In his sworn deposition for a case brought by his sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll, Donald Trump simultaneously denied that he raped her and, in a rambling, incoherent diatribe, seemed to imply that the she enjoyed it when he did rape her! It was a typical moment in the life of Donald Trump, a man who has interminably shown himself to be his own worst enemy. He is that rare thing, the ideal witness against himself. Donald Trump is a prosecutor’s and litigator’s dream come true.

After all, it was Trump who simultaneously proclaimed that the FBI “planted” top secret documents at Mar-a-Lago and then claimed those documents belonged to him and the FBI shouldn’t be allowed to take them. Besides, he did declassify them “psychically”, did he not? Then there’s the small matter of Trump implying that Joe Biden is just as guilty as he is in his mishandling of classified documents. It’s the old reliable, “sure I robbed the bank, your honour, but Joe Biden robbed a bank too!” defence.

It might not be so bad if he only had one case pending against him. Perhaps his lawyers could convince him to keep his mouth shut about that one thing. In fact, it might not be so bad for him were it not for one stunning fact: as I write this, Donald Trump has 19 cases pending against him, 13 civil and 6 criminal!

And what case they are! It’s the 6 criminal cases that interest me the most. Those are the ones that can put him in prison. So permit me to count the ways. First, there’s the New York Attorney General’s criminal investigation of Trump. That’s right, Letitia James is also investigating Trump criminally. And we all know how doggedly determined Ms. James can be. That’s one criminal case.

Next there’s Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s criminal investigations into Donald Trump’s finances. After an anaemic start, it seems that Mr. Bragg finally got religion and decided that there’s something prosecutorial about Trump’s behaviour after all. That’s the second criminal case.

Next there’s the Washington DC AG’s incitement case. AG Karl Racine has announced a criminal investigation into Trump’s role in provoking the January 6th insurrection. That’s the third criminal case.

Then there’s the Fulton County, Georgia investigation into Trump’s election fraud, the one where Trump asks Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger for 11,780 votes — on tape no less! — exactly enough votes for him to win Georgia. He even appears to threaten Mr. Raffensberger with consequences for failing to find his votes. That’s the fourth criminal case.

And let us not forget the quiet Westchester, New York criminal investigation, wherein the Trump Organization misled local officials on the property values of Trump’s golf course in order to reduce its taxes. That’s the fifth criminal case.

Finally, there’s Trump’s blatant mishandling, concealment, obstruction of justice and theft of classified documents. That investigation could lead to charges of espionage if it can be shown that he sold some of them to foreign agents. That’s the sixth criminal case.

Naturally there could be more. Robert Mueller’s report on Trump’s 10 instances of blatant obstruction of justice is always actionable. Then there’s Trump’s criminal negligence in the deaths of a million Americans from Covid. And now that we finally have his tax returns, now that Charles Rettig has been summarily booted out as head of the IRS, the IRS might decide to charge Trump with tax fraud. There’s no hurry for that, by the way. There exists no statute of limitation on tax fraud.

Most of these cases have paper trails that are conclusively damning and seven miles long. Some have deeply inculpatory audio recordings. But they all have the very best thing of all going for them: Donald Trump’s stupid, self-incriminating mouth.

That’s the mouth that will ultimately be Trump’s own worst enemy. That’s the mouth that has been yapping interminably for the last eight years. And that’s the mouth I can’t wait to see permanently shut by the criminal justice system. And, as ever, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, stay safe.

The post Donald Trump, witness for the prosecution appeared first on Palmer Report.

Six people including a six-month-old baby cradled in the arms of her 17-year-old mother were shot dead at a home in California’s main agricultural valley on Monday in what authorities called a targeted attack and “horrific massacre.”

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux linked the killings to the illegal drug trade, saying deputies had conducted a drug-related search warrant at the same home last week.

“We believe this was a message being sent,” Boudreaux told reporters at the scene. “We believe that this was a targeted family.”

Two suspects remained at large, he said.

Authorities responded early on Monday after multiple shots were heard. Some victims were found in the street while others were discovered in the house.

One victim was alive and wounded when authorities arrived but later died at a hospital, Boudreaux said.

The attacks occurred in Goshen, a farm community of 5,400 people about midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The bodies of the infant and 17-year-old mother were located in a ditch outside the home, Boudreaux later told the Los Angeles Times. Both had gunshot wounds to the head.

Several others were shot in the head, including an elderly woman. Two women survived by hiding in a trailer on the property.

“I think it’s specifically connected to the cartel. The level of violence … this was not your run-of-the-mill low-end gang member,” Boudreaux told the newspaper.

“If (they) are specifically shooting everyone in the head, they know what they are doing … (and) they are comfortable with what they are doing.”

The newspaper reported that last week’s search warrant resulted in one arrest and the seizure of guns, marijuana and methamphetamine.

As the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 53rd annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland kicked off Monday, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva urged attendees not to let the global polycrisis distract from the urgent need for greater cooperation.

“I see the world clouded in tension,” Okonjo-Iweala told TIME Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal in a keynote conversation at the TIME100 Dinner at the Alpine summit—the first to be held during its traditional winter season since 2020 due to the pandemic. “So many of the problems we have to solve today are problems of the global commons. There is no one country that can solve them alone. We need cooperation to solve these problems; we need multilateralism.”

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The warning comes at a foreboding time. Set against the backdrop of an intractable war in Ukraine, a cost-of-living crisis affecting many around the world, and the devastating consequences of climate change (the reality of which has not escaped notice in Davos, where snowfall has dwindled compared to previous years), the theme of this year’s gathering is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.” But amid so many challenges, the prospect of such cooperation seems fleeting.

Okonjo-Iweala understands these tensions better than most. As the head of the world’s largest trade body, she has observed the divisions between the Global North and the Global South. But she has also been able to engender strategic cooperation to achieve multilateral agreements in her role at the WTO, which she said she has done through sheer “bloody-mindedness,” can produce breakthroughs, even in the fraughtest of circumstances.

At Davos, politicians and corporate grandees have the opportunity to make decisions that prioritize strategic cooperation over strategic competition, Okonjo-Iweala said. If not, there is only one alternative, she said. “If we don’t cooperate on the things that matter together, then we’re going to perish together.”

Read More: The Power of Collaboration in a Moment of Crisis

That message was echoed by the IMF’s Georgieva, who warned that solving the cost-of-living crisis—which WEF identified as the biggest short-term risk in its 2023 Global Risks Report—will be impossible without first addressing the global fragmentation. “If we continue to erode the integrated global economy, it will cost the world 7% of GDP,” warned Georgieva. “If you guys don’t like inflation today, if we destroy the integrated global economy, oh brother.”

Christian Hutter for TIMELeft to right: Kristalina Georgieva, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Angelique Kidjo at the TIME 100 dinner in Davos

Paraphrasing John F. Kennedy, Georgieva said that peace leads to prosperity. Kennedy said in a 1963 speech: “Our problems are man-made—therefore, they can be solved by man.” Georgieva added a 2023 twist to that sentiment. “I would say if men can’t solve them, then women can.”

Here are some of the other biggest moments from the TIME100 Davos Dinner, produced in partnership with SOMPO Holdings.

Klaus Schwab says we are at a moment of economic “transformation”

Looking at the global economy in the year ahead, the chairman and founder of WEF said what many view as an economic crisis currently is actually an “economic transformation” that will have lasting impact. “When we speak about a crisis, we have the feeling of coming back to the old situation once the crisis is successfully overcome,” said Schwab. “We have a deep transformation of economies—delivered by the energy transformation, driven by the consequences of COVID still, driven by the reshaping of supply chains.”

Angelique Kidjo on the centrality of African women

Discussing great challenges facing the world today, singer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo spoke about the integral role that African women must play in facing them. “We cannot achieve anything without the women of Africa being empowered,” said Kidjo, noting that women are “at the center of” major issues such as climate change and food insecurity. “If you’re not making progress there, all the progress we make in developed countries will be wasted because we only have one ecosystem and we all breathe the same air.”

Read More: There May Not Be Enough Food For Everyone in 2023

Other attendees included musician Will.i.am, who gave an impromptu toast, former Vice President and chairman of Generation Investment Management, Al Gore, and the World Food Programme’s David Beasley.

George Santos can’t get a break – not that he deserves one. Clearly, this man will lie about anything, including claiming to be one of the first Covid cases after the news broke. Not only has a suit been filed against him, but an ethics complaint has been filed against him. Not surprisingly, Kevin McCarthy is standing by Santos, claiming: “The voters of his district have elected him. He is seated. He is part of the Republican conference.” Yes, voters did elect him, but it was under false pretenses. As a result, two of his Republican detractors have become vocal about their doubts in Santos.

Marc Molinaro told CNN: “There’s no way I believe he can fully fulfill his responsibilities.” Mike Lawler’s take is similar: “I think it’s clear, like I said, he has lost the confidence of people in his own community, so I think he needs to seriously consider whether or not he can actually do his job effectively and right now it’s pretty clear he can’t.” Lawler believes Santos should resign. The Nassau County Republic Party wants him out. The chairman of the party, Joseph G. Cairo, is joined by other GOP representatives Nick LaLota, Nick Langworthy, and Brandon Williams (all of New York), South Carolina representative Nancy Mace, and DC Republican Anthony D’Esposito. While people like McCarthy claim Santos was elected by his constituents, it would be interesting to hear what they have to say.

Santos is not only a professional liar, but he is a crook. Wall Street Journal (“WSJ”) reported that Santos worked and raised money for a company-Harbor City Capital-the SEC sued in 2021 as a Ponzi scheme. Santos brought in one major investment to the tune of six figures, allegedly telling them that he personally made $100 million, which was obviously not true. Hell, nothing Santos says is true, so why would this be the exception? While Santos has denied any wrongdoing, it is interesting to note that none of the $100 million he claims to have made was disclosed on his financial disclosures. This man has absolutely no shame.

In addition to bilking people out of money, Santos uses fake names. News Nation reported on a 2019 video in which Santos asked a question on camera using the name Anthony Devolder. News Nation went on to detail all Santos’s lies, including his claim that he is Jewish and Black. It is doubtful that he is either. His net worth is a huge mystery, going from virtually nothing to $11 million, and those lies are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg when you consider the lies about his education, work history, sexual orientation, and his family.

McCarthy is standing by Santos, but that’s neither here nor there because McCarthy is merely a shell of a leader. He’s only standing behind Santos because Santos voted for him every 15 times. This professional liar does not need to be making decisions that impact the citizens of this country. He needs to be run out of town on a proverbial rail.

The post George “Anthony Devolder” Santos appeared first on Palmer Report.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) on Monday to do more about Ukrainians that Kyiv says have been forcefully deported to Russia and their fate once inside the country.

Bujar Osmani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia and the 2023 OSCE Chairman-in-Office, visited Kyiv on Monday, with Zelenskiy saying the two talked about how to “make the OSCE effective”.

Ukraine and its allies have accused Russia of large-scale deportation of Ukrainians since the start of the Russian invasion on Ukraine in February of 2022.

The U.S. State Department estimated last year that between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, including 260,000 children, have been forcibly deported into Russian territory.

Russia denies deportations and says those arriving are war refugees. In November, the country’s emergency ministry said that some 4.8 million Ukrainians, including 712,000 children, had arrived in Russia since February.

“The OSCE can significantly increase attention and act accordingly regarding the deportation of our people from the occupied territory to Russia,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

“No international organization has found the strength to gain access to the places of detention of our prisoners in Russia yet. This must be corrected.”

Ukraine’s National Information Bureau, which tracks missing and displaced children, says that as of Jan. 16 nearly 14,000 children had been deported.

The OSCE, the world’s largest regional security organisation of 57 states, brings on equal footing the United States, all European states, including Russia and all states of the former Soviet Union, among others.

Russia has tried to undermine the organisation, saying in December that the body is losing its meaning and not focusing on matters closely related to security. It has been blocking the adoption of the OSCE budget.

The OSCE was also forced to close its monitoring mission in Ukraine after Moscow refused to extend the mandates of the organisation’s field operations in the country.

Civilian death toll passes 7,000; Britain to send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine

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Robert Evans

• David Carrick, a former British police officer, pled guilty to dozens of counts of rape and sexual assault.
• Carrick, who will be sentenced February 6, vicitimzed 12 women over roughly 20 years, authorities said.
• By failing to stop Carrick sooner, the head of the Metropolitan Police said the agency “let women and girls down.”

Britain’s Metropolitan Police announced Monday that a policeman with more than two decades of experience has pled guilty to dozens of counts of rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment, attempted rape, and other crimes.

David Carrick, 47, a former armed officer with the Metropolitan Police, pled guilty to six counts, including rape and sexual assault, at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday. He previously pled guilty to committing 43 offenses — including 20 counts of rape and several counts of sexual assault as well as controlling or coercive behavior — in December, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service said. He is set to be sentenced on February 6.

In total, Carrick, who held the rank of constable, has now pled guilty to 24 counts of rape and nine counts of sexual assault, among numerous other charges (a full list is available on the Crown Prosecution Service’s website). An investigation into his actions began in October 2021 after a woman reported him to police, leading a dozen other victims to come forward. He was arrested and suspended at that time.

The BBC reported that Carrick met victims on dating apps and bragged about high-profile friendships with people like the prime minster in a bid to lure women. Among other violent acts, he is accused of whipping a woman with a belt and imprisoning another in a cupboard in his house, the BBC said.

“I want to apologize the women who have suffered at the hands of David Carrick,” said Barbara Gray, assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, in a statement. “I commend their outstanding bravery in coming forward and reporting the horrific crimes they were victims of.”

Complaints about Carrick’s behavior reached police over the years, but did not result in charges or punitive action.

Carrick was previously accused of domestic incidents, harassment, and assault against a coworker, and other disturbances like being removed from a nightclub while drunk, the police said. In 2019, he was accused of assault and grabbing a woman by her neck. Afterward, Carrick received “words of advice” about alerting his chain of command to off-duty incidents, but nothing further.

Reached by phone on Monday, the Metropolitan Police, commonly called the Met, referred Insider to statements on its website.

Police commissioner: ‘We’ve let women and girls down’

In a second statement, the chief of the Metropolitan Police took responsibility for Carrick’s evasion of the authorities for so long. Law enforcement hadn’t “applied the same sense of ruthlessness to guarding our own integrity that we routinely apply to confronting criminals,” and the police had “let women and girls down,” said Sir Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner who stepped into the post on September.

“I do understand also that this will lead to some women across London questioning whether they can trust the Met to keep them safe,” Rowley said. “We failed as investigators where we should have been more intrusive and joined the dots on this repeated misogyny over a couple decades,” he added. Rowley promised to “reform at speed.”

Sir Mark Rowley has served as the commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police since September.

Metropolitan Police/Media Use

Going forward, the Metropolitan Police said, Carrick’s crimes have laid the foundation for new protocols to deal with offenders within law enforcement’s own ranks.

“Were these incidents to have occurred today, we are more confident they would have been identified as forming a pattern of behavior requiring further investigation,” the police said. “Cases where no further action is taken in relation to criminal allegations are now more likely to be further interrogated to identify any underlying concerns.”