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| Trump ally Roger Stone hit with stricter gag order over Instagram post – live | Trump ally Roger Stone hit with stricter gag order over Instagram post – live |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A little more detail on North Carolina ordering that fresh election, from the Associated Press: | |
| The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 5-0 on Thursday to hold a new election in the 9th Congressional District. The board did not immediately set a schedule. | |
| Following last November’s election, Republican Mark Harris had held a slim lead over Democrat Dan McCready in unofficial results from the district running from Charlotte through several counties to the east. But the state refused to certify the win because of absentee-ballot irregularities. | |
| Harris said Thursday during the hearing that he thought a new election should be called, despite his lawyers arguing in recent legal filings to the state board that he should be certified the winner. | |
| The Republican said he was still struggling from health problems caused by a blood infection that landed him in a hospital and led to two strokes. Harris said he was suffering from confusion, but that he could see there were substantial doubts about fairness and that a new election is necessary. | |
| Roger Stone has been handed a stricter gag order by a federal judge. The long-time Donald Trump confidante was ruled to have defied an earlier order when he posted a photo of the judge, alongside crosshairs, on social media. Stone is charged with lying to Congress about his communications with Wikileaks, witness tampering and obstruction of an official proceeding. | Roger Stone has been handed a stricter gag order by a federal judge. The long-time Donald Trump confidante was ruled to have defied an earlier order when he posted a photo of the judge, alongside crosshairs, on social media. Stone is charged with lying to Congress about his communications with Wikileaks, witness tampering and obstruction of an official proceeding. |
| North Carolina ordered a new Congressional election in the ongoing voter fraud case in the state. The election will be for the state’s ninth congressional district. After November’s mid-term elections the Republican Mark Harris held a slim lead, but North Carolina refused to certify the win due to irregularities. Harris’s campaign has been subject to a hearing amid fraud claims relating to absentee ballots. | North Carolina ordered a new Congressional election in the ongoing voter fraud case in the state. The election will be for the state’s ninth congressional district. After November’s mid-term elections the Republican Mark Harris held a slim lead, but North Carolina refused to certify the win due to irregularities. Harris’s campaign has been subject to a hearing amid fraud claims relating to absentee ballots. |
| Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he will not run for Senate in 2020. Pompeo had been widely linked with running – Senate leader Mitch McConnell reportedly approached the secretary – in his home state of Kansas, where he previously served as a US congressman. “It’s ruled out,” Pompeo said. “I’m here, I’m loving it.” | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he will not run for Senate in 2020. Pompeo had been widely linked with running – Senate leader Mitch McConnell reportedly approached the secretary – in his home state of Kansas, where he previously served as a US congressman. “It’s ruled out,” Pompeo said. “I’m here, I’m loving it.” |
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| Judge Amy Berman Jackson has issued a new set of restrictions on Trump associate Roger Stone in a DC federal court. | Judge Amy Berman Jackson has issued a new set of restrictions on Trump associate Roger Stone in a DC federal court. |
| Under the new ruling, Stone may make no statements about the case and hold no press releases or press conferences. | Under the new ruling, Stone may make no statements about the case and hold no press releases or press conferences. |
| Stone has also been ordered not to make posts about the case on social media. Stone also may not comment about the case indirectly, Jackson said. | Stone has also been ordered not to make posts about the case on social media. Stone also may not comment about the case indirectly, Jackson said. |
| Any violation of this fresh gag “will be a basis for revoking your bond”, Jackson said – which could mean Stone going to jail. | Any violation of this fresh gag “will be a basis for revoking your bond”, Jackson said – which could mean Stone going to jail. |
| Jackson: "Any violation of this order will be a basis for revoking your bond.. Today I gave you a second chance. But this is not baseball." | Jackson: "Any violation of this order will be a basis for revoking your bond.. Today I gave you a second chance. But this is not baseball." |
| Giving her ruling, Jackson told Stone she had “serious doubts about whether you’ve learned any lesson at all”. His apology “rings quite hollow”, the judge said. | Giving her ruling, Jackson told Stone she had “serious doubts about whether you’ve learned any lesson at all”. His apology “rings quite hollow”, the judge said. |
| Since posting the photograph, Stone has “decided to pursue a strategy of attacking others,” Jackson said. | Since posting the photograph, Stone has “decided to pursue a strategy of attacking others,” Jackson said. |
| She added: “Mr Stone could not even keep his story straight on the stand.” | She added: “Mr Stone could not even keep his story straight on the stand.” |
| Jackson said the photo Stone posted “was not selected randomly”. She noted that a Google search brings up “many unaltered photographs”. | Jackson said the photo Stone posted “was not selected randomly”. She noted that a Google search brings up “many unaltered photographs”. |
| Jackson: No statements about the case. No press releases or press conferences. No posts on social media. The defendant may not comment about the case indirectly. You may send out as many emails or posts as you choose that say donate to the Roger Stone fund. | Jackson: No statements about the case. No press releases or press conferences. No posts on social media. The defendant may not comment about the case indirectly. You may send out as many emails or posts as you choose that say donate to the Roger Stone fund. |
| Judge Amy Berman Jackson, presiding over the Roger Stone hearing, has taken a break before ruling on Stone’s fate. | Judge Amy Berman Jackson, presiding over the Roger Stone hearing, has taken a break before ruling on Stone’s fate. |
| David Smith is reporting that Stone claimed one of his “many” volunteers who operate out of his house could have posted the photo. Stone was unable to identify which volunteer posted it, however. | David Smith is reporting that Stone claimed one of his “many” volunteers who operate out of his house could have posted the photo. Stone was unable to identify which volunteer posted it, however. |
| Prosecutor Jonathan Kravis has told the court that even after posting the crosshairs photo, Stone continued to give interviews to amplify the coverage. | Prosecutor Jonathan Kravis has told the court that even after posting the crosshairs photo, Stone continued to give interviews to amplify the coverage. |
| Kravis: The defendant continued to give interviews to amplify the coverage. "That conduct amounts to... a desire to manipulate media coverage to gain favourable attention." That increased the "risk to the jury pool". | Kravis: The defendant continued to give interviews to amplify the coverage. "That conduct amounts to... a desire to manipulate media coverage to gain favourable attention." That increased the "risk to the jury pool". |
| Judge Jackson, speaking to Stone’s attorney Bruce Rogow, has seemed skeptical about the chances of Stone keeping quiet, David Smith reports. | Judge Jackson, speaking to Stone’s attorney Bruce Rogow, has seemed skeptical about the chances of Stone keeping quiet, David Smith reports. |
| Jackson to Rogow: "After he apologised, he continued talking every single day. What will get him to stop talking other than a court order... How would you craft a court order that he will find clear enough to follow?" | Jackson to Rogow: "After he apologised, he continued talking every single day. What will get him to stop talking other than a court order... How would you craft a court order that he will find clear enough to follow?" |
| Guardian reporter David Smith is tweeting from inside the DC court where Roger Stone is appearing. | Guardian reporter David Smith is tweeting from inside the DC court where Roger Stone is appearing. |
| Stone has told the court that he is “heartfully sorry” and admitted abusing the court order that originally allowed him out on bail. | Stone has told the court that he is “heartfully sorry” and admitted abusing the court order that originally allowed him out on bail. |
| Of the crosshairs in the photo, Stone told the judge: “It’s a celtic occult symbol... I’m not into the occult.” | Of the crosshairs in the photo, Stone told the judge: “It’s a celtic occult symbol... I’m not into the occult.” |
| He added: “I honestly did not believe it was crosshairs. I honestly thought it was a misinterpretation.” | He added: “I honestly did not believe it was crosshairs. I honestly thought it was a misinterpretation.” |
| While Stone appears to have begun his statement with a full-scale apology, he seems to have switched, at least briefly, to trying to explain his actions: | While Stone appears to have begun his statement with a full-scale apology, he seems to have switched, at least briefly, to trying to explain his actions: |
| Stone: I believe there was "a media distortion" of my intent. "I did not have a malicious intent, your honour... I'm not seeking to justify it. It was just an error." | Stone: I believe there was "a media distortion" of my intent. "I did not have a malicious intent, your honour... I'm not seeking to justify it. It was just an error." |
| Stone: "I felt the media was falsely saying that I was posing a danger, which was not my intention. This was not a crosshair, in my opinion, and I did not wish to be blamed for something that was not my intention." | Stone: "I felt the media was falsely saying that I was posing a danger, which was not my intention. This was not a crosshair, in my opinion, and I did not wish to be blamed for something that was not my intention." |
| Stone is reportedly claiming that the crosshairs in the photo he posted of Judge Amy Berman are not crosshairs, but a Celtic symbol. | Stone is reportedly claiming that the crosshairs in the photo he posted of Judge Amy Berman are not crosshairs, but a Celtic symbol. |
| Here’s the image: | Here’s the image: |
| Trump aide #RogerStone says didn't mean to threaten judge with Instagram photo of her face next to 'crosshairs' https://t.co/O61sJy81Mh pic.twitter.com/ceAYfdkiFT | Trump aide #RogerStone says didn't mean to threaten judge with Instagram photo of her face next to 'crosshairs' https://t.co/O61sJy81Mh pic.twitter.com/ceAYfdkiFT |
| Roger Stone is on the witness stand in court, and apparently channelling Oliver Twist. Here’s the Huffington Post’s Ryan Reilly: | Roger Stone is on the witness stand in court, and apparently channelling Oliver Twist. Here’s the Huffington Post’s Ryan Reilly: |
| STONE: "This is just a stupid lapse in judgment." Says his business has dried up and he's exhausted his savings. "My apology is sincere and it it heartfelt." | STONE: "This is just a stupid lapse in judgment." Says his business has dried up and he's exhausted his savings. "My apology is sincere and it it heartfelt." |
| Stone claims he's having trouble putting food on the table and paying his rent. | Stone claims he's having trouble putting food on the table and paying his rent. |
| Roger Stone has made it to court... here he is arriving at the E. Barrett Prettyman courthouse in Washington DC a little back. | Roger Stone has made it to court... here he is arriving at the E. Barrett Prettyman courthouse in Washington DC a little back. |
| You’ll remember that the long-time Trump consort is back in court to face Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Stone posted a photo of the judge next to some crosshairs on Instagram – now we’ll find out whether Stone violated the terms of his release by doing so. | You’ll remember that the long-time Trump consort is back in court to face Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Stone posted a photo of the judge next to some crosshairs on Instagram – now we’ll find out whether Stone violated the terms of his release by doing so. |
| If he did, Stone could be put in jail. | If he did, Stone could be put in jail. |
| Earlier we saw Donald Trump tweet out a video of some fence panels being put into place on the border. | Earlier we saw Donald Trump tweet out a video of some fence panels being put into place on the border. |
| “THE WALL IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW!” Trump whooped under the video. | “THE WALL IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW!” Trump whooped under the video. |
| But it now seems that the video is actually five months old. Not to mention it doesn’t show a new barrier being constructed – just an existing barrier being upgraded. | But it now seems that the video is actually five months old. Not to mention it doesn’t show a new barrier being constructed – just an existing barrier being upgraded. |
| The website Task & Purpose reports that Trump’s footage was actually filmed on September 18 2018. | The website Task & Purpose reports that Trump’s footage was actually filmed on September 18 2018. |
| A spokeswoman for the US Army Corps of Engineers told Task & Purpose it had filmed the upgrade project last September. | A spokeswoman for the US Army Corps of Engineers told Task & Purpose it had filmed the upgrade project last September. |
| A Silicon Valley congressman with plans to bring big tech to Iowa, a sharp-tongued mayor who took on the Trump administration after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and a leader of the Bernie Sanders’ grassroots army will serve as co-chairs for the Vermont senator’s second presidential campaign. | A Silicon Valley congressman with plans to bring big tech to Iowa, a sharp-tongued mayor who took on the Trump administration after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and a leader of the Bernie Sanders’ grassroots army will serve as co-chairs for the Vermont senator’s second presidential campaign. |
| Representative Ro Khanna, who is the first member of Congress not from Sanders home state of Vermont to publicly endorse him, Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, and Nina Turner, the president of Our Revolution, will serve as Sanders’ surrogates and ambassadors, offering guidance to the campaign and hitting the trail to amplify issues such as healthcare, the environment and tech innovation. They are only the first wave of co-chairs to be announced and more are expected soon. | Representative Ro Khanna, who is the first member of Congress not from Sanders home state of Vermont to publicly endorse him, Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, and Nina Turner, the president of Our Revolution, will serve as Sanders’ surrogates and ambassadors, offering guidance to the campaign and hitting the trail to amplify issues such as healthcare, the environment and tech innovation. They are only the first wave of co-chairs to be announced and more are expected soon. |
| Collectively the co-chairs represent an effort by the campaign to build a diverse operation, in light of Sanders difficulty attracting minority voters in 2016 and recent revelations of sexual harassment by former female staffers on his first presidential campaign. | Collectively the co-chairs represent an effort by the campaign to build a diverse operation, in light of Sanders difficulty attracting minority voters in 2016 and recent revelations of sexual harassment by former female staffers on his first presidential campaign. |
| Sanders, who launched his campaign for president on Tuesday, hired Faiz Shakir, the former political director of the American Civil Liberties Union, to be the campaign manager. The former aide to Harry Reid is the first Muslim campaign manager for a major party candidate in presidential history. | Sanders, who launched his campaign for president on Tuesday, hired Faiz Shakir, the former political director of the American Civil Liberties Union, to be the campaign manager. The former aide to Harry Reid is the first Muslim campaign manager for a major party candidate in presidential history. |
| Khanna has built his profile as a progressive voice in the House, working with Sanders on the campaign to raise the minimum wage for Amazon workers and on legislation to end US-support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Re-elected to a second term in 2018, Khanna has spent a significant portion of his time outside his blue district, pushing big tech investment in parts of the Midwest and Appalachia. | Khanna has built his profile as a progressive voice in the House, working with Sanders on the campaign to raise the minimum wage for Amazon workers and on legislation to end US-support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Re-elected to a second term in 2018, Khanna has spent a significant portion of his time outside his blue district, pushing big tech investment in parts of the Midwest and Appalachia. |
| “Every 50 years, there is someone who can fundamentally alter the course of American politics,” Khanna said in a statement. “Bernie Sanders has the chance to reorient our economic policy towards workers and communities left behind instead of corporate interests and to reorient our foreign policy to prioritize peace, diplomacy and restraint instead of war.” | “Every 50 years, there is someone who can fundamentally alter the course of American politics,” Khanna said in a statement. “Bernie Sanders has the chance to reorient our economic policy towards workers and communities left behind instead of corporate interests and to reorient our foreign policy to prioritize peace, diplomacy and restraint instead of war.” |
| Cruz met with Sanders during his visit to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria left residents without electricity and clean water. Her high-profile altercation with Donald Trump over his administration’s response to Puerto Rico earned national attention. She said in a statement that she is hopeful Sanders can “usher a new path towards the resolution of many of the issues facing Puerto Rico.” | Cruz met with Sanders during his visit to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria left residents without electricity and clean water. Her high-profile altercation with Donald Trump over his administration’s response to Puerto Rico earned national attention. She said in a statement that she is hopeful Sanders can “usher a new path towards the resolution of many of the issues facing Puerto Rico.” |
| Turner, a former Ohio state senator, is one of Sanders most loyal supporters. As the head of Our Revolution, which was a spin off of Sanders’ 2016 campaign, she led the effort to draft him into the race this season. | Turner, a former Ohio state senator, is one of Sanders most loyal supporters. As the head of Our Revolution, which was a spin off of Sanders’ 2016 campaign, she led the effort to draft him into the race this season. |
| A few people are pointing out that Trump is yet to say anything about the coast guard who had stockpiled weapons and was plotting to attack Democratic members of Congress, but weighed in on Jussie Smollett almost immediately: | A few people are pointing out that Trump is yet to say anything about the coast guard who had stockpiled weapons and was plotting to attack Democratic members of Congress, but weighed in on Jussie Smollett almost immediately: |
| It will be interesting to see how many presidential tweets @JussieSmollett merits versus the U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant and self-identified white nationalist arrested with a cache of weapons and ammunition stockpiled to target politicians and journalists in a terror attack. https://t.co/Fi32POkLCk | It will be interesting to see how many presidential tweets @JussieSmollett merits versus the U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant and self-identified white nationalist arrested with a cache of weapons and ammunition stockpiled to target politicians and journalists in a terror attack. https://t.co/Fi32POkLCk |
| That Trump came after Jussie before he mentioned the potential white supremacist terrorist in the Coast Guard is indicative of exactly which hell this conversation is headed to | That Trump came after Jussie before he mentioned the potential white supremacist terrorist in the Coast Guard is indicative of exactly which hell this conversation is headed to |
| Christopher Hasson, a neo-Nazi serving as a lieutenant in the US coast guard, was arrested last week. Prosecutors described Hasson, who had compiled a spreadsheet of apparent targets including Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and anchors from CNN and MSNBC, last week. | Christopher Hasson, a neo-Nazi serving as a lieutenant in the US coast guard, was arrested last week. Prosecutors described Hasson, who had compiled a spreadsheet of apparent targets including Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and anchors from CNN and MSNBC, last week. |
| Vice-president Mike Pence is off to Colombia next week to “voice the United States’ unwavering support for [Venezuala] interim president Juan Guaido”, according to the White House. | Vice-president Mike Pence is off to Colombia next week to “voice the United States’ unwavering support for [Venezuala] interim president Juan Guaido”, according to the White House. |
| Pence will be in Bogota on Monday to reiterate US support for Guiado, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled national assembly who swore himself in as interim president in January. Guaido has been recognized by more than 40 countries, including the US, the UK, Brazil and Germany. | Pence will be in Bogota on Monday to reiterate US support for Guiado, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled national assembly who swore himself in as interim president in January. Guaido has been recognized by more than 40 countries, including the US, the UK, Brazil and Germany. |
| Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has refused to step down, despite ongoing chaos in the country that has prompted an estimated four million people to flee the country. | Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has refused to step down, despite ongoing chaos in the country that has prompted an estimated four million people to flee the country. |
| Last week Trump urged to the Venezuelan military to abandon their support for Maduro and back Guaido. | Last week Trump urged to the Venezuelan military to abandon their support for Maduro and back Guaido. |