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Even Fox News Is Calling Cassidy Hutchinson’s Jan. 6 Testimony ‘Devastating’

June 28, 2022 by www.rollingstone.com Leave a Comment

The news Tuesday was so bad for Donald Trump that even Fox News couldn’t find a way to spin it in his favor.

“I’ve covered politics a long time,” Bret Baier said on the air. “I don’t think there has been testimony like this — that is kind of jaw-dropping, in a way — on the inside workings of a White House in crisis after, you know, at this moment, Jan. 6 , that we have seen since Watergate.”

Baier was referring to testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson , a former aide to Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows . Hutchinson was a surprise witness for the committee on Tuesday afternoon, who said that Meadows warned her on Jan. 2 that things could get “real, real bad on Jan. 6.”

Fox anchor Bret Baier: “I’ve covered politics a long time. I don’t think there has been testimony like this, kind of jaw-dropping in a way on the inside workings of a White House in crisis after, you know, at this moment, January 6th, that we have seen since Watergate, really.” pic.twitter.com/EJmvoLc2bA

— Lis Power (@LisPower1) June 28, 2022

Baier continued to comment on Hutchinson’s testimony. “Bottom line though, this testimony is stunning … I think this — it does move the ball in this hearing,” he said.

Joining Baier, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. McCarthy called Hutchinson’s testimony “devastating” to Trump. “I must say, watching this, it’s devastating testimony,” he said before noting that there is no cross-examination of these witnesses.

Later, Baier discounted complaints from Trump as the former president tried desperately to discredit Hutchinson in a statement posted to his social media platform, Truth Social. “I hardly know who this person … is, other than I heard very negative things about her (a total phony and ‘leaker’),” Trump wrote.

“She is bad news!” he added.

But Baier was not impressed. “Cassie Hutchinson is under oath on Capitol Hill. The president is on Truth Social making his statements,” he said.

LOL

Fox News anchor Bret Baier just completely dismisses Trump’s complaints about Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony:

“Cassie Hutchinson is under oath on Capitol Hill. The president is on Truth Social making his statements.” pic.twitter.com/jOLub7yh5o

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) June 28, 2022

Baier has long had more credibility than his Fox News peers, and the gap grew Tuesday.

Moments before Baier’s comments, fellow Fox anchor Martha Mac justified Trump throwing his lunch at a wall. According to Hutchinson, the former president threw a plate of food, smashing the dish because Trump was angry because then-Attorney General Bill Barr has discounted Trump’s claims the election was stolen. But Mac was unfazed by Trump’s tantrum. “There’s a lot of people out there who obviously shared his feelings of frustration over the course of those days,” she said. “The problem was they couldn’t back it up in the courts and they couldn’t back it up with evidence they produced. And that obviously was a source of deep frustration as well.”

Just another totally normal day in the White House, with the president of the United States throwing his lunch because he couldn’t subvert democracy.

Morning Digest | Alt News co-founder held for four-year-old Twitter post; Sanjay Raut dubs ED summons as ‘conspiracy’, and more

June 28, 2022 by www.thehindu.com Leave a Comment

Sanjay Raut dubs ED summons as ‘conspiracy’, says won’t be able to appear before agency on June 28

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday termed the Enforcement Directorate’s summons issued to him as a “conspiracy” to stop him from fighting against their political opponents and said he will not be able to appear before the agency on Tuesday as he has to attend a meeting in Alibaug. Mr. Raut, who is the Shiv Sena’s chief spokesperson, also said that even if he is killed, he will not resort to the “Guwahati route” taken by rebel MLAs from Maharashtra.

Alt News co-founder held for four-year-old Twitter post

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair was on Monday arrested by the Delhi Police’s IFSO unit in connection with an “objectionable tweet” he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity, officers said.

Centre using its agencies against those speaking the truth: Mamata Banerjee

Hours after Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the BJP-led federal government at the Centre against people who are “speaking the truth”. Ms. Banerjee claimed that ordinary people are being “tormented” by the BJP and as a result, several lakhs of people, including businessmen have left the country.

G7 summit – final day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday highlighted India’s efforts for green growth, clean energy, sustainable lifestyles, and global wellbeing, at a G7 summit session. Mr. Modi, who is in Germany on a two-day visit from Sunday for the summit of the G7, was received by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz upon his arrival at Schloss Elmau, the picturesque venue of the summit in southern Germany.

Will reach out to former BJP colleagues for support; Opposition unity will last till 2024: Yashwant Sinha

Presidential nominee Yashwant Sinha on Monday said he would reach out to his former colleagues in the BJP to seek their support and expressed confidence that the Opposition unity seen on his candidature would continue till 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a press conference here after filing his nomination, Mr. Sinha described the candidature of his rival NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu, a tribal, as part of “politics of symbolism” and insisted that he would contest the poll on the track record of the Modi government with regard to the welfare of backward communities.

BJP delegation from Gujarat to ‘inspect’ Kejriwal’s Delhi Model of governance

A delegation of BJP leaders from poll-bound Gujarat will visit the national capital to “inspect” the Delhi Model of the Arvind Kejriwal government on Tuesday. The 17-member delegation will include former ministers, Speaker of State assembly and legislators of Gujarat BJP, said Delhi BJP vice president Virendra Sachdeva. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been trying to carve a space for itself in Gujarat that goes to polls later this year. Several senior AAP leaders, including Mr. Kejriwal, had been visiting the State for meetings and roadshows in the recent months.

Supreme Court to hear Centre’s plea against Tripura HC order on security cover to Ambanis

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on June 28, a plea of the Centre challenging the Tripura High Court orders on a PIL challenging the grant of security cover to industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his family members in Mumbai. A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J.B. Pardiwala was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the high court has no jurisdiction to entertain the PIL as the State government has nothing to do with the security cover provided to the Ambanis by the Centre on the recommendation of the Maharashtra government.

GST Council meet: States’ compensation, easier e-comm suppliers’ registration, tax tweaks on cards

The GST Council in its two-day meeting starting Tuesday is slated to discuss an array of issues, including a mechanism for compensating States for revenue loss, tax rate tweaks in some items and relaxed registration norms for small online suppliers. Further, the Council, chaired by the Union Finance Minister and comprising State counterparts, will also clear levying the highest tax of 28% on online games, casinos and horse racing, besides, discussing a report of a GoM on high-risk taxpayers under GST to curb evasion.

G-7 leaders confer with Zelenskyy, prepare new aid for Ukraine

Leading economic powers conferred by video link with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday as they underscored their commitment to Ukraine for the long haul with plans to pursue a price cap on Russian oil, and raise tariffs on Russian goods and impose other new sanctions. In addition, the U.S. was preparing to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Kyiv to help Ukraine fight back against Vladimir Putin’s aggression. The U.S. was also preparing to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Kyiv.

England captain Morgan to announce retirement from international cricket on Tuesday

England’s World Cup-winning white-ball captain Eoin Morgan is set to announce his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday, ending a career in which, he played more than 300 times across 50-over and Twenty20 formats, British media reported. Morgan, who led England to 50-over World Cup glory in 2019, captained England in a record 126 ODIs and 72 T20s. His 118 wins as skipper across the two formats is also a record.

Hyderpora encounter: Supreme Court asks Jammu and Kashmir High Court to hear plea of man seeking exhumation of son’s body

The Supreme Court Monday asked the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to consider either on Tuesday or within a week the plea of a man seeking a direction to exhume the body of his son, who was dubbed a terrorist and killed in an encounter in November 2021 and to permit the family to conduct last religious rites at the same graveyard. A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J.B. Pardiwala also requested the high court consider the plea for the grant of compensation to Mohammad Latief Magrey for the death of his son Aamir Magrey.

Delhi weather update: Monsoon around the corner, likely to cover rain deficit within first few days

The monsoon is just a few days away from Delhi and is expected to yield good rainfall in the first 10 days, weather experts said on Monday. Delhi has received just 72.5 mm of rainfall since March 1 this year against the normal of 107.3 mm owing to the lack of strong western disturbances. The city did not record any rainfall in March and saw a minuscule 0.3 mm of precipitation in April against the monthly average of 12.2 mm.

Sindhu, Prannoy lead India’s challenge at Malaysia Open Super 750

P. V. Sindhu will look to quickly recover from her first-round exit at Indonesia, while H.S. Prannoy will eye another consistent show as the duo spearhead the Indian challenge at the Malaysia Open Super 750 tournament starting here on Tuesday. Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, was shown the door in the opening round by China’s He Bing Jiao at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 earlier this month and she will have to put behind that defeat when she begins her campaign against a formidable Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand.

Allowing Corbevax as booster for those vaccinated with Covishield, Covaxin likely to be considered by NTAGI

Allowing Biological E’s Corbevax as a booster for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with either Covishield or Covaxin is likely to be considered by the NTAGI, which is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, sources said. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on June 4 approved Corbevax as a precaution dose for those aged 18 and above. India’s first indigenously-developed RBD protein subunit vaccine, Corbevax, is currently being used to inoculate children in the age group of 12 to 14 years.

Fox News Anchor Martha MacCallum Defends Trump Smashing Lunch Against the Wall: ‘Not Wholly Out of Character’

June 28, 2022 by www.thedailybeast.com Leave a Comment

Immediately following the first hour of Tuesday’s last minute bombshell testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, to the January 6th Committee, Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier said in no uncertain the revelations about Donald Trump’s actions on that day in 2021 were both “stunning” and “compe

“All of this is firsthand, so it’s from her listening to it,” Baier added. “That’s why it’s so compelling. And that’s perhaps why we had this hearing that popped out of nowhere.”

But just moments later, his fellow anchor Martha MacCallum seemed to undercut that characterization by dismissing the details about Trump’s demonstrably outrageous behavior as “not wholly out of character.”

While MacCallum said that Hutchinson comes across as a “very credible” and seems to have a “great memory” for what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, she wasn’t quite sure that it tells the American people anything new about Trump.

“All of this is obviously riveting, it’s very dramatic, it was clearly a very difficult day for her and for all those who were involved and everybody who witnessed it,” she continued. “But the question is, in terms of the Department of Justice, does it move the ball at all on any legal action that they could pursue?”

When her colleague Sandra Smith recounted the story of Trump throwing his lunch plate against the wall in frustration after the Secret Service refused to let him to join the riots at the Capitol, complete with ketchup dripping down the wall, MacCallum said, “I’m not sure that it really shocks anybody that the president, just knowing what we’ve seen, observing him over the years if he got angry, that he might throw his lunch.”

While it’s a “very dramatic detail,” she said, “I’m not sure that any of this is wholly out of character with the Donald Trump and President Trump that people came to know over the years. And there’s a lot of people out there who obviously share his feelings of frustration over the course of those days.”

“The problem was that they couldn’t back it up with anything in the courts and they couldn’t back it up with evidence they produced,” she added. “That obviously was probably a source of deep frustration as well. Things were clearly not going his way.”

MacCallum did not say whether or not it was in “character” for Trump to grab the steering wheel from the backseat of his presidential limousine or “lunge towards” his head Secret Service agent’s throat, as Hutchinson also testified on Tuesday.

Adwait Dadarkar’s Play Dada Ek Good News Aahe Completes 250 Episodes

June 28, 2022 by www.news18.com Leave a Comment

Play Dada Ek Good News Aahe, directed by Adwait Dadarkar, garnered a lot of appreciation for its heart-warming storyline. The play has recently achieved a new milestone. It completed its 250th episode at the Savitribai Phule Natyagruha on June 26. Savitribai Phule Natyagruha is located in Dombivli Industrial Area-dombivli East, Thane, Mumbai.

The cast and director of the play Dada Ek Good News Aahe have been appreciated for directing an intriguing play. Kalyani Pathare’s writing has also been applauded.

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A post shared by dadaekgoodnewsahe (@dadaekgoodnewsahe)

This is the turning point in the play Dada Ek Good News Aahe. This turning point motivates Vineet and Namita to see lives from a new perspective. This twist in play also motivates both to accept each other with all their flaws and positives. This play is produced by actress Priya Bapat.

Umesh decided to celebrate this achievement with a small party. He shared a video on Instagram. Dada Ek Good News Ashe’s team is celebrating their success in this one. Umesh thanked everyone associated with this play. They brought in a cake with photographs of cast members on it.

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A post shared by Umesh Kamat (@umesh.kamat)

Actress Samidha Guru wished the team the heartiest congratulations. Writer and director Milind Gadagkar also wished them on this milestone. The video has garnered more than 28,000 views.

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In other SCOTUS news: Supreme Court ruling boosts school prayer

June 27, 2022 by www.fastcompany.com Leave a Comment

The Supreme Court of the United States has handed down a bevy of decisions in the past week as it nears the end of its term and prepares to adjourn for summer recess.

The court’s latest decision , posted Monday morning, rules that a high school football coach was exercising a constitutional right in praying on the field after games, in a case that could erode the separation of church and state across the country.

The case centers on Joseph Kennedy, an assistant coach at a public high school in Bremerton, Washington, a small community outside of Seattle. For eight years, Kennedy would routinely pray at the 50-yard line immediately after games—often joined by student athletes, who would surround him, heads bowed, at the field’s midway mark. After an opposing coach commented on the practice at one of these games, the Bremerton School District warned Kennedy not to pray if it would involve students. A clash followed over whether Kennedy obeyed, and his contract was not renewed for the following season.

Kennedy has claimed that the school district infringed upon his right to religious freedoms as sanctioned by the “free speech” and “free exercise” clauses of the First Amendment.

However, the Supreme Court has historically rejected the open demonstration of prayer in public schools, in the interest of upholding a separation of church and state. In 2000, the court ruled that organized prayers before school football games broke the First Amendment’s clause forbidding government “establishment,” or encouragement, of any religion. In such instances, the majority wrote at the time, “the delivery of a pregame prayer has the improper effect of coercing those present to participate in an act of religious worship.”

In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District , the argument—and the Supreme Court’s verdict—ultimately boiled down to whether Kennedy’s actions could be categorized as “quiet personal prayer,” as Kennedy claimed. “Petitioner’s expression occurred while at work but during a time when a brief lull in his duties apparently gave him a few free moments to engage in private activities,” read Monday’s verdict, penned by the court’s conservative majority. “When he engaged in this expression, he acted in a purely private capacity.”

But the dissent, drafted by the court’s three liberal justices, painted a contrasting picture. “Kennedy’s practice evolved into postgame talks in which Kennedy would hold aloft student helmets and deliver speeches with ‘overtly religious references,’ which Kennedy described as prayers, while the players kneeled around him,” they wrote. Additionally, Kennedy asked opposing teams’ coaches and players to join in. The prayers—which took place center-field in front of crowds of other students and parents, and sometimes local politicians or television news crews—constituted a public display, they argued. And Kennedy’s stature as a leader, as well as the prominence of varsity football culture, could leave students feeling forced to participate—whether they wished to or not.

Monday’s decision continues the Supreme Court’s marathon of conservative victories, coming just months after the highest court in the land was swayed to a 6-3 conservative majority of justices. The new bench has already decided two of the most consequential cases of this era, regarding reproductive rights in 1973’s landmark Roe v. Wade , and gun rights in the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen . All three votes have been split along ideological lines.