Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, May 29, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, and today, we’re following some big news stories, from former President Donald Trump’s ongoing legal battles, to a story regarding the Jan. 6 Capital breach. We’ll also share with you a story about voting issues in Pennsylvania, the Keystone State, custody battles over transgender issues, and have you seen the price of beef lately? It just hit record highs, and we’ll tell you more coming up.
Federal Judge Denies Jack Smith’s Request for Gag Order Against Trump
Federal Judge Aileen Cannon has recently denied a gag order request by special counsel Jack Smith in President Trump’s classified documents case.Mr. Smith’s team requested the gag order after President Trump claimed that FBI agents were ready to shoot him during a search of his property in August 2022. The FBI denied this and said that the agents were simply following their standard protocol during their investigation.
Judge Cannon rejected the request, saying it’s “lacking substance and professional courtesy.” She also emphasizes the need for basic standards in future legal filings.
Mr. Smith’s team argued that limiting President Trump’s public comments was necessary to protect the safety of law enforcement officers involved in the case.
President Trump’s lawyers said that Mr. Smith violated a rule requiring discussions between parties before filing motions. They requested sanctions and a hearing for evidence, but Mr. Smith did not meet with President Trump’s attorneys.
President Trump has pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials after he left the White House. Judge Cannon has postponed this case indefinitely as there are a number of outstanding issues that need to be resolved.
Gag orders have been imposed on President Trump in other cases, including a criminal trial and a civil trial, both in New York. A federal judge in Washington has also restricted him from criticizing court personnel, Mr. Smith’s team, and potential witnesses.
Court Finds Error in Jan. 6 Case, but Rules Against Convict
A U.S. appeals court has found that federal judge Amit Mehta made an error when he denied a request to dismiss a potential juror during the trial of Thomas Webster. Mr. Webster, a retired New York Police Department officer, is charged on multiple counts for his participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.The juror in question, identified as juror number 1156, openly supported President Joe Biden and said that this support could disadvantage Mr. Webster. The juror also admitted that he could not adhere to the principle of presuming a defendant innocent until proven guilty.
The appeals court has ruled that a juror who cannot presume the defendant’s innocence has no place in a jury box.
Mr. Webster’s legal team is also expressing concerns about another juror who seems to favor government attorneys, as well as the judge’s failure to probe subsequent jurors for potential biases.
Despite these concerns, the appeals court determined that the trial was not compromised by these issues and ultimately rejected Mr. Webster’s broader appeal. The court also concluded that Mr. Webster failed to prove that the jury pool was inherently biased against him, despite a survey suggesting some Washington voters were ready to convict Jan. 6 participants without hearing the evidence.
Mr. Webster had additional grievances, including the judge’s directions to the jury about a specific federal law and the approval of a sentencing enhancement because he was wearing a bulletproof vest. The appeals court upheld previous district court decisions on these points, affirming that the instructions were fair and the sentencing enhancement was correctly applied. Mr. Webster has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Lawsuit Seeks End to ‘Lawless’ Noncitizen Voting in Pennsylvania
The group America First Legal (AFL) has filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of State, challenging a state directive that they claim allows noncitizens to vote in state and federal elections.The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) mandates that voters must provide a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number for identity verification. The state of Pennsylvania established the “HAVA Matching Directive” in 2018, which reportedly processes voter applications even if the identification details do not align with any existing database. According to the AFL, this new directive breaches the existing HAVA act and it is pushing to have it repealed.
The issue of noncitizens registering to vote isn’t just a Pennsylvania problem. The Public Interest Legal Foundation noted similar occurrences in Arizona, where voter registrations were canceled due to citizenship discrepancies.
To address broader concerns, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) have proposed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. The new bill aims to enforce proof of citizenship at voter registration and force states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. This act is facing opposition from several left-leaning groups who argue it’s unnecessary and could disenfranchise voters, particularly those of color.
Gene Hamilton, executive director of the AFL, says that Americans across the nation have “legitimate concerns” about the security of elections. He has urged Pennsylvania’s secretary of state to drop, in his words, an “unlawful practice” and ensure compliance with federal election security standards.
Montana Couple Who Lost Custody for Not ‘Gender Affirming’ Daughter Files Suit
A Montana couple has lost custody of their 14-year-old daughter because they opposed her undergoing “gender-affirming” treatments transitioning her to a boy. They have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the state’s Child and Family Services (CFS).According to Todd Kolstad, the girl’s biological father, and Krista Cummins-Koldstad, her stepmother, the state’s social workers consider them unfit due to their “objections to transgenderism” and the couple was told they would not regain custody unless they accepted their daughter’s transgender identity. The state has sent the girl to live with her biological mother in Canada.
Matthew Monforton, the couple’s lawyer, said: “It was basically a kidnapping.” He added that it’s almost impossible for them to get their daughter back due to Canada’s liberal social policies.
The Montana Department of Health and Human Services has not provided any comments on the matter.
The Kolstads maintained that gender changes are “scientifically impossible” and contradict their religious values. Instead, they insisted that their daughter needed a mental health diagnosis.
The state responded by filing for emergency custody, arguing that the girl was in immediate danger of self-harm and that the parents were obstructing necessary treatment.
The lawsuit accuses the state of pushing a “woke agenda,” evidenced by materials given to the parents, such as an article on supporting transgender teens. It also claims that hospital staff promoted transgender ideology while ignoring the parents’ rights.
The couple had been relying on protection from a newly enacted law that banned “gender-affirming care” for minors. But a Montana judge blocked the enforcement of the new law, saying that it would negatively impact the mental and physical health of gender dysphoric minors.
Rancher: Record High Beef Prices May Be ‘New Norm’
Over the Memorial Day weekend, beef prices hit an all-time high, and industry experts warn costs could go even higher if current regulatory and economic conditions remain unchanged.American rancher Shad Sullivan told The Epoch Times that the sharp rise in prices can be attributed to what he calls a “withering assault” from regulators and government authorities. He said that the compliance costs from the Environmental Protection Agency are now as high as $3 million for a single beef processing plant, which is why smaller farms are shutting down.
Justin Tupper, president of the United States Cattlemen’s Association, told The Epoch Times that the price increase is also fueled by a dwindling supply of beef cattle, a consequence of severe droughts and policies that favor large food processors. What makes things worse is that increasing acres of cattle farms are being purchased by larger companies. These companies often use farms for alternative purposes after acquiring them, which further reduces the supply of available beef.
Billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who owns more farmland in the United States than anyone else, is promoting synthetic meat alternatives. He believes that moving away from traditional livestock is necessary to fight climate change. However, beef cattle production contributes only 10 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, while energy production and transportation account for 54 percent.
American ranchers are advocating strongly for support of small farms and are pushing back against the idea that synthetic meats are the future. They argue that these anti-meat narratives could undermine the nation’s agricultural strength and freedom.
I can see that we’re just about out of time, so let’s make that our final story on the Wednesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. We’re already halfway through the week.
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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.
Today’s gem comes from Mark Twain, who said: “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails! Explore, Dream, Discover.”
Discover or re-discover a Mark Twain book: always a stunning read.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas. We appreciate you spending some time with us today, enjoy the remainder of your Wednesday, and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow for the Thursday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. Have a perfect or at least near-perfect day today. Bye for now.
