A New York appellate court on Monday ruled that former President Donald Trump can post a $175 million bond instead of the over $450 million penalty he owes in his headline-grabbing civil fraud case‚ the New York Times reported.The paper characterized the ruling as "a crucial and unexpected victory" for Trump.Indeed‚ far-left New York Attorney General Letitia James‚ who brought the unprecedented case against the former commander in chief‚ set Monday as the deadline for Trump to fork over the massive sum — or she would begin seizing his properties.Monday was a day James likely relished‚ given she campaigned on the promise that she would go after Trump and has made statements along the way underscoring her obsession with securing the keys to his iconic properties — such as when James earlier told ABC News‚ "Yes‚ I look at 40 Wall Street each and every day.”James will have to keep daydreaming for now.The Times said the court gave Trump 10 days to obtain the $175 million bond‚ adding that "two people with knowledge of his finances said he should be able to secure it by then." The paper also said the bond will prevent James from collecting on the judgment while Trump appeals. Trump attorney Christopher Kise told ABC News the court "no doubt recognized the rule of law must triumph over the political agenda of the Attorney General. President Trump looks forward to a full and fair appellate process which overturns the judgment and ends the Attorney General's abuse of power and tyrannical pursuit of the front running candidate for President of the United States."In the wake of the appellate court ruling‚ a spokesperson for James told ABC News that "the $464 million judgment — plus interest — against Donald Trump and the other defendants still stands." The statement also said Trump "is still facing accountability for his staggering fraud."But even if eventually Trump fails to get the massive judgment against him overturned‚ and he runs out of financial options‚ and James moves forward with seizing his properties‚ a separate report Sunday from the New York Times indicated that James would face a daunting challenge.'Spider web of transactions' The Times said attorneys "warn that getting control over‚ and trying to liquidate‚ any of the former president’s flagship properties is an uphill battle" and that James likely is looking at untangling a "spider web of transactions." “People are really‚ really good at litigating and getting to the point of a judgment‚” Brad Eric Scheler‚ senior counsel at Fried‚ Frank‚ Harris‚ Shriver &; Jacobson‚ told the Times. “But they never focus on the fact that collecting on a judgment is very hard.” First off‚ the paper noted that Trump doesn't outright own almost any of his properties; instead‚ the Times said‚ they are "protected by a maze of interlocking trusts and limited liability companies." “Let me give you an analogy‚” Scheler continued to the paper‚ explaining how Yellow Cab operators are similarly protected. “Taxi fleets had each of their taxis in a separate corporation‚ so that if the taxi was in a car accident and the insurance didn’t cover it‚ it would be limited to the entity that had the cab.” What's more‚ lawyers told the Times that if James seizes a Trump property with mortgages or loans against it‚ those debts must be paid first. “It’s 1‚000 percent complicated‚ and the reason it is 1‚000 percent complicated is there are creditors and equity holders that are ahead of Letitia James‚” commercial bankruptcy lawyer Leo Jacobs told the paper. “Imagine 40 Wall Street is worth $250 million‚ and there’s $200 million collateralized against it. After transfer taxes and fees‚ she will be left with $1 million. Is it worth it to enforce the judgment? The answer is no‚ it’s not.” More from the Times: For some of the buildings‚ the ownership structure is so complex that it becomes unclear what‚ if anything‚ the court could seize. Take the sleek skyscraper at 1290 Avenue of the Americas. Nearly two decades ago‚ Mr. Trump acquired a 30 percent stake in an entity that owns the 43-story building in Midtown Manhattan adjacent to Radio City Music Hall. The other 70 percent is owned by the Vornado Partnership Trust. The fine print of the partnership makes it difficult‚ maybe even impossible‚ for Mr. Trump to sell his 30 percent stake. Initially set to expire in 2044‚ the partnership states that “a partner may not‚ directly or indirectly‚ sell‚ assign‚ transfer or otherwise dispose of any part of their partnership interest‚ without prior written consent from the majority owner‚” according to an excerpt from the agreement shared during the trial. In the lawsuit‚ Ms. James argued that Mr. Trump and his proxies had inflated the value of this property by treating it as if it were an asset that could be bought and sold. Now‚ if the same asset is seized‚ the state will face the same limitations that they uncovered during the trial — namely that he is more or less stuck in this partnership for another two decades‚ said real estate attorneys.Frank Luntz to James: 'You’re going to elect Donald Trump' Beyond the mountain of paperwork‚ red tape‚ and legal roadblocks ahead of James if she goes through with seizing Trump's properties‚ pollster Frank Luntz on Thursday warned James that she is "going to elect Donald Trump" if she goes this route. Here's a snippet of what Luntz told a CNN panel: I want you to remember this moment‚ and don’t forget it: If the New York attorney general starts to take his homes away‚ starts to seize his assets — it’s all gonna be on camera‚ pundits are gonna sit there and scream ... 'This man cannot be elected' — you’re going to create the greatest victimhood of 2024‚ and you’re going to elect Donald Trump. If they take his stuff‚ he’s gonna say that this is proof that the federal government and the establishment in the swamp in Washington and all the politicians across the country and the attorneys generals and all of this‚ that this is a conspiracy to deny him the presidency. He’s gonna go up in the polls just like he went up every single time they indicted him. The indictment‚ and let’s not talk about whether it’s justified or not‚ but it will prove the things that he’s saying on the campaign trail‚ and he will go up‚ and it may just elect him president. Do not forget that. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Caitlin Clark’s dad spoke for all of us Saturday afternoon. From his seat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena‚ he shouted two words to his talented and electrifying daughter: “SHUT UP!” Clark and the No. 1-seeded Hawkeyes were playing 16th-seeded Holy Cross. Clark spent a significant portion of the game focused on arguing with the refs. Frustrated by the smothering defensive attention Holy Cross deployed to slow the best women’s college basketball player‚ Clark whined to the refs on nearly every other trip down the court. Money‚ fame‚ and social media corrupt the same in Iowa as they do in Texas. It was a bad look for the player I’ve dubbed “Show White‚” the biggest star in all of college athletics. She looked spoiled and entitled. I give her dad credit for recognizing and trying to address it. Her dad can see what I see. Caitlin Clark is in the process of destroying the reputation and perception that combined with her uncanny shot-making made her the most fascinating story in sports since Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters. For the past year‚ Clark has walked the line of carrying herself with just enough swagger and bravado to grab your attention and just enough likeability and humility to make you love her. I love Caitlin Clark. She’s made me a fan of women’s college basketball. Saturday was the first time I started to have reservations. Saturday was the first time that I pondered whether all the national commercials‚ the name‚ image‚ and likeness money‚ and all the adulation had not turned “Show White” into just another spoiled‚ entitled jock. I have to admit‚ some people spotted this ugly trend long before me. Perhaps I was too caught up in defending Clark from her bigoted and jealous critics and I couldn’t see that Clark has Johnny Manziel tendencies. Foolishly‚ I thought a young woman from Iowa wouldn’t act as arrogantly as a Texas quarterback. But money‚ fame‚ and social media corrupt the same in Iowa as they do in Texas. At this point‚ it’s quite clear that Caitlin Clark isn’t much different from Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The difference might be the dads. Caitlin’s dad sees the problem and is apparently trying to correct it. Deion Sanders‚ Colorado’s coach and Shedeur’s dad‚ thinks his son walks on water and can dictate where he plays in the NFL. Perhaps Monday night‚ when the Hawkeyes take on West Virginia in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament‚ we’ll find out if Brent Clark reached his daughter. I hope he has. The glut of money that has flooded into professional and college sports has made it nearly impossible to disciple young athletes. You can’t lead them anywhere. You can beg them to follow‚ and that’s about it.They’re child TV and movie stars. Fame may already have stolen Caitlin Clark from those of us looking for sports stars who remind us of the “good old days.” My whole love affair with women’s college basketball is driven by my attempt to find a replacement for the NBA and men’s college basketball. The NBA is unwatchable. The players don’t care about the regular season. It’s way too much isolation basketball mixed with jacking up three-pointers. The transfer portal and young players turning pro early ruined men’s college basketball. I thought the women’s game might fix my basketball jones. I’m not sure if its traction and relevance will be sustained. Clark is headed to the WNBA this summer. I’m highly unlikely to watch that. The players are entitled and whine constantly. This weekend‚ I watched Southern California freshman JuJu Watkins. She’s going to be great‚ maybe better than Clark. But it won’t be long before she falls to money and fame. She’s managed by Klutch Sports‚ LeBron James’ agency. Watkins will likely turn into an angry Black Lives Matter advocate. I’ve probably just had a brief fling with women’s hoops. I can already see the breakup.

A home belonging to a family of Pakistani migrants was set ablaze in the German town of Wächtersbach on Christmas Day 2023. Phantasmal right-wingers were immediately blamed for the arson. The family members‚ meanwhile‚ were depicted as victims of so-called Islamophobia and xenophobia. This narrative‚ agreeable to European leftists and the liberal media‚ recently went up in smoke. A convenient spark The fire began around 1 a.m. on Christmas morning and did roughly $379‚000 in damage. The fire brigade found anti-migrant slogans scrawled inside the smoldering ruins. Der Spiegel reported that the words "foreigners out" had been spray-painted on some of the inside walls. The graffiti had apparently been written before the fire broke out. — (@) Andreas Weiher‚ the town's leftist mayor‚ said‚ "If the suspicion of a xenophobic crime is confirmed‚ it would of course be a catastrophe." The Wächtersbach Foreigners Advisory Board reportedly stated‚ "We are deeply shocked that such an inhumane‚ possibly racially motivated arson attack was carried out on a family with children." The state security agency swiftly launched an investigation into the possibility that right-wing extremism may have been responsible for the fire. Vigils and demonstrations were held in the days that followed‚ both in solidarity with the family and in opposition to the supposed racists believed responsible. Banners that read‚ "Right-wing terror threatens our society‚" were carried down German streets. Leftist politicians eagerly embraced the narrative‚ giving impassioned speeches and firing off angry missives — suggesting the arson was politically motivated and possibly executed by neo-Nazis. Sawsan Chebli‚ a German politician with the Social Democratic Party and staunch critic of Israel‚ was one of the leftists who attempted to exploit the incident‚ stating in German on Dec. 29‚ "It makes me sad‚ but it doesn't surprise me. People tell me every day that they have racist experiences‚ be it at work‚ in everyday life or at school." Chebli suggested the arson was reflective of an anti-Muslim undercurrent in Germany‚ intimating right-wing politicians were responsible and that "what is happening at the moment is putting democracy at great risk." Janine Wissler‚ a parliamentarian with the aptly named Left Party‚ stated‚ "It is not enough to condemn these acts‚ you have to fight the breeding ground that promotes right-wing violence: the strengthening of the right and the racist incitement against people with a migration background and refugees‚" reported the local broadcaster. "The slogans that were discovered on the walls are despicable and inflammatory‚" said Martina Feldmayer‚ a parliamentarian with the eco-socialist Green party. "Anyone who commits such acts attack our entire society." It turns out that the societal attack condemned by Feldmayer was not perpetrated by right-wing extremists but rather by those widely portrayed as victims. Another hate hoax The German newspaper Bild recently reported that the homeowner‚ 47‚ has been arrested along with his wife‚ 33‚ his 18-year-old son‚ his brother-in law‚ 34‚ and another Pakistani migrant‚ 55‚ who allegedly gave the family a false alibi. According to the German paper Junge Freiheit‚ the family has been slapped with various charges including joint serious arson‚ feigning a crime‚ attempted insurance fraud in a particularly serious case‚ and serious fraud. The father and brother-in-law‚ both Pakistani nationals‚ are accused of burning down the building using an accelerant. The son is said to have both reported the damage to the insurance company at his father's behest and attended an inspection of the aftermath with insurance agents. The mother is said to have been altogether complicit in the scheme. The 55-year-old Pakistani national said to have given the family a false alibi has reportedly been charged with "attempted obstruction of justice." The Hanau public prosecutor's office indicated that the arson served to net the family a six-figure insurance settlement. Additionally‚ the prosecutors office noted that ahead of the house burning‚ the owner's wife sold off various household items in an apparent effort to maximize their return on the scheme. Investigators turned their attention to the homeowner after noticing he had fresh burns despite claiming he was not home when the fire started on Christmas morning. The family told authorities in their statements that they had been visiting with friends on the day of the incident. The Alternative for Germany in Hesse‚ the local chapter of the country's increasingly popular right-wing party‚ said in a statement obtained by Rebel News‚ "For our political competitors‚ the house fire was obviously a welcome opportunity to inflict hatred and agitation on our party and our voters. Almost reflexively‚ the SPD‚ the Left and the Greens classified this crime as politically motivated." "Waechtersbach's mayor (a member of SPD)‚ who is said to have known the affected Pakistani family to be well integrated‚ took the same line‚" continued the AFD. "Anyone who attracts attention with criminal acts in their freely chosen host country at least raises doubts about successful integration. But we now trust that the German judiciary will make an appropriate assessment. And an apology from the protagonists of the vigil is now in order." The South East Hesse Police indicated last week that the five suspects remained in custody due to the risk of concealment and escape. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

NBC News anchor Chuck Todd cried foul on Sunday over NBC's decision to hire Ronna McDaniel. But his complaints collapse under scrutiny.Last week‚ NBC News announced that it had hired McDaniel as a paid contributor‚ reportedly triggering weeping and gnashing of teeth among the rank-and-file journalists who work at the legacy media network. McDaniel's first appearance on the network came Sunday on "Meet the Press" where moderator Kristen Welker sought to relitigate McDaniel's beliefs about the 2020 election and Jan. 6.After that contentious interview‚ Todd pontificated about "the elephant in the room.""I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation‚" Todd told Welker. — (@) Without any evidence‚ Todd questioned McDaniel's every word because "she has credibility issues that she still has to deal with‚" suggesting McDaniel's loyalties lie only with those who pay her. He then suggested McDaniel is impugning "NBC News' credibility" — as if the network itself isn't already doing that — and questioned what value her voice brings to the network.Todd's complaints follow reports of internal backlash at NBC News and MSNBC over the hire. Rashida Jones‚ MSNBC's president‚ tried to quell the unrest among her staff by explaining there are no plans to include McDaniel in any of MSNBC's programming‚ the Wall Street Journal reported.Still‚ the cries ring hollow because the legacy media doesn't actually believe in credibility‚ fairness‚ and journalistic ethics.Where was the outrage when MSNBC hired Jen Psaki directly out of the White House in a deal that was seemingly negotiated before she left her job as President Joe Biden's press secretary? Where was the outrage when Donna Brazile leaked town hall topics to Hillary Clinton's campaign? Why didn't Chuck Todd disclose that he was the landlord of Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)? How about George Stephanopoulos‚ one of the faces of ABC News‚ who was hired directly out of Bill Clinton's White House?The truth is there is a revolving door between the government‚ politics‚ and media. People shift from one industry to the other all the time. It's not genuine‚ therefore‚ to be upset at NBC's decision to hire McDaniel — after she spent more than seven years leading one of the two major political parties — when Democrats routinely leave politics and the government to join a corporate media outlet without backlash.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A man in South Carolina who was wanted after allegedly murdering his estranged wife and her friend was found dead on Sunday‚ according to Fox News Digital. The authorities believe the man carried out the attack after an argument.Christopher Minor‚ 50‚ was found dead with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound at Baker Creek State Park located in McCormick County. Park rangers discovered Minor's vehicle unoccupied before eventually finding his body near Lake Thurmond.The report mentioned that Minor died after he allegedly fatally shot Mariellen Bessent Minor and her friend Kim Melissa Thrift Saturday night around 6:00 p.m. The attack reportedly took place after the two women made their way to the Arbors at Brookfield Apartments to pick up the children that the Minors shared. An argument soon followed after the women arrived‚ but the details of the altercation are not clear. Amid the argument‚ Christopher is believed to have shot and killed his estranged wife and Thrift.The report said the authorities believe Thrift had accompanied her friend for safety reasons.When the authorities arrived on the scene‚ they discovered the bodies of two women who were eventually identified as Minor and Thrift‚ per WYFF.Mauldin Police Chief George Miller said Minor's body was found lying outside the vehicle she arrived in with multiple gunshot wounds. And Thrift was found dead inside the same vehicle.Miller went on to say that the shooting had reportedly occurred in front of people‚ including children. It is not clear whether the Minor children witnessed the horrific event. Soon after the investigation‚ the authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Christopher on two counts of murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the commission of a violent act‚ according to the authorities.Officials involved in the case said Minor was last seen driving a white Cadillac with South Carolina plates. He was described as being almost six feet tall‚ weighing around 200 pounds. He had brown eyes and gray hair.The authorities mentioned that a brother-in-law had told Mariellen to report alleged domestic abuse to the police. Miller urged those who are experiencing domestic violence to report it or seek help."If you're a victim of domestic violence‚ I'm begging you to report it so that we can assist you and try and keep this from happening‚" Miller said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An activist from the group Just Stop Oil told informed colleagues during a meeting that the movement needed to shift away from being seen as a white‚ middle-class group of activists and focus more on being inclusive to all.The activist‚ known only as Olive‚ has been pictured in anti-oil protests including when the group halted traffic on the London Bridge in June 2023. A reporter infiltrated the eco-group's weekly strategy discussion over meeting software Zoom‚ where the team of environmentalists opined about its public image.Olive reportedly made pleas to the meeting's 50 attendees‚ who were reportedly taken aback when she said the group needed to push for more diversity."One of our key aims in this shift is to break out of this white‚ middle-class‚ student bubble that a lot of the time we find ourselves in‚" she declared. She added that the group needed to make their "spaces and actions something that all young people want to be a part of."The leader‚ said to be in her 20s‚ stated that the group was creating a new youth division called Youth Demand‚ with a focus to increasingly target the rich. In addition to this plan‚ another element of the group's approach would be to work with more Muslim groups‚ including a group called Palestine Action. Who knew? Just Stop Oil zealot admits: Were too White and middle-class \nOlive sporting pink hair said the group has become too white and needs to be more diverse We must work with Muslim groups to break out of our bubble.\nJSO has now joined forces with Pro Palestinan activists — (@) It was also revealed by the journalist that the group planned to join forces with the pro-Palestinian activists to cause a significant disruption in central London‚ England‚ the Daily Mail reported."This month‚ we're doing high-profile action to launch our campaign into the headlines.""In April‚ from 7th to 11th‚ young people from across the country are coming together to take action in London. They're going to be targeting individuals and institutions who are acting that genocide is acceptable. We're going to show that we're on to them and they cannot hide their crimes‚" the activist said in reference to the Israel-Palestine war.The undercover journalist said the anti-oil and Palestinian groups planned to meet for a "mass civil disobedience action" in London to argue that energy companies are fueling the Israeli military and‚ as such‚ displacing and killing Palestinians. \ud83d\udea8 BREAKING: Just Stop Oil Met With Counterprotest\n\n\ud83e\uddba Supporters of Just Stop Oil were met with a counterprotest while preparing to slow march in Elephant &; Castle‚ but after explaining their reasoning for demanding an end to new oil and gas‚ the counterprotesters dispersed. — (@) The Just Stop Oil group has effectively made disrupting public events and day-to-day traffic its primary form of protest. June and July 2023 were busy summer months for the activists‚ with showcases of disruptive behavior boiling over into reactions from the public. Along with the aforementioned bridge protest‚ June 2023 saw activists doused with a bucket of water from a balcony as they slow-walked down a busy road.In mid-July 2023‚ a protester was dragged away after disrupting a university's graduation ceremony with orange paint. Just Stop Oil frequently has spread orange paint at public events‚ which typically causes minor disruptions in activities and only annoys onlookers‚ with any environment-related messaging going by the wayside.About a week later‚ the activists were met by counterprotesters while again trying to block a busy English road. The counter-demonstrators surrounded the anti-oil activists wearing shirts that read "Just Stop Pissing Everyone Off."It was unclear if the group was involved with Just Stop Oil‚ given the alleged ease with which they willingly ended their resistance. Metro UK cited a Twitter user who claimed the counterprotest was "a stunt to try and make them seem reasonable."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The New York Post recently reported that Pride flags will no longer be allowed to fly at U.S. embassies. The ban comes after President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion spending package.Biden released a statement saying that the "bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open‚ invests in the American people‚ and strengthens our economy and national security."“This agreement represents a compromise‚ which means neither side got everything it wanted.”The 1‚012-page text was spearheaded by Republicans‚ which stated: "None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be obligated or expended to fly or display a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State.”There have been heated debates about Pride flags flown at U.S. embassies around the world. While the flags were flown under the Obama administration‚ they were subsequently banned by the Trump administration in 2019. Since then‚ Biden reinstated the flags in 2021‚ according to a report by Forbes. The Senate reportedly passed the funding package in a 74-24 vote at around 2:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The vote was finalized technically two hours after the deadline due to last-minute disagreements‚ per CNBC.Consequently‚ the White House said that it would not begin official shutdown operations since an agreement was ultimately made.A spokesperson for Biden reportedly said: “Biden believes it was inappropriate to abuse the process that was essential to keep the government open by including this policy targeting LGBTQI+ Americans.” However‚ it's speculated that the White House will try to repeal the flag ban.“It poses absolutely no limits to other displays of a Pride flag‚ hosting LGBTQ+ events or embassy employees’ ability to display Pride flags in their work spaces‚” Brandon Wolf‚ Human Rights Campaign spokesperson‚ said on Friday.The Hill reported Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said: "It’s been a very long and difficult day‚ but we have just reached an agreement to complete the job of funding the government." “It is good for the country that we have reached this bipartisan deal. It wasn’t easy‚ but tonight our persistence has been worth it.”An additional sticking point for Republicans was that they wanted more funding to secure the U.S.-Mexico border‚ noting that the Biden administration's current policies don't do enough to push against the onslaught of migrants flowing over the border.Senate Republicans pushed for the bill to include measures such as the Laken Riley Act‚ "which would require the detention of undocumented immigrants who are charged with theft-related crimes. In the end‚ none of the amendments passed‚ somewhat due to time constraints‚" per The Hill.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The bill will ban children under 14 from accessing social-media accounts and require parental permission for children ages 14-15.

Journalists seem perplexed that anyone doubts Blasey Ford’s story of sexual assault at the hands of Brett Kavanaugh.

Jordan also subpoenaed Biden’s ghostwriter for audio recordings and transcripts of interviews he conducted with Biden for his book.