Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, and as we enjoy the official last weekend of the summer, we have some really compelling stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
Former President Donald Trump wants a federal court to move his New York criminal case, the Department of Homeland Security is restarting an immigration program, and a major manufacturer says goodbye to DEI. Also, the federal government loses a water rights case to a U.S. state, and the Ukrainian president fires a top Air Force official.
We’ll get to each one of these compelling stories, but first up, Trump is asking a higher court to intervene in his New York criminal case, and here’s what’s going on.
With sentencing just a few weeks away, Trump’s attorneys are asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to order that his case be transferred to federal court instead. They’re arguing that the state’s prosecution of him is unconstitutional and runs contrary to the Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity ruling. Additionally, Trump’s lawyers also say the gag order imposed on their client by New York Justice Juan Merchan is unwarranted and violates the Constitution.
You should know that if the case is moved to federal court, Trump’s lawyers will ask that the verdict be overturned and for the case to be dismissed on the grounds of immunity.
On the other hand, the attorneys say if it remains in state court and Trump’s sentencing goes ahead as scheduled on Sept. 18, their client could very well end up in prison before the election.
To refresh your memory, just last month, the nation’s highest court ruled that presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts, and the former president’s lawyers say issues with the New York case are damaging to the presidency and the government.
Also, just in case you forgot, Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records in a case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who accused him of attempting to conceal non-disclosure payments of $130,000 to adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts and maintains that the case against him is part of a politically motivated effort to undermine his bid for reelection.
Let’s switch gears now, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it has a new and improved system that weeds out fraud in its immigration parole program.
The DHS is restarting its recently paused program with what it calls increased vetting, after it uncovered sponsors using fake Social Security numbers, Social Security numbers of dead people, and false phone numbers. The department says this relaunched program will include additional requirements of the sponsors, including their financial records and criminal backgrounds.
So you know, the government launched the program for Venezuelans in 2022 as part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to welcome more immigrants. It required applicants to have a U.S.-based financial sponsor who vouched for them and would fly them into an American airport.
You should also know that the program was expanded to nationals from Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua in early 2023. On a side note, up to 30,000 people a month are approved. They can remain in the United States for at least two years and are eligible for work authorization.
A DHS spokesperson says they’re committed to holding individuals accountable who commit fraud or attempt to exploit others for gain. Any individuals found to have committed fraud or other abuse will be referred to law enforcement for potential prosecution.
Interesting to note that through June, nearly half a million immigrants were admitted into the United States under this program.
Moving on, immigration isn’t the only hot-button issue today, and this next story explains that nationwide, companies are taking a second look at their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
After further review, Ford Motor Co. is slamming the brakes on some of its DEI programs.
According to a memo by CEO Jim Farley, which was sent out this week to all employees, the automobile manufacturer has decided to stop participating in external culture surveys.
Farley says that includes the annual survey by a group called Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which measures workplace inclusion for LGBT employees. It also provides companies with a score on its “Corporate Equality Index,” which HRC says is a “national benchmarking tool on corporate policies, practices and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.”
By the way, HRC President Kelley Robinson said that they were disappointed in Ford’s decision, calling it “shortsighted.” However, a number of other companies have also pulled out of HRC’s corporate equality index, including Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman, home goods retailer Lowe’s, and motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson.
The memo, which went viral on social media, also said that Ford will stop participating in various “best places to work lists,” and instead, continue to build a high-performance culture focused on the products they deliver, along with creating an environment where everyone can do their best work anchored in respect and inclusion.
You should know that Farley says Ford does not utilize hiring quotas or compensation to achieve specific diversity goals and they’ll try to stay more politically neutral in their actions.
Interesting to note, Ford’s policy adjustments follow a growing backlash against the ultra-progressive agendas that are being promoted by some corporations to consumers.
Moving along, the fight over water rights between the state of Idaho and the federal government ends in court with a big win for the state.
A U.S. judge for the District of Idaho partially struck down several Idaho laws regulating water rights on federal lands. The court found some provisions unconstitutional but upheld a law concerning the forfeiture of water rights if they remain unused.
The case stems from a 2022 lawsuit by the federal government against the state and the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) that challenged the constitutionality of water rights laws passed between 2017 and 2022.
The lawsuit focused on regulations affecting stockwater rights on federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) after the IDWR issued orders to the BLM, requiring it to explain why 68 federal stockwater rights should not be forfeited.
You should know that water rights in the western United States follow what’s called the “prior appropriation” doctrine. It prioritizes water allocation based on who used it first.
The court’s ruling this week found that two of the state’s procedural statutes were constitutional, and those are the laws that address the forfeiture of unused water rights after five years and the procedures for initiating divestment proceedings.
A spokesperson for Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said they welcomed the ruling, saying the state had prevailed in its defense of the forfeiture process, which was the most important issue in the case.
On to pressing international news now. In Ukraine, a significant change is made in one branch of that war-torn nation’s military machine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just fired a top Ukrainian Air Force official days following a deadly crash involving one of Ukraine’s F-16 Falcon fighter jets. A Ukrainian pilot had reportedly been deployed in Ukraine to help shoot down an incoming wave of Russian drones and cruise missiles when his aircraft went down.
Yesterday, Zelenskyy’s office announced the dismissal of Lt. Gen. Mykola Mykolayovych Oleschuk from his post as commander of Ukraine’s Air Force.
Officials subsequently announced that Lt. Gen. Kryvonozhka Anatoly Mykolayovich, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force’s Air Command Center, will now temporarily handle the responsibilities Oleschuk left behind.
You should know that some Ukrainian politicians say that the pilot of that F-16 was shot down in a friendly-fire accident that potentially involved a Western-donated Patriot air defense missile system. When asked about that, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh says it’s up to Ukrainian officials to make that determination, and she also declined to say how many F-16s are actually active in Ukraine.
For his part, Zelenskyy says that he’s very grateful to all of his military pilots and others throughout the Ukrainian military “who really fight for Ukraine.” He also stressed the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s military leadership and taking care of Ukraine’s military personnel.
On a side note, the Ukrainian military received its first NATO-donated F-16s earlier this month. Zelenskyy says his country needs more combat aircraft along with well-qualified pilots.
Checking Wall Street, the markets closed higher for the week. The Dow ended up 228 points yesterday to close at 41,563. Nasdaq gained 197 and the S&P 500 rose by 56.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Saturday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief—the final Saturday in the month of August.
Thanks for checking out the program today, and next time you drop in for a listen, feel free to bring your friends, family, and co-workers.
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And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Theodore Roosevelt, who said: “It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.”
Theodore Roosevelt, often referred to as Teddy or T.R., was an American politician, soldier, conservationist, and historian, and he served as our nation’s 26th president from 1901 to 1909.
Before we go, today is National Eat Outside Day. At home, a park, a favorite restaurant or food truck, or the beach, food just tastes better when we eat it under the open sky, especially on a holiday weekend.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your Saturday, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today! Bye for now.
