Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some pressing stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
A New York judge puts on hold a critical legal decision regarding President-elect Donald Trump, a leading contender emerges as Trump’s choice for Treasury secretary, and a winner has been declared in Arizona’s Senate race—we’ll tell you who got the job.
Also, mass deportation of illegal immigrants will be a top priority for the next administration, and another food recall involves close to 40 tons of butter.
New York Judge Delays Ruling on Trump’s Immunity Arguments
Yesterday, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan delayed ruling on Trump’s immunity arguments in his falsified documents case.So you know, the delay was requested by both the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and Trump’s lawyers. Representatives for both legal teams cited Trump’s election win as a reason for the postponement.
In a recent email to the judge, one lawyer for Trump said that the eventual dismissal of the case is necessary in order to “avoid unconstitutional impediments to President Trump’s ability to govern.”
One of the New York prosecutors agreed, saying that “these are unprecedented circumstances.” He also said that the arguments raised by the defense team “require careful consideration” in order to balance the “competing interests” of a jury verdict of guilt and the office of the president.
The prosecutor asked the court to set Nov. 19 as a “deadline for the People to advise the Court regarding our view of appropriate steps going forward.”
Earlier this year, a jury found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts. However, Trump’s attorneys have asked the court to toss out both the verdict and the indictment, based on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that granted different levels of criminal immunity for the official conduct of U.S. presidents.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has said that Trump waited too long to raise some of his arguments regarding immunity. He also said that a federal judge had deemed the conduct in question—regarding a payment to an associate—to be outside of a president’s official duties.
Trump’s Top Choice for Treasury Secretary
Investor Scott Bessent has surfaced as a top contender for Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, according to a couple of unnamed sources.The 62-year-old hedge fund investor is the founder of a global macro investment company called the Key Square Group. He earned his billion-dollar fortune more than a decade ago, when he bet against the Japanese yen while serving as the chief financial officer of the Soros Fund Management firm.
Bessent contributed $3 million to both pro-Trump and Republican political action committees, or PACs, and last month in Detroit, Trump described him as “one of the top analysts on Wall Street.”
Additionally, Bessent has taught at Yale University, and he previously served as an economic adviser to the president-elect.
The hedge fund chief has also been a vocal advocate for tariffs, often praising the president’s use of the trade levies as a negotiating tactic.
Earlier this year, Bessent outlined a plan to achieve economic growth through deregulation and “more U.S. energy production.”
By the way, another Wall Street investment veteran, John Paulson, was also considered one of the top contenders to serve as Trump’s Treasury secretary. However, yesterday, he confirmed to The Epoch Times that he will not join the incoming administration in an official capacity because of his “complex financial obligations.”
In case you’re not aware, the Treasury secretary plays a vital role in the president’s Cabinet, because the position can have a profound effect on the national economy, sway regulatory issues, and influence geopolitical affairs.
Result of Key Arizona US Senate Race Is In
In Arizona, the closely watched Senate race has been called for Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) against former newscaster Kari Lake.The Associated Press called the race after recent tallies showed that Gallego had captured half of the vote, while Lake had won just under 48 percent, with only 5 percent of the vote left to be counted.
Gallego is a Harvard University graduate who served with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq, and he was first elected to Congress in 2014 after serving in the Arizona House.
He posted a brief message on X shortly after AP called the result, which said “Gracias, Arizona!” He’ll now take over the seat being vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who left the Democratic Party during her term and decided not to seek reelection.
For Lake, this latest result comes two years after she was defeated by Katie Hobbs in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race. That contest was marked by allegations of fraud from the Republican, who’s a staunch ally of President-elect Donald Trump.
Both Gallego and Lake spoke this summer at the conventions of their respective parties, and a couple of months ago, they held a debate, which included discussions about the hot-button topics of both abortion and immigration.
During that event, Lake condemned the bipartisan Senate border bill that was floated earlier this year, while Gallego defended the legislation, saying it would have provided much-needed technology to border agents.
By the way, the result might not be completely unexpected, as a number of different polls taken ahead of the contest consistently showed Gallego with a slight lead over Lake.
Tom Homan Issues Warning to Illegal Immigrants
Trump’s pick for “border czar,” Tom Homan, is warning illegal immigrants to “self-deport,” and he says that the federal government will make immigration enforcement a top priority in the incoming administration.Homan, who was the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says that “criminals and gang members get no grace period.” He told Fox News that his agency will prioritize “public safety threats and national security threats,” and that “we know who you are, and we’re gonna come and find you.”
Homan said that illegal immigrants who are not criminals should also “self-deport,” because that way, “they can put everything in order,” including their homes, businesses, and other arrangements, and they can “leave with their family all together.”
However, he warned that people who are here illegally and are criminals, including gang members, will “get no favors from this administration.”
Homan said that they “came to this country illegally, which is a crime,” and that they committed some “heinous crimes” against U.S. citizens.
To refresh your memory, a key component of Trump’s presidential campaign was his promise to carry out what he called the largest mass deportation in U.S. history.
So you know, Trump has said that Homan will be responsible for the southern and northern borders, for both maritime and aviation security, and also that he will be responsible for all deportation efforts.
By the way, a group called the American Immigration Council has opposed Trump’s deportation policies. It said recently that mass deportations could create “devastating costs” for the United States, and could negatively impact its budget, the economy, and labor force.
FDA Upgrades Recall of 80,000 Pounds of Costco Brand Butter
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated the recall of about 80,000 pounds of Costco brand butter due to an issue with the product’s label; however, it has just upgraded the risk associated with the recall.The FDA says that the butter was pulled from the shelves because the label “lists cream, but may be missing the Contains Milk statement.” In case you’re not aware, butter is made from both cream and milk.
The FDA now says that the recalled product may cause temporary health problems, but that the likelihood of “serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
The agency notice pointed out that the butter products that are under the recall include both the Kirkland Signature Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter and the Kirkland Signature Salted Sweet Cream Butter.
The FDA says that a Texas-based company called Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC produces the Kirkland butter, and that they recalled the product voluntarily.
However, neither the FDA nor Costco has issued a statement on what to do if a consumer has purchased those items.
The FDA also did not say whether or not the recall has been connected to any adverse reactions, or whether or not Costco is offering a refund for the recalled products.
By the way, the FDA says on its website that it has specific rules about declaring potential allergens, because some consumers may have a serious reaction to dairy.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Wednesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
Don’t forget the News Brief Motto: We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from the great writer James Baldwin, who said: “Not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.
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Enjoy the remainder of your day, and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.
