The prospect of an entire year spent abroad is undoubtedly captivating, promising a wealth of experiences and insights that can transform your perspective on life. The thrill of immersing yourself in a new culture, embracing novel surroundings, and forging international connections is a dream shared by many. However, amid the allure of adventure, it’s paramount…
Former President Donald Trump once famously said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and go unpunished.
“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters,” he boasted during a 2016 rally in Iowa.
Seven years, two impeachments later, a civil sexual assault conviction, three indictments, and a fourth coming soon —Trump just may have been right.
The GOP’s 2024 presidential frontrunner currently faces a staggering 78 felony charges spanning three criminal cases, many of which carry the potential for significant prison time.
Having faced judges in Florida, New York, and Washington, Trump hasn’t been required to take the standard mugshot, be perp walked, or even post bail or bond.
For example, he faces 34 criminal charges in New York where the average cash bail amount for a felony is approximately $39,000 per offense, or, in his case, a total of $1.36 million.
Typically, federal bail for felonies could run as much as $200,000 per felony, according to the Bail Agents Network.
That means that an individual seeking bail on 44 felony charges could have to ante up as much as $8.8 million to remain free pending trial.
Meanwhile, if Trump is convicted on all 78 counts, assuming he receives the maximum statutory penalties, he could receive an astonishing 641 years in prison.
But there remains the Fifth Avenue question.
Could a judge legally sentence the former president to a prison cell?
A major obstacle could be a law that guarantees lifetime Secret Service protection to all ex-presidents.
President Obama signed an updated version of that law in 2012, granting protection to minor children until the age of 16 and spouses unless and until they remarry.
The law could mean that Trump may have some say in his incarceration and the safety measures taken during any potential prison sentence.
Since 1965, lifetime protection has been afforded to former presidents, except for Richard Nixon, who waived it 11 years after his resignation.
Chuck Rosenberg, a former top federal prosecutor, and counsel to then-FBI Director James B. Comey, offered his insights.
“Any federal district judge ought to understand it raises enormous and unprecedented logistical issues,” Rosenberg told the Washington Post.
He said probation, fines, community service, and home confinement are all alternatives. According to Rosenberg, the possibility of Trump serving prison time is “theoretically, yes and practically, no.”
On the Secret Service’s role, experts and commentators have varying opinions. Mike Lawlor, an associate professor at the University of New Haven, suggested that Trump would likely have “one or two secret service details sitting outside his cell with the correctional officers” if he were to serve prison time.
Michele Deitch, an expert on prison oversight at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, told Business Insider that a former president would “have a target on his back” and be closely monitored by the Secret Service.
Ronald Kessler, an author specializing in the Secret Service, provided further insights into the potential security arrangements.
He estimated that Trump’s current Secret Security detail could consist of up to 30 officers, with 10 to 12 agents on duty at any time.
Kessler dismissed the notion of just two agents posted at a prison, deeming it “crazy” given the dangerous environment. “Just think it through,” he told freelance journalist Dave Roos.
“What would just two agents do in such a dangerous environment?”
However, Kessler emphasized that if Trump were imprisoned, he would receive no other special treatment and would not be granted access to privileges like a telephone.
“[The prison] would have to serve him meals in his cell,” Kessler said. “It would just be pure protection.”
The prospects of Trump’s potential prison sentence and the accompanying Secret Service protection have raised complex questions that prosecutors may not consider.
Still, the charges the twice-impeached and thrice-indicted ex-president faces come with the possibility of serious prison time.
If Trump is remanded to prison, he “certainly would not be part of the general population,” retired FBI special agent Ken Gray told Business Insider.
“You could almost put him in a separate little hut.”
Finally, in an interview on MSNBC, Former Attorney General Eric Holder said the Secret Service could punt its responsibilities of protecting Trump to the Bureau of Prisons.
“If they were called upon to imprison a former president, I think they could come up with a way to do it,” Holder said.
“There is a way in which the Justice Department, the Bureau of Prisons could actually do it,” he insisted.
As the first day of school rapidly approaches, stores are filled with back-to-school promotions. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) has some important shopping tips to help you and your family save money and make smarter financial decisions this school year. Learn how to save and teach your children to make smarter financial…
(GIN) — Long-held grievances between anti- and pro-government Eritreans exploded in the streets of Stockholm this past week during an annual festival of Eritrean culture that drew thousands.
Eritreans who oppose President Isaias Afwerki tore down tents and set cars on fire, according to the Swedish newspaper Expressen. The protesters then marched toward the festival grounds, pushing past police cordons and using sticks and rocks as weapons.
“Between 100 and 200 people have been detained,” said Swedish police spokesperson Daniel Wikdahl. A significant police presence is still at the scene and investigations are underway, he added.
Sweden is home to tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots.
According to the local Nyhetsbyrån Järva news site, the Festival Eritrea Scandinavia has long been criticized for its connections to Afwerki’s government.
Human rights groups describe Eritrea as one of the world’s most repressive countries. Since winning independence from Ethiopia three decades ago, the small Horn of Africa nation has been led by Afwerki, who has never held an election.
The festival began in the 1990s but was suspected of accepting millions of kronor (Swedish dollars) from the Eritrean government to hold the event.
In previous years, demonstrations against the festival were held by the Dawit Isaak Campaign, a group named after the Swedish-Eritrean writer who has been imprisoned in the country in appalling conditions, without trial, since 2001. Isaak, winner of Unesco’s Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, is being held incommunicado, without access to his family or lawyers, according to Reporters without Borders, because he did his job as a reporter and covered the political debate in Eritrean society 16 years.
Rebirth of A New Nation: There is so much spaghetti in the sauce that the spaghetti is broken down into pieces for you to digest. The new moon is in Leo at 23 degrees. This is the ancient wise elders stepping forward to exhibit to the next world the passing down of vital information. Connect with your elders, as they have been living longer than you and have learned a few lessons or two. It’s not so much the lesson, as the story being told. Listen with your heart and be open within your mind to inner-stand the change of timeline. A new leaf is turning that brings new beginnings; just like the seasons, the leaves adapt to the environmental changes, and so do humans. The universe has a preliminary exam before progressing forward. Stay tuned for the mercury in Virgo retrograde; it’s going to be an idiosyncratic and disruptive time, so be tranquil when challenges arise. “We forget the soul has its own ancestors.” James Hillman
Capricorn: Concentrate on a plan to accomplish your weekly tasks with imagination. Have faith in your plans, and watch the bridge open for you to cross over to the other side. Any semi-legal matters, get a hold on them. Partnership and the initiation of new concepts are the theme this week. Indulge in some alone time and explore within your imagination to travel to places with beaches, tropical trees, and white sand. It’s time to make your mark in the world on another plateau. In the days leading up to August 16th around 7p.m. the universe is showing you signs in synchronicity; take heed of the data given at no charge.
Aquarius: When the wind blows, all sorts of ideas are on your mind. Being in nature helps with being stuck in the house, and with dusting off the old ways of doing things. Get out of the house and allow the air to blow through your hair and feel the mist surrounding you, and just be. Close your eyes for a minute and allow the wind to take you away to a spiritual paradise. Believe you can do anything your mind can conceive, it’s up to you to change your thinking patterns to better yourself. From August 9th around 9 a.m. until August 11 around 6 p.m.—tick-tock, the clock strikes, get ready for the renovation of you.
Pisces: Life throws you curveballs and travels down roads that go up and down like a slide to keep you motivated to conquer an assignment. What may seem up in the air is you being in the midst of change, and the mist is your guide. Be mindful of the experiences you encounter, as not all of them will feel good; some will give you a stomach ache. Food looks good yet the taste will have you going to the commode soon as you digest the food. From August 11th around 6:52 p.m. until August 14th around 6 a.m. pay close attention to your surroundings. You will find the hints and clues to the puzzle.
Aries: Have you had enough? When life gives you limes you can make it sweet, in between, or just as it comes. Aries, you are in for a super ride of a heavy assignment. It’s up to you to choose and decide. Remember, only you know where your heart guides you, and which matters of the heart need addressing. Don’t give up, stay in the fight, it’s not about winning or losing. It is about your strength and truth preparing for advancement. From August 14th around 6:36 a.m. until August 16th around 7 p.m. serving and tithing is something we all do to clear the past or make amends.
Taurus: What’s the tone, gesture, and posture of the conversation you are encountering, since much is said through body language? There are messages coming through to you from other beings or sources; most importantly, listen to what your spirit guides are conveying to you. Yes, sudden departures and changes take place to get you in harmony with where you need to be, to see, speak to, or meet an individual. In the days leading up to August 16th around 7 p.m. listen as information is being revealed in the darndest ways.
Gemini: Does your life seem like you are in a whirlwind, or a whirlpool washer/dryer machine, then hung out on the line to dry more? Don’t run around town like a chicken with its head cut off. Take a moment to think and catch your breath before moving on your agenda. Question: Do you feel like you are running around in the same circle? If so, STOP, PAUSE for a minute, and ask yourself if you have boundaries. This week is slow intentionally on purpose, to learn a lesson and to stop and smell the roses. From August 9th around 9 a.m. until August 11 around 6 p.m. be the change within and it will project outwardly.
Cancer: The divine creator gives you opportunities on top of blessings to get it together. You are on a new excursion in the limelight and making a name for yourself. A meeting with destiny is the synchronicity of finding out more about you and what you carry as a spiritual being. Explore and take charge of your life, as you are on a new leaf going about life differently. From August 11th around 6:52 p.m. until August 14th, you have a new attitude with the step in your walk to match. Look at you in the mirror.
Leo: Partnerships, revelations, promotions, networking, obligations, enjoyment of your leisure, and loose lips that sank ships are all within this weekly forecast. When the information leaked out it was meant for you to hear, see, and be within the boundaries of what is being displayed. It’s all a lesson to take notice of how to move. Not all information is privy to people within your cycle. From August 14th around 6:36 a.m until August 16th around 7 p.m. the universe has its way to make things happen, conspiring in your favor. The stars are in alignment.
Virgo: What is meant to be is meant to be for you. Not everyone receives the same treatment, kindness, gestures, and offers. No need for validation, it’s written all over your face and your presence. One thing to take heed of, is that you must get uncomfortable to get comfortable, doing something else that brings you a new feeling. Sometimes the old way needs an update, reboot, and restoration within its environment. You call all the shots you want, yet the odd and unexpected will show you another route. In the days leading up to August 16th around 7 p.m. knowing what you know will open doors for you. Put yourself out there more so humanity can hear.
Libra: Who said stomp the yard when truly it clearly needs cleaning, editing, and revamping? This week, folks say the pen is mightier than the sword. Put your words to use for a good cause instead of utilizing them as weapons. Where are the actions in your progress to show results? Get the messages out loud and clear to travel through the mouth of others as they hear it through the grapevine. This week, apply yourself as the limelight is on you and the people want to see you perform. From August 9th around 9 a.m. until August 11 around 6 p.m. do it for yourself more than anything. This is a milestone in your life.
Scorpio: Utilize everything in your possession to get the job done. Look within your surroundings to pull your resources to aid in your process forward. This big-bang, grand adventure you are brewing up will take you to heights you’ve only imagined when your work is complete. As you get close to completion, the divine creator will test you in areas of matters of the heart. Resistance is key; instead, talk to yourself about what happened when you gave in last time. What was your experience, as there is always a lesson to learn in life? From August 11th around 6:52 p.m. until August 14th, what’s your drive to your purpose of why you began what you started?
Sagittarius. When you are in motion, things move quicker for you and you accomplish more. You are in the storm of change plus an adventure of a lifetime that people wish to experience. Live, walk, talk by faith, as the universe is on your side. As you travel and journey this week, take a good look at your surroundings. Your environment will tell a story and all you need to do is look. What your eyes land and focus on is part of the details of the story paving the way for you. From August 14th around 6:36 a.m. until August 16th around 7 p.m., listen and you will know. Follow your gut.
