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Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Trump's latest pardons benefit an array of political allies and public figures
WASHINGTON (AP) — A governor who resigned amid a corruption scandal and served two stints in federal prison. A New York Republican who resigned from Congress after a tax fraud conviction and who made headlines for threatening to throw a reporter off a Capitol balcony over a question he didn't like. Reality TV stars convicted of cheating banks and evading taxes. All were unlikely beneficiaries this week of pardons, with President Donald Trump flexing his executive power to bestow clemency on political allies, prominent public figures and others convicted of defrauding the public. The moves not only take aim at criminal cases once touted as just by the Justice Department but also come amid a continuing Trump administration erosion of public integrity guardrails, including the firing of the department's pardon attorney and the near-dismantling of a prosecution unit established to hold public officials accountable for abusing the public trust. 'He is using pardons to essentially override the verdicts of juries, to set aside the sentences that have been imposed by judges and to accomplish political objectives,' said Liz Oyer, who was fired in March as the pardon attorney after she says she refused to endorse a recommendation to restore the gun rights of actor Mel Gibson, a Trump supporter. 'That is very damaging and destructive to our system of justice.' To be sure, other presidents have courted controversy with their clemency decisions. President Gerald Ford famously pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich just hours before the Democratic president left office. More recently, President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family. But the pardons announced Wednesday are part of a pattern of clemency grants that began in Trump's first term and has continued in the current one in which bold-face names, prominent supporters and defendants whose causes are championed by friends time and again have an edge on ordinary citizens who lack connections to the White House. In 2020, for instance, he pardoned allies convicted in the Russia election interference investigation that shadowed his first term as well as his son-in-law's father, Charles Kushner, who was later named ambassador to France. On his first day back in office, he pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, using his clemency powers to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. Twice indicted by the Justice Department, and entangled in criminal investigations in the White House and in his post-presidency life, Trump has long conveyed public suspicion about prosecutorial power and found common cause with politicians — including on the other side of the aisle — he sees as having been mistreated like he believes he was. In February, for instance, the Republican president pardoned former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich after having earlier commuted his 14-year sentence on political corruption charges. Blagojevich, he said, 'was set up by a lot of bad people, some of the same people I had to deal with.' The most recent pardon beneficiaries include former GOP New York Rep. Michael Grimm, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran in Manhattan. The former Marine and FBI agent resigned from Congress the following year and served eight months in prison. Grimm tried to reenter politics in 2018 but lost a primary for his old district. Others include former Republican Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, whose once-promising political career was cut short by an investigation into gifts and favors from state contractors. Rowland was convicted and imprisoned a second time for conspiring to hide his work on political campaigns and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. The White House also announced pardons for rap artist NBA YoungBoy on gun-related charges and TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, famous for 'Chrisley Knows Best,' a reality show that followed their family and extravagant lifestyle that prosecutors said was boosted by bank fraud and hiding earnings from tax authorities. The couple was convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents. The latest pardons unfold as Trump has departed from the norms and protocols of the clemency process and as the Justice Department has signaled a tweaked approach to public corruption and white-collar fraud. The department, for instance, has long had a pardon attorney tasked with sifting through applications from defendants and recommending clemency to the White House for those seen as having served their debt to society and accepted responsibility for their crimes, including drug offenders serving long sentences and not generally known to the public or connected to the powerful. In place of Oyer, the fired pardon attorney, the administration installed Ed Martin, a Trump loyalist who briefly served as interim U.S. attorney in Washington. He has already pledged to scrutinize pardons that Biden issued on his way out of the White House and has said he would take a 'hard look' at two men who are serving long prison terms for leading a conspiracy to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Meanwhile, the department's vaunted public integrity section, created in the post-Watergate era to investigate and prosecute public officials for abusing their powers, has been dramatically slashed, whittled down to just a handful of lawyers. The section endured an exodus of prosecutors after Justice Department leaders demanded the dismissal of a corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams so he could assist in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The pardons, said Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer, fit 'within the fold of his presidency, where he uses a lot of his power either for retribution or reward rather than for just kind of pure policy-making. We have to understand the pardons in that framework.'
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Braveheart at 30: Mel Gibson's gory, hokey Oscar winner plays like a biblical epic
For a storied best picture Oscar winner and dorm-wall poster staple of the 1990s and beyond, it's a little surprising how modest Braveheart's success was when it opened in theaters 30 years ago. Though it powered through a mild opening to become a solid summer hit, on the 1995 charts it sits below Father of the Bride Part II and Congo (though congratulations are in order; it did edge out both Grumpier Old Men and Mortal Kombat). Even among other Mel Gibson vehicles from the 90s, you might be surprised to learn that Maverick, Conspiracy Theory and Payback all posted stronger numbers. But Braveheart stuck around, both in theaters and in the public consciousness. It wasn't necessarily tipped as an awards contender at the time of release – Gibson had only directed one other movie, a small-scale drama called The Man Without a Face – but wound up nominated for 10 Oscars and winning half of them, including a best director prize for Gibson. He wasn't nominated for his performance, but it became a career signature, his rousing speech and blue facepaint instantly absorbed into his iconography. He plays William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who leads a rebellion against King Edward I in the 13th century, when Scotland's dead king left no heir and England swooped in to conquer. The details of the story, which positions Robert the Bruce (Angus McFadyen) as a politicking compromiser, are inspired more from an epic poem than the historical record, which presumably aided its easy-to-follow epic pull. The movie itself is sort of a print-the-legend affair, too, rather than a parade of perfect scenes. Its three hours are full of hacky touches: plummy introductory narration getting the audience up to speed on the historical context; dialogue that underlines motivations at every turn; the occasional embarrassing tribute to its star's virility; Gibson's trademark zany broadness peeking through at odd times. Worst of that material is the running subplot about the king's gay son, where Gibson sees fit to stage the scene where the king throws his son's lover out a window to his death like a grim slapstick punchline – because to Gibson, that's precisely what it is. (King Edward may be a cruel tyrant, Gibson seems to be saying, but he sure isn't weak like his mincing son!) At times the movie resembles nothing more than an R-rated version of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – and some accounts of its historical accuracy or lack thereof would bear out that comparison. What most people are thinking of when they think about Braveheart is a lengthy sequence in the middle of the film, where Gibson's Wallace, face striped in that memorable blue, gives his stirring speech about living a long life of regretting a lack of freedom, then leads the Scotsmen into a long and impressively gory battle, ending in triumph. Half an hour later, there's another, less victorious for the Scots, also memorably gory. And of course, the capture, torture and defiant death of William Wallace at the end of the film is a notable culmination (though by no means end) of Gibson's fixation on chronicling extensive bodily punishment, a grimmer Catholic-guilt precursor to what Tom Cruise puts himself in the name of stunts. This may have been the precise point where Gibson became better known for taking that punishment than as a romantic lead; presumably less remembered or cherished among Braveheart's fans is Wallace's unconvincing dalliance with Princess Isabella of France, played by the decade-younger Sophie Marceau. The ease of reducing Braveheart to its highlights-reel essentials makes it a throwback to the have-you-actually-watched-this-lately epics of decades earlier – not the durably brilliant likes of Lawrence of Arabia or Spartacus, but rather more akin to the biblical epics that don't get quite as much play as The Ten Commandments. Of course, that's where Gibson would go next as a director, and as surprisingly modest a grosser as Braveheart was in its day, The Passion of the Christ was shockingly huge nine years later. Yet despite that massive hit and his Braveheart Oscar in tow, Gibson's directorial career never really reached its full potential. Some of that was his own doing, as drunken, hate-filled antics came to dominate his public image right around the time he unleashed his, ah, Passion. But his peers were clearly ready to forgive (how else to explain the Oscar attention afforded to the similarly martyr-focused and gory Hacksaw Ridge?) and directing offered a clear opportunity to stay a little further from the spotlight while remaining in control of his films. His most recent project, the terribly generic (though recognizably Gibson-y) Flight Risk landed with a thud this past January. Maybe Braveheart, successful as it was in the long term, made it harder to accept Gibson as a matinee idol with flashes of intriguing darkness, and easier to see him as a passionate madman who could really draw some blood. Or maybe it was just a hard one to top in the affections of so many bros. Regardless, the movie itself re-established a beachhead at the Oscars for mega-sized epics. After the Dances with Wolves victory at the top of the decade, the anointed best pictures got a little more eclectic for a few years: horror thriller The Silence of the Lambs, elegiac revisionist western Unforgiven, Spielberg's masterly Schindler's List, the picaresque comedy-drama Forrest Gump. Braveheart came along and waved the flag for subsequent winners like The English Patient, The Lord of the Rings and especially Gladiator. Thirty years on, that style of film-making feels more distant than it did back in 1995, its resources more likely to be poured into expensive fantasy. Of course, Braveheart is its own form of expensive fantasy, too, selling the power of its own brawny dumbness. For a few hours, it summons enough powerful sweep to convince the audience that Gibson, weird hang-ups and all, might be a star for the ages.
Scotsman
24-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
It's time to treat failure as a badge of resilience and insight
Channel Scotland's warrior boldness to foster the entrepreneurial spirit, says Dana Schwendtne Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When people think of Scotland, it's easy to imagine rugged landscapes, spirited warriors, and Mel Gibson's unforgettable 'Freedom!' cry. Historically, Scots have embodied resilience, independence, and courage. Yet, when it comes to entrepreneurship, our famed warrior boldness sometimes fades into hesitation, with a fear of risk-taking and failure that can restrain innovation. The stigma of failure looms large, and success stories can be overshadowed by a cultural modesty that avoids the spotlight. This reality undermines the boldness and resilience crucial to any thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. We lose vital opportunities to inspire others when success isn't visibly celebrated. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I honestly think Glasgow might be the world's greatest city… but do we risk losing our entrepreneurs to ecosystems that are quicker to celebrate bold ambition, while we stay modest or self-effacing? The TecTonic night summit returns to Glasgow next week It's not that Scotland lacks ambition or talent – quite the opposite. We have promising ventures, supportive agencies, and a community that claims to value collaboration, though, let's admit, we're sometimes more comfortable staying in our own corners. Yet some organisations prescribe a single 'right way' to do things, inadvertently discouraging experimentation. Risk-takers need the freedom to blaze new trails, while those who prefer structure can benefit from robust frameworks, just not at the expense of creativity. Perhaps even more challenging is our collective discomfort with failure. In more mature ecosystems like Silicon Valley or Singapore, failure is embraced as a valuable part of the entrepreneurial journey. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, here in Scotland setbacks are still often viewed negatively, quietly stigmatised rather than openly discussed. To fully leverage Scotland's potential, we must shift this mindset and learn to treat failure not as a sign of weakness but as a badge of resilience and insight. Dana Schwendtner is a PhD researcher at the University of Glasgow, chapter lead at F*ckup Nights Glasgow, and Ecosystem Development Lead at TecTonic Night Summit F*ckup Nights Glasgow exemplifies this approach, creating an environment where entrepreneurs openly discuss their most significant failures alongside their greatest insights. Far from stigmatising setbacks, we normalise them. The openness at these events enables founders to learn collectively, turning individual disappointments into shared wisdom, resilience, and courage. Equally important is celebrating our wins. Beyond an occasional headline or award show, we should publicly acknowledge startups landing key contracts, expanding internationally, or pivoting effectively. These achievements are a testament to the risks entrepreneurs take, and can inspire others to do the same. Ultimately, we must champion more open innovation across the ecosystem and beyond to unlock our full potential. Encouraging collaboration and healthy competition across industries, regions, and borders creates environments where risk-taking becomes less intimidating and more rewarding. Real innovation rarely happens in isolation. It thrives when entrepreneurs, universities, corporations, and communities openly exchange ideas, resources, and support. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland's entrepreneurial future ultimately depends on recapturing our warrior spirit, not by charging recklessly into battle, but by fostering a culture of courageous collaboration, candid learning from setbacks, and genuine celebration of achievements. By adopting a mindset that values freedom and openness, we can transform our startup landscape into one truly worthy of our storied heritage. Just like the iconic warriors of our past, today's entrepreneurs must feel empowered to innovate boldly, knowing their community stands proudly behind them, win or lose.
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Incredible abandoned European town still 'so pretty' but locals cannot return
This southern Italian village was completely abandoned after landslides and earthquakes forced residents to leave, but the crumbling town is increasingly intriguing to travellers As ghost towns go, this one leans more stunning than spooky. Its dramatic setting on a hill in southern Italy gives this abandoned medieval town a distinct appeal for travellers, though it became too dangerous for former residents to remain. Craco is surely one of the most picturesque ghost towns in Europe, if not in the world. It sits on a clifftop between the valleys of the Agri and Salandrella-Cavone rivers. Before its ruin, the village had a prosperous past supposedly linked to the Templars. Craco was abandoned somewhat recently after an unfortunate series of natural disasters forced residents to pick up and move on. Almost all of the town's less than 2,000 inhabitants were moved to a settlement in a nearby valley after a landslide in 1963 - the last in a series of landslides that began at the end of the 19th century. Some contend that the landslides leading up to the 1963 disaster were caused by faulty pipework and excavations in the decades prior. Even the few inhabitants who chose to remain after the landslides were forced to leave when the village was devastated in 1972 by a flood. And when earthquakes hit the town in 1980, the remaining stragglers moved on, leaving it totally abandoned. Since then, Craco has remained relatively untouched and fuelled many mysterious legends. The town's fame became international when it was used as a location for the 2008 James Bond film James Bond, Quantum of Solace, and it continues to attract curious travellers. Craco has served as a filming location for many notable works, in fact. It was also chosen as the location for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" and Francesco Rosi's "Cristo si è fermato a Eboli". Today, Craco is a collection of ruins though they highlight the rich ancient history of the area. Travellers will come upon ancient churches, such as the Mother Church of San Nicola and the Madonna della Stella church, and noble palaces, from palazzo Carbone to palazzo Grossi. The village has increasingly grown into disrepair as weekends sprout within the churches and balconies and weather-damaged properties continue to rust and disintegrate. That said, Craco has been included on a list of sites that are priorities of the World Monuments Fund. The town can only now be visited as part of guided tours, due to the instability of the buildings. Visitors are required to wear hard hats for their safety. Italy is home to quite a few abandoned towns, though Craco is arguably the most beautiful. Fossa is another Italian village that was left abandoned after natural disasters cause significant damage. When Matt Nadin travelled to Italy to explore the village of Fossa in the L'Aquila region of the country, he found many items had been left behind by families, including a mummified cat. Fossa had been inhabited for around 900 years until an earthquake struck in 2009. The quake caused severe damage to the village's buildings and left 308 people dead. Today the empty streets and abandoned buildings give the village the feeling of a ghost town. Another abandoned town that is gaining attention for the morbidly curious is Varosha. The once-thriving resort town was left abandoned after the Turkish army invaded the northern region of Cyprus on July 20, 1974. While the town remained closed to visitors for many years, in October 2020, a decision was made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the then prime minister of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar, to reopen the area to tourists. More than 1.8 million tourists have visited the ghost town in the last four years - according to statistics released in 2024.
New York Post
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Lethal Weapon' co-stars Mel Gibson, 69, and Danny Glover, 78, reunite ahead of fifth installment
They're not too old for this s–t! 'Lethal Weapon' co-stars Mel Gibson, 69, and Danny Glover, 78, reminded fans of the iconic catchphrase featured in all four films when they reunited over the weekend, 38 years after the first movie launched. Their reunion happened at a fan expo in Philadelphia, where the legendary duo fielded questions about the long-delayed fifth 'Lethal Weapon' installment. Gibson is directing the flick, and Glover agreed to reprise his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh, who famously claimed he was 'too old for this s–t' in each installment. 10 Mel Gibson and Danny Glover reunite at Philadelphia's fan expo. Ouzounova / 10 It's been 38 years since the first film of the franchise. Ouzounova / Glover was joined by Gibson, who plays Murtaugh's unpredictable partner Martin Riggs. The boys appeared happy to be in each other's company, smiling while speaking to audience members and seemingly mirroring a famous moment from the fourth blockbuster. Glover dressed in a red shirt, black pants, a brown suit jacket and a baseball cap, rocked his grey facial hair and reached over to grab Gibson's hand in what appeared to be an homage to a scene in 1994's 'Lethal Weapon 4.' 10 The pair looked older but acted as if no time had passed. Shutterstock 10 Danny Glover and Mel Gibson in 1998's 'Lethal Weapon 4.' Andrew Cooper/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock In the movie, the mischievous men shake each other's hands after they are informed they've been shockingly promoted to captains, despite leaving destruction behind everywhere they go. Unfortunately, Gibson must not have gotten the memo because the guys fist-bumped, missing the mark on the iconic reenactment opportunity. The actor-turned-director kept it casual in a black polo shirt, jeans and navy-colored Crocs for the weekend outing. Just like Glover, Gibson, too, sported his grey locks and facial hair, showing just how much time has passed since the franchise's first film in 1987. 10 Danny Glover at the fan expo. Ouzounova / 10 Mel Gibson at the fan expo. Ouzounova / 10 'Lethal Weapon 3' movie poster. Snap/Shutterstock Gibson and Glover have reunited several times over the years, most recently in February at the MegaCon fan convention in Orlando. News of a 'Lethal Weapon 5' was confirmed by producer Dan Lin in 2020 during a roundtable interview with The Hollywood Reporter. However, Richard Donner, who directed all four 'Lethal Weapon' films, died in July 2021 at age 91. Months later, Gibson shared that Donner had previously requested that the actor direct the project if he wasn't around to do so. 10 Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in 'Lethal Weapon 2.' 10 Danny Glover, Mel Gibson in 1992's 'Lethal Weapon 3.' ©Warner Bros/courtesy Everett Co 10 Danny Glover, Mel Gibson in 1987's 'Lethal Weapon.' Warner Bros 'He was developing the screenplay and he got pretty far along with it. And he said to me one day, 'Listen kid, if I kick the bucket you will do it.' And I said, 'Shut up,'' Gibson said in November 2011. 'But he did indeed pass away. But he did ask me to do it and at the time I didn't say anything. He said it to his wife and to the studio and the producer. So I will be directing the fifth one.' In 2022, Gibson expressed he had mixed thoughts about directing 'Lethal Weapon 5.' 'I wish I wasn't directing it. I wish Richard Donner was still here to do it but left us untimely, and he actually asked me, he said, 'Hey kid, if I don't make it, you'll take the reins, huh?' I told him to shut up.' He added, 'I think it's an honour for me to be able to carry the flag for him.' Gibson also shared that he asked Glover for his blessing. 'I called Danny [Glover] up, of course, and said, 'Hey, dude, is it okay with you if I direct this?' to which Glover replied, 'Yeah, let's go.''
