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Man who tossed daughter off bridge found guilty of murder

A Florida jury on Tuesday found a man guilty of first-degree murder for dropping his 5-year-old daughter off a bridge four years ago.

Jurors in Clearwater, Florida, deliberated for about seven hours over two days before convicting John Jonchuck.

Jonchuck hugged his attorneys and said, "Yes, your honor," when asked if he understood that the verdict carries an automatic life sentence. He was then fingerprinted and taken out of the courtroom by bailiffs.

The Tampa Bay Times reported that no one from Jonchuck's family was in the courtroom when the verdict was announced. And no friends or relatives spoke on behalf of Phoebe or her father before the sentencing.

Jonchuck's lawyers had asked the judge to delay sentencing for a week because they have some issues to check. But when they failed to provide a reason, Judge Chris Helinger proceeded with the sentencing.

"I am satisfied that justice was done," the newspaper quoted Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bernie McCabe as saying. "My immediate reaction is killing children doesn't make one a very sympathetic character."

The judge thanked jurors for their attention during the monthlong trial. "There's no way I can express my appreciation for your service," she said. "I've never had a trial this long and I've been here about 12 years as a judge."

No one disputed that Jonchuck, now 29, dropped his daughter Phoebe 62 feet (18 meters) into Tampa Bay in January 2015, and that he had a long history of mental problems.

But prosecutors claimed his action was premeditated. Assistant state attorney Paul Bolan told jurors that Jonchuck was motivated by anger over worries that Phoebe's mother was going to take the girl away from him and his own mother's doting attention to her granddaughter when she had been inattentive to him growing up.

"It was rage that drove him to it on top of that bridge," Bolan said. "Did he know what he was doing, and did he know it was wrong? The answer is clearly yes."

But assistant public defender Jessica Manuele told jurors Jonchuck loved Phoebe more than anything else in the world and that there's no evidence he acted out of "unbridled anger."

His delusions led him to believe Phoebe was possessed and that the archangel, Michael, was coming, Manuele said. He poured salt outside her window to keep spirits away, she said.

At the moment he threw her off the bridge, "he thought he was protecting his daughter," Manuele said. "It will never make sense because it's insanity."

Twelve hours before Phoebe's death, Jonchuck's divorce lawyer, Genevieve Torres, called a state child protection hotline, fearing for the girl's safety, authorities said.

Torres told the Department of Children and Families operator that Jonchuck had driven to three churches in his pajamas with Phoebe in tow that morning, called Torres "God" and asked her to translate his stepmother's century-old Swedish Bible, which he carried and had become obsessed with. Jonchuck was also paranoid that Phoebe wasn't his child, Torres said.

But the operator thought the attorney was more worried about Jonchuck's safety than the girl's and did not report the call to authorities, they said.

Just after midnight the next day, Jonchuck's PT Cruiser raced past officer William Vickers, who was heading home from a shift in his patrol car. He started following Jonchuck, but never got close enough to read the license plate and didn't know Phoebe was inside, authorities have said.

As they reached the bridge's crest, Jonchuck stopped and got out. Vickers, fearing an ambush, stopped behind him, pulled his gun and yelled at Jonchuck to show his hands. He saw no weapon.

Jonchuck yelled at the officer, "You have no free will." He grabbed Phoebe from the back seat, held her over the side momentarily and then dropped her, according to police accounts.

Jonchuck drove off but was soon arrested. Vickers scrambled down a ladder to a dock below the bridge but couldn't see Phoebe in the dark water. A marine rescue boat was summoned, and her body was found hours later.

Source: Fox News National

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Fingerpointing in battle over Mueller report; Schultz predicts Trump victory if Sanders is Dems’ nominee

Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here.
 
Developing now, Friday, April 5, 2019

MUELLER REPORT UNDER SCRUTINY: The Mueller report - and everyone involved in its handling, from Attorney General William Barr to Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his investigators - are under scrutiny as Democrats demand that Barr release the full, unredacted report ... On Thursday, the attorney general - who is expected to release entire Mueller report, with redactions, by mid-April - defended his handling of the 400-page document, saying it contains sensitive grand jury material.

Meanwhile, amid reports that Mueller's findings were more damaging to President Trump than Barr indicated, Fox News has learned Republican lawmakers had concerns about Mueller's investigators before the probe ended. Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., alerted Barr to what they described as the "selective" use of emails in Mueller court filings -- as well as potential “improper political influence, misconduct, and mismanagement” in the FBI's original Russia probe.

EX-TRUMP FIXER MAKES LAST-MINUTE PLEA TO DEMS: With a little more than a month to go until he is slated to report to prison, former Trump fixer Michael Cohen is asking House Democrats to help keep him out of the big house ... In a letter sent to lawmakers Thursday, Cohen's legal team said he was still sorting through documents in his personal files that might be of interest to House Democrats investigating President Trump, including emails, voice recordings, images and other documents on a hard drive. The letter was sent to a who's-who of Trump opponents in the Democratic Party, including Reps. Adam Schiff of California, Jerry Nadler of New York, Maxine Waters of California and Elijah Cummings of Maryland.

HOWARD SCHULTZ: TRUMP WINS RE-ELECTION IF SANDERS IS HIS OPPONENT - Potential independent 2020 White House contender Howard Schultz predicted outright that President Trump will win re-election if Democrats nominate a self-described socialist like Bernie Sanders, during Fox News' "America's Election HQ" Town Hall Thursday night in Kansas City, Mo. ... At the town hall event, co-hosted by Fox News' Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, Schultz separately denied he would play a "spoiler" in the race -- and suggested instead that someone like Sanders could unwittingly play that role. He addressed a variety of topics, such as the immigration crisis at the U.S-Mexico border, allegations of inappropriate conduction leveled by seven women against Joe Biden, Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and more. (Click on the video above for a highlight from the Schultz townhall.)

FILE - In this March 26, 2019, file photo, actor Jussie Smollett smiles and waves to supporters before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty, File)

FILE - In this March 26, 2019, file photo, actor Jussie Smollett smiles and waves to supporters before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty, File)

CHICAGO VERSUS SMOLLETT: Chicago is vowing a civil suit against Jussie Smollett after the "Empire" actor "refused to reimburse" the city for the cost of investigating his controversial case ... In a statement obtained by Fox News, the city's law department said that Smollett, 36, "has refused to reimburse the City of Chicago for the cost of police overtime spent investigating his false police report on Jan. 29, 2019." The statement said that the law department "is now drafting a civil complaint that will be filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County."

SUSPECT ARRESTED IN QUADRUPLE SLAYINGS: A "person of interest" who was detained Thursday in connection with four workplace murders in North Dakota earlier this week has now been arrested and charged with the killings, authorities said ... Four people were found shot and stabbed Monday inside family-owned company RJR Maintenance and Management. The suspect, identified as Chad Isaak, 44, of Washburn, N.D., lived in a trailer park managed by RJR Maintenance and Management. Police did not speculate on a motive.

THE SOUNDBITE

'TRUMP IS RIGHT' - "The issue that we have to recognize is this: President Trump is correct, and the Republican leadership is correct that we need fierce, strict levels of control on that border to keep bad people from coming in; illegal immigrants should not come in." – Howard Schultz, addressing the illegal immigration crisis, at Fox News' "America's Election HQ" Town Hall. (Click the image above to watch the full video.)

TODAY'S MUST-READS
Trump reacts to Barbara Bush criticism: 'Look what I did to her sons.'
Report: Court papers show Gillibrand’s father worked for sex cult.
Lawrence Jones responds to critics who mocked him for wearing bulletproof vest at U.S.-Mexico border.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
March jobs report: What to expect.
Trump expected to nominate Herman Cain to Federal Reserve.
Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Bezos finalize their divorce: What to know.

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Actor Dean Cain on how Hollywood elites are threatening to boycott Georgia over its "heartbeat" abortion bill. Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren gives the inside story on her new book. And country music star John Rich unveils his new whiskey.

Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4 p.m. ET: Guests include: Ken Starr, former Whitewater independent counsel; Manuel Padilla, director of the Department of Homeland Security's Border Emergency Response unit.

Special Report with Bret Baier, 6 p.m. ET: An interview with Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of NATO.

On Fox Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Tune in for live coverage and analysis of the new jobs report.
Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Karry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council.
Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman, 3 p.m. ET: Tom Vilsack, former U.S. secretary of agriculture.

On Fox News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcast: "Ethiopian Crash Report Met with Criticism" - Judge Andrew Napolitano, Fox News senior judicial analyst, weighs in on Democrats' request to the IRS to release six years of President Trump's personal and business tax records. Fox News' Doug McKelway and Jim Hall, former NTSB chairman, discuss the Ethiopian government's preliminary report on the Boeing 737 Max plane crash that killed 157 people and grounded Boeing planes worldwide. Don't miss the good news with Fox News' Anna Eliopoulos. Plus, commentary by Fox News Medical Analyst Dr. Marc Siegel.

Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on the latest in the battles over the Mueller report, health care and the illegal immigration crisis; Adm. James Stavridis, operating executive with the Carlyle Group, on Congress passing a historic resolution to end U.S. support for Saudi-led war in Yemen. Plus, the latest on U.S. talks with Venezuela, China and Russia. Geraldo Rivera, Fox News roaming correspondent-at-large, takes on the top headlines of the day. Gianni Russo discusses his new book, "Hollywood Godfather: My Life in the Movies and the Mob."

On Fox News Weekend:

Cavuto Live, Saturday, 10 a.m. ET: National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd weighs in on President Trump giving Mexico one year’s notice before he shuts down part of the border. The latest on House Democrats ramping up investigations into President Trump. And a look at new privacy concerns for Facebook and the legal trouble the social media giant could potentially face.

Fox News Sunday, Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET: Special guest: Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., assistant speaker of the House.

Life, Liberty & Levin, Sunday, 10 p.m. ET: Mark Levin sits down with former CBS correspondent Lara Logan to talk about her time in Afghanistan and Iraq, reporting on Benghazi, and the state of today’s media.

#TheFlashback
1974: Stephen King's first published novel, "Carrie," is released by Doubleday
1964: Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur dies in Washington, D.C., at age 84.
1955: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill resigns for health reasons.

Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Have a good day and weekend! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Monday morning.

Source: Fox News National

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Czech jailed for rail attacks he blamed on Islamic militants

An appeals court has upheld a four-year prison term for a Czech national for carrying out two attacks on trains and blaming them on Islamic militants.

Prague's regional court ruled in January that 71-year-old Jaromir Balda cut down two trees in 2017 that fell on train tracks near the city of Mlada Boleslav, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Prague. Two passenger trains later hit the trees. Nobody was injured.

The retiree also placed pamphlets at the sites with threats of extremist attacks planned on Czech territory.

Prosecutors said the man's motivation was to incite fear of Muslims and attacks.

Balda pleaded guilty but claimed he didn't want to harm anyone. The court also ordered him to undergo psychiatric treatment.

Tuesday's ruling by Prague's High Court is final.

Source: Fox News World

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Are Biden and Bernie for real?


On the roster: Are Biden and Bernie for real? - Trump seeks to make the most Mueller for 2020 - McConnell sidesteps health insurance imbroglio - Pelosi popularity strong among Dems - An Odie-ous mystery solved

ARE BIDEN AND BERNIE FOR REAL?
U.S. News: “Three months into the 2020 presidential race, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont have maintained their positions as dual Democratic front-runners, one without even being a declared candidate. And yet there's an abiding sense among some Democrats and Republicans that the predominant positions of the two septuagenarians are eminently fragile, largely based on name recognition and prone to crumble as more voters dial in and sort through the bountiful options before them. The burgeoning candidacies of Sen. Kamala Harris of California and former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke look like the strongest initial threats to the polling leaders' supremacy, both decades younger, fresher and offering that intangible ingredient of organic excitement. ‘Kamala had the best rollout. Bernie probably surprised people that he still had such a strong following in terms of fundraising. I think he showed a lot of muscle,’ says the Rev. Al Sharpton… ‘I think it's between Bernie and Kamala: They had the best first three months.’”

Harris’ big dollar donors are raising some questions - RCP: “Harris will leave the campaign trail to headline the April 1 fundraiser hosted by [multimillionaire Angelo] Tsakopoulos in Sacramento. The lieutenant governor and daughter of the real estate developer, Eleni Kounalakis, will also attend. The dinner runs between $1,000 and $2,800 a plate, according to the Sacramento Bee. And the meal raises an awkward question: Are wealthy donors with questionable pasts a political liability in an increasingly progressive Democratic presidential primary? Does it matter? … The public certainly thinks money in politics is a problem. … Harris has skipped that primary posturing. She is digging for donor gold in the Golden State right now. Of course, even if she finds some, a single donor won’t be enough. The influencers that will surround the senator in Sacramento can only give a maximum of $5,600 — half for the primary, the other half held in reserve for the general.”

Booker hometown rally to kickoff national campaign swing - Fox News: “Presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker’s heading home to kickoff what he’s calling a ‘Justice for All Tour.’ The Democrat from New Jersey announced on Friday that he’ll hold a hometown kickoff in downtown Newark on Saturday, April 13. Booker served as the mayor of the Garden State’s largest city for two terms before winning his Senate seat in 2013. Booker declared his candidacy for the White House in February, but as is often the practice, an official presidential campaign announcement is followed by formal kickoff event at a later date. The practice allows a candidate to grab extra media attention and hopefully build more excitement among supporters. The event in Newark is the first in a two-week cross-country tour that Booker’s campaign said will be used ‘to highlight his message of reigniting our sense of common purpose to build a more just country for the American people.’”

Hickenlooper’s different drummer - Politico: “[John] Hickenlooper is certainly different. Nothing about his appearance, from his rumpled shirts to the crooked row of bottom teeth to the untamed wisps of gray flopping over his forehead, seems especially presidential. He speaks in frenetic bursts, beginning one word before concluding its predecessor, his rhetorical pacing off-key like a garaged piano. Every question asked of him invites a story, often with no guarantee of a thematic circling back to the subject at hand. He says things like, ‘I’m not the smartest guy out there,’ not exactly standard fare for an aspiring leader of the Free World. … The candidate’s friends call him ‘odd,’ ‘quirky,’ ‘eccentric.’ For anyone who watched Hickenlooper’s recent CNN town hall—a prime-time event capable of jump-starting a longshot candidacy—these descriptors seem generous.”

Miami gets first Dem debates - Miami Herald: “Miami won’t be the home of the 2020 Democratic convention, but the city will get to host the first debates among the top 20 candidates hoping to win the party’s nomination. The Democratic National Committee announced Thursday that it has selected Miami to host the party’s first debates, on June 26 and 27. … The debates are scheduled over two nights as the DNC expects to make room for as many as 20 candidates. Participants in a given debate will be selected randomly, so headliners like Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris could be on stage with fringe candidates like Andrew Yang or even Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam.”

THE RULEBOOK: NATURALLY 
“When men exercise their reason coolly and freely on a variety of distinct questions, they inevitably fall into different opinions on some of them. When they are governed by a common passion, their opinions, if they are so to be called, will be the same.” – Alexander Hamilton or James MadisonFederalist No. 50

TIME OUT: ALOHA 'OE
Smithsonian: “Born in 1838, [Queen] Liliʻuokalani [the last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands] began her musical training at around age seven as part of her schooling. … In 1893, the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown by a group led by U.S. Government Minister John L. Stevens, and Queen Liliʻuokalani was put under house arrest at the ‘Iolani Palace as a result. During her time there, she composed many pieces mourning the treatment of her homeland and people. One such song was ‘Mai Wakinekona a Iolani Hale.’ Liliʻuokalani anonymously wrote the song’s lyrics and published them in a weekly Hawaiian language newspaper, subversively messaging how she came to be imprisoned. The following week, someone published a response in song lyrics, ‘We have heard you, oh heavenly one, our ruler, and we support you.’ … This piece was only recently discovered. Many of the Queen’s lesser-known compositions are now being newly appreciated as the Hawaiian language is making a comeback after years of oppression.”

Flag on the play? - Email us at HALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COM with your tips, comments or questions.

SCOREBOARD
Trump job performance 
Average approval:
 42.6 percent
Average disapproval: 52.4 percent
Net Score: -9.8 points
Change from one week ago: up 0.6 points 
[Average includes: Pew Research Center: 41% approve - 55% disapprove; NPR/PBS/Marist: 44% approve - 50% disapprove; Quinnipiac University: 39% approve - 55% disapprove; Fox News: 46% approve - 51% disapprove; CNN: 43% approve - 51% disapprove.]

TRUMP SEEKS TO MAKE THE MOST MUELLER FOR 2020  
Atlantic: “[Special Counsel RobertMueller might be done with his investigation, but [PresidentTrump and company are loath to let it drop. They want to capitalize on the president escaping criminal charges and make Mueller’s findings a core piece of 2020 campaign messaging. … Yet many Republican lawmakers and strategists fear that Trump would be fixating on the wrong message at the wrong time. They worry that Trump risks repeating the same strategic blunder he made in the midterm elections, which culminated in Republicans losing control of the House. Rather than spotlight economic gains rung up on his watch, the president might wind up dwelling on collateral issues of scant interest to voters. … Trump allies see Barr’s letter as a kind of Swiss Army knife—a tool useful in all kinds of situations. Not only is it exculpatory, they say, but it also implicitly rebukes the press for its coverage of the Russia investigation, inoculating Trump from any future scandal that reporters might unearth.”

Trump campaigns in Michigan, attacks opponents - Fox News: “In his first major rally since Special Counsel Robert Mueller cleared him of any collusion with Russia, President Trump took the stage before a boisterous full house at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Thursday night -- and proceeded to tear into Democrats and the FBI as unintelligent ‘frauds’ who tried desperately to undermine the results of the 2016 election. ‘The Democrats have to now decide whether they will continue defrauding the public with ridiculous bullsh--,’ Trump said to thunderous applause, ‘-- partisan investigations, or whether they will apologize to the American people.’ Trump continued to unload on his opponents… Addressing counterprotesters outside the arena and progressives in general, Trump asked: ‘What do you think of their signs, 'Resist?' What the hell? Let's get something done.’”

Mueller or no Mueller, Trump approval stays steady - Pew Research Center: “The public’s views of Donald Trump have changed little over the course of his presidency… The survey by Pew Research Center, conducted March 20-25 among 1,503 adults, finds that 40% approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, little changed since January (37%). … Trump’s job rating was not significantly different in the days following the release of Barr’s report… Trump’s job rating continues to be more stable – and more polarized along partisan lines – than those of past presidents. Currently, 81% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents approve of Trump’s job performance, while 88% of Democrats and Democratic leaners disapprove.”

POLL: HUGE MAJORITY WANTS FULL MUELLER REPORT
NPR: “Days after Attorney General William Barr released his four-page summary of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation report, overwhelming majorities of Americans want the full report made public and believe Barr and Mueller should testify before Congress, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Only about a third of Americans believe, from what they’ve seen or heard about the Mueller investigation so far, that President Trump is clear of any wrongdoing. … At the same time, 56 percent said Mueller conducted a fair investigation, and 51 percent said they were satisfied with it. That included 52 percent of independents who said they were satisfied with the investigation. It's one of the rare questions in the first two years of the Trump presidency in which a majority of independents sided with Republicans instead of Democrats on a subject. … Overall, three-quarters said the full Mueller report should be made public. That included a majority of Republicans (54 percent). Just 18 percent overall said Barr's summary is enough.”

How did Trump avoid a special counsel interview? - WaPo: “In the end, the decision not to subpoena the president is one of the lingering mysteries of Mueller’s 22-month investigation… An interview with the president would have been pivotal to helping assess whether the president had corrupt intent, a key element of such a charge, legal experts said. It is an open question whether a subpoena would have survived the court challenge that Trump’s lawyers say they would have mounted. The Supreme Court has never issued definitive guidance on issuing a subpoena to a president, but had Mueller pursued one, the courts could have established a precedent for future presidents. In assessing whether to pursue such a high-stakes move, the special counsel was not operating with complete autonomy. That was a contrast with predecessors such as Kenneth Starr, who investigated President Bill Clinton and had broad leeway under the now-expired independent counsel statute.”

MCCONNELL SIDESTEPS HEALTH INSURANCE IMBROGLIO 
Politico: “Mitch McConnell has no intention of leading President Donald Trump’s campaign to transform the GOP into the ‘party of health care.’ ‘I look forward to seeing what the president is proposing and what he can work out with the speaker,’ McConnell said in a brief interview Thursday… Now in divided government, with the Senate majority up for grabs next year and McConnell himself running for reelection, another divisive debate over health care is the last thing McConnell needs. … So the Kentucky Republican and his members are putting the onus on the president to figure out the next steps. McConnell’s clear reluctance toward trying to draft a sweeping health care bill in the Senate reflects his political instincts: that it’s better to focus on perceived Democratic weaknesses — the left’s push on ‘Medicare for All’ — than to struggle to unify his own party on a plan almost certain to be rebuffed by Senate Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).”

Trump’s ask: A ‘spectacular’ plan - Bloomberg: “President Donald Trump said he asked a group of U.S. senators to create a health-care plan to replace Obamacare, as his administration seeks to have the law signed by his predecessor invalidated in court. Republicans John Barrasso of Wyoming, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rick Scott of Florida are developing the plan, Trump told reporters Thursday as he departed the White House for a political rally in Michigan. ‘They are going to work together, come up with something that’s really spectacular,’ Trump said. ‘Maybe we’ll even get support in the House from Democrats. But it’s going to be far better than Obamacare,’ the president added, calling the law a ‘disaster.’”

Judge blocks Trump plan to let employers work around ObamaCare rules - AP: “A federal judge has struck down a small-business health insurance plan widely touted by President Donald Trump, the second setback in a week for the administration's health care initiatives. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates wrote in his opinion late Thursday that so-called ‘association health plans’ were ‘clearly an end-run’ around consumer protections required by the Obama-era Affordable Care Act. On Wednesday, another federal judge blocked the Trump administration's Medicaid work requirements for low-income people. The plans at issue in Bates' ruling Thursday allow groups of small businesses and sole proprietors to band together to offer lower-cost coverage that doesn't have to include all the benefits required by the ACA, often called ‘Obamacare.’ They also can be offered across state lines, an attempt to deliver on a major Trump campaign promise.”

PELOSI POPULARITY STRONG AMONG DEMS
Pew Research Center: “As the new Congress approaches the 100-day mark, the public generally has negative views of both Democratic and Republican leaders. Just a third approve of the job performance of Democratic congressional leaders, while 59% disapprove. Job ratings for GOP leaders are similar (31% approve, 63% disapprove). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s job rating is somewhat more negative than positive: 40% approve of her job performance while 46% disapprove. Still, Pelosi’s job rating is more positive than then-Speaker Paul Ryan’s was two years ago. At similar points during their tenures as speaker, John Boehner and Newt Gingrich had evenly divided job ratings. The partisan gap in views of Pelosi’s job rating is generally wider than those of her predecessors. Democrats are about four times as likely as Republicans to approve of Pelosi’s job performance than are Republicans (62% vs. 15%). … Early in her tenure as House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi’s job rating is deeply divided along partisan lines. … About six-in-ten Democrats (62%) approve of Pelosi’s job performance.”

Pelosi backs new DCCC hiring policy against progressives’ pleas - National Journal: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders expressed support Thursday for a new Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hiring policy that progressives claim will blackball vendors who work for primary challengers against incumbent Democrats. That comes after a tense meeting Wednesday afternoon between DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos and leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who want Democrats to rescind the rule. The policy states they will neither hire nor recommend to House offices any political vendors who work to oust sitting Democrats. ‘I support the chair of the DCCC,’ Pelosi said, when asked whether she backs the policy. In the private meeting, progressives invoked Pelosi as an example of a leader who understands their concerns as members from left-leaning districts, as opposed to Bustos, who represents a district that supported President Trump, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.”

PLAY-BY-PLAY
Senate approves GOP budget AP

McConnell sets up debate next week to make confirmation of Trump nominees easier Roll Call

Brexit is beaten for third time Friday, no sign if Britain will leave the EU WaPo

Rep. Dan Crenshaw could be the GOP’s answer to progressive House Dems - National Review

AUDIBLE: NAME DROPPING  
“As a former seven-year Reagan administration Justice Department official, I kind of think that the president's early steps in this administration have gone well beyond anything President Richard Nixon ever did.” – Former Republican Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld talking about President Trump with Shannon Bream on “Fox News @ Night.” Weld plans to make a decision on running for president in April.  

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
This weekend Mr. Sunday will sit down with Counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway. Watch “Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.” Check local listings for broadcast times in your area.

#mediabuzz - Host Howard Kurtz has the latest take on the week’s media coverage. Watch #mediabuzz Sundays at 11 a.m. ET.

FROM THE BLEACHERS
“Sometimes I just don’t get [The Rulebook]. The first sentence is easy enough. I don’t follow the meaning of the second sentence. Would it be possible to get a ref’s interpretation of [Thursday’s] rule? ‘The natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular or representative constitution, is a change of men. A guaranty by the national authority would be as much levelled against the usurpations of rulers as against the ferments and outrages of faction and sedition in the community.’ – Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 21.” – Mike Tardif, Santa Ana, Calif.

[Ed. note: When we look at the Federalist Papers we are reading impassioned arguments from the proponents of the Constitution for the creation of a federal republic to replace the confederacy that was in place from 1781 to 1789. When Hamilton wrote those words in December of 1787 he was attacking the then-governing charter, the Articles of Confederacy, as insufficient. A chief problem, he argued, was that the national government lacked the authority or practical ability to enforce the laws that it passed or to guarantee the rights of its citizens. Some 4,000 armed rebels led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays had staged a nearly year-long insurrection in western Massachusetts that ended just six months before Hamilton was writing. Shays & Co. were protesting what they said were heavy-handed taxation and tax collection by the government of the state of Massachusetts. Their goal was the violent overthrow of the government of the commonwealth before they were eventually crushed by a private army raised by the anxious citizens of Boston led by Revolutionary Gen. Benjamin Lincoln. Rage mobs fighting private armies is not exactly conducive to good order and predictable governance. Hamilton argued that the loose affiliation of the confederacy and weak central government was an invitation to further problems of this kind and that the national government needed the power to enforce the basic rules and keep order. What he’s saying in the passage we quoted is that in a republic the remedy for bad state government remains the same – an election – but that the federal government would serve as a counterweight against bad state leaders or “usurpations of rulers” as much as it will provide protection from rage mobs attacking the rule of law itself, “the ferments and outrages of faction and sedition.”]    

“I get as much enjoyment from your response to the ‘Bleachers’ as I do from the ‘Report.’ You would be a great diplomat. Two more for your ‘creel.’  I was born in Parcoal and spent my early youth in No. 4 (a town on 1947 WV maps, and not even a wide place in the road now), both in Webster County.” – Rod Steorts, Sutton, W. Va.

[Ed. note: Sweet fancy Moses! I of course knew of Parcoal, which I have passed through several times on my way to Kumbrabow State Forest and Helvetia (near another favorite of mine: Czar, W.Va.). But I knew nothing of No. 4, W.Va. That’s a fine catch indeed.]

“Chris, Read with interest your list of West Virginia datelines in the response to the gentleman from Rhodelia. Having been raised at Mud, W.Va. (post office no longer exists), which is just over the hill from Big Ugly, I was pleased to see it made your list. One of my favorite headlines from the Hamlin Lincoln Journal has always been: ‘Big Ugly Woman Injured in Auto Accident.’” – Billy Atkins, Morgantown, W. Va.

[Ed. note: But was she?]

“Oh Chris why would you not want the Cubs to have a great season? We are in first place at the moment. Love the Halftime Report and I make sure I read it every day no matter how long it is.” – Anne Purcell, Chicago

[Ed. note: Ms. Purcell, I am a devout supporter of the National League franchise in St. Louis. For there to be true harmony in my baseball universe it’s not just necessary for the Cardinals to win but for the Cubs to lose. You could say that it’s small of me, but the crackle of that rivalry has warmed my heart even late in seasons like last year after hope was gone for the pennant to return to where it belongs, 700 Clark Ave. And something tells me that this year’s battle between our two warring tribes may indeed be one for the history books. See you in September!]

“Chris — Thanks for the humanity — and I would add, ‘Christianity’ except that the idea of love for the ‘aliens resident among’ us springs from the Hebrew Bible — in your response to a writer insisting on the ‘illegals’ label. Blessings!” – Rev. John Johnson, Tucson, Ariz.

[Ed. note: I will only quote theologian and Pastor Tim Keller back to you, Rev. Johnson: “Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it.”]

“Why on Fox Nation with Brianna and Chris is the horseshoe hanging pointing down allowing the luck to run out? Been wondering.” – Steve Adams, Bellefonte, Pa.

[Ed. note: You caught me, Mr. Adams! The horseshoe is not there for luck, as I am not the superstitious type. It is there to remind me to be worthy of my heritage. It was made by my great-grandfather, James. He was by all evident results a pretty poor farmer and lacked the instincts for business. But he was, by the accounts I have heard, a very good farrier, a man on whom his neighbors relied to keep their horses afoot. Old Jim Stirewalt was a poor man and perhaps not a particularly gifted one, but he found a way to keep himself and his family going. When I don’t know what to write or what to say, I am reminded to stoke the fire, grab the tongs and hammer away.]

Share your color commentary: Email us at HALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COM and please make sure to include your name and hometown.

AN ODIE-OUS MYSTERY SOLVED
AFP: “For more than 30 years bright orange ‘Garfield’ phones have been washing up on the French coast to the bemusement of local beach cleaners …the novelty landline phones, modelled on the prickly feline cartoon character, that have plagued the northern Finistere beaches for decades. ‘Our association has existed for 18 years and in that time we have found pieces of Garfield telephones almost each time we clean,’ said Claire Simonin, the head of local beach cleaning group Ar Viltansou in Brittany. But it wasn't until a local resident revealed that he had discovered the container after a storm in the 1980s that they were finally able to locate it -- wedged in a partially submerged cave only accessible at low tide. … ‘Under the boulders in front of the entrance, we found 23 complete handsets with electronics and wires. They were everywhere,’ she added.”

AND NOW, A WORD FROM CHARLES…
“‘If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen’ [Barack Obama said.] … To say all individuals are embedded in and the product of society is banal.” – Charles Krauthammer (1950-2018) writing for the National Review on July 20, 2012.

Chris Stirewalt is the politics editor for Fox News. Brianna McClelland contributed to this report. Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign up here.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Federer beats Anderson to set up generation clash with Shapovalov

Tennis: Miami Open
Mar 28, 2019; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Kevin Anderson of South Africa (not pictured) during the men’s quarter-finals at Miami Open Tennis Complex. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

March 29, 2019

(Reuters) – Roger Federer gained a measure of revenge against Wimbledon nemesis Kevin Anderson, beating the South African 6-0 6-4 at the Miami Open on Thursday to set up a mouthwatering semi-final against a player barely half his age.

Federer will have little time to rest his 37-year-old legs before his clash against 19-year-old Denis Shapovalov, the highly regarded Canadian talent tipped for future Grand Slam success.

Twentieth seed Shapovalov won his battle of ‘Next Gen’ hustlers 6-7(5) 6-4 6-2 against American Frances Tiafoe.

Shapovalov is one of two Canadian teenagers in the semis, with 18-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime to play defending champion John Isner in the other.

Federer has won 100 career titles, 100 more than Shapovalov, and was looking forward to the pair’s first match-up.

“He’s one of the big shotmakers in the game. I love his forehand,” Federer said.

The Swiss raced through the first set against Anderson, the man who beat him in a quarter-final marathon at Wimbledon last year.

Anderson took nine games to get on the board but eventually found his groove and broke back with a series of return winners to level at 3-3 in the second set.

Federer struck the decisive blow at 4-4, however, winning a marathon game of 22 points and clinching the break with a fortuitous backhand return down the line.

“I hit it late and that’s why it went short,” he said of the shot. “That’s not what I wanted to do but maybe what it took. I got a bit lucky there at the end.”

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ian Ransom)

Source: OANN

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Pompeo says all U.S. diplomats have left Venezuela

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 1, 2019. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

March 14, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – All American diplomats remaining in Venezuela left the country on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, amid a political crisis over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro’s 2018 re-election.

“U.S. diplomats will now continue that mission from other locations where they will continue to help manage the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people and support the democratic actors bravely resisting tyranny,” Pompeo said in a statement.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Alexander)

Source: OANN

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Deutsche Bank bans staff from Dorchester hotels after Brunei implements homosexuality laws

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Deutsche Bank is seen in front of one of the bank's office buildings in Frankfurt
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Deutsche Bank is seen in front of one of the bank's office buildings in Frankfurt, Germany, October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo

April 4, 2019

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Deutsche Bank has banned its staff from staying in hotels of the Brunei-owned Dorchester Collection, following the Sultanate’s decision to implement Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality.

“The new laws introduced by Brunei breach the most basic human rights, and we believe it is our duty as a firm to take action against them,” Deutsche Bank’s Chief Risk Officer Stuart Lewis said in a statement.

Brunei’s state-owned investment agency BIA owns the Dorchester Collection hotel group, which features luxury venues such as The Dorchester, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Principe di Savoia and Hotel Bel-Air.

Deutsche Bank was one of the co-founders of the Partnership for Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Inter and Queer (LGBTIQ) Equality consortium.

On Wednesday, the United Nations said that Brunei was violating human rights by implementing Sharia laws, which punish sodomy, adultery and rape with the death penalty – including by stoning, and theft with amputation.

(Reporting by Arno Schuetze; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

Source: OANN

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An employee looks up at goods at the Miniclipper Logistics warehouse in Leighton Buzzard
FILE PHOTO: An employee looks up at goods at the Miniclipper Logistics warehouse in Leighton Buzzard, Britain December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

April 26, 2019

LONDON, April 26 – British factories stockpiled raw materials and goods ahead of Brexit at the fastest pace since records began in the 1950s, and they were increasingly downbeat about their prospects, a survey showed on Friday.

The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) quarterly survey of the manufacturing industry showed expectations for export orders in the next three months fell to their lowest level since mid-2009, when Britain was reeling from the global financial crisis.

The record pace of stockpiling recorded by the CBI was mirrored by the closely-watched IHS Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index published earlier this month.

(Reporting by Andy Bruce, editing by David Milliken)

Source: OANN

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the opening ceremony for the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the opening ceremony for the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo

April 26, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Fewer than half of Malaysians approve of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, an opinion poll showed on Friday, as concerns over rising costs and racial matters plague his administration nearly a year after taking office.

The survey, conducted in March by independent pollster Merdeka Center, showed that only 46 percent of voters surveyed were satisfied with Mahathir, a sharp drop from the 71 percent approval rating he received in August 2018.

Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan coalition won a stunning election victory in May 2018, ending the previous government’s more than 60-year rule.

But his administration has since been criticized for failing to deliver on promised reforms and protecting the rights of majority ethnic Malay Muslims.

Of 1,204 survey respondents, 46 percent felt that the “country was headed in the wrong direction”, up from 24 percent in August 2018, the Merdeka Center said in a statement. Just 39 percent said they approved of the ruling government.

High living costs remained the top most concern among Malaysians, with just 40 percent satisfied with the government’s management of the economy, the survey showed.

It also showed mixed responses to Pakatan Harapan’s proposed reforms.

Some 69 percent opposed plans to abolish the death penalty, while respondents were sharply divided over proposals to lower the minimum voting age to 18, or to implement a sugar tax.

“In our opinion, the results appear to indicate a public that favors the status quo, and thus requires a robust and coordinated advocacy efforts in order to garner their acceptance of new measures,” Merdeka Center said.

The survey also found 23 percent of Malaysians were concerned over ethnic and religious matters.

Some groups representing Malays have expressed fear that affirmative-action policies favoring them in business, education and housing could be taken away and criticized the appointments of non-Muslims to key government posts.

Last November, the government reversed its pledge to ratify a UN convention against racial discrimination, after a backlash from Malay groups.

Earlier this month, Pakatan Harapan suffered its third successive loss in local elections since taking power, which has been seen as a further sign of waning public support.

Despite the decline, most Malaysians – 67 percent – agreed that Mahathir’s government should be given more time to fulfill its election promises, Merdeka Center said.

This included a majority of Malay voters who were largely more critical of the new administration, it added.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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The German share price index DAX graph at the stock exchange in Frankfurt
The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Staff

April 26, 2019

By Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh

(Reuters) – European shares slipped on Friday after losses in heavyweight banks and Glencore outweighed gains in healthcare and auto stocks, while investors remained on the sidelines ahead of U.S. economic data for the first quarter.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.1 percent by 0935 GMT, eyeing a modest loss at the end of a holiday-shortened week. Banks-heavy Italian and Spanish indices were laggards.

The banking index fell for a fourth day, at the end of a heavy earnings week for lenders.

Britain’s Royal Bank of Scotland tumbled after posting lower first quarter profit, hurt by intensifying competition and Brexit uncertainty, while its investment bank also registered poor returns.

Weakness in investment banking also dented Deutsche Bank’s quarterly trading revenue and sent its shares lower a day after the German bank abandoned merger talks with smaller rival Commerzbank.

“The current interest rate environment makes it challenging for banks to make proper earnings because of their intermediary function,” said Teeuwe Mevissen, senior market economist eurozone, at Rabobank.

Since the start of April, all country indexes were on pace to rise between 1.8 percent and 3.4 percent, their fourth month of gains, while Germany was strongly outperforming with 6 percent growth.

“For now the current sentiment is very cautious as markets wait for the first estimates of the U.S. GDP growth which could see a surprise,” Mevissen said.

U.S. economic data for the first-quarter is due at 1230 GMT. Growth worries outside the United States resurfaced this week after South Korea’s economy unexpectedly contracted at the start of the year and weak German business sentiment data for April also disappointed.

Among the biggest drags on the benchmark index in Europe were the basic resources sector and the oil and gas sector, weighed down by Britain’s Glencore and France’s Total, respectively.

Glencore dropped after reports that U.S authorities were investigating whether the company and its subsidiaries violated certain provisions of the commodity exchange act.

Energy major Total said its net profit for the first three months of the year fell compared with a year ago due to volatile oil prices and debt costs.

Chip stocks in the region including Siltronic, Ams and STMicroelectronics lost more than 1 percent after Intel Corp reduced its full-year revenue forecast, adding to concerns that an industry-wide slowdown could persist until the end of 2019.

Meanwhile, healthcare, which is also seen as a defensive sector, was a bright spot. It was helped by French drugmaker Sanofi after it returned to growth with higher profits and revenues for the first-quarter.

Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES led media stocks higher after it maintained its full-year outlook on the back of the company’s Networks division.

Automakers in the region rose 0.4 percent, led by Valeo’s 6 percent jump as the French parts maker said its performance would improve in the second half of the year.

Continental AG advanced after it backed its outlook for the year despite reporting a fall in first-quarter earnings.

Renault rose more than 3 percent as it clung to full-year targets and pursues merger talks with its Japanese partner Nissan.

(Reporting by Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Gareth Jones and Elaine Hardcastle)

Source: OANN

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U.S. President Donald Trump hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to his audience as he hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

April 26, 2019

By Jan Wolfe and Richard Cowan

(Reuters) – The “i word” – impeachment – is swirling around the U.S. Congress since the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted Russia report, which painted a picture of lies, threats and confusion in Donald Trump’s White House.

Some Democrats say trying to remove Trump from office would be a waste of time because his fellow Republicans still have majority control of the Senate. Other Democrats argue they have a moral obligation at least to try to impeach, even though Mueller did not charge Trump with conspiring with Russia in the 2016 U.S. election or with obstruction of justice.

Whether or not the Democrats decide to go down this risky path, here is how the impeachment process works.

WHAT ARE GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENT?

The U.S. Constitution says the president can be removed from office by Congress for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Exactly what that means is unclear.

Before he became president in 1974, replacing Republican Richard Nixon who resigned over the Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford said: “An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.”

Frank Bowman, a University of Missouri law professor and author of a forthcoming book on the history of impeachment, said Congress could look beyond criminal laws in defining “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Historically, it can encompass corruption and other abuses, including trying to obstruct judicial proceedings.

HOW DOES IMPEACHMENT PLAY OUT?

The term impeachment is often interpreted as simply removing a president from office, but that is not strictly accurate.

Impeachment technically refers to the 435-member House of Representatives approving formal charges against a president.

The House effectively acts as accuser – voting on whether to bring specific charges. An impeachment resolution, known as “articles of impeachment,” is like an indictment in a criminal case. A simple majority vote is needed in the House to impeach.

The Senate then conducts a trial. House members act as the prosecutors, with senators as the jurors. The chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court presides over the trial. A two-thirds majority vote is required in the 100-member Senate to convict and remove a president from office.

No president has ever been removed from office as a direct result of an impeachment and conviction by Congress.

Nixon quit in 1974 rather than face impeachment. Presidents Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 were impeached by the House, but both stayed in office after the Senate acquitted them.

Obstruction of justice was one charge against Clinton, who faced allegations of lying under oath about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Obstruction was also included in the articles of impeachment against Nixon.

CAN THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURN?

No.

Trump said on Twitter on Wednesday that he would ask the Supreme Court to intervene if Democrats tried to impeach him. But America’s founders explicitly rejected making a Senate conviction appealable to the federal judiciary, Bowman said.

“They quite plainly decided this is a political process and it is ultimately a political judgment,” Bowman said.

“So when Trump suggests there is any judicial remedy for impeachment, he is just wrong.”

PROOF OF WRONGDOING?

In a typical criminal court case, jurors are told to convict only if there is “proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” a fairly stringent standard.

Impeachment proceedings are different. The House and Senate “can decide on whatever burden of proof they want,” Bowman said. “There is no agreement on what the burden should be.”

PARTY BREAKDOWN IN CONGRESS?

Right now, there are 235 Democrats, 197 Republicans and three vacancies in the House. As a result, the Democratic majority could vote to impeach Trump without any Republican votes.

In 1998, when Republicans had a House majority, the chamber voted largely along party lines to impeach Clinton, a Democrat.

The Senate now has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents who usually vote with Democrats. Conviction and removal of a president would requires 67 votes. So that means for Trump to be impeached, at least 20 Republicans and all the Democrats and independents would have to vote against him.

WHO BECOMES PRESIDENT IF TRUMP IS REMOVED?

A Senate conviction removing Trump from office would elevate Vice President Mike Pence to the presidency to fill out Trump’s term, which ends on Jan. 20, 2021.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)

Source: OANN

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New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft attends a conference at the Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes
FILE PHOTO: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft attends a conference at the Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes, France, June 23, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s lawyers on Friday are set to ask a Florida judge to toss out hidden-camera videos that prosecutors say show the 77-year-old billionaire receiving sexual favors for money inside a Florida massage parlor.

The owner of the reigning Super Bowl champions plans wants the video to not be used as evidence against him as he contests two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution at the Orchids of Asia Spa in Jupiter, Florida, along with some two dozen other men.

His legal team is fresh off a win on Tuesday, when they successfully persuaded Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser to block prosecutors from releasing the hidden-camera footage to media outlets, which had requested copies under the state’s robust open records law.

Kraft, who has owned the franchise since 1994, pleaded not guilty, but has issued a public apology for his actions.

His attorneys have argued in court papers that the surreptitious videotaping of customers, including Kraft, inside a massage parlor was governmental overreach and the result of an illegally obtained search warrant.

The warrant, Kraft’s lawyers claim, was secured under false pretenses because police officers cited human trafficking as a potential crime in their application. Prosecutors have since acknowledged that the investigation yielded no evidence of trafficking.

Palm Beach County prosecutors in a court filing on Wednesday said Kraft’s motion should be rejected because he could not have had any expectation of privacy while visiting a commercial establishment to engage in criminal activity.

That prompted an indignant response from Kraft’s attorneys, who said the prosecution’s position on privacy was “unhinged.”

“It should go without saying that Mr. Kraft and everyone else in the United States have a reasonable expectation that the government will not secretly spy on them while they undress behind closed doors,” they wrote.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax, editing by G Crosse)

Source: OANN

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