FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP (Shutterstock).

A New York City judge fined former president Donald Trump $5000 on Friday for a social media post that disparaged a court staff member and threatened him with jail if further violations of the judge’s gag order occurred.

Judge  Arthur Engoron was upset because it took weeks for the post – which he had ordered deleted – to be removed. Attorneys for Trump said it was an omission due to the large size of the former president’s presidential campaign.

“Make no mistake,” wrote the judge. “Future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions. which may include steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him.”

Trump was given 10 days to pay the fine.

Jordan out of Speaker competition

REP. JIM JORDAN (House.gov)

After a third failure to assemble enough support to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was removed from consideration for the post.

The decision by Republican representatives in a closed-door meeting left the question open of who would be the chief officer of the lower house of Congress.

Speaker of the House is first in the line of succession to the presidency after the vice president if the president resigns, dies or is disabled.

The drama began after Jordan and allies rallied enough support to unseat Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California from the speaker post, but have been unable to come up with enough votes to install Jordan, or anyone else.

Hamas releases two American women

Two American women who were abducted by Hamas raiders in Israel while visiting relatives have been released.

Judith Tai Raanan and daughter Natalie Raanan, residents of Chicago, were taken on Oct. 7. They were released by Hamas for “humanitarian reasons.” 

They are in Israel, having received medical care. When the Hamas attacked, they captured a number of civilians including about two dozen Americans. About 10 remain “unaccounted for,” said the U.S. State Department

Judge is fatally shot at home

Police and U.S. Marshals are searching for a man suspected of fatally shooting a Maryland judge on Thursday night in what authorities are calling a “targeted attack.”

Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, was fatally wounded in his driveway hours after suspect Pedro Argote, 49, lost custody of his children in a proceeding that Wilkinson presided over.

The judge’s wife and son were at home when the incident happened. The judge was taken to a nearby hospital where he died from his wounds.

Argote is believed to be armed and dangerous. While he has no criminal record, there have been police visits to his home because of complaints of “verbal domestic assaults.”

Weather: Summer’s back for encore

Sweet summer weather will be in place this weekend and into the coming week in our West Orange County. Saturday’s daytime high should be 79 with an overnight low of 62 with partly cloudy conditions. Sunday will be cooler – 74 (63) – with morning clouds and sun in the afternoons. Partly cloudy skies will return on Monday with temperatures of 73 (57); sunny skies will arrives on Tuesday (77/59).