Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Friday, March 29, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas.
Judge Goes After Trump Lawyer Ahead of 2024 Election
A California judge recommended disbarment for lawyer John Eastman because of his advice to former President Donald Trump.State Bar Court of California Judge Yvette Roland found Mr. Eastman guilty on 10 of 11 counts of misconduct. The California State Bar charged Mr. Eastman with 11 allegations last year. The eleventh count was dismissed with prejudice.
Judge Roland also suggested fining Mr. Eastman $10,000 for his “refusal to acknowledge any impropriety in his actions.”
Specifically, $5,000 in sanctions were noted as due to “his misconduct in connection with filing several pleadings seeking to mislead the courts.”
The other half of the total figure is “for making numerous false and misleading statements” regarding the 2020 presidential election results.
Mr. Eastman, who represented President Trump, sought to challenge the accuracy of the 2020 election results.
Mr. Eastman’s lawyer Randy Miller wrote in a statement on Wednesday that he was confident the Review Court would reverse Judge Roland’s opinion.
He argued Mr. Eastman’s advice was well-supported by law and research. He questioned the fairness of removing Mr. Eastman’s law license, as he is still presumed innocent.
Mr. Eastman also fights charges in Georgia that are related to the 2020 elections as well.
ABC Responds to Trump’s Lawsuit
ABC and ABC News want a 30-day extension to reply to the defamation lawsuit by President Trump.In his lawsuit, President Trump argues that ABC News host George Stephanopoulos made a dozen defamatory remarks on air on March 10, including repeatedly saying the former president was found liable for the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll.
After receiving the suit on March 19, ABC contacted President Trump’s lawyers on March 20, who agreed ABC could respond for Mr. Stephanopoulos too. Mr. Stephanopoulos had not yet received the lawsuit himself. ABC’s original response deadline was April 9. Mr. Stephanopoulos’s deadline was May 20.
Now, ABC seeks to move the response deadline for both lawsuits to May 10 to allow “sufficient time” for their lawyers.
At the heart of the lawsuit are remarks made by the host of “This Week With George Stephanopoulos” on March 10 during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).
President Trump’s lawsuit claims that the ABC host allegedly “was and is aware of the truth” about the determinations made by the subject juries. It also claims that Mr. Stephanopoulos’s statements were “prepared in advance and were written on notes” that he was reading from while making these defamatory statements.
President Trump’s complaint also claims that ABC backed those statements. ABC has not commented on the lawsuit.
Ms. Carroll alleged that the incident took place at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan more than two decades ago. She alleged that President Trump’s actions constituted sexual offenses, including rape.
President Trump denied the allegations. The jury ruled not for rape but did find him guilty of sexual assault. This verdict is currently under appeal.
Joe Lieberman, Former Senator and Vice Presidential Nominee, Dies at 82
Joe Lieberman was a U.S. Senator from Connecticut for four terms. He also ran for vice president. His family stated he died from complications after a fall. His wife and family were with him when he passed away.Mr. Lieberman was the first Jewish candidate on a major party ticket in the 2000 election. He ran with Al Gore in one of the closest elections in American history. They lost to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. In 2008, John McCain thought about picking him as a running mate.
Mr. Lieberman struck up a friendship with Mr. McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), earning them the nickname “Three Amigos.” The three remained close friends after Mr. Lieberman retired from the Senate in 2013.
After retiring, he returned to practicing law and stayed active, teaching and lecturing on various topics. He sought bipartisan agreement in U.S. diplomacy and leadership. He was a vocal supporter of Israel. He also criticized comments made by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr. Lieberman’s legacy has left a significant impact on the American-Jewish community.
Abbott Has Bad News for Illegal Immigrants
Gov. Greg Abbott reports a significant drop in illegal immigrants entering Texas. He credits Operation Lone Star for this decrease.The operation was launched by Mr. Abbott in 2021 to tackle the southern border’s illegal immigrant crisis as well as deal with the smuggling of people and drugs across the border.
The operation used various methods including floating barriers, wire fencing, and Texas National Guard deployments.
Supporting Mr. Abbott’s statement, the Media Research Center found that illegal encounters dropped by 28 percent from October 2023 to February 2024. It also found that illegal encounters increased by 35 percent in California and 52 percent in Arizona during this period.
The report states that “illegal aliens appear to be migrating westward to enter through states that are less zealous about securing their borders.”
Operation Lone Star has resulted in over 503,800 illegal immigrant apprehensions, more than 40,400 criminal arrests, and the seizure of around 469 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
Mr. Abbott criticizes President Joe Biden’s poor border management. He said that “Texas will hold the line and use every tool and strategy to keep our country safe” until the federal government addresses the issue.
Mr. Abbott emphasizes states’ rights to self-defense and protection. He voices frustration with the Biden administration’s inability to meet its constitutional obligations, highlighting the negative impact of illegal immigration.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data indicate an uptick in Southwest land border encounters over the last fiscal year. The total number of border encounters in the first five months of fiscal 2024 was more than 1.15 million. The number was 1.03 million in the same period in fiscal 2023.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 4, a law against illegal immigration signed by Mr. Abbott, is being held up in court.
The law makes it a state crime for immigrants to cross into Texas from Mexico other than through legal entry points.
Avian Flu Detected for First Time in US Cattle
Cows in Kansas and Texas have tested positive for avian influenza. They showed signs like low appetite. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said wild birds on the farms likely brought the virus.Affected milk is either destroyed or kept out of the food supply. This ensures the commercial milk supply remains safe and poses no health risk to consumers.
The CDC and FDA are investigating. They are doing more tests and genome sequencing.
Farms involved include three in Texas and two in Kansas. These farms have seen a sharp decrease in milk production. The impacted cattle are estimated to produce up to 40 percent less milk for seven to 10 days.
The USDA said that there has been little to no death among these herds.
Iowa is also a major dairy-producing state. Officials there said that they are monitoring the situation.
Cows in New Mexico show similar symptoms.
Brian Hoefs, Minnesota’s state veterinarian, said that the chance of the virus spreading from mammal to mammal is low. This situation highlights the need for ongoing disease surveillance.
That’s our final story on today’s News Brief, but before we sign off, we always take a moment out of each morning (especially a Friday morning) to celebrate you, if today is in fact the day you were born. Other celebrities (just like you) putting yet another candle on the birthday cake today include:
In the world of comedy, comedian Eric Idle (one of the Monty Python guys) is 81.
In the music world, singer Bobby Kimball from the great band Toto is 77—huge in the 1970s and ’80s.
In the world of modeling, Elle Macpherson is 61.
Actor Annabella Sciorra (“Law and Order: Criminal Intent”) is 60. She also starred with Robin Williams in “What Dreams May Come.”
Thanks for tuning in and for all of us here at the Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas, have a great day, which should be easy because it’s Friday, and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow for the Saturday edition of the News Brief and please stay safe.
