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Monthly Archives: August 2023
‘The war on drugs has failed: Sir Richard Branson tells LBC there … – LBC
Posted: August 2, 2023 at 7:09 pm
30 July 2023, 13:35 | Updated: 30 July 2023, 21:48
Sir Richard Branson, speaking to Andrew Castle, said that politicians dont have the courage to speak out and admit drug policy failings and that reform should focus on an acceptance that millions of people do drugs.
Following the Global Commission on Drugs Policy calling for a renewed approach to decriminalising drugs, the British businessman told Andrew Castle, I have watched the war on drugs for 60 years, I have seen that it's been an abject failure.
He continued: I have lost friends to drugs, I have friends that have lost kids to drugs and nations have continued with this failed war on drugs when there obviously needs to be a change of direction.
The Global Commission on Drug Policy, of which Sir Richard is a commissioner, consists of 20 ex-presidents and statesman including people like Kofi Annan who used to be secretary general of the United Nations and they felt absolutely convinced that the war on drugs was one of the biggest travesties of our time and that there needed to be a radical change in direction.
Read More: William slashes cost to stay in his luxury homes 'so they are cheaper than a Travelodge'
Speaking of some of the studies by the group, Sir Richard said: They were clear that we cant just carry on the way we are it is the biggest regret of my life that we have not seen more radical change."
Lewis and caller Graham unpack complexities of legalising drugs
Speaking about the current international situation the Virgin Group founder said: There are more illicit drugs than ever before, the entire market is dominated by criminal organisations that dont care about people's health or safety.
Explaining the radical change hed like to see in drug policy he asked the question: If you had a child that had a drug problem would you want to call up the police and have them put in prison or given a criminal record or would you want them to be helped? I think most people would want them to be helped.
I think the same applies to politicians, they dont have the courage to speak out about it and they dont have the courage to do it.
He concluded: The situation is at the moment, there are millions of people that do take drugs, at festivals the majority of people are on ecstasy tablets, testing would avoid the horror stories and mean that parents could sleep easy at night.
Read More: 'I'm on the drivers' side': Sunak tells Khan to 'think twice' on Ulez and orders review into low traffic neighbourhoods
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An Enemy in Mexico – The New York Times
Posted: at 7:09 pm
Mexico has been one of Americas closest allies for years under both Democratic and Republican administrations, even Donald Trumps.
That may be changing. Republican officials and voters have not only expressed criticisms of Mexico but also outright hostility against Americas southern neighbor.
The starkest example involves repeated calls by Republican presidential candidates to bomb Mexico or unilaterally send troops there to stop the illegal drug trade, which would be an act of war.
Trump led the way: He asked defense officials about striking Mexico with missiles while he was president, and during the 2024 presidential campaign he has supported military action. Ron DeSantis has called for using deadly force and a naval blockade of Mexican ports to stop drug traffickers. More moderate candidates, like Tim Scott and Nikki Haley, have also backed using the military against drug cartels in Mexico.
You know what you tell the Mexican president? Either you do it or we do it, Haley said in March. But we are not going to let all of this lawlessness continue to happen.
These calls havent become a major focus of national attention because the Republican campaign remains in its early stages. But as the campaign picks up including at the first debate, on Aug. 23 you will probably hear more about this issue.
Taking cues from Trumps 2016 campaign playbook and presidency, other Republicans have already translated his disparagement of Mexicans and other Latinos into policy, particularly on immigration. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott put razor wire, floating barriers and state troopers along the U.S.-Mexico border to deter people from coming into the country illegally. The federal government sued Texas last week to try to stop him.
What is going on? The posture represents a genuine shift within Republican politics. For most of the past few decades, Republicans have backed closer ties with Mexico. (The 1990s free trade deal, NAFTA, had bipartisan support.) And in the first days of Trumps presidency, most Republican voters said in polls that Mexico was an ally of the U.S. Now, Republican voters are evenly divided on whether Mexico is an ally or an enemy, as this chart shows:
Republicans often portray the idea of fully militarizing the war on drugs as an evolution in policy: treating Mexican cartels like ISIS or other terrorist groups. But unilaterally deploying the military to Mexico would be a significant escalation of U.S. policy.
I spoke to half a dozen drug policy and counterterrorism experts across the political spectrum. All of them criticized the approach as extreme, ineffective and self-destructive. In 35 years, this takes the prize as the stupidest idea I have ever heard, said Jonathan Caulkins at Carnegie Mellon University.
In addition to the likely humanitarian toll and the hit to U.S. standing in the world, any incursion into Mexico could worsen the same problems Republicans are trying to address. To the extent that the U.S. has succeeded in stemming illegal immigration and drugs in recent years, it has relied on Mexicos close cooperation. Both Trump and President Biden have worked with Mexican officials to stop South and Central Americans from traveling to the U.S. through Mexico.
Mexico would almost certainly stop collaborating if the U.S. sent troops or let missiles fly. Mexicos president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, has said that talk of sending the U.S. military south of the border is irresponsible and an offense to the people of Mexico, a lack of respect for our sovereignty.
Representatives of the Trump, DeSantis and Haley campaigns did not respond to questions about using the military against Mexican cartels. A spokeswoman for Scott restated his support for the idea, but didnt respond to questions about whether he would ask for Mexicos approval before deploying the military there.
Some of the language can be pinned on the presidential primaries, when politicians tend to take more extreme stances on all sorts of issues before moderating themselves in the general election. That could be happening here.
Politicians are also desperate to look as if they are doing something about illegal immigration and the drug overdose crisis, often with deceptive promises of quick fixes and decisive action. But enduring solutions to these problems have eluded the U.S. for years.
Losing a star: The Mets agreed to trade Max Scherzer to the Rangers.
Going to the Dodgers? Justin Verlander could be heading west before tomorrows trade deadline.
Firing back: Aaron Rodgers slammed the Denver head coach Sean Payton, saying his comments about the Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett were out of line.
Hold the shot, please: The word mocktail once sounded like a joke, underscoring the mild embarrassment that came with ordering a virgin mojito. But as more people cut back on alcohol, mocktails have become a regular, and often inventive, feature of bar menus.
Distillers have developed new nonalcoholic spirits to meet the demand. This guide highlights the best for making zero-proof cocktails at home.
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Betrayal on the Bayou, a New Season of Hit Podcast Smoke Screen … – Sony Music
Posted: at 7:09 pm
New Season from Sony Music Entertainment Reveals an Untold Tale of Betrayal, Power, and Corruption in the Streets of New Orleans
Subscribers toThe BingeCan Listen to All Episodes, All At Once Starting Today
New York, NY August 1, 2023 Sony Music Entertainment today premieredSmoke Screen: Betrayal on theBayou,the latest season of its hit investigative podcast series that delves into the captivating story of DEA Special Agent Chad Scott and the stunning turn of events that led to his imprisonment. Subscribers toThe Bingecan listen to all episodes, all at once today.
For almost two decades, Chad Scott ruled the streets just north of New Orleans, diligently working to put drug dealers behind bars while controlling a network of snitches through pressuring people he arrested to serve as informants. However, when one of Chads own team members is caught dealing drugs, his life takes an unexpected turn, as his trusted associates betray him and confess everything to the FBI.
Hosted by veteran reporters Jim Mustian (The Associated Press) and Faimon Roberts (The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate),Betrayal on theBayouhears Chad Scott break his silence for the first time, speaking out about the case that upended his 17-year DEA career and ultimately led him to the same fate as the countless drug dealers he investigated.
Drawing upon thousands of pages of government records, FBI interrogations, previously undisclosed materials, and exclusive interviews with friends and foes of Chad Scott, including drug dealers, federal agents, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and victims, this season exposes the flawed judgment and questionable tactics employed in the war on drugs. As the investigation unfolds, one central question looms: Is Chad Scott truly the greatest DEA Agent in the South, or is he a criminal?
Betrayal on theBayouoffers a firsthand look at ashocking story of corruption, misconduct, and, of course, betrayal said hosts Jim Mustian and Faimon Roberts. After seven years of reporting on this case, were absolutely committed to taking listeners right to the front lines of the drug war.
Betrayal on theBayouis executive produced by Jonathan Hirsch and produced by Odelia Rubin. It is edited by Catherine Saint Louis.
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Worldwide Wednesday’s International Roundup: Bangladesh, China … – Death Penalty Information Center
Posted: at 7:09 pm
Ghana
On July 25, 2023, Ghanas parliament voted to abolish the death penalty, making Ghana the 124th nation worldwide and the 29th African nation to do so. Although the death penalty remains in the constitution for acts of treason, the new law removes the death penalty as possible punishment for murder, genocide, piracy, and smuggling. The current 176 death row prisoners, including six women, are expected to have their sentences commuted to life in prison. Last year seven people were sentenced to death despite Ghana not having carried out an execution since 1993.
The parliament member behind the bill, Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, told the Guardian, I have seen firsthand that the death penalty does not bring a sense of justice or closure to the families of crime victims, and neither does it deter offenders. I have also seen that those sentenced to death tend to be vulnerable individuals from deprived backgrounds, who have often experienced deep personal trauma. It was my view that we as a nation were better than this. I introduced these bills because I wanted the courts to cease imposing an inhuman punishment.
On July 13, 2023, a Chinese kindergarten teacher who was convicted of the 2019 poisoning of 25 of her students, one of whom died after 10 months of treatment, was executed. Ms. Wang, age 40, had previously poisoned her husband with the same substance, though he survived with mild injuries. The number of executions in China each year remains a state secret.
On July 10, 2023, a 25-year-old man was arrested for a knife attack at a kindergarten, resulting in the death of six people: one teacher, two parents and three students. The incident trended on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, with some users supporting capital punishment and others questioning the security of schools as similar incidents at primary schools have become more common in recent years. Its outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all. How many families will be destroyed by this I support the death penalty, one Weibo user wrote.
The Court of Appeal in Malaysia reversed a death sentence for a Kenyan woman convicted of trafficking illicit drugs and sentenced her to 12 years in prison retroactively starting from her time of arrest in 2016. Last month, Malaysia eliminated the mandatory death penalty for 11 criminal offenses.
In violation of the international most serious crime standard, Singapore hanged two people in the same week for drug-related charges in July. Mohammed Aziz Hussain, age 56, was executed for trafficking 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of heroin, and Saridewi Djamani, age 45, was executed for trafficking about 31 grams (1 ounce) of heroin she was also the first woman to be executed in 19 years. UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango condemned the executions and urged the immediate imposition of a moratorium.
Singaporean law mandates the death penalty for those convicted of trafficking more than 500 grams (17.6 ounces) of cannabis and 15 grams (0.5 ounces) of heroin. Since the resumption of executions for drug-related charges in March 2022, 15 people have been executed according to a joint statement issued from human rights groups.
In response to the execution, Amnesty Internationals death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio said, The authorities in Singapore must stop their unlawful and increased resort to executions in the name of drug-control. There is no evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect or that it has any impact on the use and availability of drugs.
On July 27, five men were executed in Kuwait, including three for pre-meditated murder, one on drug-related charges, and one for facilitating logistics for the 2015 suicide bombing of a Shia Imam al-Sadeq mosque, which killed 26 and injured over 200. Among those executed were a Kuwaiti national, an Egyptian national, a Sri Lankan national, and two referred to only as illegal residents, which is often used to describe the nations desert nomads, known as the Bidun or Bidoon.
The executions drew condemnation from the UN Human Rights Office spokesperson, Seif Magango, as well as Amnesty International. Rawya Rageh, Amnesty Internationals Interim Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: The Kuwaiti government has now executed a dozen people in less than a year, claiming a tough on crime approach that panders to peoples worst instincts. Kuwait had previously paused executions from January 2017 to November 16, 2022.
With his case before the Supreme Court, death row prisoner Saud al-Faraj, age 42, has been on hunger strike for at least 10 days. He was convicted in 2022 of participating in 2011 anti-government demonstrations in Qatif, a Shiite- Mr. Faraj, a businessman and father, has long claimed his innocence, stating that his confession was obtained through torture, supported by transfers to and from the prison hospital in between interrogation sessions. Sources told the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) that Mr. Faraj requested investigation into his ill-treatment and was subsequently beaten and placed into solitary confinement, leading to his hunger strike. Mr. Farajs family has raised concern over the lack of transparency regarding court proceedings.
61 individuals have been executed in Saudi Arabia during the first-half of 2023. Among those executed were 15 foreign-nationals and two women. 27 or 44% of executions were tazir executions, meaning discretion was left to the state or judge because of a lack of specific punishment in Islamic law or when the requirements for other sentences were not met. In its submission for Saudi Arabias Universal Periodic Review, Human Rights Watch highlighted the nations use of capital punishment against minors and those convicted of non-violent drug-related charges.
A 19-year-old high school student was arrested on blasphemy charges for allegedly disrespecting the Prophet Mohammad in a mock baccalaureate exam paper; if found guilty, she could be sentenced to death with no possibility of appeal. In recent years, the country has intensified their blasphemy laws by eliminating the clause allowing offenders to escape death if they repented.
On July 28, 2023, the Pakistani federal government provided the Supreme Court with assurances that individuals convicted of involvement in recent May 9th protests would not face death and requested additional time to consider granting appeals for military court decisions. According to Reporters without Borders, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan and Shaheen Sehbai have been accused of abetting mutiny, which carries the death penalty as possible punishment.
Earlier in May, two Christian teenagers, age 18 and 14, were arrested on blasphemy charges for allegedly disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad; blasphemy charges carry a in Pakistan.
Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin and Jahangir Alam were executed on July 27 for the 2006 murder of University Professor S Taher Ahmed, bringing the total execution count for the year to three. Amnesty Internationals death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio stated: The recent executions and the persistent use of the death penalty in Bangladesh shows the Governments continued callous disregard for the right to life.
The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced four Bangladeshi politicians to death for crimes against humanity that occurred during the 1971 War of Independence from Pakistan. Established in 2009, the Tribunal has been criticized for not adhering to fair trial standards and has sentenced 135 people to death so far.
According to Norway-based Iran Human Rights, 61 people were executed in July bringing the total this year to 423 executions. Of those executed, 11 were from the Baluch minority, three were Afghan nationals, and four were women. A little more than half, or 32 people, were executed on drug-related charges, 19 for murder, six for rape, and four for moharabeh, or waging war against God.
On July 5, 2023, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran delivered their findings and recommendations at the 53rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. They reported that Since November, at least 26 individuals have reportedly been sentenced to death in connection with the protests and dozens more have been charged with or face offences carrying the death penalty. They alleged that seven executions were carried out after unfair trials, including confessions obtained through torture.
There were developments in the cases of two rappers, Toomaj Salehi and Saman Yasin, who had faced the death penalty in connection to 2022 protests.After 252 days of solitary confinement, Mr. Salehi was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison. He was previously charged with crimes punishable by death but was acquitted. His lawyer, Reza Etemad Ansari, mentioned that Mr. Salehi is banned from leaving the country and performing music-related activities for two years. Mr. Yasin, who was initially sentenced to death and then granted appeal in December, was recently transferred to a psychiatric facility and reportedly injected with an unknown substance, which allegedly resulted in his unconsciousness for 24 hours and impaired vision for two days. Currently awaiting retrial, Mr. Yasin released an audio message shortly before being transferred that reiterated his innocence, noting his inability to select counsel or meet with appointed counsel.
The Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, called for the death penalty for those who allegedly burned the Quran in Sweden and requested transfer of those European citizens to Iran in a July 22 tweet.
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46 Bacolod local government workers test positive for drug use – Rappler
Posted: at 7:09 pm
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez says the services of all the workers who tested positive for substance abuse would be terminated immediately
BACOLOD, Philippines More than 40 workers contracted to augment the Bacolod city governments workforce tested positive for illegal drug use during surprise drug tests conducted on Tuesday, August 1.
Major Junji Liba, the chief of the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), said 29 workers from the BTAO and 17 others from the Bacolod City Public Order and Safety Office were found to be drug users among the 640 city hall workers who underwent random tests.
The 46 people who tested positive were job order workers, individuals hired for specific periods to perform tasks, and are not considered regular employees of the local government.
In response, Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez said the contracts of the workers who tested positive for substance abuse would be terminated immediately.
He said they would be sent to a drug rehabilitation center, and their contracts may be considered for renewal once they have completed the necessary treatment.
Benitez also said city halls department heads will also undergo drug testing, and he encouraged other local officials, particularly those elected, to submit themselves to drug tests.
We will come up with a system to identify drug users within the city government, he told a press conference.
To set an example, Benitez had himself tested, and the results came out negative.
During the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the government would continue its campaign against illegal drugs using an approach different from the previous administrations so-called war on drugs from 2016 to 2022. Rappler.com
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Jon Bernthal’s 12 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes – MovieWeb
Posted: at 7:09 pm
Throughout his long career, Jon Bernthal has cemented himself as one of the most popular actors of the last decade, starring in so many iconic roles. Starting his TV career back in 2002 with Law & Order: Criminal Intent, it was his portrayal as Shane in the hit AMC series The Walking Dead that gave him his break in the industry.
As well as continuing in the world of TV with shows such as The Punisher and The Bear, he's also starred in some of the most iconic films in recent memory. Here are his best films, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.
The highest-rated war film in Bernthal's filmography, Fury focuses on a tank crew in World War II, displaying the gritty, brutal life that these soldiers had to live behind enemy lines. In a mission that's nothing but deadly, the intensity from start to finish makes it one of the more memorable war films of the 2010s.
Related: Biggest Stars Who Served in the Military for World War II
The cast of the film is star-studded, with Brad Pitt, Shia Labeouf, and Logan Lerman the three other members of the tank crew. Each actor delivers a unique performance of a World War II tank crew, with Bernthal's hot-headed performance standing out. The audience score comes in at 84% with over 100,000 reviews.
In one of Bernthal's more recent films on this list, Small Engine Repair is also one of the most unique. Based on the award-winning play by John Pollono who also stars as Frankie in the film, the black comedic elements paired with the heavy-hitting dramatic tones create a vibe that hasn't been seen very often.
The film follows three friends who agree to do a favor on behalf of one of the character's daughter, but events spin out of control. It also carries a deep meaning, exploring the harsh, complex realities of class struggle and toxic masculinity.
Another film with a certified fresh critic score of 79%, Sweet Virginia offers tonnes of expertly crafted intensity in an atmospheric world. The film tells the story of a former rodeo champion who lives in a small, quiet town and builds a friendship with a mysterious stranger who could be the reason for the violence occurring there.
With the tension slowly but surely building scene by scene, it's the sort of film that you'll struggle to turn away from. Bernthal's performance plays a huge part in this, with him being the perfect choice for the lead role in such a gritty, slow burner of a film.
Perhaps the most iconic film that Bernthal has starred in, Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street depicts the complex, chaotic life of the infamous Wall Street stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). Although the film has a three-hour run time, Bernthal doesn't have a massive amount of screen time. But when he does, he steals the show.
Bernthal plays one of Belfort's close friends, Brad, who's also a drug dealer. Whenever he's on-screen, you can expect chaos along with quite a few laughs. His ability to portray all different types of characters is on display in this film, with Brad being one of his funniest roles in a pretty serious filmography.
In another unique role for Bernthal, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl sees him as Mr. McCarthy, a history teacher for some of the main characters. Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Jesse Andrews of the same title, the film follows Greg (Thomas Mann) who spends most of his time with Earl (RJ Cyler) but gets forced by his mother to befriend a girl named Rachel (Olivia Cooke) who's recently been diagnosed with Leukemia.
With an 86% audience score alongside the critic's score, the film's outstanding characters and the relationship they form make this a film you'll definitely be thinking about for a few days after you watch it. It's another film where Bernthal isn't in a leading role, but more than delivers whenever he is on-screen as the coolest teacher in the school.
One of Taylor Sheridan's outstanding screenplays, Wind River also sees him direct a thrilling crime film, capturing your full attention from the get-go. After wildlife officer Cory (Jeremy Renner) finds the body of an 18-year-old woman on a Native American reservation in Wyoming, he and FBI agent Jane (Elizabeth Olson) find their lives also in danger as they try to solve the mystery of the Native American's death.
The emotions that the film puts you through make this easily one of Bernthal's standout movies, with excellent performances from the entire cast. Wind River also displays how good of a storyteller Taylor Sheridan is, with not a dull moment throughout its runtime. If you like the sound of a gritty, thrilling mystery, this film is for you.
Another film telling a real-life story, King Richard focuses on the upbringing of Venus and Serena Williams by their father Richard (Will Smith), leading to them becoming two of the most famous and dominant female tennis players of all time. With Oscar wins and nominations, it's clear as to why this film received such high praise from critics, one of the highest in the sports drama genre.
Bernthal portrays someone who was perhaps one of the most important people in the sister's tennis journey, that being Rick Macci. Macci was the trainer for them when they were young girls after they moved from Compton to West Palm Beach in 1991. Although he only trained them for four years until their father took over completely, Bernthal does an excellent job yet again in portraying such a vital character in the extraordinary story.
A film directed by Steve McQueen, Widows features a star-studded ensemble cast in one of the most exciting thrillers on this list. Although the film is categorized as a crime film, it touches on so many different elements through the standout characters who make this film so special.
The film follows a group of widows, as they attempt to steal $5 million from a local politician's home after their husbands (Bernthal being one of one) are killed in a botched getaway attempt. The crew stole $2 million from a crime boss, who the widows are trying to pay back before they potentially meet the same fate.
Keeping in the genre of crime, Sicario takes the genre to another level, exploring the world of Mexican drug cartels, and those trying to bring them down. FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is recruited by a mysterious government official Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) to join a task force combating the escalating war on drugs, which leads to her going on an intense, action-packed, often disturbing journey across the US-Mexico border.
Coming from one of the best directors in the industry right now, Denis Villeneuve, this film only features Bernthal's character very briefly, but he still ends up playing one of the most vital characters in the plot. He plays a corrupt officer paid off by the cartels, he also compromises Kate before she realizes who he really is. Even though his role is brief, he still left a big impact on an outstanding film.
A film that's already become a classic, Baby Driver was one of the most talked about films back in 2017, the year of its release. Following a massively talented getaway driver known as Baby (Ansel Elgort), it's clear he doesn't want to live a life of crime forever, especially after meeting Debora (Lily James) at the diner his Mom used to work at.
Related: Daredevil: Born Again - Storylines We Hope to See with Jon Bernthal's Punisher Now Involved
We see Bernthal in the first act of the film as one of the members of the first heist the film opens with. He plays Griff, a very antagonistic person who picks on Baby's deafness for no reason. Although he isn't in the film all the way to the end, Bernthal shines in a type of role that he tends to perform the best in.
The highest-rated film based on a true story that Bernthal stars in, Ford v Ferrari tells the intriguing story of Ken Miles (Christian Bale) and Carol Shelby (Matt Damon), as they're faced with all kinds of adversity on the buildup to Le Mans, the greatest motor race in the world, in 1966. With Shelby certain that he wants Miles to race for Ford after he's given the awfully ambitious task of winning Le Mans, Ford's management thinks otherwise.
Bernthal's character however is easily one of the most likable in the film, as he clearly wants to see Miles succeed for the team as he knows just how good of a driver he is. He plays Lee Iacocca, a Ford executive heavily involved in the GT40 program (the name of the car Shelby was building). Although many other members of the company were against Miles racing for the team, Iacocca's respect for both Miles and Shelby means we get Bernthal in one of the more refreshing, feel-good roles on this list.
It feels right for the highest-rated film on this list to be the most heartwarming, feel-good film that Bernthal stars in. The Peanut Butter Falcon is led by Shia Lebeouf as Tyler, an outlaw, and Zack Gottsagen as Zak, a man with Down syndrome who ran away from his nursing home to pursue his dream of becoming a pro wrestler.
As we follow the two characters as they grow such a strong bond throughout the film, the use of comedy and endless heartwarming moments promote a message of friendship and inclusivity like no other film in recent memory has been able to do. This film is definitely one that will stick with you, potentially even altering your perspective on how far kindness can go for the people around us.
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Jon Bernthal's 12 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes - MovieWeb
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Trump’s new judge is a tough Jan. 6 sentencer and has a history with him – POLITICO
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Much of that evidence resurfaced Tuesday in special counsel Jack Smiths four-count indictment of Trump, which referenced call logs and White House records that were already familiar to Americans who tracked the Jan. 6 committee proceedings. Chutkan was randomly selected Tuesday to preside over Trumps latest criminal case, his third in the last four months.
Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President, Chutkan wrote in her 2-year-old ruling, a rebuke that is sure to echo as she prepares to preside over the newest criminal case against the current GOP frontrunner for the presidential nomination in 2024.
Chutkan, 61, was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and came to the U.S. for college as a teenager, attending George Washington University and then law school at the University of Pennsylvania. She spent more than a decade as a public defender in Washington, D.C. She later worked for the law firm Boies Schiller & Flexner before being confirmed as a federal trial judge in Washington in 2014.
Chutkan has avoided some of the most pointed criticisms of Trump that some of her colleagues on the federal bench in D.C. have delivered as theyve sentenced defendants who participated in the Jan. 6 mob that attacked the Capitol as part of Trumps bid to remain in power. Judge Reggie Walton has called Trump a charlatan. Judge Amit Mehta has said Jan. 6 defendants were pawns of Trump and his allies. Judge Amy Berman Jackson has chastised Republicans for refusing to level with Trump about the 2020 election.
It is not patriotism, it is not standing up for America to stand up for one man who knows full well that he lost instead of the Constitution he was trying to subvert, Jackson said at a sentencing last year.
But Chutkan has delivered some of the harshest sentences to Jan. 6 defendants and made her disgust and horror over the attack clear, lamenting the prospect of renewed political violence in 2024 and noting that no one accused of orchestrating the effort to subvert the election had been held accountable.
You have made a very good point, she told Jan. 6 rioter Robert Palmer at his December 2021 sentencing, that the people who exhorted you and encouraged you and rallied you to go and take action and to fight have not been charged.
The issue of who has or has not been charged is not before me. I dont have any influence on that, she said. I have my opinions, but they are not relevant.
But Chutkan also said that reality wasnt a reason to go easy on those who bought into the election lies and acted upon that belief.
The people who planned this and funded it and encouraged it havent been charged, but thats not a reason for you to get a lower sentence, she said. I have to make it clear that the actions you engaged in cannot happen again. Every day were hearing about reports of antidemocratic factions of people plotting violence, the potential threat of violence, in 2024.
Chutkan has alluded more specifically to Trump in other Jan. 6 sentences, including her first to misdemeanor defendant Carl Mazzocco, who Chutkan said went to the Capitol in support of one man, not in support of our country.
During those early months of the Jan. 6 investigation, Chutkan also staked out territory that some of her colleagues were reluctant to tread: She pointedly rejected the equivalence some defendants were drawing between violence adjacent to Black Lives Matter protests and the riot at the Capitol.
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One Trump-appointed judge, Trevor McFadden, had raised sharp questions about whether Jan. 6 defendants were being treated more harshly than people accused of similar conduct during the summertime violence of 2020.
I think the U.S. attorney would have more credibility if it was even-handed in its concern about riots and mobs in this city, McFadden said at the time.
Chutkan, while sentencing a defendant in a different case, appeared to allude to her colleagues remark, before saying she flatly disagreed.
People gathered all over the country last year to protest the violent murder by the police of an unarmed man. Some of those protesters became violent, Chutkan said of the protests and rioting that followed George Floyds death. But to compare the actions of people protesting, mostly peacefully, for civil rights, to those of a violent mob seeking to overthrow the lawfully elected government is a false equivalency and ignores a very real danger that the January 6 riot posed to the foundation of our democracy.
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Trump's new judge is a tough Jan. 6 sentencer and has a history with him - POLITICO
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Barack Obama Is Also Scared Shitless That Donald Trump Could Win Another Term: Report – Vanity Fair
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In a normal society, a former presidentlets call him Donald Trumpwhos been indicted three times in under four months, on charges ranging from obstruction of justice to conspiracy to defraud the United States, would have absolutely no chance of ever being president again. It straight up would not be a scenario anyone would have to even contemplate; even if this individual were not in prison, the idea that they would be able to run for and win higher office once more would not compute.
But unfortunately, we dont live in a normal society; instead, we live in a place in which millions of people not only still support Donald Trump, but grow fonder of him with every new criminal charge. Which means that, despite the aforementioned indictments*, the twice-impeached, thrice-indicted ex-president is dominating every other candidate for the Republican nomination, and currently looks to be the most likely GOP nominee in the 2024 general election. That, of course, scares the shit out of a lot of peopleincluding, apparently, one Barack Obama. Whose fear, it has to be said, is extremely unsettling!
The Washington Post reports that during a private lunch with Joe Biden in late June, the 44th president voiced concern about Donald Trumps political strengthsincluding an intensely loyal following, a Trump-friendly conservative media ecosystem, and a polarized countryunderlining his worry that Trump could be a more formidable candidate than many Democrats realize. According to people familiar with the conversation, Obama made it clear his concerns were not about Bidens political abilities, but rather a recognition of Trumps iron grip on the Republican Party.
Obamas concerns are certainly warranted: In a New York Times/Siena poll released on Monday, Trump led his closest competition, Ron DeSantis, by a whopping 37 points. An even wilder data point that seems to validate Obamas fears was that Trump beat DeSantis even among Republicans who believe he committed serious federal crimes. To be clear, that means these people believe Trump is a criminal, and want him to be president anyway.
As FiveThirtyEight optimistically notes, should Trump be convicted before November 5, 2024, voters might be less inclined to cast a ballot for him, and presumably theyd be even less so if hes sentenced to time in prison. (In the case of the most recent indictment, two of the charges carry up to 20 years behind bars, and compared to her colleagues, the judge assigned to the case has imposed the toughest sentences for January 6 defendants.) Though, who knows!
As for a potential Trump-Biden rematch, another Times/Siena Poll poll published this week put the two in a tie, with each receiving 43% of the votewhich, for people who think democracy is worth preserving, is pretty pants-shittingly scary.
In somewhat happier news, Obama reportedly promised at the same June lunch to do all he could to help the president get reelected. And in a statement, a spokesman for Bidens campaign told the Post: President Biden is grateful for his unwavering support, and looks forward to once again campaigning side-by-side with President Obama to win in 2024 and finish the job for the American people.
*And everything else!
Mike Pence giveth and Mike Pence taketh away
Yes, he tweeted yesterday that anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President, but then he basically suggested today that Trump was just listening to his lawyers advice when he tried to overturn the electionwhich, coincidentally, is a defense Trump is reportedly planning to use.
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Barack Obama Is Also Scared Shitless That Donald Trump Could Win Another Term: Report - Vanity Fair
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Trump Crushing DeSantis and G.O.P. Rivals, Times/Siena Poll Finds – The New York Times
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Former President Donald J. Trump is dominating his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, leading his nearest challenger, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, by a landslide 37 percentage points nationally among the likely Republican primary electorate, according to the first New York Times/Siena College poll of the 2024 campaign.
Mr. Trump held decisive advantages across almost every demographic group and region and in every ideological wing of the party, the survey found, as Republican voters waved away concerns about his escalating legal jeopardy. He led by wide margins among men and women, younger and older voters, moderates and conservatives, those who went to college and those who didnt, and in cities, suburbs and rural areas.
The poll shows that some of Mr. DeSantiss central campaign arguments that he is more electable than Mr. Trump, and that he would govern more effectively have so far failed to break through. Even Republicans motivated by the type of issues that have fueled Mr. DeSantiss rise, such as fighting radical woke ideology, favored the former president.
Overall, Mr. Trump led Mr. DeSantis 54 percent to 17 percent. No other candidate topped 3 percent support in the poll.
Below those lopsided top-line figures were other ominous signs for Mr. DeSantis. He performed his weakest among some of the Republican Partys biggest and most influential constituencies. He earned only 9 percent support among voters at least 65 years old and 13 percent of those without a college degree. Republicans who described themselves as very conservative favored Mr. Trump by a 50-point margin, 65 percent to 15 percent.
Still, no other serious Trump challenger has emerged besides Mr. DeSantis. Former Vice President Mike Pence, the former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina each scored 3 percent support. Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor, and Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur, each received support from just 2 percent of those polled.
Yet even if all those candidates disappeared and Mr. DeSantis got a hypothetical one-on-one race against Mr. Trump, he would still lose by a two-to-one margin, 62 percent to 31 percent, the poll found. That is a stark reminder that, for all the fretting among anti-Trump forces that the party would divide itself in a repeat of 2016, Mr. Trump is poised to trounce even a unified opposition.
The survey comes less than six months before the first 2024 primary contest and before a single debate. In an era of American politics defined by its volatility, Mr. Trumps legal troubles his trials threaten to overlap with primary season pose an especially unpredictable wild card.
For now, though, Mr. Trump appears to match both the surly mood of the Republican electorate, 89 percent of whom see the nation as headed in the wrong direction, and Republicans desire to take the fight to the Democrats.
He might say mean things and make all the men cry because all the men are wearing your wifes underpants and you cant be a man anymore, David Green, 69, a retail manager in Somersworth, N.H., said of Mr. Trump. You got to be a little sissy and cry about everything. But at the end of the day, you want results. Donald Trumps my guy. Hes proved it on a national level.
Both Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis maintain strong overall favorable ratings from Republicans, 76 percent and 66 percent. That Mr. DeSantis is still so well liked after a drumbeat of news coverage questioning his ability to connect with voters, and more than $20 million in attack ads from a Trump super PAC, demonstrates a certain resiliency. His political team has argued that his overall positive image with G.O.P. voters provides a solid foundation on which to build.
But the intensity of the former presidents support is a key difference as 43 percent of Republicans have a very favorable opinion of Mr. Trump a cohort that he carries by an overwhelming 92 percent to 7 percent margin in a one-on-one race with Mr. DeSantis.
By contrast, Mr. DeSantis is stuck in an effective tie with Mr. Trump, edging him 49 percent to 48 percent, among the smaller share of primary voters (25 percent) who view the Florida governor very favorably.
In interviews with poll respondents, a recurring theme emerged. They like Mr. DeSantis; they love Mr. Trump.
DeSantis, I have high hopes. But as long as Trumps there, Trumps the man, said Daniel Brown, 58, a retired technician at a nuclear plant from Bumpass, Va.
If he wasnt running against Trump, DeSantis would be my very next choice, said Stanton Strohmenger, 48, a maintenance technician in Washington Township, Ohio.
A number of respondents interviewed drew a distinction between Mr. DeSantiss accomplishments in Tallahassee and Mr. Trumps in the White House.
Trump has proven his clout, said Mallory Butler, 39, of Polk County, Fla. And DeSantis has, but in a much smaller arena.
The truly anti-Trump faction of the Republican electorate appears to hover near one in four G.O.P. voters, hardly enough to dethrone him. Only 19 percent of the electorate said Mr. Trumps behavior after his 2020 defeat threatened American democracy. And only 17 percent see the former president as having committed any serious federal crimes, despite his indictment by a federal grand jury on charges of mishandling classified documents and his receipt of a so-called target letter in the separate election interference case being brought by the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith.
I think Donald Trump is going to carry a lot of baggage to the election with him, said Hilda Bulla, 68, of Davidson County, N.C., who supports Mr. DeSantis.
Yet Mr. Trumps grip on the Republican Party is so strong, the Times/Siena poll found, that in a head-to-head contest with Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Trump still received 22 percent among voters who believe he has committed serious federal crimes a greater share than the 17 percent that Mr. DeSantis earned from the entire G.O.P. electorate.
Mr. DeSantis has made taking on woke institutions a centerpiece of his political identity. But when given a choice between a hypothetical candidate who prioritized defeating radical woke ideology or one who was focused on law and order in our streets and at the border, only 24 percent said they would be more likely to support the candidate focused on fighting woke issues.
Equally problematic for Mr. DeSantis is that those woke-focused voters still preferred Mr. Trump, 61 percent to 36 percent.
The ability to defeat Mr. Biden and to enact a conservative agenda is at the core of Mr. DeSantiss appeal to Republicans. He has warned that Mr. Trump has saddled the party with a culture of losing in the Trump years and has held up his resounding 2022 re-election in the once purple state of Florida as a model for the G.O.P. As governor, he has pushed through a sweeping set of conservative priorities that have sharply reoriented the state and promised he would bring the same policymaking zeal to the White House.
Yet these arguments do not appear to be working. A strong majority of Republicans surveyed, 58 percent, said it was Mr. Trump, not Mr. DeSantis, who was best described by the phrase able to beat Joe Biden. And again, it was Mr. Trump, by a lopsided 67 percent to 22 percent margin, who was seen more as the one to get things done.
Mr. DeSantis narrowly edged Mr. Trump on being seen as likable and moral. Interestingly, the share of Republicans who said Mr. Trump was more fun than Mr. DeSantis (54 percent to 16 percent) almost perfectly mirrored the overall horse race.
He does not come across with humor, Sandra Reher, 75, a retired teacher in Farmingdale, N.J., said of Mr. DeSantis. He comes across as a a good Christian man, wonderful family man. But he doesnt have that fire, if you will, that Trump has.
Increasingly on the trail, Mr. DeSantis is calling attention to his blue-collar roots and his decision to serve in the military as reasons voters should support him as he runs against a self-professed billionaire. But the poll showed Mr. Trump lapping Mr. DeSantis among likely Republican primary voters earning less than $50,000, 65 percent to 9 percent.
As of now, Mr. DeSantiss few demographic refuges places where he is losing by smaller margins are more upscale pockets of the electorate. He trailed Mr. Trump by a less daunting 12 points among white voters with college degrees, 37 to 25 percent. Among those earning more than $100,000, Mr. DeSantis was behind by 23 points, half the deficit he faced among the lowest earners.
The fractured field appears to be preventing Mr. DeSantis from consolidating the support of such voters: In the hypothetical one-on-one race, Mr. DeSantis was statistically tied with Mr. Trump among white college-educated voters.
On a range of issues, the poll suggests it will be difficult for Mr. DeSantis to break through against Mr. Trump on policy arguments alone.
In the head-to-head matchup, Mr. Trump was far ahead of Mr. DeSantis among Republicans who accept transgender people as the gender they identify with, and among those who do not; among those who want to fight corporations that promote woke left ideology, and among those who prefer to stay out of what businesses do; among those who want to send more military and economic aid to Ukraine, and among those who do not; among those who want to keep Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are, and among those who want to take steps to reduce the budget deficit.
Mr. Trump leads Mr. DeSantis among Republicans who believe abortion should always be legal, and among those who believe it should always be illegal.
Mr. DeSantis signed a strict six-week abortion ban that Mr. Trump has criticized as too harsh. Yet Mr. Trump enjoyed the support of 70 percent of Republicans who said they strongly supported such a measure.
Marcel Paba, a 22-year-old server in Miami, said he liked what Mr. DeSantis had done for his state but didnt think the governor could overcome the enthusiasm for Mr. Trump.
There are just more die-hard fans of Trump than there are of Ron DeSantis. Even in Florida, Mr. Paba said. I dont see people wearing a Ron DeSantis hat anywhere, you know?
Camille Baker, Alyce McFadden and Ruth Igielnik contributed reporting.
The New York Times/Siena College poll of 932 voters in the likely Republican primary electorate was conducted by telephone using live operators from July 23 to 27, 2023. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.96 percentage points. Cross-tabs and methodology are available here.
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Trump Crushing DeSantis and G.O.P. Rivals, Times/Siena Poll Finds - The New York Times
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Donald Trump indictment news: What to know about the 2020 … – NPR
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Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a political rally while campaigning for the GOP nomination in Erie, Pa., in July. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images hide caption
Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a political rally while campaigning for the GOP nomination in Erie, Pa., in July.
Former President Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges he participated in a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results an effort that reached a bloody crescendo as his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Following an investigation by special counsel Jack Smith, a grand jury voted to charge Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States, witness tampering and conspiracy against the rights of citizens, and obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding.
Trump, who has been summoned to appear in court on Thursday, is still the leading candidate in the Republican primary race. If he pleads not guilty (as he has with the other indictments), we could be hearing about his trial as he makes his case for the White House.
Here are five key points to help get you up to speed.
The former president now faces legal peril in three criminal cases following March's indictment on 34 counts of falsifying business records and June's indictment on 37 counts of mishandling classified documents. Trump has pleaded not guilty in both cases.
A prosecutor in Fulton County, Ga., is leading a separate investigation into Trump's alleged efforts to pressure state election officials there. And Trump is also fighting two civil lawsuits, including a federal jury finding that left him liable for battery and defamation.
But this latest indictment stands apart from Trump's other legal challenges.
The Department of Justice's investigation into Jan. 6, 2021, is among the most sprawling and complex in U.S. history it gets at the heart of the alleged effort to overturn legitimate election results and obstruct the peaceful transfer of power.
"The attack on our nation's Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy," said the special counsel in a short statement before reporters. "As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant, targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government."
The indictment charges Trump with four serious federal criminal offenses:
University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias described the overall case against Trump as "damning" and representing real "legal jeopardy."
Trump is the only person who is charged and he is the only defendant in this latest indictment. But the court document scatters some clues for the future in terms of who else might potentially face charges.
Six people are labeled as co-conspirators in the indictment. They are given individual numbers and potentially identifying traits but they are not identified by name in the court document.
Some are attorneys who helped promote bogus election fraud claims. Co-conspirator 3 is described as an attorney who privately acknowledged that the unfounded election fraud claims were "crazy." Another, co-conspirator 4, was a Justice Department official who worked on civil matters and "attempted to use the Justice Department to open sham election crime investigations and influence state legislatures."
And their descriptions line up with those of people who could be of interest to investigators, such as former Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman and Sidney Powell and former DOJ attorney Jeffrey Clark.
Even before the indictment was unsealed, Trump and his allies were actively working to control the narrative, calling this a sham indictment and accusing the Biden administration of trying to interfere with the 2024 election.
On Truth Social, Trump said a "Fake Indictment" was evidence of "prosecutorial misconduct." His campaign issued a formal statement (and, later, a fundraising pitch) calling it "election interference." And his Republican allies in Congress plus even some of his GOP primary foes cast the indictment as political persecution at the hands of the Biden administration.
But as NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoez pointed out in an interview with All Things Considered, the attacks from Trump and his supporters are focusing on the process not so much the substance.
"They claim these are politically motivated charges. They attack the special counsel. But they don't necessarily refute specific allegations," Ordoez said. "They don't argue Trump never incited those followers who attacked the Capitol. They never say that Trump didn't seek a group of fake electors."
That's because after two impeachments, three indictments and quite a few scandals in between, Trump has conditioned his supporters to see each allegation against him as a reason to rally around him.
And it works. In March, several weeks before the first indictment, Trump had just 43% of the vote in Republican polling, according to a RealClearPolitics average. But a day after he was charged in a hush-money scheme to an adult film actress, his numbers had jumped to 50%.
Two months later, he was indicted for mishandling classified documents. His polling average jumped again.
As of Monday, ahead of the news of the latest indictment, Trump was still in the lead among Republican presidential candidates.
The federal indictment of Trump over efforts to overturn the 2020 election came soon after similar election interference charges were made public against a Trump ally in Michigan.
Matthew DePerno the most recent Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general, who worked with Trump's team to try to contest his 2020 loss in the state was arraigned Tuesday on state charges for an alleged effort to unlawfully gain access to voting machines.
DePerno has been charged with undue possession of a voting machine, willfully damaging a voting machine and conspiracy, according to the special prosecutor investigating the case.
Investigations into election interference are ongoing elsewhere, as well. Arizona's Democratic attorney general is investigating the 2020 fake electors there, and a Georgia prosecutor is set to soon announce her long-awaited charging decisions in an investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election there.
And all of these investigations are happening separately from the Justice Department's sprawling and complex investigation into the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
On that day, Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, injuring scores of law enforcement officers, forcing a panicked evacuation of the nation's political leaders and threatening the peaceful transfer of power after Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.
To date, the DOJ has charged more than 1,000 people in what's become the largest criminal investigation in U.S. history.
That list now includes Trump.
NPR's Ben Swasey and Carrie Johnson contributed reporting.
This reporting originally appeared in our digital live coverage.
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