[CUOMO] https://www.newsnationnow.com U.S. News Sat, 04 May 2024 05:17:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.5 https://www.newsnationnow.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/108/2020/07/cropped-favicon-tranparent-bkg.png?w=32 [CUOMO] https://www.newsnationnow.com 32 32 Vaccine side effects censorship drove vaccine hesitancy: nurse https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/vaccine-side-effects-censorship-drove-vaccine-hesitancy-nurse/ Sat, 04 May 2024 04:48:11 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2785831 (NewsNation) —  Within 20 minutes of getting his first COVID vaccine shot, Shaun Barcavage knew something was wrong. The experienced nurse practitioner felt numbness in his arm, which spread to his face. And it got worse after his second shot.

“I went from being a 100% healthy, fully functioning nurse to a complete downward spiral.”

Barcavage is one of thousands in the U.S. who have, or believe they have, suffered severe side effects from the COVID vaccines.

“It’s not a belief. It’s a fact,” he told NewsNation.

Making matters worse, Barcavage says, is a culture of denial within the health care system about just how many people have suffered from life-altering vaccine side effects.

“I thought that all my pro-vaccine colleagues … would be there to lift me up and help me. And in fact, they’re the ones who turned around, dismissed, denied and censored and buried me.”

“I think the idea that we are not listening to people who are suffering from this vaccine is awful,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, who was the White House COVID coordinator in 2022 and 2023. “We absolutely need to be listening to them.”

But he is also very clear about the benefits of the COVID vaccines: “These vaccines ended the pandemic. They saved millions of lives. Thousands of Americans were dying every day at the height of the pandemic. The vaccines totally turned it around.”

Jha, who is dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, says doctors need to take a “humble” approach to learning more about those rare but serious vaccine side effects. But he realizes that’s a big ask for many of his colleagues.

“There is a long tradition in medicine that when we as doctors don’t understand something, we actually blame the patient. This has been a problem in medicine forever."

Barcavage says he learned that first-hand when friends refused to believe his serious illness was related to the COVID vaccine.

“They’re afraid that, by showing my face, I’ll drive vaccine hesitancy. What I have come to realize is that the censorship and the hiding of it is actually fueling vaccine hesitancy.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 270 million Americans, or 81% of the population, have been vaccinated. Of those, less than 2% reported severe or life-threatening issues.

Every vaccine produces side effects. The CDC has reported cases of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, in just over 11 cases for every one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and two and a half cases per million doses of the Moderna vaccine.

Other serious illnesses linked to vaccines in very rare instances include Guillain-Barré Syndrome (muscle weakness and paralysis), myocarditis and pericarditis (heart muscle inflammation), and thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (blood clots in large blood vessels).

Many have applied for federal help, to little avail. The Health Resources and Services Administration is the agency charged with compensating people with injuries directly linked to “a covered countermeasure” such as a vaccine.

The HRSA says, as of April 1, it received 13,116 COVID-related claims. So far, it’s reviewed more than 10,000 of those claims and found just 47 eligible for compensation, which averages about $3,600. The rest were denied.

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2024-05-04T05:17:36+00:00
Diddy invited men security had 'never seen before' to hotel room https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/diddy-invited-men-security-had-never-seen-before-to-hotel-room/ Sat, 04 May 2024 04:09:19 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2785580 (NewsNation) — Sean "Diddy" Combs' former head of security, Roger Bands, says his ex-boss flew women across state lines for parties and invited men he'd "never seen before" into the hotel rooms.

Bonds worked for Diddy as his head of security for more than a decade, from 2003 to 2012, and was with him almost 24/7 during that time. He's named in Diddy's ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura's lawsuit as the man who "saved her life."

"There's definitely times that he was abusive physically," Bonds said during an appearance on NewsNation's "CUOMO." Diddy and Ventura "were at a dinner and she was talking to a manager. He got very upset about that and got very abusive that day. I grabbed him and said, 'What are you doing?' Some of the damage was already done."

In Ventura's lawsuit, the singer claims that Diddy supplied her with drugs, beat her, forced her to sleep with male prostitutes while filming her and forced his way into her home and raped her.

Bonds said he doesn't know exactly what Diddy was doing in hotel rooms.

"I have seen people that I haven't ever seen in my life. Guys that I've never seen before go into a hotel room with them (Diddy and Ventura), and I know that only they was in the room. What actually went on or if they were forced to do it, or how much they got paid? I didn't know about that."

"I think a lot of things that he's being accused with is the norm. I think that's part of Hollywood. I think that's the rich culture. And I think a lot of them is scared to come forward," Bonds added.

FILE - Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the BET Awards, June 26, 2022, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Combs wants to strengthen the Black dollar: The music mogul is spearheading a new online marketplace called Empower Global that will specifically feature Black-owned businesses. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the BET Awards, June 26, 2022, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

It's been more than a month since two homes belonging to Diddy were raided by federal investigators, and law enforcement has released few details as to potential charges the music producer could be facing. 

Department of Homeland Security agents conducted the raids March 25 at Combs’ multimillion-dollar mansion in Los Angeles and his Miami waterfront home. The raids came as the producer faces a mounting list of civil lawsuits that allege abuse and sexual assault by multiple victims spanning over 30 years. 

Combs has denied all the allegations. 

NewsNation’s Safia Samee Ali contributed to this story.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.

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2024-05-04T04:09:21+00:00
'Hamas used rape systematically': Sheryl Sandberg on new doc https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/hamas-used-rape-systematically-sheryl-sandberg-on-new-doc/ Fri, 03 May 2024 04:50:55 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2783476 (NewsNation) — "Screams Before Silence," a new documentary, aims to expose Hamas' use of rape and sexual violence.

Former Meta executive Sheryl Sandberg wanted to create a film that showcased the mass sexual violence against women perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7.

"This issue is not about what's going on in Gaza," Sandberg said Thursday night while discussing the documentary on NewsNation's "CUOMO." "Whatever you think should happen ... You can't believe that sexual violence, which has been documented, didn't happen. And you really can't believe that rape is resistance."

Sandberg said that political polarization is causing people to have "trouble holding two thoughts at the same time."

"You can believe that what's happening in Gaza is a tragedy. I believe that deeply. But you have to believe that what happened on October 7 was mass systematic, planned rape and genital mutilation of women and men that has been documented," Sandberg said.

In the documentary, Sandberg captures firsthand accounts of multiple eyewitnesses, released hostages, first responders, medical and forensic experts and survivors of the Hamas massacres regarding the reality of Oct. 7.

She's suggests that anyone who resists what she's saying should "just watch."'

On an “about” section for the movie’s website, it states that, "Despite the indisputable evidence, these atrocities have received little scrutiny from human rights groups and international organizations. Many leading figures in politics, academia, and media have attempted to minimize or even deny that they occurred."

Sandberg wants to know: "Where's the outrage and protests?"

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.

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2024-05-03T04:50:56+00:00
Harvey Weinstein's New York attorney calls for new LA trial https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/harvey-weinsteins-new-york-attorney-calls-for-new-la-trial/ Thu, 02 May 2024 04:36:08 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2779869 If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.

(NewsNation) — Harvey Weinstein will be retried for a 2020 rape conviction in New York. What could this mean for his 2022 rape conviction case in Los Angeles?

Defense attorney Arthur Aidala, Weinstein's New York attorney, says he's hopeful for an appeal in California.

"There are different rules regarding evidence (in Los Angeles). At the trial in LA, the jurors were made aware that that Mr. Weinstein was a convicted felon," Aidala said Wednesday, during an appearance on NewsNation's "CUOMO." "That Mr. Weinstein had been convicted of crimes in New York. That's no longer the case. ... I think that calls for a new trial in LA."

What happened in New York?

New York’s highest court threw out Weinstein’s 2020 rape convictions after the Court of Appeals found the trial judge in the case prejudiced Weinstein with “egregious” improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations with which Weinstein wasn’t charged in the case.

Will Weinstein be released from jail?

The decision to overturn Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction doesn’t mean he will be released from prison. He will remain imprisoned because he was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape and sentenced to 16 years.

Weinstein’s Los Angeles attorney told NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” that she believes the overturned New York conviction will impact his California rape case and said the former movie mogul could potentially be freed from prison.

“The presumption of innocence just didn’t exist for Harvey Weinstein from the start,” Jennifer Bonjean, Weinstein’s attorney, said Monday on “Dan Abrams Live.”

NewsNation's Urja Sinha and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2024-05-02T04:36:10+00:00
Rep. Jordan: Revoke visas for 'Hamas supporters' in colleges https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/rep-jordan-revoke-visas-for-hamas-supporters-in-colleges/ Wed, 01 May 2024 04:25:40 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2777175 (NewsNation) — Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wants to know if some of the protests happening on college campuses can be considered a "national security threat."

"It sure looks like it when it's being done by students here on a visa," Jordan said during an appearance on NewsNation's "CUOMO."

House Republicans on Tuesday announced an investigation into the federal funding for universities where students have protested the Israel-Hamas war, broadening a campaign that has placed heavy scrutiny on how presidents at the nation’s most prestigious colleges have dealt with reports of antisemitism on campus.

Jordan says it's important to find out who's financing the protests and if students participating are foreigners here on visas.

"If there's students who are engaged in this radical activity that's against the law and they're here on a visa, they're supposed to be removed," Jordan said.

According to the latest DHS data available, in 2022 there were 20,347 foreign students enrolled at Columbia University. The university's website has the latest data for 2023, and puts the number at 20,321 foreign students.

Several House committees will be tasked with a wide probe that ultimately threatens to withhold federal research grants and other government support to the universities, placing another pressure point on campus administrators who are struggling to manage pro-Palestinian encampments, allegations of discrimination against Jewish students and questions of how they are integrating free speech and campus safety.

The House investigation follows several recent high-profile hearings that precipitated the resignations of presidents at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. And House Republicans promised more scrutiny, saying they were calling on the administrators of Yale, UCLA and the University of Michigan to testify next month.

“We will not allow antisemitism to thrive on campus, and we will hold these universities accountable for their failure to protect Jewish students on campus,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a news conference.

Nationwide, campus protesters have called for their institutions to cut financial ties to Israel and decried how thousands of civilians in Gaza have been killed by Israel following the deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Some organizers have called for Hamas to violently seize Israeli territory and derided Zionism. Jewish students, meanwhile, have reported being targeted and say campus administrators have not done enough to protect them.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2024-05-01T04:25:42+00:00
Scott Galloway: Pro-Palestinian protests are 'anti-American' https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/scott-galloway-palestinian-protests/ Wed, 01 May 2024 02:47:43 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2777285 (NewsNation) — While acknowledging criticism of Israel's policies and actions, New York University professor Scott Galloway argues that the student demonstrations have crossed a line into blatant anti-Jewish hatred and harassment that should not be tolerated.

Galloway, who identifies as an atheist and "cultural Jew," told NewsNation's "CUOMO" on Tuesday that he was "blind and immune" to antisemitism in the U.S. until witnessing the demonstrations, which he called "the most anti-American activity I have seen."

"If I went down to the plaza of any of these universities in a white hood and started saying 'Lynch the Blacks,' ... I would believe there wouldn't be a handwringing conversation about First Amendment," Galloway said. "I think they would have called in the National Guard."

From coast to coast, campus protesters put up tents to protest Israel’s military action in Gaza and demand the school divest from companies they claim “profit from Israeli apartheid." The number of arrests at campuses nationwide is approaching 1,000. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus.

Galloway, a marketing professor, said universities have created an "orthodoxy" that divides people into oppressors and oppressed based on their race and wealth. He argued Jews are being falsely cast as oppressors because of perceptions about Israel.

The professor argues that some university faculty lack "critical thinking" by empathizing with ideologies that would mean most students "would either be thrown off a roof or summarily executed."

He also criticized Israeli policies, suggesting a shift from the nation's earlier image as a David to a more aggressive stance. "I don't think Israel has draped itself in glory over the last 20 or 30 years. The Israel I grew up with, the '67 War, in Munich, they were the David. Now they're the Goliath."

"Free speech is never freer when it turns to hate speech against Jews," he said, advocating protesters engaging in harassment should face "swift response, arrest and/or expulsion."

He said universities and society at large must take a firm stand against this manifestation of antisemitism, up to expelling students and firing faculty who cross the line into hate speech and harassment.

The professor said people must speak out against antisemitism on campuses, noting that, "We were too quiet 90 years ago," referring to Nazism's rise before the Holocaust.

Galloway suggested that TikTok, being controlled by the Chinese government, may be pushing more pro-Hamas/anti-Israel content on the platform as a way to sow division and rage among young Americans who consume content on the platform.

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2024-05-01T03:35:00+00:00
Protesters are 'not in solidarity with Hamas': Emory professor https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/protesters-are-not-in-solidarity-with-hamas-emory-professor/ Tue, 30 Apr 2024 04:12:18 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2774833 (NewsNation) — An Emory University professor was among 28 people arrested during campus protests last Thursday when Atlanta police and Georgia state troopers were called to dismantle a camp on the university's quadrangle.

Students at universities across the country have been protesting Israeli military action in Gaza, with many recently setting up tent encampments on their campuses and refusing to leave — some have even faced suspension.

A long line of officers surrounded the Emory University encampment of about three dozen tents after 9:30 a.m. Thursday, as protesters chanted slogans supporting Palestinians.

When officers in tactical gear began detaining people, some submitted, but others physically pushed back. Those who were detained were handcuffed with zip ties and loaded into a police transport van.

Noëlle McAfee, Emory University's Philosophy Department chair, was recording the arrests on campus when she herself was arrested by police.

"I saw the brutality within minutes," McAfee said Monday on NewsNation's "CUOMO."

She explained that she wasn't part of the movement at the time and went down to where the demonstrations were taking place after hearing the police had been called in.

"I was coming down just in hopes that this wasn't going to happen," she said.

But, the police were called and they were arresting people with any means necessary.

McAfee told NewsNation that she would have hoped that the university president would have set up camp with the protesters and spoken with them on a personal level to see where they were coming from.

"The protesters are not there in solidarity with Hamas," she said. "They're in solidarity with people, the citizens. And I think the sense that the distinction needs to be made between the public and legitimate concerns about our collective well-being and governments that don't share that concern."

She said people need to learn how to talk to each other and not resort to extremism.

While host Chris Cuomo agreed with what McAfee had to say, he said it's unacceptable that there are students on American campuses who are "saying things that are flattering to and supportive of a terroristic organization known as Hamas." And while it might be a minority of the protesters chanting antisemitic comments and flashing those signs, Cuomo said it's not acceptable.

A majority of the protesters, however, just want to stop the violence against Palestinian civilians, McAfee said.

"These students are concerned about pain and suffering," McAfee said.

Nexstar Media Wire contributed to this report.

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2024-04-30T15:22:35+00:00
Using Adderall to improve performance is 'cheating': Doctor https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/using-adderall-to-increase-performance-is-cheating-doctor/ Thu, 25 Apr 2024 04:21:53 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2765282 (NewsNation) — Should taking Adderall to increase performance be counted as cheating?

Dr. Drew Pinsky, addiction medicine specialist, joined NewsNation host Brian Entin on Wednesday to discuss why the Drug Enforcement Administration is sounding the alarm about increasing Adderall abuse.

Pinsky, popularly known as "Dr. Drew," said Adderall is "not to be taken for performance" and it's "odd that universities don't address it as cheating."

"When you're using something that really significantly affects brain chemistry for something other than for which it is intended, you are only going to put yourself in harm's way," Pinsky said on "CUOMO." "It does improve performance. It's not a performance-enhancing drug. ... I put some of the blame at the school system because the schools never call it out for what it is. It's drug abuse, and it's cheating. And it should be treated as any other kinds of cheating."

According to the DEA, the spike in stimulant abuse is due to the rise of telehealth companies during the pandemic. Telehealth providers are reportedly approving Adderall prescriptions without due diligence.

A senior DEA spokesman compared Adderall addiction to another opioid epidemic.

While Adderall overdoses are rare, the consequences of the addiction is severe. Pinsky said, adding, however, that we won't see the sort of deadly consequences of the opioid crisis.

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2024-04-25T04:27:43+00:00
Cornel West: Trump trial is 'greedy' being held 'accountable' https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/cornel-west-on-trump-trial/ Sat, 20 Apr 2024 02:50:31 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2756442 (NewsNation) — Activist and independent presidential candidate Cornel West says former President Donald Trump's Stormy Daniels hush money trial is a reckoning moment with the "greedy" being held "accountable."

West joined Chris Cuomo's panel Friday night along with Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz to discuss the case in depth.

"I think we're living in a Malcolm X moment ... where the greedy and the wealthy and the powerful now have to be rendered in some way accountable and responsible and answerable," West said on "CUOMO." "That's true not just for Trump, he deserves a fair trial. ... But we know, he's said and done so many things with no accountability at all."

A full jury has been selected in the case, setting the stage for opening remarks to begin Monday. After nearly 200 prospective jurors were screened by the judge, Trump’s lawyers and Manhattan prosecutors, a total of 12 jurors and six alternates were selected Friday to hear the first criminal case of any former U.S. president. 

“We’ve now completed jury selection for this case,” Judge Juan Merchan said.

Trump is accused of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money deal with an adult film actress ahead of the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty. 

The jury is a melting pot of Manhattanites, with residents from Harlem to Chelsea, physical therapists to investment bankers and immigrants to lifelong New Yorkers. 

Jury selection took four days, the process somewhat complicated by Trump’s controversial political reputation, deep ties to New York City and coverage in the media. 

"The Hill" contributed to this report.

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2024-04-20T02:50:32+00:00
Kansas moms killings: Ex-attorney of arrested grandma was 'shocked' https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/kansas-moms-killings-grandma-arrest-shocking/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 16:58:49 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2753165 (NewsNation) — Tifany Adams' former attorney was shocked when he found out she was arrested alongside three others in connection to the Oklahoma killings of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley.

"I could not imagine it. It was a shock to find out she was charged," Stephen Jones told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo.

Two Kansas moms found dead

Adams, 54; her boyfriend Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; and her husband Cole Twombly, 50, were arraigned Wednesday on charges of kidnapping and first-degree murder of Butler, 27, and Kelley, 39.

Butler and Kelley vanished on March 30 while en route to pick up Butler’s children for a supervised visit. The two were found dead by authorities Sunday, and now police believe the killings are linked to a violent escalation in the custody dispute between Butler and Adams.

Two southwest Kansas women remain missing. Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, of Hugoton, Kansas, are gone, and authorities say there are “suspicious circumstances” regarding their disappearance.

Butler and Adams' brutal custody battle

Jones said the custody battle between the two has been contentious since its 2019 beginning. He explained that while the court has entered many temporary orders, there haven't been any final orders entered.

"It's gone on too long and too acrimoniously," Jones said.

Jones described Adams as a well-known member of the community who has been in the farming and ranching business for several years and served on the county's hospital board.

This booking photo provided by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shows Tifany Machel Adams. On Saturday, April 13, 2024, Oklahoma authorities said they arrested and charged four people, including Adams, with murder and kidnapping over the weekend in connection with the disappearances of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley. (Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation via AP)

"She has strong feelings. The children's mother and father were never married. So, we have this custody battle," Jones said.

Wrangler Rickman, the father of the two children, had legal custody but was in a rehabilitation facility, so the children were living with Adams at the time of the disappearance.

The issue that kicked off the sequence of events leading up to Butler and Kelley's deaths was the issue of temporary visitation, Jones said.

'No indication' Adams would kill Butler

Jones told Cuomo that there was no indication that Adams was desperate enough to kill Butler over the issue. And while Adams was a well-known member of the community, Jones did not know she was a part of the so-called anti-government religious group “God’s Misfits.”

"But I'm not surprised," Jones said. "I've represented people in the Panhandle for over 50 years. And every time I go out there, I hear about a new group that doesn't believe in your dollar bill or other things."

He continued, "Since 1960, they have changed politically. It's very Evangelical, very conspiratorial in the sense. Not trusting the government."

If the allegations against Adams are true, Jones said then it would be a horrible homicide in which two people were ambushed.

"It's gothic," Jones said. "It's something out of the Bates Motel and it's a terrible thing. Whoever's responsible for it, it's shocking there's no question about that."

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2024-04-19T09:29:54+00:00
Rosie O'Donnell bets Bill O'Reilly: Trump will be found guilty https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/rosie-odonnell-bets-bill-oreilly-trump-will-be-found-guilty/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 03:11:38 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2752248 (NewsNation) — Rosie O'Donnell made a bet with Bill O'Reilly on the outcome of Donald Trump's trial.

"I'll make that bet," O'Donnell said Wednesday on NewsNation's "CUOMO." "Anything he (Trump) is charged with, I agree he will be guilty," O'Donnell pushed back at O'Reilly's initial statement.

"I will take a $10,000 bet with you, Rosie, to your favorite charity or mine, that Donald Trump will not be convicted of insurrection, because he's not charged."

The comedian and the pundit were debating the former president's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and his impact on democracy. O'Donnell said she thinks Trump is "trying to become an authoritarian."

Trump "is the worst thing that ever happened to this nation. And there are so many examples, it's ridiculous to name them all," O'Donnell said.

O'Reilly disagreed with O'Donnell, stating that he's "not really fearful of our democracy."

"My freedom was not impeded during the Trump administration. ... All the working people I know were better off under Donald Trump," O'Reilly said.

They agreed, however, that the country needs unity. O'Donnell said her "hope is that we get to continue as a democracy in this country."

O'Donnell joined Cuomo earlier in his show to discuss her decadeslong feud with Trump.

The Trump-O’Donnell feud first made its way into the 2016 campaign spotlight during the first Republican presidential primary debate.

Fox News host and debate moderator Megyn Kelly addressed Trump: "You've called women you don't like 'fat pigs,' 'dogs,' 'slobs,' and 'disgusting animals.' Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?" Kelly questioned.

“Only Rosie O’Donnell,” Trump interjected. O'Donnell replied, via Twitter at the time, saying "Try explaining that to your kids."

"He (Trump) is a cruel criminal and mentally unstable man. ... I think he's the worst thing to ever happen to the United States. His cruelty knows no bounds," O'Donnell said, discussing the feud. "I expect nothing but the lowest bar from Trump. ... He's an evangelical preacher to people that believed that (Trump's TV show) Celebrity Apprentice was true. Celebrity Apprentice was not true. ...What's happening now is democracy is on trial."

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2024-04-18T03:11:39+00:00
Kansas mom's attorney: Custody fight 'contentious from beginning' https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/kansas-moms-attorney-custody-fight-contentious-from-beginning/ Wed, 17 Apr 2024 02:52:00 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2750040 (NewsNation) — Garrett Oates, Kansas mom Veronica Butler's attorney, says the custody dispute between Butler and her children's paternal grandmother, Tifany Adams, was "contentious from the beginning."

Authorities have said the disappearance of Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, is believed to be linked to a violent escalation in the custody dispute between Butler and Adams.

Oates told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo that Butler was an "organized and diligent" client.

"She was extremely respectful, everything you want as a client and a person. She absolutely loved her children. And that was the goal, absolutely, to get her more time and then to be on the path to regain custody. That was our plan, for sure," Oates said Tuesday on "CUOMO."

“This case highlights the conflict, stress and magnitude of decisions that go into any child custody case.  This was a case that was contentious from the beginning and had become increasingly contentious as time went on.

"It’s so unfortunate and I am so deeply saddened by the loss of my client, Veronica. I know all she ever wanted was to love her children.”

On Tuesday, the Office of the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner identified two bodies found in Texas County as Butler and Kelley, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said.

The two bodies were found Sunday after police began searching for the remains of the Kansas moms, who went missing more than two weeks ago. The cause of death is still pending from the medical examiner’s office.

Adams, 54; her boyfriend Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; and her husband Cole Twombly, 50, are each charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder of Butler and Kelley, who vanished March 30 while on route to pick up Butler’s children for a supervised visit.

Adams and the other three suspects had been part of an anti-government group called “God’s Misfits” and had spoken about a previous murder attempt on Butler as well as plans to “take care of her,” according to probable cause affidavits filed in support of the criminal charges obtained by NewsNation.

The mothers’ vehicle was discovered abandoned 1,000 feet off of Oklahoma State Highway 95 along a dirt path.

NewsNation's Damita Menezes contributed to this report.

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2024-04-17T02:52:02+00:00
Iranian American TikTok influencer bashes regime https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/iranian-american-tiktok-influencer-bashes-regime/ Tue, 16 Apr 2024 04:58:19 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2748073 (NewsNation) — Iranian-born attorney and TikTok activist Erica Le Bon criticized protesters and supporters of Iran's Islamic regime amid recent bombings of Israeli targets, saying they're "supporting a terrorist regime the Iranian people have been trying to free themselves from."

"This is not where the story began. And this is not where the story ends," Le Bon said during an appearance on NewsNation's "CUOMO." "This is not a new feud. It's a decade's long feud."

Iran launched a direct military assault on Israel, firing more than 200 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles Saturday in response to an Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic facility.

The U.S. and Israel's air defenses intercepted the majority of the incoming attacks, though one child was wounded and the situation has sparked global condemnation and concerns about potential further escalation.

Iran launches drones and missiles targeting Israel

In a Saturday attack, Iran launched more than 200 "killer drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles" toward Israel, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Of those, several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base.

The attack marks the first time Iran has directly launched a military assault on Israel despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Iranian attack was in response to an earlier Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus, Syria, that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force.

The Biden administration praised Israel on Sunday for their “extraordinary defeat” of an “unprecedented” Iranian attack.

“Israel demonstrated military superiority … It was a spectacular success,” a senior U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity, adding that Iran intended to “destroy and cause casualties.”

President Joe Biden and his team are now urging Israel to proceed with caution in any counterattacks, with hopes to thwart the hostilities from spiraling into a wider war in the Middle East. However, one thing is clear: If Israel chooses reprisals against Iran, the United States will not take part.

“While we believe Israel has the right to defend itself, we will not participate,” the senior U.S. official said. “Our aim is to de-escalate. … Israel has to think through carefully what it does next.”

NewsNation's Damita Menezes and Rich Johnson contributed to this report.

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2024-04-16T05:01:05+00:00
Friend of missing Kansas moms expects more arrests https://www.newsnationnow.com/banfield/friend-of-missing-kansas-moms-expects-more-arrests/ Tue, 16 Apr 2024 04:31:22 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2748150 (NewsNation) — Miranda Illoldi, a friend of the two Kansas mothers who disappeared late last month, says she expects more arrests in the case.

Tad Bert Cullum, 43; Tifany Machel Adams, 54; Cole Earl Twombly, 50; and Cora Twombly, 44, were arrested in Texas and Cimarron counties without incident in connection with the disappearance of Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said Saturday.

Adams is the paternal grandmother of Butler’s children, and Cullum is Adams’ boyfriend, according to court papers. Cole and Cora Twombly are friends of Adams.

Illoldi told NewsNation host Ashleigh Banfield on Monday that those involved in the arrest did not surprise her.

"I, along with a large number of people in the area, realized that it was going to be Tifany and Tad. I'm not surprised that there were more people ... because it was impossible to pull that off in the window that they had, in broad daylight," Illoldi said on "Banfield."

While police have publicly not shared much about the ongoing investigation, probable cause affidavits filed in support of the criminal charges against the four suspects, obtained by NewsNation, revealed a bitter custody battle between Butler and Adams involving death threats and plans for violence.  

Buffy Schooley, a friend of Butler's, told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo that her friend was "scared" and that "nothing was going her way."

Oklahoma police were unable to publicly confirm the identity of two bodies recovered in rural Texas County on Sunday amid the search for the two women. An investigation into the killings remains ongoing. Police would not say whether the bodies were found together.

The two bodies were transported to a medical examiner’s office Sunday to determine identification as well as cause and manner of death, the OSBI said.

Tad Bert Cullum, 43; Tifany Machel Adams, 54; Cole Earl Twombly, 50; and Cora Twombly, 44.

Butler and Kelley disappeared March 30 without a trace except for an abandoned car on the roadside. Their car was found 1,000 feet off of Oklahoma State Highway 95 along a dirt path. The two were traveling together to pick up Butler’s two children for supervised visitation from Adams' home.

All four suspects were booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, according to police.

The first court appearance for all four suspects has been scheduled for Wednesday morning, when they will be arraigned.

NewsNation's Devan Markham, Nancy Loo and Safia Samee Ali contributed to this report.

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2024-04-16T13:34:14+00:00
‘We need to fix our food system,’ doctor says  https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/matk-hyman-food-industry-anti-diet/ Sat, 13 Apr 2024 03:51:04 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2744183 (NewsNation) — Companies are paying online influencers to promote unhealthy food, according to Dr. Mark Hyman, who said the United States is in a “national emergency around our health.”

"We’re in a metabolic health crisis that’s caused by the food we’re eating and there’s an enormous effort by the food industry to confuse and confound the public,” Hyman said Friday on “CUOMO.” “They’ve created this anti-diet movement where they’re paying influencers, who are not transparent, to promote eating all kinds of junk online, saying it’s fine to do without any inhibition.”

According to an investigation by The Washington Post and the nonprofit news organization The Examination, General Mills is leading the anti-diet movement.

Some of the marketing efforts conducted by GM competitor Kellogg's, however, may be inspired by inflationary pressures. CEO Gary Pilnick recently faced backlash after suggesting that cash-strapped households save money by eating cereal for dinner.

Pilnick, who oversees the company that produces Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops and Corn Flakes, floated the idea in the wake of federal data showing Americans are spending more on food than they have in 30 years.

Hyman says efforts go further, however, with companies lobbying the government to oppose “any regulations that inhibit any access to their food or any knowledge about their food.”

“God forbid we should label foods with the actual label of what’s in them. In Europe and in South America there are clear warning labels on the front of packages saying, 'This is bad for you,' just like cigarettes … they’re spending millions and millions of dollars trying to prevent us from doing the right thing.”

Those trying to lose weight should also be cautious as they consider drugs such as Ozempic as a “quick fix,” he said, warning that side effects can include muscle loss and metabolism changes.

“First, we have to deal with the toxic food carnival that we live in called America,” he said.

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2024-04-13T03:52:23+00:00
OJ interviewer says Simpson had ‘not one speck of remorse’ https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/oj-simpson-interview-not-one-speck-of-remorse/ Fri, 12 Apr 2024 03:38:47 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2742285 (NewsNation) — Nearly 20 years after Judith Regan interviewed O.J. Simpson, the publisher and editor looks back on the exchange as “bone-chilling,” calling Simpson “cold-blooded” and “deeply manipulative.”

Regan in 2006 secured the rights to Simpson’s book, “If I Did It” and conducted a five-hour interview with former NFL star, who died Wednesday. She considers Simpson’s comments a confession to the death of Ron Goldman. He and Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, were found stabbed to death in 1994 outside Brown Simpson’s home.

“It was bone-chilling to sit there across from (Simpson) for five hours because he was truly cold-blooded, deeply manipulative and it was a very disturbing five hours,” said Regan, who appeared ono NewsNation's "CUOMO" on Thursday.

Simpson was tried and acquitted of the slayings in a criminal case. Jurors in a subsequent wrongful death civil case determined he was liable.

Both the interview and the book — an allegedly hypothetical account of Goldman and Brown Simpson’s deaths — received massive backlash. Both projects were called off, but Regan’s interview would go on to air in 2006, more than a decade after Simpson’s criminal trial. “If I Did It” was published the following year and a judge ultimately awarded the rights to the Goldman family.

Nearly two decades later, Regan describes Simpson’s remarks as “the profile of a textbook abuser.”

“He blames Nicole for everything,” Regan said. “It’s her fault for ruining his life. He laughs inappropriately. He has not a speck of remorse — zero empathy — for the victims and no understanding at all of his actions. None.”

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2024-04-12T03:38:48+00:00
Mike Rowe: Trade workers freer without $300K 'millstone' around neck https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/mike-rowe/ Thu, 11 Apr 2024 03:55:03 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2740046 (NewsNation) — Vocational training enrollment is growing as younger generations explore careers they can enter without “a $300,000 millstone around (their) neck” from student loans, “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe said on “CUOMO.”

The TV personality and CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation joined a special edition of “CUOMO” on Wednesday to highlight blue-collar job availability, and why it seems to have piqued younger generations’ interest.

“There are plenty of people in Gen Z right now who are killing it,” Rowe said. “They’re prospering. They’re making six figures, they have no debt and they're wearing a toolbelt, and nobody’s telling their stories. I think when we do, we’re liable to see this whole thing tip.”

Why do some people go to trade school over college?

Retiring tradesmen and those aging out of the workforce are leaving vacancies in vital, hands-on industries, while high-school-aged students have, for decades, been urged to pursue four-year degrees, Rowe said.

“Back in the 70s, we needed more doctors, we needed more engineers, but what we did is we promoted one form of education at the expense of all the others,” he said.

At the same time, trade school is often considered a more affordable alternative to a four-year university. As of 2023, public trade schools cost an average of a little more than $12,000, according to data from the career website Zippia. Tuition costs and other expenses such as textbooks and industry-specific tools or equipment are wide-ranging and vary across industries and program types.

For some, like mechanic and MikeroweWORKS Foundation scholarship recipient Michael Gamez, trade school has been a path toward getting paid to do what he already loved.

The foundation has distributed about $8.7 million and 1,800 Work Ethic Scholarships over the past nine years.

“No matter what the trade is going to be and what you’re going to study for, take pride in that,” Gamez said.

For others, like fellow scholar Tracy Wilson, a skilled trade education led to financial independence and prosperity.

Wilson was a single mother at a low point when she decided to study electronics engineering technology.

“I was, like, I can’t sit here and depend on somebody else to pay the rest of the bills," Wilson said. “I have to do this.”

Wilson never missed a day of class. She now works on the electronics that allow fighter jet pilots to communicate.

How did we get here?

The alarms sounded for Rowe as traditional vocational programs began to disappear from schools, he said.

“It started with a lack of appreciation for the artistry in the work,” Rowe said. “That was fueled by a whole lot of financial concerns and that was driven by a lot of well-intended parents and guidance counselors who wanted to get kids on ‘a better path.’”

For decades, young people were told they needed a four-year education, or else they would be “stuck turning a wrench,” Rowe said.

“That was a powerful message…” Rowe said. “It resonated with a whole generation of kids and today, you don’t have to be an economist to look around and see $1.7 trillion in outstanding student loans on the books, 10 million open jobs — most of which don’t require a four-year degree, but training — and we’re still out there behind this crazy message.”

U.S. Department of Education data from people who were in high school from 2009-2007 showed that about 77% participated to some degree in career and technical education (CTE) programs.

Less than half, however, went on to concentrate in a specific trade after high school.

“We’re still lending money we don’t have to kids who are never going to be able to pay it back to train them for a bunch of jobs that, frankly, aren’t in demand anymore,” Rowe said. “That’s bananas.”

What does working a trade job entail?

Depending on the industry and program, trade school can be a faster and more affordable way to break into a career, but hard work goes into mastering a trade.

MikeroweWORKS Foundation scholarship recipient Sean Kelly described his five-year plumbing apprenticeship as “The most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life.”

Kelly wanted to be an organic farmer, but after interning on three farms over five years, he decided he needed to change course. He was working in a butcher’s shop when the plumber who would become his instructor for the next five years told him how much money he could earn in the industry.

Last year, master plumbers saw their median pay rise to $82,700 — a 21% jump from the year prior, PayScale found.

“I had to show up for day school,” Kelly said. “I had to show up for work. I had to show up for night school, and by the time I earned my journeyman license, I had a deep sense of pride for what I do as a living.”

Learning a trade isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor, said Roger Wakefield, known online as “The Expert Plumber.”

“What a lot of people don’t understand getting into the trades, there’s residential, there’s commercial, there’s industrial, there’s new construction, there’s service, there’s non-union, there’s union … all kinds of different things,” Wakefield said.

Now what?

Some school administrators are working to reframe how they talk to young people about life after high school.

Sara Hall, assistant principal of White Plains High School in New York, said she encourages students to consider their options after graduation, even if that doesn’t involve going to college.

“Success is not measured by how much money you make,” Hall said. “Success is measured by how happy you are.”

Meanwhile, programs like those through the staffing and recruiting company ApTask are helping students become “workforce ready,” ApTask Global CEO Eddie Bright Jr. said.

Generation Z is a generation that has had technology their entire lives.

“Because of technology, they’ve missed a lot of the hands-on skills that they could have gotten,” Bright said.

To help bridge that gap, Investopedia editor-in-chief Caleb Silver said it’s important to talk with young people about career opportunities early on.

We need that career development conversation to be happening in high schools,” he said. “We need to be talking about what it costs to be you and the you you want to be so this disconnect doesn’t get deeper.”

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2024-04-11T04:07:07+00:00
Landscaper's million-dollar career began with just her and a truck https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/landscaper-million-dollar-business/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 19:44:38 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2739294 (NewsNation) — When Christy Webber launched a lawn mowing business in the 1980s, she could never have imagined her small business would grow into a landscaping empire worth $42 million with hundreds of employees.

Her business has some of the biggest contracts in Chicago, including Millennium Park, the United Center and Navy Pier, and has given Webber a life of luxury.

"I never have enough toys, to be honest with you," Webber said. "I always feel like my friends in the business have way more toys than me. So I'm always complaining."

Chris Cuomo brought on a “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe for a special edition of [CUOMO] focused on elevating and encouraging blue-collar jobs. Watch the full episode here.

That includes a collection of motorcycles along with a car and snow plow, an extensive shoe collection and art.

But while she can now afford to indulge her interests, Webber was in a far different spot when she began her business.

"I was practically homeless, to be honest," she said. "I bought a truck and just started mowing grass. I was out in the suburbs like everybody trying to make money, in the high-end suburbs like Glencoe, Highland Park."

Christy Webber began mowing lawns and eventually built a landscaping empire. (NewsNation)

Then she thought about the projects worked on in Chicago during that time.

"I just thought, well, I don't really want to be traveling up and down this highway to make this living. So I just thought, I'm going to focus on Chicago," she said.

Webber's love of the outdoors is part of what led her to her career.

"I just love being outside," she said. "I love that you can take just something that's a piece of dirt and turn it into something so special."

Webber faced challenges as a gay woman in a male-dominated field but she was able to find allies to help her.

Her business took off with the support of the mayor at the time, who was pushing green projects. Webber also took courses in landscaping to expand her work beyond mowing lawns.

"It was just me and my truck and it was growing so fast, by leaps and bounds," Webber told NewsNation. "Once I took on the United Center, it opened every door, it gave me credibility."

Trading Up

More on the trade economy

Read more perspectives on this story

Chicago's mayor started other green projects, including adding trees to medians and parks.

"I always said he was my Oprah," Webber said. "We just had to get our act together to be a part of that."

The decision paid off, giving Webber a life she never dreamed of, including a large home, a lake house and a beautiful car. Hard work, she said, pays off.

"I'm from Michigan. Work hard, be honest with your customers," she said. "Work your butt off and hire people smarter than you."

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2024-04-11T01:06:40+00:00
NPR business editor says it doesn't have space for all perspectives https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/npr-uri-berliner-perspective-whistleblower/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 01:36:25 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2737960 (NewsNation) — Uri Berliner, a senior business editor at NPR, says the renowned organization doesn't allow "enough spaciousness to consider all kinds of perspectives" after he published an insider account for The Free Press.

According to the veteran journalist, NPR has become stacked with like-minded people who cater to what he sees as an ever-narrowing, progressive worldview, appealing to a select audience and losing touch with the broader public.

In a Tuesday interview on NewsNation's "CUOMO," Berliner addressed the backlash from his NPR colleagues, who have publicly disagreed with his assertions.

"I'm not surprised by the response that came from management and the same managers that I've been making a lot of these points about," Berliner said. "I will say, I've had a lot of support from colleagues ... many of them unexpected, who say they agree with me. Some of them say this confidentially."

Berliner also alleges that certain stories were ignored, mistakes were made, and corrections were never issued, all of which, he says, "shatters trust and engenders cynicism about the media."

When Berliner examined voter registration at NPR's Washington, D.C., office, he found 87 registered Democrats and not a single Republican.

The GOP under former President Donald Trump planned funding cuts to public media following allegations of bias, which resulted in a surge of donations to NPR.

Berliner, who described himself as a "lifer" at NPR, claimed the organization has evolved from a place guided by "curiosity, open-mindedness" to one characterized by a "much narrower kind of niche thinking, a groupthink that's really clustered around very selective, progressive views."

The veteran journalist acknowledged that his criticism of what he sees as a lack of political diversity at NPR and a failure to present balanced perspectives would likely be met with resistance from his colleagues.

"I think people want open dialogue. I think people want to have honest debates," Berliner said. "Most people are not locked into ideologies. And I think many people are just sick of it. And that's one of the reasons people distrust so much of the media."

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2024-04-10T20:31:09+00:00
RFK Jr.: Special counsel on Jan. 6 convicts would 'restore peace' https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/rfk-jr-special-counsel-jan-6/ Tue, 09 Apr 2024 04:09:46 +0000 https://www.newsnationnow.com/?p=2736470 (NewsNation) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would appoint a special counsel to determine whether the sentences of Jan. 6 convicts are appropriate, adding that he believes it would help “restore peace” and trust in the American government.

“My purpose is not to exonerate those people, but rather to restore peace,” Kennedy told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo on Monday. “I think we’re living in a time when Americans don’t trust their government anymore and that is really what the problem is. There is no trust in government and we need to restore that trust.”

Kennedy’s campaign last week sent out a fundraising email that referred to people facing charges for the Jan. 6, 2021 riot as “activists” who were “stripped of their constitutional liberties.”

“We made a couple of mistakes,” Kennedy said on “CUOMO.” “It started with an email that went out about Jan. 6 from my campaign that did not reflect my views about Jan. 6 and it was followed very quickly by a press release that had a factual error in it. All I can say is this is my responsibility. It’s my campaign. We have a lot of hardworking people on the campaign but we’re all drinking from fire hoses.”

Campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear said the emailed statement “was an error” that had been inserted by a new marketing contractor and “slipped through the normal approval process.”

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) responded to the comment Friday, claiming Kennedy's campaign has been “hijacked by MAGA." `

The statement didn’t reflect Kennedy’s views and the campaign has terminated its contract with the vendor, Spear said.

In another email to supporters Friday, Kennedy said that ”reasonable people," including Trump opponents, have told him there’s “little evidence of a true insurrection.”

Pushed on the matter Monday, Kennedy said that he believes the events of Jan. 6 were a “protest that turned into a riot” and that whether he believes it was an insurrection depends on how the word is defined.

“If your definition is armed men who are intending to take over the United States government, then it wasn’t that,” Kennedy said. “I think there were people there who wanted to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the other’s. I would say it was a very traumatic day in our nation’s history and people committed criminal acts. Those people deserve to be in jail.”

Kennedy, however, said he’s heard concerns about the sentences people convicted for their role in Jan. 6 received. That, he said, is why — if elected president — he would appoint a special counsel to review whether those sentences were appropriate.

“If there’s large numbers of people who see the world in one way, even if I see it in a different way, I’m going to listen to them and I’m going to fairly look at their point of view,” he said.

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2024-04-09T09:07:11+00:00