Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Thursday, May 23, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas and today, we’re checking out some really intriguing stories in the United States and overseas, from the FBI’s stance on the use of deadly force to possible arrest warrants targeting Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Also, we look at President Joe Biden’s latest student loan forgiveness proposal, and updates on former President Donald Trump’s ongoing legal battles.
FBI Responds to ‘Deadly Force’ Claims About Mar-a-Lago Raid
The FBI has responded to allegations that its agents were authorized to use deadly force during their search of the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022, saying that they followed standard protocol, which includes a policy statement limiting the use of deadly force.The issue came to light after President Trump claimed on social media that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had given FBI agents the green light to use deadly force if needed during the raid. He was responding to a newly unsealed court document that revealed FBI and DOJ agents were prepared for U.S. Secret Service resistance during the Mar-a-Lago raid.
While the FBI’s policies do permit the use of deadly force under specific circumstances, President Trump’s lawyers argue that there was no justification for agents to bring arms to Mar-a-Lago, citing a lack of threats or safety concerns at the time. They’ve filed a motion claiming the search was illegal and based on a flawed FBI affidavit.
Meanwhile, special counsel Jack Smith’s office has defended the actions taken, stating that the search warrant was well-supported by a detailed affidavit and provided clear instructions to the agents involved.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon indefinitely postponed the classified documents trial date. It’s not clear when the former president’s trial will start or if it will even begin before the November presidential election.
Netanyahu Issues Warning to US Leaders: ‘You’re Next’
Mr. Netanyahu has voiced strong opposition to the arrest warrants that the International Criminal Court (ICC) plans to issue against him and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, warning that this could set a dangerous precedent for other democratic countries, including Israel’s allies such as the United States and the UK.The ICC claimed that the warrants for the Israeli leadership were over the country’s conduct in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, including the alleged starvation of civilians, willful killing, persecution, and more.
Mr. Netanyahu says that the ICC claims are “false, dangerous, and outrageous.”
The decision on whether to issue these warrants lies with a panel of three ICC judges, and typically takes about two months to be made.
While Israel is not a member of the ICC, these warrants could restrict international travel for the accused Israeli leaders.
The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute people linked to war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
As for Hamas, the ICC said its leaders may be responsible for crimes against humanity, including taking hostages as a war crime, torture, and various inhumane acts.
The United States has dismissed these moves by the ICC, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that Washington rejects the ICC prosecutor’s announcement that he would seek arrest warrants. Mr. Blinken also said earlier this week, “We reject the Prosecutor’s equivalence of Israel with Hamas. It is shameful.”
On the other hand, international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has supported the ICC’s decision, arguing there are reasonable grounds to believe that both Israeli and Hamas leaders have committed war crimes.
Inside the United States, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also said he backed the ICC’s move. According to a statement issued by Mr. Sanders earlier this week, “These arrest warrants may or may not be carried out, but it is imperative that the global community uphold international law.”
Biden Cancels $7.7 Billion in Student Debt for 160,000 Borrowers
President Biden has introduced a new student loan forgiveness plan that cancels $7.7 billion in student debts. With this plan, the administration will have forgiven a total of $167 billion in student loans for 4.75 million people.The forgiveness targets public service workers, participants in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, which is a federal plan, and borrowers who have obtained relief through changes to Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has reaffirmed the administration’s dedication to extending debt relief to more borrowers.
However, President Biden’s student debt relief proposals have received mixed feedback from younger voters, and Republicans have criticized the measures as an overreach of authority.
The administration is also considering a new proposal that might cancel additional debt for more than 30 million Americans, focusing on those who are most impacted by student debt.
Rep. Stefanik Files Ethics Complaint Against Judge in Trump Trial, Alleges Conflict of Interest
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has submitted a formal complaint to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, claiming that there’s a conflict of interest involving the judge overseeing President Trump’s ongoing New York City trial.Ms. Stefanik said in the complaint that Justice Juan Merchan’s daughter, who is actively involved in fundraising for Democratic politicians, could compromise the judge’s impartiality.
She cited the Rules of Judicial Conduct, which mandates a judge’s disqualification from a case if a close relative stands to benefit substantially from the proceedings. She said that Justice Merchan’s daughter’s professional ties constitute such a conflict of interest, as her clients’ fundraising efforts are directly linked to the case over which her father presides.
Ms. Stefanik also referred to past accusations of misconduct against Justice Merchan. She’s calling for an investigation into these matters and disciplinary measures to ensure public trust in the judiciary remains intact.
The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct has not yet made any public statements regarding the complaint.
President Trump’s New York case is still ongoing. His lawyers rested their case on May 21, and closing arguments will be heard as court resumes in New York next week.
Trump’s Proposed Expert Witness Claims Judge ‘Restricted’ Him to Thwart Testimony
Election law expert Brad Smith, who also serves as the chair of the Federal Election Commission, has raised concerns about bias in the trial of President Trump in New York.Mr. Smith, appointed by President Bill Clinton, was restricted from testifying fully in the trial due to a decision by the judge that limited the scope of expert witness testimonies. According to Mr. Smith, this limitation prevented him from sharing his full expertise on the matter.
Mr. Smith pointed out that while his testimony was restricted, Michael Cohen, a key witness against President Trump, was allowed to extensively discuss the legality of his actions under campaign finance laws. The former president himself has expressed dissatisfaction with the judge’s ruling, which he believes unfairly blocked Mr. Smith’s testimony.
Justice Merchan did allow Mr. Smith to testify but set boundaries on what topics he could cover, citing concerns that unrestricted testimony could lead to confusion and contentious exchanges between experts.
As the trial approaches its final stages, with closing arguments set for May 28, President Trump chose not to testify. His son, Donald Trump Jr., has publicly criticized the trial, calling it a sham.
We’ll be keeping a close watch on the former president’s cases, and just a reminder, the big election is less than six months away.
Our short time together is coming to a close, so we’ll make that one our final story on the Thursday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
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And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap things up with a very “notable” quote:
This one comes to us from Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
He was the founder of Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production.
Henry Ford’s first vehicle was the Ford Quadricycle, and he also invented the Model T. The Model T wasn’t as fast as a Mustang and it didn’t have GPS or power windows, but it wasn’t half bad and it had a top speed of 42 miles per hour.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas, and if you’re on the road or have plans to hit the road today, please drive safely—the way Henry Ford would have wanted you to. Also, if you can, do something nice for someone else today. It’s incredibly rewarding to be in the service of another person or even a pet, and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. Have an awesome day today.
