Thursday, May 30, 2024

​ May 30, 2024 Good morning, Welcome to the news for independent thinkers ​ Leading the News . . . ​ Trump jury to continue deliberations for second day . . . A New York jury will continue deliberations for a second day Thursday in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of former President Trump. Judge Juan Merchan delivered jurors instructions to consider charges brought against the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee. During deliberations Wednesday, the jury sent two notes to the judge, including a request to hear his instructions again about how to consider evidence. The jury also asked to hear testimony again from former American Media, Inc. CEO David Pecker and ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen. Fox News​ ​ ​Rubio compares Trump proceedings to "sham" Soviet trials​ ​ Alito won't recuse from Trump immunity case . . . Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. rejected calls to recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol protest. In a letter to Congress on Wednesday, he said the flying of an upside-down American flag and "An Appeal to Heaven" pennant at his homes were his wife's decisions and that he's not biased in any dispute. My wife is fond of flying flags. I am not. My wife was solely responsible for having flagpoles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years," he wrote. Washington Times​ Politics Trump's popularity soaring . . . Donald Trump currently enjoys his highest net approval rating since December 2021, according to surveys conducted by polling company Civiqs. Data from the pollster showed on Monday that 41 percent of American registered voters had a favorable view of the former president and 2024 presumptive GOP White House contender, against 55 percent who had an unfavorable view, giving a net favorability of -14. This is his best performance since December 29, 2021 and a substantial improvement on his net rating of -22 in October 2023. Newsweek​ ​ ​Poll finds dead heat in Virginia, where Biden easily won in 2020​ ​ Photos show half-empty arena as Biden and Harris push for black votes in Philadelphia . . . Few people were reportedly in attendance at a Joe Biden rally in Philadelphia on Wednesday, despite Pennsylvania being an important swing state for him to win. Photos showing vast spaces of emptiness at the Philadelphia rally began to circulate on Wednesday."Photos from President Biden's Philadelphia rally: the school's gym is only about half full of supporters A good amount of space is empty and spacious press workspace takes up the rest," a reporter noted on X. Breitbart​ ​ Jill Biden: Americans will choose "good" Biden over "evil" Trump . . . You have two choices. You have my husband, Joe, who you all know who has integrity, he's strong, he's steady, he's a leader, he's smart, he's energetic or you have chaos," she said. Biden added, "Those polls are going to turn. I'm confident of it because as time goes on and as people start to focus a little bit more about what's at stake and start to become educated on the issues and the differences between the two men, I believe Americans are going to choose good over evil." Breitbart​ ​ Dennis Quaid says 'weaponization of our justice system' has pushed him to vote for Trump . . . "Ronald Reagan" is backing Donald Trump. Actor Dennis Quaid, who plays America's 40th president in an upcoming movie, said this week he would vote to re-elect Mr. Trump in large part because of the "weaponization of our justice system." Quaid said that he generally liked Mr. Trump's policies when president but was then on the fence about voting for him because of his style and personality. Washington Times​ ​ ​DeNiro fundraises for Biden​ ​ House panel requests Fauci's personal email and cellphone records . . . House COVID-19 Committee Chairman Brad Wenstrup on Wednesday requested access to former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci's cellphone and personal email records. The request comes ahead of Fauci's planned testimony next week, in front of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Wenstrup said there is new evidence that suggests Fauci used his personal email and cellphone for government communication. The request comes after Fauci's Senior Advisor Dr. David Morens emailed former EcoHealth President Dr. Peter Daszak and stated that he could send messages to Fauci privately to dodge Freedom of Information Act requests. Just the News​ ​ Trump considers advisory role for Musk if he wins . . . Donald Trump and Elon Musk have discussed a possible advisory role for the Tesla leader should the presumptive Republican nominee reclaim the White House, the latest sign that the once-frosty relationship between the two men has thawed. The role hasn't been fully hammered out and might not happen, people familiar with the talks said, but the two men discussed ways to give Musk formal input and influence over policies related to border security and the economy, both issues on which Musk has grown more vocal. Wall Street Journal​ ​ Biden Pumps $900 Million into green school buses as students struggle to learn . . . The Biden administration announced it is handing out $900 million to pay for green school buses, while American public school students continue to perform poorly in the aggregate. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the recipients of the funding for green school buses to fight climate change, with schools in 47 states receiving some funding. Daily Caller​ ​ They will be uneducated, but at least they won't feel as hot when they go outside . . . ​ Fetterman Rips Off Harvard Collar During Yeshiva University Speech . . . Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) received a standing ovation after ripping off his Harvard University collar — and proclaiming that he was "profoundly disappointed" in his alma mater — during a commencement speech at Yeshiva University in New York. Fetterman, who has been a vocal supporter of Israel since the devastating Hamas terror attacks on Israel last October 7th, explained that even though he himself had earned the Harvard collar when he graduated from the Ivy League institution, he did not feel right about wearing it given the school's failure to deal with anti-Semitism on campus. Daily Wire​ ​ Fetterman is quickly becoming every conservative's favorite Democrat. Can you help? Please consider a donation to Cut to the News. There's no big backer behind the scenes, and there are no ads. We seek instead to continue entirely through the generosity of our subscribers. Will you help defeat liberal bias by supporting conservative-leaning journalism? Do you value the concise, vital information you receive every morning? Readers who give $50 or more, or who pledge $12 or more a month, will receive a coffee mug as a free gift. But no amount is too small. Please click here to donate. Thank you! ​ ​ National Security U.S. Pacific commander says China's military exercises are practice for future Taiwan invasion . . . The admiral in charge of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said China's recent military exercises encircling Taiwan appeared to be practice for a future invasion. Adm. Samuel Paparo said the drills, which included scores of aircraft and more than a dozen warships deployed around the island, also provided intelligence that can be used to deter Beijing and defend Taipei. The Chinese exercises, dubbed Joint Sword 2024A, "looked like a rehearsal" for a future assault, the four-star admiral said in an interview with Japan's Nikkei newspaper. They were held May 23 and 24 and followed the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te three days earlier. Washington Times​ ​ They are rehearsing an invasion right in front of our eyes. Are we prepared for war with China? International Israel extends control of Gaza's entire land border . . . Israel's military has said it has taken control of the strategically important buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border known as the Philadelphi Corridor, meaning it now controls Gaza's entire land border. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said about 20 tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza had been found within the zone. The IDF has continued its offensive in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza, saying air strikes hit over 50 "terror targets" over the past day. BBC​ ​ ​Israeli official says seven more months to destroy Hamas​ ​ Mexico on verge of electing first female president . . . Claudia Sheinbaum's list of accolades is long: She has a Ph.D. and a shared Nobel Peace Prize and was the first woman elected to lead Mexico City, her nation's capital and one of the largest cities in the Western Hemisphere. Now she has another chance to make history. Ms. Sheinbaum, 61, is the clear front-runner in the Mexican election on Sunday, putting her in position to become the country's first female president. New York Times​ Money Record market riding on questionable AI assumptions . . . This month, as indexes hit fresh records, just four giant technology stocks added more market value than the rest of the S&P 500 put together. A brief burst of outperformance by smaller stocks seems to have petered out again. Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, and Alphabet between them have added over $1.4 trillion this month, more than the other 296 stocks that rose put together. Half of the gain was just one company, chip maker Nvidia. Wall Street Journal​ ​ McDonald's does spin control on $18 Big Mac Meal . . . McDonald's is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases. In a post on the company's website Wednesday, McDonald's U.S. President Joe Erlinger said reports suggesting the price of the average Big Mac has doubled since 2019 were false. McDonald's said the average U.S. Big Mac was $4.39 in 2019 and now costs $5.29, a 20.5% increase. Erlinger acknowledged that he and many franchisees were frustrated by a post on X last summer about a Big Mac meal in Connecticut that cost $18, calling the price "an exception." Associated Press​ ​ That's like $3 just for the special sauce. Culture Boston's woke Dem mayor claims criminals should not be prosecuted for raft of shocking crimes . . . Woke Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu is now looking for some of the most basic offenses to be completely off-limits to prosecution. Wu has argued for charges including shoplifting and disorderly conduct to be beyond the reach of prosectors along with other serious crimes including the receiving of stolen property and even driving with a suspended license. The 39-year-old is seemingly comfortable with offenders who commit 'quality of life' crimes getting off scot-free. They include the breaking and entering of property, wanton and malicious destruction of property, minor's in possession of alcohol and drug possession including the distribution of marijuana and non-marijuana types. Daily Mail​ ​ ​Ex-New York Times journalist reports being 'disgusted' by newsroom cancel culture​ ​ Calif. Dems want to fast-track medical licenses for those who will aid sex changes. . . California's medical credentialing boards would have to fast-track licenses for clinicians and therapists focused on gender transitions and other gender-affirming care under a bill that has already cleared the state assembly. The legislation would require the state medical board, osteopathic board, nursing board, and physicians assistant board to expedite licenses "for an applicant who demonstrates that they intend to provide gender-affirming health care and gender-affirming mental health care." Washington Free Beacon​ ​ Teen gets diploma he was denied for praising Jesus during graduation speech . . . Micah Price got his high-school diploma on Wednesday — five days after the rest of his classmates. And Jesus was the reason. The Kentucky teenager had his diploma withheld for professing his Baptist faith in his graduation-ceremony closing speech. Washington Times​ You should also know Black men file suit against American Airlines for racial discrimination . . . Three black men have filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging that the carrier briefly removed them from a flight after a complaint about body odour. The men, who were not seated together and did not know each other, say that every black man was removed from the 5 January flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York. "American Airlines singled us out for being Black, embarrassed us, and humiliated us," the men said in a joint statement on Wednesday. BBC​ ​ ​Whoops. Screen time might not be so bad before bed​ ​ Maniac tries to run down students outside NYC Jewish school . . . A maniac tried to mow down Orthodox students and a rabbi outside a Brooklyn Jewish school Wednesday while allegedly yelling "I'm gonna kill all the Jews" in a shocking antisemitic attack, sources told The Post. Video footage shows the crazed driver revving his engine and mounting the curb as he swerved toward Orthodox Jews milling around a Yeshiva in Canarsie at about 11:25 a.m. Police and sources identified the alleged attacker as 58-year-old Asghar Ali, a Pakistani immigrant livery cab driver with a history of mental illness. New York Post​ Guilty Pleasures Man who 'ran through Virgin Australia plane naked and knocked over attendant' arrested . . . A man who allegedly ran naked down the aisle of a plane in the middle of a flight has been arrested. Australian officers said the man knocked over an attendant during his sprint on a flight from Perth to Melbourne and forced the plane to turn around. Police were waiting at Perth Airport when the Virgin Australia flight circled back - and after being detained he was "transferred to hospital for assessment, where he remains". Sky News​ ​ Talk about flight turbulence . . . ​ Please remember to donate if you can. It's our only source of funding. 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