Judge Merchan‚ who will preside over the Stormy Hooker case against Donald Trump‚ has already sent the retired elderly Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to prison for five months for accepting some unreported perks. This is the Trump “hush money” case‚ a standard NDA (nondisclosure agreement) case to keep a pest like Stormy the Hooker […] The post Judge Merchan Presiding Over Trump’s Stormy Case Raises Alarms appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Staten Island/Brooklyn Assemblyman Michael Tannousis said squatters could legally stay in vacated homes. He says it could take one to two years to evict them. He said it will continue with no end in sight. “You could come through the border‚ unvetted. You can get on a bus paid for‚ come to New York City. […] The post NY Squatters: “The Insanity…Continues with No End in Sight” appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

NASHVILLE — Four pro-life Christians were convicted on Tuesday of FACE Act violations after they were charged by the Biden administration over a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility. The four found guilty are Eva Edl‚ Eva Zastrow‚ James Zastrow‚ and Paul Place. They face a year in prison and thousands of dollars in fines upon sentencing. They are currently sent to be sentenced on July 30. The decision came after a one day bench trial‚ meaning that the defendants’ fate was in the hands of Middle District of Tennessee Magistrate Judge Chip Frensly. Frensly agreed with the Justice Departments allegations that the pro-lifers had violated the law and found them guilty. The judge deliberated for less than half an hour. Immediately after the convictions‚ the defendants and their families went outside the courthouse to sing and pray. DOJ prosecuting attorney Amanda Klopf said that the case was about the rule of law and that the four had engaged in criminal activity and not a protest. During the DOJ’s final arguments‚ lawyer Brian Boynton said that the four were “not on trial for their beliefs‚” but for their actions. Lawyers for the defendants said that their clients were just practicing their faith in a peaceful manner. Place’s lawyers said that the trial demonstrated massive overreach by the federal government‚ saying that the Biden administration was prosecuting “people who were simply expressing their beliefs in a non-violent way.” Edl’s lawyer said that the group was there to “pray and sing and worship” and persuade women to not go forward with abortions. Christian pro-lifers sing hymns after conviction on FACE Act charges in Nashville pic.twitter.com/WduAxXZKsF — Leif Le Mahieu (@leif_lemahieu) April 3‚ 2024 Charges were brought against the four after they participated in a peaceful pro-life protest at the Carafem abortion facility in Mt Juliet‚ Tennessee on March 5‚ 2021. On that day‚ a group of demonstrators gathered on the second floor of an office building in the hallway outside Carafem. The group prayed‚ sang hymns‚ and urged women showing up to the clinic to not get abortions. The trial took place at the Fred Thompson federal courthouse in Nashville. Photos were displayed at the trial showing the four sitting in front of the door to Carafem‚ but their lawyers argued that the DOJ never proved they had actually blocked anyone from entering or actually inhibited the activities of the staff of the facility. Testimony was heard from a former worker at Carafem‚ a Mt. Juliet police officer who processed the pro-lifers arrested on March 5‚ a woman who had an appointment at the facility the morning of the trial‚ and Caroline Davis who was one of those arrested at the protest before taking a plea deal and agreed to testify for the government. Much of the DOJ’s case rested on Davis‚ who repeatedly said that she had a “massive change in perspective and beliefs” after her participation. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The courtroom gallery was packed with dozens of supporters of those on trial. A group of supporters and family members gathered Tuesday morning before the trial to pray and sing hymns like “Holy‚ Holy‚ Holy‚” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” Edl‚ who grew up in Eastern Europe and survived a Communist concentration camp‚ spoke briefly before the trial began‚ saying‚ “Whatever happens‚ we are in the Lord’s hands.” In January‚ six others at the protest were convicted of conspiracy against civil rights and FACE Act violations. They face over 10 years in prison and hundreds of thousands in fines.

Metropolitan Police in the U.K. said on Tuesday that the suspects behind the assassination attempt of an exiled Iranian journalist fled the country shortly after the attack. Pouria Zeraati‚ the host Iran International’s “Last Word‚” was stabbed by a group as he walked out of his home last week. He was hospitalized for a couple of days before being released. The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command was leading the investigation into the attack given the specific threats that other journalists at the Persian-language news organization have received that have originated from Iranian intelligence officials. “Detectives investigating a stabbing in Wimbledon‚ south London‚ believe three suspects were involved and have since recovered a vehicle linked to the attack‚” the statement said. “Detectives have established the victim was approached by two men in a residential street and attacked. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle driven by a third male.” Investigators located the vehicle that was used to help the attackers escape and it is now being examined by forensic experts‚ police said. “The investigation team has established that after abandoning the vehicle‚ the suspects travelled directly to Heathrow Airport and left the UK within a few hours of the attack‚” the statement added. Police did not mention the destination to which the suspects flew. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “We have established that after abandoning the vehicle‚ the suspects travelled to Heathrow Airport and have left the UK‚” said Commander Dominic Murphy‚ Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command. “We are now working with international partners to establish further details.” Murphy said that police had still not made an official determination of why they believe that the victim was attacked and they are leaving all possibilities on the table. BREAKING London’s Metropolitan Police have announced that the men who stabbed Iran International journalist @pouriazeraati abandoned their vehicle shortly after the attack and quickly traveled to Heathrow and left the UK within a few hours of the attack. The Metropolitan… pic.twitter.com/srEN5Rvk0f — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) April 2‚ 2024 The attack comes after Iran has repeatedly threatened journalists at the television station‚ including offering a criminal $200‚000 to assassinate Iran International journalists Sima Sabet and Fardad Farahzad. Iranian spies planned to target Iran International’s studios in London with a car bomb‚ the report said. However‚ they ditched their plan after leaders in the IRGC decided that a knife attack at the targets’ homes would be more effective because the studios had “many security guards.” Matt Jukes‚ head of Counter Terrorism Policing in Britain‚ said in a “60 Minutes” interview last year that Iran uses proxies to carry out assassination attempts because they are typically “not being tracked by intelligence or security agencies.” He said that the U.K. had foiled 15 Iranian kidnapping and assassination attempts in the last year. “I have been involved in national security policing for over 20 years‚” he said. “What we’ve seen in the last 18 months is a real acceleration.”

The Walt Disney Company may be on the verge of picking its first female head in its century-long history: Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden. Walden‚ 59‚ is on the shortlist to replace Bob Iger‚ 73‚ as Disney’s CEO‚ and she may be the first choice‚ according to CNBC. Iger‚ who retired from the company in 2021‚ was replaced as CEO in 2020 by Bob Chapek. Iger took his place back at the head of the company after Chapek was fired in 2022. Walden is a longtime entertainment industry executive with deep ties to Hollywood and a reputation for an impeccable sense for what will sell in the world of television. When she was at Fox‚ her division made hits such as “24‚” “Homeland‚” and “How I Met Your Mother.” Since moving to Disney‚ she’s been instrumental in the creation of shows such as “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building.” In addition to her experience in entertainment‚ Iger is reported to want to tap Walden to succeed him in part because he wants to have a role in Disney naming its first-ever female CEO. He also wants to rectify his previous pick Chapek‚ which he now regrets and sees as a mistake‚ according to CNBC. Walden also has her critics‚ however‚ with some questioning her business acumen and ability to transition from her time in entertainment to being the head of and international corporation with many different facets‚ such as prestigious parks and resorts. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “She’ll be eaten up by real investors‚” one person told CNBC. “Does she have the necessary depth of business knowledge? She can learn‚ but you can’t have someone teach you decades of finance‚ business and tactics in a year or two.” Others have dismissed criticism of Walden as misogynistic. “There’s something about looking at female execs where questions are asked that would never be asked of men‚” Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke‚ who previously worked with Walden‚ said. “Can they scale? Can a creative person be a business leader? I find that to be a huge bugaboo. She’s in charge of billions of dollars of assets‚ but she’s not capable of being a business leader?” Iger retook the CEO role at Disney after a tumultuous two years at the company under Chapek‚ which saw the company get into a high-profile feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over a piece of legislation that banned sexual orientation and gender identity lessons for young students. Disney publicly denounced the bill. In return‚ DeSantis stripped Disney of special privileges it had enjoyed on about 25‚000 acres that housed the company’s landmark Disney World theme parks and resorts. Florida and Disney settled a legal battle over the special district last month.

The federal government made nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars in “improper payments” in the last fiscal year‚ a congressional watchdog agency estimated. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report unveiled last week said 14 agencies reported a total of $236 billion in botched payments in fiscal 2023. Here‚ “improper payments” were defined as “those that should not have been made or were made in the incorrect amount.” GAO said agencies reported that $175 billion‚ or over 74% of the total‚ were attributed to overpayments. The total represented an $11 billion decrease from fiscal 2022‚ but GAO demonstrated in a graphs how “improper payments” have‚ on average‚ risen over the past 20 years. The federal government has made an estimated $2.7 trillion in improper payments in the last 20 fiscal years—including $236 billion in FY23. Today’s WatchBlog post looks at our new report on what is causing these errors &; what can be done to prevent them: https://t.co/tbSrZG882J pic.twitter.com/axpRrhNNtr — U.S. GAO (@USGAO) March 26‚ 2024 Since fiscal 2003‚ the cumulative amount has totaled $2.7 trillion. GAO said improper payments have “consistently” been an issue across the government. The $236 billion figure for fiscal 2023 is just an estimate‚ GAO cautioned‚ and it does not include some programs that agencies have determined to be “susceptible” to mismanaged payments. GAO listed the Health and Human Services Department’s Temporary Assistance for Need Families program as an example. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP An analysis found that problematic expenditures were “concentrated” in five program areas‚ including $51.1 billion for Medicare and $50.3 billion for Medicaid. There was also $43.6 billion for Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance‚ $21.9 billion for Earned Income Tax Credit‚ and $18.7 billion for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness. All other programs from which there was data accounted for $50.1 billion in “improper payments.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) commented on the topline $236 billion estimate for fiscal 2023 by taking a swipe at the Biden administration. “We need accountability here! This is YOUR money the Biden admin took out of your wallet and wasted‚” he said in a post to X. GAO said it provided a draft of its report to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment‚ but “OMB did not have any comments on the report.” In fiscal 2022‚ 14 of 24 agencies covered by the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 “complied with applicable improper payment criteria‚ as reported by their agency inspectors general‚” GAO said. That number marked an increase from 2021‚ when GAO said inspectors general reported 10 agencies were compliant. GAO said it has made “numerous” recommendations and suggestions to Congress on ways to reduce payment errors.

This toddler is a daddy’s girl in the most heartwarming way‚ and you can see by the way she reacts to his voice. According to a TikTok post‚ via Storyful‚ Amanda Burritt’s daughter‚ Emma‚ suffers from “a rare neurodegenerative disease called KIF1A Associated Neurological Disorder (KAND).” “[It] robbed her of her ability to see‚ walk‚ and talk among many other things‚” Amanda wrote. Through her challenges‚ Emma’s family has been right by her side with endless love‚ which shows in the many videos Amanda has shared on Storyful with her handle @thelifeofemmabean. One of those videos was so moving that it made an apperance on Good Morning America. The clip shows the beautiful moment when Emma realized her dad had come home from a work trip. She was in her car seat‚ and her dad opened the door to greet her. He gently held her hand and kissed her forehead before saying‚ “Hi‚ Princess Emma.” Once Emma recognized the comforting voice‚ her entire face lit up and she laughed with joy. Then she took his hand and smiled for cheek kisses in the most wholesome way. The Toddler’s Condition Only Affects 500 People Worldwide In a Facebook post‚ Amanda explained that KAND caused Emma to lose her eyesight before the little girl turned one. By four‚ she could no longer walk or talk. Her family is doing everything that can to stop the condition from worsening. Facebook “We fight every day for a cure so that it can’t take anything else from our baby‚” she wrote. KAND only affects 500 people worldwide‚ and Amanda said she posts videos of her daughter in hopes of “raising awareness wherever [she] can.” Share this story and help Amanda raise awareness about Emma’s disorder. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Visually Impaired Toddler Has The Most Beautifully Sweet Reaction To Hearing Her Dad’s Voice appeared first on InspireMore.

A dramatic change from the declining trend seen in previous years was marked by the unexpected increase in marriages that the COVID-19 lockdowns brought about. Marital records from 2022 show a significant increase‚ with the marriage rate reaching 6.2 per capita and over 2 million marriages in a year. Intentionality and lockdown realizations Marissa Nelson‚ a registered marriage and family therapist‚ believes that lockdowns forced couples to face difficulties head-on‚ resulting in increased intentionality in relationships. She writes‚ “Being in lockdown together gave many couples a unique hurdle to overcome‚” resulting in a better knowledge of critical factors such as finances‚ compromise‚ and autonomy. Declining divorce rates: a shift in relationship dynamics Divorce rates continued their downward trend from the previous years‚ even though they had been expected to increase in 2022. While the rate was slightly higher than the previous year at 2.4 per 1‚000 individuals‚ it is still dramatically declining from the 2000 figure of 4 per 1‚000. The effect of lockdown challenges on relationships The hurdles created by lockdowns forced couples to confront underlying concerns‚ potentially laying the groundwork for stronger relationships. Nelson highlights that being confined together forced couples to tackle relationship issues‚ which boosted resilience and stability for the future. Evolving perspectives on marriage: from romantic to companionate Ian Kerner‚ a registered marriage and family therapist‚ has noticed a movement in marital paradigms‚ from “romantic” to “companionate” relationships. Individuals are increasingly prioritizing attributes similar to those seen in best friends‚ preferring long-term stability and fulfillment to brief excitement. The essence of commitment and stability Dr. Monica O’Neal‚ a Boston psychologist‚ emphasizes the need for commitment in modern relationships. She emphasizes the importance of having a constant‚ secure spouse who can serve as a steadfast anchor in the face of adversity. After the pandemic‚ marital dynamic changes reflect ideas on commitment‚ stability‚ and partnership. While issues remain‚ trends indicate a greater emphasis on deliberate relationships and long-term compatibility.  The post The post-pandemic resurgence of marriages and decline of divorces‚ explained first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.