News of the World
05-21-2024, 12:12 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-21-2024, 12:22 AM by DerVVulfman.)
By Ashley Oliver
Donald Trump’s defense attorney grilled Michael Cohen on Monday during the former president’s hush money trial on how Cohen lied about a reimbursement request in 2017 so that the Trump Organization would overpay him by tens of thousands of dollars.
Attorney Todd Blanche questioned Cohen during a third day of cross-examination about the reimbursement, which was incorporated into a larger $420,000 payment plan that is at the center of the charges Trump is facing.
A portion of the money Cohen received from the Trump Organization was a reimbursement for money Cohen paid to a technology company called Red Finch. Cohen admitted that although he told then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg he was owed $50,000 for the Red Finch expense, he was, in fact, owed roughly $30,000 less than that.
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“So you stole from the Trump Organization, right?” Blanche asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen said.
When asked how Cohen paid Red Finch back for the technology services, Cohen said he went across the street to TD Bank and “just took out cash over a couple of days.”
“You had, what, like a duffel bag of cash?” Blanche asked.
Cohen said he used a brown paper bag.
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Cohen explained that when Weisselberg, who was crafting the payment plan, asked Cohen how much he needed for Red Finch, Cohen lied and said he needed $50,000 when really he only planned to pay the company $20,000.
The payment plan included a $130,000 reimbursement for Cohen after Cohen paid Daniels hush money in that amount right before the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, alleged Trump unlawfully concealed the payment in the Trump Organization’s records. The Trump Organization paid Cohen $420,000 for the technology services, the hush money payment, Cohen’s bonus for legal work he performed, and taxes — and the sum was all categorized as legal fees for Cohen in Trump’s business records.
Blanche’s questioning revealed how Cohen caused a portion of the overall payment to be faulty, and it underscored Cohen’s willingness to lie to Trump. It also undercut prosecutors’ allegation that Trump had detailed knowledge about the payment plan.
Cohen’s theft would have amounted to $60,000 because the amount he testified that he stole was doubled by Weisselberg in the payment plan to account for taxes.
Blanche also pressed Cohen about two phone calls he had on Oct. 26, 2016, during which Cohen claimed he spoke to Trump right before he took out a loan to pay Daniels.
Blanche highlighted how there were numerous significant events going on for Trump the morning of the calls, so it was possible Cohen was not discussing Daniels on those calls.
...
Blanche continued to cross-examine Cohen into Monday afternoon.
Donald Trump’s defense attorney grilled Michael Cohen on Monday during the former president’s hush money trial on how Cohen lied about a reimbursement request in 2017 so that the Trump Organization would overpay him by tens of thousands of dollars.
Attorney Todd Blanche questioned Cohen during a third day of cross-examination about the reimbursement, which was incorporated into a larger $420,000 payment plan that is at the center of the charges Trump is facing.
A portion of the money Cohen received from the Trump Organization was a reimbursement for money Cohen paid to a technology company called Red Finch. Cohen admitted that although he told then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg he was owed $50,000 for the Red Finch expense, he was, in fact, owed roughly $30,000 less than that.
...
“So you stole from the Trump Organization, right?” Blanche asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen said.
When asked how Cohen paid Red Finch back for the technology services, Cohen said he went across the street to TD Bank and “just took out cash over a couple of days.”
“You had, what, like a duffel bag of cash?” Blanche asked.
Cohen said he used a brown paper bag.
...
Cohen explained that when Weisselberg, who was crafting the payment plan, asked Cohen how much he needed for Red Finch, Cohen lied and said he needed $50,000 when really he only planned to pay the company $20,000.
The payment plan included a $130,000 reimbursement for Cohen after Cohen paid Daniels hush money in that amount right before the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, alleged Trump unlawfully concealed the payment in the Trump Organization’s records. The Trump Organization paid Cohen $420,000 for the technology services, the hush money payment, Cohen’s bonus for legal work he performed, and taxes — and the sum was all categorized as legal fees for Cohen in Trump’s business records.
Blanche’s questioning revealed how Cohen caused a portion of the overall payment to be faulty, and it underscored Cohen’s willingness to lie to Trump. It also undercut prosecutors’ allegation that Trump had detailed knowledge about the payment plan.
Cohen’s theft would have amounted to $60,000 because the amount he testified that he stole was doubled by Weisselberg in the payment plan to account for taxes.
Blanche also pressed Cohen about two phone calls he had on Oct. 26, 2016, during which Cohen claimed he spoke to Trump right before he took out a loan to pay Daniels.
Blanche highlighted how there were numerous significant events going on for Trump the morning of the calls, so it was possible Cohen was not discussing Daniels on those calls.
...
Blanche continued to cross-examine Cohen into Monday afternoon.
The deaths of Iran’s president and foreign minister left the country at a moment of regional and domestic tumult.
The deaths of Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, and foreign minister leave the country without two influential leaders at a particularly tumultuous moment of international tension and domestic discontent, although analysts and regional officials expect little change in Iran’s foreign or domestic policies.
Mr. Raisi, 63, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash resulting from a “technical failure,” Iranian state news media reported. They were traveling from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan after inaugurating a dam project when their helicopter went down in a mountainous area near the city of Jolfa. Search and rescue teams scoured a rugged area of dense forest through rain and fog for hours before finding the crash site. There were no survivors.
By Michael Crowley
Following an official U.S. statement that said nothing specifically about Raisi’s record, Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, was scathing at a daily press briefing:
Miller added that the Biden administration’s “fundamental approach to Iran has not changed and will not change,” and specifically noted that Americans would stand with Iranians pressing for “an open, free society and democratic participation.”
Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, dismissed a suggestion by a former Iranian foreign minister that American sanctions on Iran’s aviation industry were responsible for the crash.
Iran’s former foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, made the comments about American sanctions on Monday, according to the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.
By Leily Nikounazar and Vivian Yee
For some in Iran, the response wasn’t sorrowful.
When they learned that President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter had crashed on Sunday evening, the many Iranians for whom Mr. Raisi was one of the faces of a corrupt, brutally repressive regime waited with bated breath — hoping his era of influence had finally come to an end.
Gallows humor was all over social media. One user posted an image of a bear on X, writing, “Don’t disappoint us,” egging on the bears of the mountain where the helicopter had gone down to finish the job.
Mr. Raisi, 63, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash resulting from a “technical failure,” Iranian state news media reported. They were traveling from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan after inaugurating a dam project when their helicopter went down in a mountainous area near the city of Jolfa. Search and rescue teams scoured a rugged area of dense forest through rain and fog for hours before finding the crash site. There were no survivors.
By Michael Crowley
Following an official U.S. statement that said nothing specifically about Raisi’s record, Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, was scathing at a daily press briefing:
Matthew Miller, US State Department Spokesman Wrote:We have been quite clear that Ebrahim Raisi was a brutal participant in the repression of the Iranian people for nearly four decades.
Some of the worst human rights abuses occurred during his tenure as president — especially the human rights abuses against the women and girls of Iran. That said, we regret any loss of life, and don’t want to see anyone die in a helicopter crash.
Miller added that the Biden administration’s “fundamental approach to Iran has not changed and will not change,” and specifically noted that Americans would stand with Iranians pressing for “an open, free society and democratic participation.”
Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, dismissed a suggestion by a former Iranian foreign minister that American sanctions on Iran’s aviation industry were responsible for the crash.
Matthew Miller, US State Department Spokesman Wrote:Ultimately, it’s the Iranian government that is responsible for the decision to fly a 45-year-old helicopter in what was described as poor weather conditions, not any other actor.
Iran’s former foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, made the comments about American sanctions on Monday, according to the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.
By Leily Nikounazar and Vivian Yee
For some in Iran, the response wasn’t sorrowful.
When they learned that President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter had crashed on Sunday evening, the many Iranians for whom Mr. Raisi was one of the faces of a corrupt, brutally repressive regime waited with bated breath — hoping his era of influence had finally come to an end.
Gallows humor was all over social media. One user posted an image of a bear on X, writing, “Don’t disappoint us,” egging on the bears of the mountain where the helicopter had gone down to finish the job.
Do remember, he had well deserved name as the Butcher of Tehran.by Bailee HillBlack voters reacted to President Biden's commencement address at Morehouse College in Atlanta over the weekend, accusing him of "race baiting" while his support in the Black community continues to dissipate ahead of November.
New York resident Lou Valentino reacted to Biden's remarks during "Fox & Friends," accusing him of trying to set Black Americans back after his controversial speech.
Speaking at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Biden questioned whether American democracy would work for the African-American graduates.
Virginia business owner Ajay Brewer reacted to Biden's remarks during "Fox & Friends First," echoing Valentino's sentiment while accusing the Democrats of stifling the freedom of Black voters.
Biden had also been accused of using the speech to cater to Black voters. After he was announced as commencement speaker in April, students and professors quickly called on the college to cancel the speech.
During the speech, a smattering of Morehouse students and faculty also protested Biden's speech by turning their backs on him.
The protest was not widespread, however, and those participating did not disrupt his address beyond showing their backs. The small protest was a reminder of the continued unrest at college campuses across the country, however, where anti-Israel protests have forced some universities to cancel their commencement ceremonies altogether.
New York resident Lou Valentino reacted to Biden's remarks during "Fox & Friends," accusing him of trying to set Black Americans back after his controversial speech.
Lou Valentino Wrote:Race baiter. It's tough to hear that because imagine you going to college for four years… ready to… hit the world, start a career, and… this guy is trying to set you back literally, I don't know, civil rights. I don't know what's going on with the Democrats. This role that they're trying to play, instead of… pulling up and saying, well, 'Here we go. This is your time. Congratulations. Let's kill it. Let's do our best.' Nah, you know what, Lawrence? They don't love you like that.
Speaking at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Biden questioned whether American democracy would work for the African-American graduates.
President Biden Wrote:You missed your high school graduation. You started college just as George Floyd was murdered, and there was a reckoning on race. It's natural to wonder if the 'democracy' you hear about actually works for you. What is democracy? That Black men are being killed in the street.
What is democracy? The trail of broken promises still leaves Black communities behind. What is democracy? You have to be ten times better than anyone else to get a fair shot. Most of all, what does it mean? As you've heard before, to be a Black man who loves his country even if it doesn't love him back in equal measure.
Virginia business owner Ajay Brewer reacted to Biden's remarks during "Fox & Friends First," echoing Valentino's sentiment while accusing the Democrats of stifling the freedom of Black voters.
Ajay Brewer Wrote:It's hopelessness, man… it's the party of hopelessness.
"I could say that… I was a Democrat my entire life until I opened my business… It's like a drug… victimhood, and, ‘We can do this for you,’ and to be honest with you the Black folks I surround myself with just want government to get out of the way.
We don't need folks to do things for us. We don't need people to baby us. It's kind of disturbing… that they pander to us in this manner because they can depend on us at a clip of 90% plus, but I think that's going to change this election.
Georgia independent voter Bernadette Wright Wrote:America is changing and people are becoming more sensitive to what's affecting us as individuals, as business owners, as parents. Not just because we're Black, not just because we're women, not just because we're men. They can't keep putting us in these race baskets.
Accountability season is here, and America is ready for someone who's ready to lead from a place of understanding that you're going to have to meet with the states, and you're going to have to meet with the local government if you want to affect individual communities on a micro level.
When it comes to me as an African American, I need you to pay attention to what's going on with my business. It's not always just about, 'Oh, you're Black, so you must need this in your community. They don't even know who we are at this point. We're just looking for somebody to come to the middle and lead.
Biden had also been accused of using the speech to cater to Black voters. After he was announced as commencement speaker in April, students and professors quickly called on the college to cancel the speech.
During the speech, a smattering of Morehouse students and faculty also protested Biden's speech by turning their backs on him.
The protest was not widespread, however, and those participating did not disrupt his address beyond showing their backs. The small protest was a reminder of the continued unrest at college campuses across the country, however, where anti-Israel protests have forced some universities to cancel their commencement ceremonies altogether.
He had hundreds of horror, science fiction and crime films to his credit. He also helped start the careers of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and many others.
![[Image: roger-corman_port-768x767.jpg]](http://latinhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/roger-corman_port-768x767.jpg)
by Aljean Harmetz
Roger Corman, who for decades dominated the world of B movies as the producer or director of countless proudly low-budget horror, science fiction and crime films, died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 98.
His death was confirmed in a statement by his family posted late Saturday on his official Instagram page.
Mr. Corman produced more than 300 films and directed roughly 50 of them, including cult classics like “A Bucket of Blood” (1959), “The Masque of the Red Death” (1964), “The Wild Angels” (1966) and the original “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960), which he shot for $35,000 in two days on a set left over from somebody else’s movie.
When he got tired of directing, he opened the door to Hollywood for talented young protégés like Francis Ford Coppola (“Dementia 13”), Martin Scorsese (“Boxcar Bertha”), Jonathan Demme (“Caged Heat”), Peter Bogdanovich (“Targets”) and Ron Howard (“Grand Theft Auto”).
Among the others Mr. Corman nurtured was Jack Nicholson, who was 21 when Mr. Corman gave him his first movie role, the lead in “The Cry Baby Killer” (1958), and 23 when he had a small part as a masochistic dental patient in “The Little Shop of Horrors.” Before he went on to stardom, Mr. Nicholson acted in eight Corman movies and wrote three of them, including “The Trip,” an uncautionary tale about LSD.
...
In addition to being remembered for the opportunities he gave young filmmakers, Mr. Corman was renowned for his ability to make movies with almost no money and even less time. In 1967, for example, Boris Karloff owed Mr. Corman two days’ work.
The result was the critically praised “Targets,” in which Mr. Karloff played an aging horror film star who confronts a deranged Vietnam veteran on a murderous rampage at a drive-in theater where one of his movies is playing.
In 1970 Mr. Corman formed his own production and distribution company, New World Pictures. What he did next surprised Hollywood: He became the American distributor of Ingmar Bergman’s “Cries and Whispers.” The film earned Bergman nominations for Academy Awards in 1974 as writer and director; its cinematographer, Sven Nykvist, won an Oscar.
...
He is survived by his wife, Julie, and his daughters, Catherine and Mary, according to the statement from his family.
Mr. Corman remained active into the 21st century. He produced for Netflix “Splatter” (2009), a three-part online horror series with a difference: Audience votes determined which characters would be killed. He produced intentionally cheesy monster movies like “Sharktopus” (2010), “Piranhaconda” (2012) and “CobraGator” (2016) for the Syfy channel.
He received an honorary Oscar in 2009, and in 2011 he was the subject of a well-received documentary feature, “Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel,” directed by Alex Stapleton.
Roger Corman, who for decades dominated the world of B movies as the producer or director of countless proudly low-budget horror, science fiction and crime films, died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 98.
His death was confirmed in a statement by his family posted late Saturday on his official Instagram page.
Mr. Corman produced more than 300 films and directed roughly 50 of them, including cult classics like “A Bucket of Blood” (1959), “The Masque of the Red Death” (1964), “The Wild Angels” (1966) and the original “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960), which he shot for $35,000 in two days on a set left over from somebody else’s movie.
When he got tired of directing, he opened the door to Hollywood for talented young protégés like Francis Ford Coppola (“Dementia 13”), Martin Scorsese (“Boxcar Bertha”), Jonathan Demme (“Caged Heat”), Peter Bogdanovich (“Targets”) and Ron Howard (“Grand Theft Auto”).
Martin Scorsese Wrote:Mr. Corman “was able to nurture other talent in a way that was never envious or difficult but always generous. He once said: ‘Martin, what you have to get is a very good first reel, because people want to know what’s going on. Then you need a very good last reel, because people want to hear how it all turns out. Everything else doesn’t really matter.’ Probably the best sense I have ever heard about the movies.
Among the others Mr. Corman nurtured was Jack Nicholson, who was 21 when Mr. Corman gave him his first movie role, the lead in “The Cry Baby Killer” (1958), and 23 when he had a small part as a masochistic dental patient in “The Little Shop of Horrors.” Before he went on to stardom, Mr. Nicholson acted in eight Corman movies and wrote three of them, including “The Trip,” an uncautionary tale about LSD.
...
In addition to being remembered for the opportunities he gave young filmmakers, Mr. Corman was renowned for his ability to make movies with almost no money and even less time. In 1967, for example, Boris Karloff owed Mr. Corman two days’ work.
Peter Bogdanovich (1939-2022) Wrote:Roger said: ‘I want you to take 20 minutes of Karloff footage from “The Terror,” then I want you to shoot 20 more minutes with Boris, and then I want you to shoot another 40 minutes with some other actors over 10 days. I can take the 20 and the 20 and the 40, and I’ve got a whole new 80-minute Karloff film.’
The result was the critically praised “Targets,” in which Mr. Karloff played an aging horror film star who confronts a deranged Vietnam veteran on a murderous rampage at a drive-in theater where one of his movies is playing.
In 1970 Mr. Corman formed his own production and distribution company, New World Pictures. What he did next surprised Hollywood: He became the American distributor of Ingmar Bergman’s “Cries and Whispers.” The film earned Bergman nominations for Academy Awards in 1974 as writer and director; its cinematographer, Sven Nykvist, won an Oscar.
...
He is survived by his wife, Julie, and his daughters, Catherine and Mary, according to the statement from his family.
Mr. Corman remained active into the 21st century. He produced for Netflix “Splatter” (2009), a three-part online horror series with a difference: Audience votes determined which characters would be killed. He produced intentionally cheesy monster movies like “Sharktopus” (2010), “Piranhaconda” (2012) and “CobraGator” (2016) for the Syfy channel.
He received an honorary Oscar in 2009, and in 2011 he was the subject of a well-received documentary feature, “Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel,” directed by Alex Stapleton.
Of some note, he produced a b-movie entitled "Deathrace 2000" with David Carradine. Fast forward a few decades and yes, Roger Corman is one of the executive producers of 2008's "Deathrace" starring Jason Statham.
Up is down, left is right and sideways is straight ahead. - Cord "Circle of Iron", 1978 (written by Bruce Lee and James Coburn... really...)
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