attend a related trial last spring, when a different jury found that he did sexually abuse Carroll and that some of his comments were defamatory, awarding her $5 million.
This trial concerns only how much more he may have to pay her for certain remarks he made in 2019, while president. She’s seeking at least $10 million.
Because of the prior jury’s findings, Kaplan said Trump now couldn’t offer any testimony “disputing or attempting to undermine” the sexual abuse allegations. The law doesn’t allow for “do-overs by disappointed litigants,” the judge said.
Even before taking the stand, Trump chafed at those limitations as the judge and lawyers for both sides discussed what he could be asked.
“I never met the woman. I don’t know who the woman is. I wasn’t at the trial,” he cut in from his seat at the defense table without jurors in the room. Kaplan told Trump he wasn’t allowed to interrupt the proceedings.
Trump was the last witness, and closing arguments are set for Friday.
Carroll, 80, claims Trump, 77, ruined her reputation after she publicly aired her account of a chance meeting that spiraled into a sexual assault in spring 1996. At the time, he was a prominent real estate developer, and she was an Elle magazine advice columnist who’d had a TV show.
She says they ran into each other at Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury department store close to Trump Tower, bantered and ended up in a dressing room, teasing each other about trying on lingerie. She has testified that she thought it would just be a funny story to tell but then he roughly forced himself on her before she eventually fought him off and fled.
The earlier jury found that she was sexually abused but rejected her allegation that she was raped.
Besides Trump, his defense called only one other witness, a friend of Carroll’s. The friend, retired TV journalist Carol Martin, was among two people the writer told about her encounter with Trump shortly after it happened, according to testimony at the first trial.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba confronted Martin on Tuesday with text messages in which she called Carroll a “narcissist” who seemed to be reveling in the attention she got from accusing and suing Trump. Martin said she regretted her word choices and doesn’t believe that Carroll loved the attention she has been getting.
Carroll has testified that she has gotten death threats that worried her enough to buy bullets for a gun she inherited from her father, install an electronic fence, warn her neighbors and unleash her pit bull to roam freely on the property of her small cabin in the mountains of upstate New York.
Trump’s attorneys have tried to show the jury through their cross-examination of various witnesses that by taking on Trump, Carroll has gained a measure of fame and financial rewards that outweigh the threats and other venom slung at her through social media.
After Carroll’s lawyers rested Thursday, Habba asked for a directed verdict in Trump’s favor, saying Carroll’s side hadn’t proven its case. Kaplan denied the request.
Even before testifying, Trump had already tested the judge’s patience. After he complained to his lawyers last week about a “witch hunt” and a “con job” within earshot of jurors, Kaplan threatened to eject him from the courtroom if it happened again. “I would love it,” Trump said. Later that day, Trump told a news conference Kaplan was a “nasty judge” and that Carroll’s allegation was “a made-up, fabricated story.”
While attending the trial last week, Trump made it clear — through muttered comments and gestures like shaking his head — that he was disgusted with the case. When a video clip from a Trump campaign rally last week was shown in court Thursday, he appeared to lip-synch himself saying the trial was rigged.
The trial had been suspended since early Monday because of a juror’s illness. When it resumed Thursday, the judge said two jurors were being “socially distanced” from the others.
Trump attended the trial fresh off big victories in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday and the Iowa caucuses last week. Meanwhile, he also faces four criminal cases. He has been juggling court and campaign appearances, using both to argue that he’s being persecuted by Democrats terrified of his possible election.
The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done.
United Auto Workers endorse Biden; union president calls Trump a 'scab'
"Who do we want in that office to give us the best shot of winning?"
ByAlexandra Hutzler
January 24, 2024, 2:50 PM
08:51
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-notches-key-2024-endorsement-united-auto-workers/story?id=106642558
President Joe Biden is greeted by Shawn Fain, President of the United Auto Workers, as he arrives to speak to a United Auto Workers' political convention in in Washington D.C., Jan. 24, 2024.
President Joe Biden received a key 2024 endorsement on Wednesday from the United Auto Workers, with the union's president using the occasion to savage Biden's likely general election opponent, Donald Trump.
Shawn Fain announced UAW's support for Biden's reelection bid at their biannual conference in Washington, D.C.
"I know there's some people that want to ignore this election," Fain said. "They don't want to have anything to do with politics. Other people want to argue endlessly about the latest headline or scandal or stupid quote. Elections aren't about just taking your best friend for the job or the candidate who makes you feel good. Elections are about power."
The backing of the Michigan-based UAW, with more than 400,000 members, could give Biden an edge in a key battleground state that has helped determine the last two political elections. He won Michigan by about 150,000 votes in 2020; Trump won it by about 10,000 votes four years earlier.
Biden also won the group’s endorsement in 2020, and it backed Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016.
But Trump was successful in battlegrounds like Michigan and Ohio in that election cycle in part because of his ability to attract more union support than past GOP candidates: The UAW said at the time it believed one in four of its members likely voted for Trump based on surveys.
"The question is, who do we want in that office to give us the best shot of winning?" Fain said on Wednesday. "Who gives us the best shot of organizing? Who gives us the best shot of negotiating strong contracts? Who gives us the best shot of uniting the working class and winning our fair share once again?"
Biden, who has increasingly been gearing in public to face Trump in the general election, also delivered remarks. He thanked the union for its support and praised members for inspiring the labor movement with its strike last year against the Big Three auto makers.
"Let me just say, I'm honored to have your back and you have mine, that's the deal," Biden said. "It comes down to seeing the world the same way, it's not complicated."
Fain cast the 2024 race as a choice between Biden and Trump and didn't mince words in his criticism of the former president. He specifically took issue with Trump's handling of the union's 2019 strike, arguing that Trump didn't do a "damn thing" while UAW members confronted General Motors at plants across the U.S.
"Donald Trump is a scab," Fain said. "Donald Trump is a billionaire, and that's who he represents.
If Donald Trump ever worked in auto plant, he wouldn't be a UAW member -- he'd be a company man trying to squeeze the American worker."
Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Fain's remarks, though Trump has previously dismissed Biden's record on unions.
[...]
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-notches-key-2024-endorsement-united-auto-workers/story?id=106642558
================================
'Honored to have your back, and you have mine:' Biden endorsed by United Auto Workers in election
President Joe Biden has picked up the endorsement of the United Auto Workers
By TOM KRISHER Associated Press, FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press,
and DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
January 23, 2024, 11:02 PM
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/biden-speak-united-auto-workers-conference-woos-blue-106626046
Audie Murphy honors and awards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the military and civilian honors of Audie Murphy.
For details on his life and military career, see Audie Murphy.
Murphy wearing the U.S. Army khaki "Class A" (tropical service) uniform with full-size medals, 1948
Murphy's award for the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor
Audie Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was one of the most decorated United States Army combat soldiers of World War II, serving from 1942 to 1945. He received every American combat award for valor available at the time of his service,[ALM 1] including the Medal of Honor. He also received recognitions from France and Belgium. With his 1945 military discharge at the end of the war, Murphy became an advocate of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans.[3] The Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital in San Antonio and the Sergeant Audie Murphy Clubs (SAMC) on military bases honor his contributions. He joined the Texas National Guard in 1950, transferring to reserve status in 1956 and remaining in the Guard until 1969. He also had a civilian career as a film actor and songwriter. Recognitions he received both during his lifetime and posthumously are listed below.
Murphy participated in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany, as denoted by his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver battle star (denoting five campaigns), four bronze battle stars, plus a bronze arrowhead representing his two amphibious assault landings at Sicily and southern France.[4] On 25 February 1945 and 3 March 1945, he received two Silver Stars for further heroic actions.[5] The French government awarded Murphy its Chevalier of the Legion of Honor[6] and two Croix de guerre medals.[7][8] He received the Croix de guerre 1940 Palm from Belgium.[8] The military assisted him with replacement medals after he gave away the originals.[ALM 2] Duplicates of his Medal of Honor and other medals can be viewed at Dallas Scottish Rite Temple museum.
Audie Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was one of the most decorated United States Army combat soldiers of World War II, serving from 1942 to 1945. He received every American combat award for valor available at the time of his service, including the Medal of Honor.
He also received recognitions from France …
Murphy wearing the U.S. Army khaki "Class A" (tropical service) uniform with full-size medals, 1948
[...]
See more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy_honors_and_awards
GRAPHICS
U.S. medals, awards, decorations and badges
U.S. military personal decorations
[...]
Almost 80 Years Later, Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor Action Is Still Like Something Out of a Movie
Military.com | By Blake Stilwell
Published January 19, 2024
Listen to this article
https://www.military.com/history/almost-80-years-later-audie-murphys-medal-of-honor-action-still-something-out-of-movie.html?ESRC=mr_240122.nl&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mr&utm_campaign=20240122
Moviegoers have seen it all by now. We've seen tornadoes full of sharks, trucks fighting jets and Nic Cage swap faces with John Travolta after landing a helicopter on an airplane. Such outlandish mayhem gets a little ridiculous after a while, but the real world is full of its own unbelievable stories.
Audie Murphy's one-man fight against the Nazis in Europe might seem like something straight out of a modern action movie, but his movie was actually made a decade after the battle ended -- and it still stands up today.
In January 1945, Allied victory in Europe was anything but assured. The German military launched a major offensive in December 1944 that had pushed Allied lines back into Belgium and France, but the resulting Battle of the Bulge forced the Nazis into a retreat. They were far from finished, however: on New Year's Eve, Nazi Germany launched what would be its last major offensive on the Western Front. Operation Northwind was an attempt to bolster its forces in the Bulge and destroy two Allied armies.
American and French forces would fight for more than a month to not only prevent a German advance, but to push the Nazi Wehrmacht back into Germany. Though they finally succeeded, a powerful force of some 30,000 or more Germans were centered around the city of Colmar, forming a pocket of resistance in Eastern France that American troops would have to retake. Not only was it the last major Nazi foothold on French soil, but control of Colmar also allowed freedom of movement into Germany itself.
An American map showing the reduction of the Colmar Pocket in 1945.
One day late that January, near the village of Holtzwihr, northeast of Colmar, German forces struck out at advancing American infantry. This is where Lt. Murphy would single-handedly hold the strategically important forest outside the town, despite being outmanned and outgunned by a veteran German Army.
It's safe to say Murphy knew his way around a battlefield and had a pretty reliable intuition when it came to taking risks. By the time the U.S. Army advanced on the Colmar Pocket, Audie Leon Murphy had already received the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars and two Bronze Stars.
He had enlisted at the tender age of 16, joining the Army in 1942 because it was the only branch that would accept his underweight frame. He was first sent to North Africa, then landed at Sicily, mainland Italy and eventually southern France. He then fought his way across Europe, earning a battlefield commission in October 1944.
To hell and back
https://youtu.be/Z-7m6ejqfm8
The danger the Colmar Pocket posed to the Allied advance into Germany was real. If the Nazis broke out, they could have routed the overstretched Seventh Army and then hit the advancing Third Army in the rear, potentially destroying it, too. From there, the Wehrmacht could have retaken the port of Antwerp and pushed the Allies back into the English Channel. That was the reason the Allies couldn't just hole up such a powerful pocket of enemy troops and armor. Something had to be done.
On Jan. 23, 1945, the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division's 30th Infantry Regiment advanced through the Bois de Riedwihr, a forest near Holtzwihr, when it was suddenly attacked by a large force of enemy tanks, tank destroyers and infantry. The 30th was caught in an open ground and was unable to dig into the frozen earth, ending up mangled by the attacking Germans and ordered to withdraw. To fill the gap, the Americans ordered the 15th Infantry to take its place.
The very next day, on the southern edge of the woods, German tanks and infantry hit the regiment's Company B hard, wounding 102 of its 120 enlisted men and killing all of its officers except one: Lt. Audie Murphy.
That same day, Murphy led what was left of his company into the woods, where they, too, were unable to dig any kind of foxhole. They worked through the night but couldn't make any progress in the snow and cold. The next morning, Murphy was reinforced with two tank destroyers from the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion and used them, along with five armored vehicles, to form a defensive position. It was better but it was still weak, and they could see the heavily defended village of Holtzwihr from this spot.
It was now Jan. 26, 1945. Murphy had made the most of what was available, but was informed that his reinforcements had not yet arrived -- and they wouldn't make it that day. At 2 p.m. that day, six tanks and 250 elite German mountain troops moved out of the village toward their position. Murphy only had time to get to a phone and call for artillery before the shooting started. It turns out the road to a German victory in the Colmar Pocket ran right through the road his company was holding.
The American tank destroyers opened up on the oncoming German tanks immediately, but their fire was ineffective. They were taken out almost, either by enemy tank rounds or poor maneuvering, which scattered surviving anti-tank troops into the forest. The only silver lining was the M10 tank destroyers' mounted guns, which tore into the German infantry, but even that didn't last long. Company B's machine gun crew was hit next. Murphy knew his unit couldn't hold this vital stretch and ordered his men to fall back into the forest. He would cover their retreat while directing artillery fire.
With the Germans advancing and his carbine out of ammunition, Murphy spied a burning tank destroyer and its remaining .50-caliber gun. Instead of going back into the forest, he climbed aboard the turret and began pouring fire into the oncoming enemy advance. He believed the tanks could not advance without infantry, so he began mowing them down. Murphy was right; as he cut down enemy troops, the German tanks were forced to fall back to their own treeline. He fought on as enemy tank shells and artillery exploded around him.
Murphy killed an estimate 50 German troops from atop the tank destroyer on Jan. 26, 1945. (Universal Pictures)
For an hour, Murphy was obscured by smoke and firing the machine gun, stopping only to reload, call in artillery fire or recover from the exploding 88-millimeter shells. After what must have seemed like days, the clouds parted and he was able to get close-air support from Allied air power. In the face of all that firepower, the Germans finally began a retreat toward the village. It was great timing for Murphy, because his phone to Allied artillery suddenly went dead. He left the tank destroyer and rejoined his men in the relative safety of the forest. After he reached the treeline, the turret on which he stood for that entire hour blew up, tossing it sky high.
Refusing to be evacuated or deterred, Murphy then began to plan a counterattack, retaking their original position from the remaining Germans. Company B held its ground throughout that night and the reinforced 30th Infantry Regiment captured the village the next day. Had Murphy not made his stand atop the burning armored vehicle, it's likely the entire company, undermanned and demoralized, would have been annihilated.
Murphy was promoted to first lieutenant and received the Legion of Merit for his leadership during the Colmar Pocket operation. On June 2, 1945, Lt. Gen. Alexander Patch, commander of the Seventh Army, presented the 19-year-old Murphy with the Medal of Honor for his actions outside of Holtzwihr.
By the war's end, he would famously receive every medal for valor the United States offered, along with three Purple Hearts for his trouble.
Lt. Gen. Alexander Patch awards the Legion of Merit and Medal of Honor to Lt. Audie Murphy. (Audie Murphy Research Foundation)
After the war, Murphy went off to Hollywood, where he began a slow but lucrative film career, landing his first leading role in 1949's "Bad Boy." That film led to a contract with Universal Pictures, where he was particularly known for his war movies (whether they were his story or not) and for his westerns. He later parlayed his success in western film into making country music and western television series.
As the most decorated soldier of World War II, he not only wrote his popular autobiography "To Hell and Back," but also played himself in the 1955 movie of the same name, along with some 40 other films, including "The Unforgiven," "The Quiet American" and "A Time for Dying."
His performance in "To Hell and Back" was so solid that the movie made him a massive star, one of Universal's "Big Four" leading men alongside Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson and Jeff Chandler.
Murphy would go on to join the Texas National Guard and Army Reserve while being an outspoken advocate of post-traumatic stress disorder research and treatment, from which he personally suffered for the rest of his life.
He died at age 45 in 1971, a passenger on a private plane that crashed into a mountain near Roanoke, Virginia, and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
https://www.military.com/history/almost-80-years-later-audie-murphys-medal-of-honor-action-still-something-out-of-movie.html?ESRC=mr_240122.nl&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mr&utm_campaign=20240122
Audie Murphy honors and awards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the military and civilian honors of Audie Murphy. For details on his life and military career, see Audie Murphy.
Audie Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was one of the most decorated United States Army combat soldiers of World War II, serving from 1942 to 1945. He received every American combat award for valor available at the time of his service, including the Medal of Honor. He also received recognitions from France …
See more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy_honors_and_awards
Murphy wearing the U.S. Army khaki "Class A" (tropical service) uniform with full-size medals, 1948
[...]
GRAPHICS
U.S. medals, awards, decorations and badges
U.S. military personal decorations
[...]
Almost 80 Years Later, Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor Action Is Still Like Something Out of a Movie
Military.com | By Blake Stilwell
Published January 19, 2024
Listen to this article
https://www.military.com/history/almost-80-years-later-audie-murphys-medal-of-honor-action-still-something-out-of-movie.html?ESRC=mr_240122.nl&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mr&utm_campaign=20240122
Moviegoers have seen it all by now. We've seen tornadoes full of sharks, trucks fighting jets and Nic Cage swap faces with John Travolta after landing a helicopter on an airplane. Such outlandish mayhem gets a little ridiculous after a while, but the real world is full of its own unbelievable stories.
Audie Murphy's one-man fight against the Nazis in Europe might seem like something straight out of a modern action movie, but his movie was actually made a decade after the battle ended -- and it still stands up today.
In January 1945, Allied victory in Europe was anything but assured. The German military launched a major offensive in December 1944 that had pushed Allied lines back into Belgium and France, but the resulting Battle of the Bulge forced the Nazis into a retreat. They were far from finished, however: on New Year's Eve, Nazi Germany launched what would be its last major offensive on the Western Front. Operation Northwind was an attempt to bolster its forces in the Bulge and destroy two Allied armies.
American and French forces would fight for more than a month to not only prevent a German advance, but to push the Nazi Wehrmacht back into Germany. Though they finally succeeded, a powerful force of some 30,000 or more Germans were centered around the city of Colmar, forming a pocket of resistance in Eastern France that American troops would have to retake. Not only was it the last major Nazi foothold on French soil, but control of Colmar also allowed freedom of movement into Germany itself.
An American map showing the reduction of the Colmar Pocket in 1945.
One day late that January, near the village of Holtzwihr, northeast of Colmar, German forces struck out at advancing American infantry. This is where Lt. Murphy would single-handedly hold the strategically important forest outside the town, despite being outmanned and outgunned by a veteran German Army.
It's safe to say Murphy knew his way around a battlefield and had a pretty reliable intuition when it came to taking risks. By the time the U.S. Army advanced on the Colmar Pocket, Audie Leon Murphy had already received the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars and two Bronze Stars.
He had enlisted at the tender age of 16, joining the Army in 1942 because it was the only branch that would accept his underweight frame. He was first sent to North Africa, then landed at Sicily, mainland Italy and eventually southern France. He then fought his way across Europe, earning a battlefield commission in October 1944.
To hell and back
https://youtu.be/Z-7m6ejqfm8
The danger the Colmar Pocket posed to the Allied advance into Germany was real. If the Nazis broke out, they could have routed the overstretched Seventh Army and then hit the advancing Third Army in the rear, potentially destroying it, too. From there, the Wehrmacht could have retaken the port of Antwerp and pushed the Allies back into the English Channel. That was the reason the Allies couldn't just hole up such a powerful pocket of enemy troops and armor. Something had to be done.
On Jan. 23, 1945, the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division's 30th Infantry Regiment advanced through the Bois de Riedwihr, a forest near Holtzwihr, when it was suddenly attacked by a large force of enemy tanks, tank destroyers and infantry. The 30th was caught in an open ground and was unable to dig into the frozen earth, ending up mangled by the attacking Germans and ordered to withdraw. To fill the gap, the Americans ordered the 15th Infantry to take its place.
The very next day, on the southern edge of the woods, German tanks and infantry hit the regiment's Company B hard, wounding 102 of its 120 enlisted men and killing all of its officers except one: Lt. Audie Murphy.
That same day, Murphy led what was left of his company into the woods, where they, too, were unable to dig any kind of foxhole. They worked through the night but couldn't make any progress in the snow and cold. The next morning, Murphy was reinforced with two tank destroyers from the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion and used them, along with five armored vehicles, to form a defensive position. It was better but it was still weak, and they could see the heavily defended village of Holtzwihr from this spot.
It was now Jan. 26, 1945. Murphy had made the most of what was available, but was informed that his reinforcements had not yet arrived -- and they wouldn't make it that day. At 2 p.m. that day, six tanks and 250 elite German mountain troops moved out of the village toward their position. Murphy only had time to get to a phone and call for artillery before the shooting started. It turns out the road to a German victory in the Colmar Pocket ran right through the road his company was holding.
The American tank destroyers opened up on the oncoming German tanks immediately, but their fire was ineffective. They were taken out almost, either by enemy tank rounds or poor maneuvering, which scattered surviving anti-tank troops into the forest. The only silver lining was the M10 tank destroyers' mounted guns, which tore into the German infantry, but even that didn't last long. Company B's machine gun crew was hit next. Murphy knew his unit couldn't hold this vital stretch and ordered his men to fall back into the forest. He would cover their retreat while directing artillery fire.
With the Germans advancing and his carbine out of ammunition, Murphy spied a burning tank destroyer and its remaining .50-caliber gun. Instead of going back into the forest, he climbed aboard the turret and began pouring fire into the oncoming enemy advance. He believed the tanks could not advance without infantry, so he began mowing them down. Murphy was right; as he cut down enemy troops, the German tanks were forced to fall back to their own treeline. He fought on as enemy tank shells and artillery exploded around him.
Murphy killed an estimate 50 German troops from atop the tank destroyer on Jan. 26, 1945. (Universal Pictures)
For an hour, Murphy was obscured by smoke and firing the machine gun, stopping only to reload, call in artillery fire or recover from the exploding 88-millimeter shells. After what must have seemed like days, the clouds parted and he was able to get close-air support from Allied air power. In the face of all that firepower, the Germans finally began a retreat toward the village. It was great timing for Murphy, because his phone to Allied artillery suddenly went dead. He left the tank destroyer and rejoined his men in the relative safety of the forest. After he reached the treeline, the turret on which he stood for that entire hour blew up, tossing it sky high.
Refusing to be evacuated or deterred, Murphy then began to plan a counterattack, retaking their original position from the remaining Germans. Company B held its ground throughout that night and the reinforced 30th Infantry Regiment captured the village the next day. Had Murphy not made his stand atop the burning armored vehicle, it's likely the entire company, undermanned and demoralized, would have been annihilated.
Murphy was promoted to first lieutenant and received the Legion of Merit for his leadership during the Colmar Pocket operation. On June 2, 1945, Lt. Gen. Alexander Patch, commander of the Seventh Army, presented the 19-year-old Murphy with the Medal of Honor for his actions outside of Holtzwihr.
By the war's end, he would famously receive every medal for valor the United States offered, along with three Purple Hearts for his trouble.
Lt. Gen. Alexander Patch awards the Legion of Merit and Medal of Honor to Lt. Audie Murphy. (Audie Murphy Research Foundation)
After the war, Murphy went off to Hollywood, where he began a slow but lucrative film career, landing his first leading role in 1949's "Bad Boy." That film led to a contract with Universal Pictures, where he was particularly known for his war movies (whether they were his story or not) and for his westerns. He later parlayed his success in western film into making country music and western television series.
As the most decorated soldier of World War II, he not only wrote his popular autobiography "To Hell and Back," but also played himself in the 1955 movie of the same name, along with some 40 other films, including "The Unforgiven," "The Quiet American" and "A Time for Dying." His performance in "To Hell and Back" was so solid that the movie made him a massive star, one of Universal's "Big Four" leading men alongside Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson and Jeff Chandler.
Murphy would go on to join the Texas National Guard and Army Reserve while being an outspoken advocate of post-traumatic stress disorder research and treatment, from which he personally suffered for the rest of his life.
He died at age 45 in 1971, a passenger on a private plane that crashed into a mountain near Roanoke, Virginia, and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
https://www.military.com/history/almost-80-years-later-audie-murphys-medal-of-honor-action-still-something-out-of-movie.html?ESRC=mr_240122.nl&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mr&utm_campaign=20240122
Ocean Art 2023 Winning Images (Large Images)
Welcome to the Underwater Photography Guide.
This online book and magazine is a complete underwater photography tutorial full of u/w photography tips and techniques.
Our idea is simple - learn, shoot, explore. We hope you enjoy and come back often -
Scott Gietler, Owner of UWPG and Bluewater Photo & Travel.
Quick Links:
Wide Angle Macro Marine Life Behavior Portrait Coldwater
"Pygmy Poser" - "Pygmy Poser" - 2nd Place - Byron Conroy
Shot in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Story of the Shot
"Aquatic Primate" - Best in Show - Suliman Alatiqi
Shot in Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
Story of the Shot
"After the Wedding" - 1st Place - Peter Pogany
Shot in Anilao, Batangas, Philippines
Story of the Shot
"Ms Elegant" - Honorable Mention - Cédric Péneau
Shot in Reunion Island
Story of the Shot
[...]
https://www.uwphotographyguide.com/ocean-art-winning-images-2023-desktop-1
More than 60 million people under winter weather alerts as snow and ice still blanket much of the U.S.
Dangerously cold and icy conditions continue to pose risks, including in Portland, Oregon, where three people were killed by a power line downed by the weather.
03:31
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/60-million-americans-winter-weather-alerts-snow-ice-still-blanket-much-rcna134476
Jan. 18, 2024, 10:17 AM CST / Updated Jan. 18, 2024, 6:36 PM CST
By Erin McGarry and David K. Li
At least 66 million people were under winter weather alerts Thursday, as dangerous icy conditions continued to pose risks — including in Oregon, where three people were killed by a falling power line.
While temperatures won't be as frigid Thursday as in recent days in much of the United States, snow and ice posed challenges for millions who are stepping outside.
Chicagoans could see up to 4 inches of snow when it starts falling Thursday afternoon and into Friday morning's rush hour.
Freezing rain could make for treacherous driving conditions in Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee.
Light to moderate snowfall could begin in much of the mid-Atlantic on Thursday with as much as 5 inches hitting Philadelphia, perhaps 4 inches coming down on New York City and 2 inches hitting Boston by the end of Saturday.
At least 14 people have died in Tennessee in recent days due to the snow and plummeting temperatures, officials said.
Since Sunday, more than 9 inches of snow have fallen on Nashville where public schools remained closed on Thursday and will be again on Friday.
The continuing snow in western New York forced Tops Friendly Markets to close its Erie County stores at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The area’s major supermarket chain reopened at 6 a.m. Thursday.
“It’s our priority to ensure a safe environment for our associates and customers, and we thank the community for their support and understanding,” the company said in a statement Thursday.
In Kansas, Interstate 70 westbound at Hays was closed Thursday due to the weather.
"High winds and blowing snow is creating black ice making it extremely dangerous to drive, and we are getting overwhelmed with crashes and slide offs," a spokesman for the Kansas Highway Patrol said on X.
A look at I-70 in Trego County. Very dangerous driving conditions!
Freezing rain and snow slammed the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday and public schools in Portland, Oregon, remained closed Thursday.
Portland firefighters urged residents to pay special attention to trees and power lines where accumulation of snow and ice threaten to bring them down — and potentially lead to tragedy.
A power line fell Wednesday on a SUV Wednesday, killing three people when they got out of the vehicle and touched the ground, Portland firefighters said. A baby was rescued by a bystander and unharmed.
"If you do go outside in the next few days, including to a park or natural area, please be aware of your surroundings, and check around you for any downed power lines or hanging branches," the city told residents.
A power line fell Wednesday on a SUV Wednesday, killing three people when they got out of the vehicle and touched the ground, Portland firefighters said. A baby was rescued by a bystander and unharmed.
"If you do go outside in the next few days, including to a park or natural area, please be aware of your surroundings, and check around you for any downed power lines or hanging branches," the city told residents.
GRAPHICS Wintry weather
This map shows the relative severity and potential disruptive impact of winter weather in the next 24 hours.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/60-million-americans-winter-weather-alerts-snow-ice-still-blanket-much-rcna134476
Notes: Data current as of Jan. 18, 7:20 p.m. ET. This map updates every two hours.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/wssi/wssi.php
More than 60 million people under winter weather alerts as snow and ice still blanket much of the U.S.
Dangerously cold and icy conditions continue to pose risks, including in Portland, Oregon, where three people were killed by a power line downed by the weather.
03:31
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/60-million-americans-winter-weather-alerts-snow-ice-still-blanket-much-rcna134476
Jan. 18, 2024, 10:17 AM CST / Updated Jan. 18, 2024, 6:36 PM CST
By Erin McGarry and David K. Li
At least 66 million people were under winter weather alerts Thursday, as dangerous icy conditions continued to pose risks — including in Oregon, where three people were killed by a falling power line.
While temperatures won't be as frigid Thursday as in recent days in much of the United States, snow and ice posed challenges for millions who are stepping outside.
Chicagoans could see up to 4 inches of snow when it starts falling Thursday afternoon and into Friday morning's rush hour.
Freezing rain could make for treacherous driving conditions in Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee.
Light to moderate snowfall could begin in much of the mid-Atlantic on Thursday with as much as 5 inches hitting Philadelphia, perhaps 4 inches coming down on New York City and 2 inches hitting Boston by the end of Saturday.
At least 14 people have died in Tennessee in recent days due to the snow and plummeting temperatures, officials said.
Since Sunday, more than 9 inches of snow have fallen on Nashville where public schools remained closed on Thursday and will be again on Friday.
The continuing snow in western New York forced Tops Friendly Markets to close its Erie County stores at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The area’s major supermarket chain reopened at 6 a.m. Thursday.
“It’s our priority to ensure a safe environment for our associates and customers, and we thank the community for their support and understanding,” the company said in a statement Thursday.
In Kansas, Interstate 70 westbound at Hays was closed Thursday due to the weather.
"High winds and blowing snow is creating black ice making it extremely dangerous to drive, and we are getting overwhelmed with crashes and slide offs," a spokesman for the Kansas Highway Patrol said on X.
A look at I-70 in Trego County. Very dangerous driving conditions!
Freezing rain and snow slammed the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday and public schools in Portland, Oregon, remained closed Thursday.
Portland firefighters urged residents to pay special attention to trees and power lines where accumulation of snow and ice threaten to bring them down — and potentially lead to tragedy.
A power line fell Wednesday on a SUV Wednesday, killing three people when they got out of the vehicle and touched the ground, Portland firefighters said. A baby was rescued by a bystander and unharmed.
"If you do go outside in the next few days, including to a park or natural area, please be aware of your surroundings, and check around you for any downed power lines or hanging branches," the city told residents.
A power line fell Wednesday on a SUV Wednesday, killing three people when they got out of the vehicle and touched the ground, Portland firefighters said. A baby was rescued by a bystander and unharmed.
"If you do go outside in the next few days, including to a park or natural area, please be aware of your surroundings, and check around you for any downed power lines or hanging branches," the city told residents.
GRAPHICS Wintry weather
This map shows the relative severity and potential disruptive impact of winter weather in the next 24 hours.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/60-million-americans-winter-weather-alerts-snow-ice-still-blanket-much-rcna134476
Notes: Data current as of Jan. 18, 7:20 p.m. ET. This map updates every two hours.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/wssi/wssi.php