FORMER President Donald Trump sits in the court room with his lawyers at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, Thursday, April 25 2024. (Mark Peterson/Pool Photo via AP)

The handing down of a sentence in Donald Trump’s “hush money” case will be postponed until after the Nov 5 election, the presiding judge announced in a decision on Friday.

Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan set the date for sentencing for Nov. 26; it had originally been scheduled for Sept. 18.

The decision, Merchan explained was “to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.”

Trump, who was convicted on 34 felony counts has called his prosecution and trial “a witch hunt” and “political attack.”

Still to be resolved is Trump’s motion to the judge to throw out his conviction on the grounds of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that a president had “absolute immunity” in performing his official acts.

However, Trump was convicted based on events in 2016, in which he was convicted of paying $130,000 to a porn star in exchange for her silence in their relationship, and then falsely claiming the money was for “legal expenses.” 

Former VP Cheney will vote for Harris

DICK CHENEY

Dick Cheney, who served two terms as vice president under George W. Bush, said Friday he would vote for Kamala Harris for president.

His announcement followed the statement on Wednesday that his daughter, former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Chaney, would also support the Democratic ticket.

Trump, he said, was a danger to democracy and “can never be trusted with power again.”

While life-long Republicans, the Cheneys broke with Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election which awarded the presidency to Joe Biden.

A 7-11 buyout by Circle K is rejected

7-12 INTERIOR

One of America’s most iconic retail chains is involved in a  financial tug-of-war between the Japanese owner of the 7-11 convenience store empire and the Canadian parent of Circle K stores, which is trying to buy its older rival.

Seven & i Holdings, owner of 7-11, has rejected the $38.55 billion purchase offer made by Alimentation Couche-Tard, claiming it “grossly undervalues” their company and was “not in the best interests of their company.”

However, the board chair of Seven & i said his company was willing to considering another offer.

He also raised concerns about the regulatory issues that would surround the merging of America’s two largest convenience store chains.

Great Thoughts

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” 

― Albert Einstein