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The Hill
21 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump orbit rewarded in year since criminal conviction
It's been one year since President Trump was found guilty on all counts of falsifying business records to keep alleged affairs secret during his 2016 campaign, enshrining him in history as the first ex-commander-in-chief to become a convicted felon. Now back in the White House, his world looks very different — and those who remained by his side have reaped the benefits. Trump's defense attorneys are now serving at the Justice Department's highest levels. His allies who showed up to the trial have been rewarded with Cabinet posts and even the vice presidency. Trump is also continuing to fight his legal woes, with two major appeals court battles set for June. Here's where everything stands one year later. Trump's defense lawyers become the prosecution After retaking the White House, many of Trump's personal defense attorneys filled top Justice Department positions. Todd Blanche, Trump's lead counsel at the hush money trial, serves as deputy attorney general. His right-hand man, Emil Bove, now works as Blanche's deputy. The duo has made aggressive moves, including the controversial dismissal of New York City Mayor Eric Adams's (D) corruption case. Bove's tenure at the department may be quickly coming to a close, however. This week, Trump said he was nominating Bove to a judgeship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. D. John Sauer, who successfully argued Trump's presidential immunity claims before the Supreme Court that stymied several of his criminal cases, now spearheads the administration's efforts at the high court as solicitor general. Sauer's office has brought more than a dozen emergency applications to the justices seeking to lift lower court injunctions blocking Trump's policies. Meanwhile, Harmeet Dhillon, who supported Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and represented him in a 14th Amendment challenge to his 2024 candidacy, oversees the Justice Department's civil rights division. She has reshaped the division's priorities, causing an exodus of lawyers. And Alina Habba came to the White House to serve as counselor to the president. Habba, known for her television appearances attacking the cases against Trump, worked on Trump's civil fraud prosecution brought by the New York attorney general and the defamation cases brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. In March, Trump named Habba as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey. In that role, she has brought criminal charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) over a scuffle at a Newark immigration facility. But not all lawyers entered the administration. Steve Sadow, Trump's lead counsel in his Georgia criminal case concerning his efforts following the 2020 election, had no interest. Sadow is a longtime Atlanta-based defense attorney who has represented several other prominent clients like Usher and Rick Ross. 'I have never been a prosecutor and never will be. It just not in my makeup,' Sadow said in November after Trump's election victory. Trump's allies rewarded Trump's criminal trial became a critical stop for his strongest GOP allies and those vying to join his future administration — and showing up paid off. Vice President Vance, then a Republican senator for Ohio, joined Trump's courtroom entourage on the first day of testimony from fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen. He questioned Cohen's credibility as a witness on social media, and outside the courthouse, accused the Manhattan prosecutors trying the case of being 'Democratic political operatives.' Then-North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), who called the proceeding a 'scam trial' outside the courthouse, is now Interior secretary. On Thursday, Trump named Paul Ingrassia, who attended the trial and live tweeted a flood of pro-Trump content, to lead the office charged with prosecuting misconduct in the federal workforce. And Susie Wiles, who was a senior advisor to Trump's presidential campaign, attended parts of the trial and was later named his White House chief of staff. Some Republican allies initially rewarded have ultimately seen those rewards falter. Trump initially named ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for attorney general, but Gaetz withdrew after it became clear he would not earn enough support in Congress. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) was tapped as ambassador to the United Nations, but Trump later asked her to withdraw over fear of losing her congressional seat. And former presidential candidate-turned-Trump-surrogate Vivek Ramaswamy was set to join the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) cost-cutting mission alongside billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk but departed to run for governor of Ohio. Where Trump's legal troubles stand Trump's personal legal woes fell into the background after he became president, but some of his biggest cases are returning to the limelight. On June 11, Trump's hush money conviction heads to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit for oral arguments. The president is attempting to move his case out of New York state court — where Trump has long complained he isn't being treated fairly — and into federal court. If successful, the move would provide Trump a pathway to assert immunity and other defenses that could see his 34-count felony conviction tossed. Sullivan & Cromwell now helms the president's defense after many of his mainstay lawyers moved into the Justice Department. The Justice Department is now going to bat for Trump, filing a friend-of-the-court brief backing the president's position. 'To hold otherwise would risk incentivizing state and local prosecutors to manipulate trial dates and the timing of evidentiary submissions in the most high-profile of cases,' the Justice Department wrote in its brief. Trump's attorneys will face off against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's (D) office, which brought the hush money prosecution. The office argues Trump's bid to move courts is dead now that he's been sentenced. Nearly two weeks later, the same court on June 24 will hear Trump's appeal of a jury's verdict ordering him to pay $83.3 million to Carroll, the longtime advice columnist who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s. The Justice Department is attempting to come to Trump's rescue in that case, too. In April, the department again asked to substitute the government as the defendant in Carroll's lawsuit. It had done so at the onset of the case before abandoning the effort in 2023, during the Biden administration. 'I don't need to tell you that Robbie and I are ready for the fight, do I?' Carroll wrote on Substack last month, referencing her attorney, Robbie Kaplan. The trial was the second time a jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll. He also was ordered to hand over $5 million in her separate lawsuit, a verdict the 2nd Circuit upheld in December. And in the state courts in New York, Trump awaits an appeals panel's decision in its review of the state's civil fraud case against the now sitting president, which ended in a nearly $500 million judgment against him and his business. The panel heard arguments in September and seemed wary of the massive financial penalty. A decision could come at any time.
Independent Singapore
an hour ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Desmond Lee: The son also rises, a younger 4G leader emerging in a Gen X nation
The Independent Singapore may have spotted a rising star. When Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled his new Cabinet on May 25, one remark stood out to seasoned observers: Wong singled out Desmond Lee for praise. Veteran journalist PN Balji quickly picked up on the cue, writing that Lee 'could go on to bigger things.' Wong's words were measured but significant: 'Desmond brings a quiet but effective style of leadership. He listens actively and persistently, engages widely with stakeholders, and takes decisive actions when needed.' For Singapore, a country known for pragmatism over pageantry, such praise carries weight. Unlike some of Singapore's past political giants — the fiery Lee Kuan Yew or the eloquent David Marshall — Lee speaks with understated clarity. His manner is conversational and grounded, in tune with the present generation, which favours simplicity over grand rhetoric. Steady rise Lee's rise has been steady. His appointment as Education Minister was already a signal of trust and importance — education, after all, holds a special place in Singapore's governance. It has historically been the portfolio of many political heavyweights, including Goh Keng Swee, Tony Tan, Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Lee stepped into this charmed circle with the added distinction of family legacy: his father, Lee Yock Suan, was also Education Minister from 1992 to 1997. Only one other father-son pair — Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong — have both served as ministers in Singapore, underscoring how rare such political continuity is in the city-state. Now, Desmond Lee has been appointed chairman of the People's Action Party (PAP), a position that boosts not only his own stature but also affirms the generational transition underway. The move strengthens the grip of the PAP's so-called '4G' — the fourth-generation leadership team — on the party machinery. With Prime Minister Wong as secretary-general and Lee as chairman, the party's helm is now firmly in 4G hands. That generational label, '4G', doesn't necessarily refer to age. It marks the fourth leadership cohort since Singapore's independence: the founding leaders led by Lee Kuan Yew (1G); the Goh Chok Tong generation (2G); the Lee Hsien Loong Cabinet (3G); and now, the current team under Wong. Many of today's 4G ministers, including Wong, Heng Swee Keat, and Lee himself, entered politics around the 2011 general election. Still, age is not irrelevant. The former PAP chairman, Heng Swee Keat, was widely expected to become the next Prime Minister. But in 2021, Heng, then 60, stepped aside, citing concerns about his ability to lead the country over a sufficiently long period. This opened the door for the younger Wong, now 52. Desmond Lee, at 48, is even younger — close to the national median age of 42.8 — and well positioned for a long and meaningful political future. Gen X nation In fact, Singapore today is very much a Generation X nation, led by Gen Xers like Wong and Lee. While a few 3G figures remain in Cabinet — most notably Lee Hsien Loong as Senior Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan at Foreign Affairs, and K. Shanmugam at Home Affairs and National Security — many others, including Teo Chee Hean, Ng Eng Hen and Maliki Osman, have stepped down. The character of the Cabinet has shifted. It is now younger and more technocratic. See also Minister Lim: Please join our created platform to find jobs Netizens have cottoned on to the growing importance of Desmond Lee. As hatboyslim says on the subreddit r/Singapore: 'Technically, in party protocol, the chairman has precedence over the secretary-general, although the secretary-general is the leader of the party. 'This is a big party promotion for the son of Lee Yock Suan. This adds to his promotion to Minister for Education, which is one of the big four portfolios (finance, defence, home affairs, and education).'' Recalling how he and his PAP team beat the Progress Singapore Party at Jurong West GRC in the recent general election, serendeepities notes in the same subreddit: 'The GE showed his pull in West Coast and from those who have worked with him, he is well regarded albeit someone that is more of a quiet technocrat. Though he tends to be understated, his trajectory remains constant and will likely continue to be a presence especially in the 4-5G and the PAP. All the more so given his age.' Like PM Lawrence Wong Desmond Lee's trajectory has notably mirrored Wong's. Wong has been education minister, too, and both have served as national development ministers. Lee, a lawyer by training, does not have Wong's background in economics. Yet both have managed portfolios that touch the core of Singapore's long-term strategy — housing, infrastructure, education, and urban planning. As National Development Minister, Lee took over from Wong in 2020 and remained in the role through the 2025 general election. During his tenure, he oversaw policies to increase housing supply, upgrade public estates, and steer long-term planning initiatives. These are issues that directly affect the lives of everyday Singaporeans. Lee's appointment as PAP chairman is the latest step in a carefully built political path. He isn't being thrust into unfamiliar territory; he has already served as the party's assistant secretary-general and has sat on the PAP's Central Executive Committee. While the chairman's role doesn't usually generate headlines like ministerial portfolios do, it remains an influential post — previously held by political heavyweights such as Toh Chin Chye, Ong Teng Cheong, Tony Tan, and Khaw Boon Wan. There's no doubt that Lee's political résumé is substantial — and growing. From a legacy family to high-profile ministries, from quiet leadership to party command, he has built a career marked by steadiness rather than spectacle. The question now is not whether he will go on to bigger things, but just how far he might go.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine offers $4,800 bonus to new doctors in rural, combat zones
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a one-time payment of Hr 200,000 ($4,800) for medical school graduates who accept positions at health care facilities in rural areas or active combat zones, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on May 30, according to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. The new measure, set to take effect in 2025, is aimed at addressing critical staffing shortages in front-line and underserved regions from which many residents — and professionals — have fled due to ongoing Russian attacks. "Along with security and defense, investment in human capital is a cross-cutting policy of the government and the state," Shmyhal said. "This is effective support for young specialists and a means of overcoming the shortage of medical personnel in the regions." Ukraine has faced growing difficulties maintaining access to essential services in embattled territories, with hospitals and clinics particularly affected by Russia's war. Taras Melnychuk, the Cabinet's representative in parliament, said the bonus will be available to interns beginning in 2025. To qualify, candidates must complete training in a medical specialty and sign a contract for at least three years with a state or municipal health care facility located either in a rural area or in an active combat zone. They must also apply for a vacancy listed at the time of submission via the Unified Job Portal and be employed at a facility where staffing in medical positions does not exceed 75%. The initiative is part of Ukraine's broader effort to stabilize front-line communities, which continue to face mounting pressure under Russian fire. Read also: Ukraine attacks elite Russian unit base nearly 7,000km away in Vladivostok, source claims We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
New book exposes Biden's 'scripted' Cabinet meetings amid alleged cognitive decline cover-up
Former President Joe Biden's Cabinet meetings were overly "scripted," CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson reveal in their book, "Original Sin," an outline of Biden's cognitive decline and his administration's alleged cover-up. "The Cabinet meetings were terrible and at times uncomfortable – and they were from the beginning," a Cabinet member told the authors. "I don't recall a great Cabinet meeting in terms of his presence. They were so scripted." The White House's speechwriters shortened Biden's remarks and shrank his vocabulary to adapt to "Biden's diminished capabilities," according to Tapper and Thompson. During his one-term presidency, Biden's aides told the journalists that he became increasingly reliant on teleprompters and note cards, even for private conversations and in Cabinet meetings. Four Cabinet members who spoke with Tapper and Thompson described Biden's meetings as overly scripted. One Cabinet secretary said he hated "the scripts" for Cabinet meetings, while another doubted in 2022 that he could run for re-election. Credibility Crisis: White House Reporters Speak Out On Whether Biden's Mental Decline Was Deliberately Hidden "You want people to tell you the truth and have a real dialogue, and those meetings were not that," a Cabinet member told Tapper and Thompson. Read On The Fox News App New Book Reveals Biden's Inner Circle Worried About His Age Years Before Botched Debate Performance However, as Biden's bad speeches and reliance on note cards became common practice, a speechwriter told Tapper and Thompson that over time, "they just got used to it." The story behind closed doors was inconsistent with the White House's narrative, according to "Original Sin." In January 2024, the White House convened a meeting with Biden, his national security advisers and congressional leadership to urge Congress to continue financially supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described Biden as "incredibly strong, forceful, and decisive," and the official White House readout said Biden was "clear" about protecting national security and "underscored the importance of Congress ensuring Ukraine has the resources it needs." However, a House Democrat who attended the meeting said, "That's not true," Tapper and Thompson wrote. A second House Democrat described the meeting as a "disaster," and a "s---show." "For the first twenty minutes of the meeting, the president listlessly read bullet points out of a binder. For many at the table, he was difficult to hear. He stumbled over words; he started sentences and then stopped abruptly; he trailed off," Tapper and Thompson said. A House Democrat said he was "not capable of making a strong, forceful argument," and deferred to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Intelligence Director Avril Haines to answer questions, as outlined in "Original Sin." Tapper and Thompson described a concerning event for senior administration officials on the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. After reading a "weak, slurry" speech from a teleprompter, Biden confused Alabama with Texas and then his own Cabinet members, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. "I blame his inner circle, and I blame him," an official who found the event "crazy" told the authors a year later. As Cabinet members observed concerning practices that accompanied Biden's day-to-day meetings, Tapper and Thompson described how the president's circle grew smaller and smaller in 2023 and 2024. "Access dropped off considerably in 2024, and I didn't interact with him as much," a Cabinet secretary told the authors. "I didn't get an explanation." The Cabinet secretary said they briefed senior White House aides who would then communicate the information to the president themselves. They questioned if it was the White House's way of filtering information to shape his decisions. "I think the people around him had their own agenda, and they didn't want more people around him," another Cabinet member told Tapper and Thompson. The Cabinet members who spoke to Tapper and Thompson described a "weird period" when they didn't have any access to Biden for months between 2023 and 2024. They described it as a "deliberate strategy by the White House to have him meet with as few people as necessary." When they did see him, they said they were shocked at how "disoriented" and "out of it" he seemed, mumbling and "not making much sense." Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden's cognitive decline and his inner circle's alleged role in covering it up. A Biden spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: New book exposes Biden's 'scripted' Cabinet meetings amid alleged cognitive decline cover-up
Kyodo News
2 hours ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Japan eyes more rice exports as domestic consumption set to decline
KYODO NEWS - 7 hours ago - 17:41 | All, Japan The Japanese government on Friday vowed to explore new overseas markets and provide support for more efficient production as part of efforts to increase rice exports in response to an envisioned long-term contraction in domestic consumption. In the annual white paper on food and agriculture for fiscal 2024 approved by the Cabinet, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries recommends increased rice exports despite the Japanese government recently introducing measures to curb soaring domestic prices, driven in part by shortages. The report identified China, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan as target markets for exports. With the popularity of Japanese food booming abroad, the country's exports of agricultural goods reached a record 1.51 trillion yen ($10.5 billion) in 2024, as it sets a target of 5 trillion yen in 2030, the paper said. To achieve that target, the government wants to increase rice exports, which trended higher to 12.03 billion yen in 2024 -- 27.8 percent above the year before -- through sales at Japanese restaurants and stores. The government set a goal to boost rice exports by nearly eightfold to 353,000 tons in 2030 from 2024 in its medium- to long-term basic plan for agriculture, released in April. To bolster productivity for rice exports, the government aims to increase the acreage managed by export-focused farmers with fields of 15 hectares or larger. It also seeks to reduce the current production costs of 16,000 yen per 60 kilograms nearer to 9,500 yen for exports to help domestic producers better compete with foreign-grown rice, according to the plan. New farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi also urged rice growers to increase output, despite the government issuing a guideline annually for each major producing region to match expected demand, a step that has led to adjustments in supply. He said last week that even if there is a surplus, rice could be exported overseas or the government could find new ways to market it. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is also supportive of increasing agricultural exports, saying in a recent TV program, "Rather than saying, 'We will export if there is a surplus,' we should aim to export from the beginning." The paper, which includes a chapter dedicated to agricultural exports for the first time, said, "It is essential to shift to earning money in growing overseas markets" as domestic consumption is expected to decline due to the falling population. Related coverage: Japan opposition chief rebuked for calling gov't reserve rice "animal feed" Japan gov't vows reserve rice supply to countryside amid price spike Half of Japan's stockpiled rice sought by retailers under new scheme
