This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click here.
Trump Indictment Fallout
The fallout from the first ever indictment of a former President of the United States is coming fast and furious. Columnist and Daily Wire contributor David Marcus joined the Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast with more:
So next week, Donald Trump is set to appear in court in New York to be arraigned on 34 charges stemming from his payoff of adult actress Stormy Daniels. It is as yet unclear whether this will involve Trump being handcuffed — an image long dreamt of by his most vociferous opponents. But there will be a mugshot and fingerprinting before the former president is expected to plead not guilty. On Friday, current President Joe Biden said no comment when asked about the unprecedented indictment, which is interesting because he himself is under investigation for his handling of classified documents, so he could well be the next former president to face criminal charges after exiting the Oval Office.
The conventional wisdom right now is that these charges will, at least in the short term, help Trump politically more than they hurt him, leaving some observers to suggest it’s a kind of four-dimensional chess going on in which Democrats want Trump, who they see as beatable, to be the nominee. But it seems just as likely that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is working for his own benefit. Targeting Trump was a campaign promise of his after all, and it distracts from soaring crime in the borough, which even Democrats have slammed the progressive DA for.
Political Reaction
Key voices from Congress, as well as 2024 presidential candidates, are reacting to the news of the former president’s indictment. Florida Governor Ron Desantis called the move un-American and said he will “not assist in an extradition request,” citing the “questionable circumstances at issue” and the “political agenda” of the prosecutor. Republican Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also commented via video statement.
“We’re not some Banana Republic, guys,” Ramaswamy said. “We are the United States of America. We’re supposed to be that shining city on a hill for the rest of the world that still gives hope to the free world as we know it. And yet, look at what we have become today. This is not the America that I know.”
McCarthy Blasts Bragg, Schumer Issues Statement
GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has also weighed in, tweeting that Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg has “irreparably damaged our country” and that the House will hold Bragg and his “unprecedented abuse of power to account.”
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) issued his own statement, appearing to support the charges, stating, “Mr. Trump is subject to the same laws as every American.” He also urged a peaceful process with “no outside political influence, intimidation or interference.”
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Sorority Sued
A group of seven women is suing their sorority at the University of Wyoming for accepting a biological male who identifies as a woman. The women allege that the Kappa Kappa Gamma house allowed Artemis Langford to become a member of the sorority in 2022, and was permitted access to shared bathrooms, shower facilities, and common living spaces. The suit alleges that Langford had been watching fellow sorority sisters, and in one instance had a visible erection while doing so. Langford is set to move into the sorority house next year. The lawsuit is not seeking damages, but is asking the sorority to void Langford’s membership.
MLB Rule Changes
The season has officially opened for Major League Baseball, and the league has introduced some major changes that will dramatically impact the game. Here with more is Crain & Co. co-host David Cone:
Yesterday was the opening day of the 2023 major league baseball season. And there are several major rule changes since the Houston Astros won the world series last November. First off, overloading players to one side of the infield, which is known as the shift, is now a violation.
At the time pitches are thrown, all four infielders are required to be on the infield dirt with two players on each side of the second base. Big change there. Second, this will be the first MLB season with a pitch clock aimed at speeding up the pace of play. The new rule states pitchers will have 15 seconds to deliver the pitch with the bases empty, 20 seconds with a runner on base.
Hitters will need to be in the batter’s box with at least eight seconds on that pitch clock. Here’s how it will be enforced. If a pitcher has not started that throwing motion before the expiration of the clock, he will be charged with a ball. If a batter delays entering the batter’s box, he will be charged with a strike. Major change there, according to MLB executives. The pitch clock shaved 26 minutes off of spring training games over this past month. Lastly, the size of the bases has increased from 15 inches to 18 inches. This does not include home plate, but major league baseball hopes the increase in base sizes will reduce injuries while increasing stolen base attempts.
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