After Being Shot, Chabad Rabbi Comforts Poway Congregation & the Country

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04/29/2019

New York - NYC Measles article — With the largest measles outbreak since the disease was deemed eliminated in 2000, vaccinated adults are questioning if they’re protected against the disease. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

With the largest measles outbreak since the disease was deemed eliminated in 2000, vaccinated adults are questioning if they’re protected against the disease.

By: Mike Morrison

Federal guidelines since 1989 required 2 doses of the MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) but anyone born before then may only have 1 dose or even an inactivated version of the virus. Adults born before 1957 are not required to have the vaccine as they are considered immune via being exposed directly to the virus.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) states the 1 vaccine of the MMR is sufficient for an adult unless they are:
Students in post high school education
Healthcare personnel
Travelers
People who public health authorities determine are at increased risk for getting measles during an outbreak.

Of the 695 confirmed measles cases currently in the US, about 70 of them have occurred in people who have been vaccinated against the disease according to the CDC. The measles vaccine is considered 93% effective with 1 dose and 97% with 2 doses. Despite the 3% risk, a person that is properly vaccinated against measles will likely have a milder illness according to the CDC.

According to the CDC measles could become endemic (constant presence of a disease in an area) in the United States again, especially if vaccine coverage levels drop. This can happen when people:
Don’t get vaccinated on time
Think they’re immune when they’re not, and can’t find documentation of their vaccine status (this is most common among adults)
Delay or refuse vaccines for religious, philosophical or personal reasons.
Research shows that there is clustering of people who delay or refuse vaccines in certain communities. When measles gets into communities with pockets of unvaccinated people, outbreaks are more likely to occur. These communities make it difficult to control the spread of the disease. And these communities make us vulnerable to having the virus re-establish itself in our country.
High sustained measles vaccine coverage and rapid public health response are critical for preventing and controlling measles cases and outbreaks. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) the only way to effectively combat the deadly virus is with 95% of a population vaccinated against it to create “herd immunity.”
All member states in the six World Health Organization regions have adopted goals to eliminate measles by the year 2020. Once every country eliminates a disease, health officials consider the disease “eradicated” from the world.

NYT: ‘Error of Judgment’ to Publish Anti-Semitic Cartoon Featuring Netanyahu as Guide Dog for Trump

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04/28/2019

The New York Times announced Saturday it was deleting an anti-Semitic cartoon from its international edition featuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a guide dog leading a blind Donald Trump.

By: David Rutz

Netanyahu is depicted with a Star of David collar, while Trump holds his leash and is depicted as blind by wearing sunglasses. The Times said in a statement from its opinion page’s Twitter account that it was an “error of judgment to publish it” and admitted it “included anti-Semitic tropes.”

“A political cartoon in the international print edition of the New York Times on Thursday included anti-Semitic tropes, depicting the prime minister of Israel as a guide dog with a Star of David collar leading the president of the United States, shown wearing a skullcap,” the Times said. “The image was offensive, and it was an error of judgment to publish it. It was provided by The New York Times News Service and Syndicate, which has since deleted it.”

The newspaper said the note would appear in Monday’s international edition. The Times responded to a request for comment by directing the Free Beacon to the above statement. At the time of publication, it had not disclosed who the cartoonist was.

Trump and Netanyahu have forged a strong alliance since Trump took office. The Trump administration moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognized the city as Israel’s capital, and it also has recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Netanyahu won a fifth term as prime minister in part by campaigning on his partnership with Trump.

Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud Party have come under fire from liberal outlets, including the New York Times editorial board. An April 10 editorial following his party’s success acknowledged Israel’s economic and technological advances under Netanyahu but panned his campaign strategies and said Trump “inserted himself on behalf of an Israeli leader in ways no previous American president has.” (Washington Free Beacon)

Trump Seeks to Swing Traditionally Democratic Jewish Vote

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04/28/2019

COVER - Trump May article - pic 2 — Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Shelley Berkley spent 14 years in Congress representing the western swing state of Nevada. The lifelong Democrat is worried about her party’s ability in next year’s presidential election to maintain the traditional support of her fellow Jews.

By: Steve Herman

“Growing up, I didn’t know anybody that was Jewish who wasn’t a Democrat. The two went hand in hand. If you’re Jewish, you’re a Democrat. Things have changed dramatically,” according to Berkley.

The party’s rising left wing is less inclined to reflexively support Israel, while President Donald Trump has decisively aligned with Israel’s right-wing president, Benjamin Netanyahu.

“There’s a lot of folks like Congresswoman Berkeley increasingly concerned about the direction and tone the Democratic Party is taking as it relates to the Jewish community and Israel,” says Matthew Brooks, national executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Throughout most of the 20th century, Jews were staunch Democrats, traditionally allied with the labor movement and religiously coming out to vote in force.

As important, according to American University professor of history Alan Kraut, “is the influence that Jews wield as opinion leaders, journalists, contributors and activists – as a people basically who are never afraid to raise their voices one way or another.”

Pollster Mark Mellman contends data show that has not changed, with the Jewish community remaining “strongly Democratic to this day, and certainly anti-Trump, even though some are appreciative of some of the things that Trump has done vis-a-vis Israel.”

Both Berkley and Mellman say most Jewish voters detest Trump’s policies in general, as well as his behavior and lack of intellectual curiosity.

But Trump is trying hard to woo them, portraying the Democratic Party as anti-Israel and anti-Jewish.

“The reality is, the American Jewish community is not going to be voting for Donald Trump. … And for him to invest so much time, effort, energy, in trying to create a wedge between the American Jewish community and the Democratic Party isn’t really a very good use of his time,” says Mellman, who heads one of the most prominent Democratic marketing research and polling firms. But he acknowledges “there are some increasing doubts and concern.”

Berkley says her children remain strong Democrats but are concerned about whether they can continue to support their own party.

“Now that doesn’t mean they are embracing the Trump revolution. Hardly. But people like us, pro-Israel moderate Democrats, where do we go?” she asks.

At the RJC, Brooks is looking to lure those disaffected Democrats. He contends the rival party is overconfident about the Jewish vote.

“It’s going to be very hard for any of the Democratic candidates to have, like President Trump, an unvarnished pro-Israel agenda, because the grassroots in the base of the Democratic Party won’t allow it,” Brooks predicts.

“If we move 5% of the Jewish vote in Los Angeles or New York, it’s not going to make a difference,” Brooks says. “There’s no chance we’re winning New York state or California. So, our focus is very strategic and very targeted in the battleground states.”

At the forefront are Ohio and Florida, both with significant Jewish populations. Also seen in play: Arizona and Nevada out West, as well as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the Midwest.

“Since Trump has been in office, has he been able to attract and to peel away Jewish support from the Democratic Party? I believe the answer to that is yes,” says Brooks.

The head of the Republican Jewish Coalition says American Jews look not just at a candidate’s stance on Israel, but also at economic issues.

“I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to make these incremental gains,” Brooks tells VOA.

Mellman says Brooks and other Republicans are overly optimistic “when you have a community that has consistently voted Democratic for many years. And right now, even after all these things, hates Donald Trump. Now, could that turn around in 17 months? It’s possible. But there’s never been that kind of wholesale turnaround in public opinion.”

Kraut sees the best opportunity for Republicans with “older Jewish voters, men and women, who lean toward Trump because of Israel. And because he does seem to them to fly in the face of what they regard as the left wing of the Democratic Party that’s taking shape” around congressional first-termers such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, according to Kraut.

“They don’t like these people. They don’t trust these people,” says Kraut of the older Jewish voters.

Berkley agrees.

“I’m apoplectic about my party’s response to the comments Omar and others have made,” she tells VOA. “Members of the Democratic caucus have made anti-Semitic statements that were no accident. They actually believe what they’re saying.”

This sentiment likely will be more of a factor prior to the general election as Jews could have an outsized role in selecting the Democratic Party’s nominee.

While early voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire have negligible Jewish populations, the big and solid Democrat states – New York and California – do.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is viewed by much of the Jewish bloc as stable and predictable with foreign policy, respected around the world, and representing their core social and moral values, according to Kraut.

“If I were a betting man, I would say that if Biden is the candidate of the Democratic Party, the Jews are going to flock to him” in the general election against Trump, Kraut says.

He sees Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont as struggling for Jewish votes, despite him being the only Jew running for president.

Some may find that ironic.

“It’s worse than ironic. It’s very unfortunate, actually,” laments Berkley, who says she opposes Sanders’ candidacy “because of his lack of support for Israel.”

Mellman says Sanders has stated he is “100% pro-Israel, that he believes Israel has every right to exist in peace and security without being subject to terrorism.”

Jewish leaders acknowledge Trump’s embrace of Israel may also be motivated by his desire to retain the support of Christian evangelicals (who believe that Israel must continue to exist as a harbinger for the return of Christ as the Messiah).

“Being good to Israel has many, many political advantages in the United States,” notes Kraut. “The Jewish vote alone isn’t going to put Trump over the top.” (VOA News)

Famed Historian Ron Chernow Honors Press at White House Correspondents Association Dinner

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04/28/2019

Famous historian Ron Chernow delivered a keynote address on Saturday evening at the annual White House correspondents dinner, where he defended journalists who often receive the president’s ire.

By: David Freiberg

Mr. Chernow referenced a play called “an enemy of the people,” adding, “I had no idea the president was a fan of Norwegian literature.”

“We now have to fight hard for basic truths that we once took for granted,” he said at another point through his remarks.

Mr. Chernow said that when President Trump calls journalists the “enemy of the people,” that they should “think of it in the Norwegian sense and wear it as a badge of honor.”

“This is a glorious tradition — you folks are a part of it, and we can’t have politicians trampling on it with impunity,” he added, to which he received a standing ovation from attendees.

He went on to compare President Trump to George Washington, saying that Mr. Washington was “deficient in the art of the deal — the poor man had to settle for being the father of his country.”

Mr. Chernow then talked about Washington’s relationship with the news media.

“Like every great president, Washington felt maligned and misunderstood the press, but he never generalized that into a vendetta,” he said.

Mr. Chernow said that journalists are on “Team USA, not members of enemy camps.”

Last year, the President and senior administration officials slammed Michelle Wolf for making crude jokes.

“I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful. She burns facts, and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies,” Mrs. Wolf said last year referring to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders. “And I’m never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders, you know? Is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it Cousin Huckabee, is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? Like, what’s Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women?”

Mrs. Wolf also said last year that reporters assigned to cover the White House had become “obsessed” with President Trump.

“You helped create this monster, and now you’re profiting off of him,” she said last year.

After her speech at the annual dinner, in an interview with NPR, Mrs. Wolf said that she “wouldn’t change a word” regarding her performance.

“I’m very happy with what I said, and I’m glad I stuck to my guns,” she told NPR.

New York AG Opens Investigation Into NRA Finances Amidst Internal Leadership Dispute

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04/28/2019

New York Attorney General Letitia James has opened an investigation into the National Rifle Association, according to CNN.

By: Harry Cherry

A spokesperson for Mrs. James told CNN that it has issued subpoenas, as part of the investigation.

“As part of this investigation, the Attorney General has issued subpoenas,” a spokesperson for Mrs. James told CNN in a statement. “We will not have further comment at this time.”

Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization which advocates for gun control and regulation, told CNN that it recently filed a complaint with the New York Attorney General against the NRA in regarding to its tax-exempt status.

An official with Everytime for Gun Safety told CNN that a report issued by The Trace and the New Yorker prompted its complaint.

The report alleged that a handful of NRA contractors, executives and vendors “have extracted hundreds of millions of dollars” from the organization’s budget.

“In light of the recent, credible allegations of excessive invoicing and personal enrichment by insiders, it’s encouraging that the New York Attorney General is looking into the NRA, and we renew our call for other state and federal authorities to do the same,” John Feinblatt, the President of Everytown for Gun Safety, told CNN in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal reported within the last few days that the National Rifle Association was dealing with internal turmoil — as its president, Colonel Oliver North, accused the groups longtime Chief Executive, Wayne LaPierre, of financial misdeeds.

Mrs. James’s investigation deals with “related-party transactions between the NRA and its board members; unauthorized political activity; and potentially false or misleading disclosures in regulatory filings,” a source familiar with the matter told the Journal, according to CNN.

“The NRA will fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances,” William A. Brewer III, an attorney for the NRA and partner at Brewer Attorneys and Counsel told CNN in a statement. “The NRA is prepared for this, and has full confidence in its accounting practices and commitment to good governance.”

In a letter released on Thursday, which was sent to the group’s board of directors, Mr. LaPierre hit back — accusing Mr. North of forcing him to resign and trying to extort him.

Mr. North informed the National Rifle Association’s members on Saturday that he will not serve another term as the organization’s president, and would be resigning in the coming days.

Mr. North accused Mr. LaPierre previously of “charging over $200,000 in wardrobe purchased to a NRA vendor,” according to CNN, which cited a Wall Street Journal report.

The NRA did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.

California Synagogue Shooting Leaves One Dead, 3 Injured – Cal State Student Pens Anti-Jewish Manifesto

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04/28/2019

A 19-year-old man opened fire upon congregants at a Chabad synagogue during services for the last day of Passover on Saturday, in what law enforcement officials say was a hate crime — ultimately taking the lives of one woman and injuring three others.

By: Harry Cherry

The suspect, later identified as John T. Earnest, wrote in his manifest that he is a man of “European ancestry.”

“My name is John Earnest and I am a man of European ancestry,” he wrote in his digital manifest on Saturday, which has now gathered over 38,000 views on the text forum pastebin. “Truly, I am blessed by God for such a magnificent bloodline.”

Saturday’s shooting, which occurred at the Chabad in Poway, California, is the latest in a series of attacks in recent months against Jews around in the world. White nationalist Robert Bowers opened fire on congregants at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh last October, killing 11 people and injuring 7 others.

One woman was pronounced dead, following gunshot wounds and three other synagogue members who were shot are recovering at nearly hospitals, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore said Saturday at a press conference.

Police Chief David Nisleit said that the shooter called the authorities following the shooting spree, as he attempted to flee the scene.

As he attempted to flee, an off-duty Border patrol agent, in an attempt to neutralize the threat to the local community, opened fire against Mr. Earnest, officials said.

Before entering the Chabad synagogue on Saturday, Mr. Earnest posted an anti-Semitic letter to multiple online forums, including 8-chan, which is frequented by White Nationalists and members of the alt-right.

The hate-filled documented was also posted to Pastebin, an online text-to-paste service, by Mr. Earnest under the username “johntearnest,” and has now been viewed over 38,000 times.

Mr. Earnest, in his letter filled with antisemitic remarks, racial slurs, and conspiracy theories, urged extremists to commit attacks similar in nature, recommending that they use flamethrowers rather than a gun.

“If your goal is strictly carnage and the highest score—I’d highly recommend you look into flamethrowers,” he wrote. “I had my whole life ahead of me. If you told me even 6 months ago that I would do this I would have been surprised.”

The shooter, however, claimed that he was not a supporter of President Donald Trump, citing the president’s support for Israel, and claiming that he is “anti-White” and a “traitor.”

Mr. Earnest also admitted in his letter to committing arson at the Dar-ul-Arqam mosque in Escondido, California.

“I scorched a mosque in Escondido with gasoline a week after Brenton Tarrant’s sacrifice and they never found sh** on me,” he wrote.

President Trump, referencing the attack, told reporters that it was hard to believe.

“Hard to believe, hard to believe,” he told reporters at The White House. “With respect to the synagogue in California near San Diego. We’re doing some very heavy research. We’ll see what happens, what comes up. At this moment it looks like a hate crime. But my deepest sympathies to all of those affected. And we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

During a campaign-style rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Mr. Trump weighed in on the attack, saying: “America’s heart is with the victims of the horrific synagogue shooting in Poway, California.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., offered her condolences, writing on Twitter that she stands “with the Jewish community” against Saturday’s “act of hate.”

“Coming just six months after the horrific mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, we are confronted with what appears to be another anti-Semitic attack,” she said. “We all stand with the Jewish community against this act of hate.”

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who chairs the House Intelligence committee said that the nation should come together to counter the “disturbing rise of violent hatred” across America.

“Another despicable and violent act of anti-Semitism — this time at a synagogue in Poway, California at the end of Passover,” Mr. Schiff posted on Twitter. “We must act to end the scourge of gun violence and come together against the disturbing rise of violent hatred across the U.S.”

Morton Klein, the president of the Zionist Organization of America, condemned the despicable antisemitic attack against congregants at the Chabad synagogue in Poway, California.

“Our hearts go out to their families and to the Jewish people having to endure another synagogue shooting,” he wrote on Twitter. “ZOA urges Congressional leaders to condemn this and Omar/Tlaib antisemitic remarks now.”

In a statement sent to the media, the Rabbinical Alliance of America (RAA) — Igud HaRabbonim, with a membership of over 950 Orthodox Rabbis across the United States and Canada said it “extends its boundless expression of support and solidarity to the victims, their families, and the survivors of the brutal, horrendous terrorist attack that took place this Sabbath, Achron Shel Pesach, the last day of Passover, at the Chabad of Poway in San Diego, California while innocent celebrants were sitting down for a holiday meal. Sadly, the terrorist killed a woman and wounded the rabbi and two others. We condemn the evil carnage perpetrated by a malevolent and hateful individual seeking to murder innocent people gathered in celebration of faith, life and community.”

The RAA/Igud calls upon all people of goodwill to unite in prayer beseeching our Creator for His protection and to increase in acts of charity and loving-kindness to help heal our fractured society. We must gather together in prayer and good deeds to thwart this cowardice and hatred that wishes to destroy all that is good in this world. Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht, Chairman of the RAA presidium, asks all member rabbis to call for additional prayers to be recited immediately at all prayer services for the healing of the injured.

Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, Executive Vice President of the RAA, stated that, “A hate attack on anyone is an attack on all of society. All decent people must come together to condemn such an evil act of anti-Semitism.”

WJC President Lauder condemns vicious attack on California synagogue: “People of all faiths must stand together against such hatred”

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04/28/2019

The World Jewish Congress is horrified by the vicious attack unleashed today against a Chabad synagogue near San Diego, just six months after the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh which claimed 11 lives. WJC President Ronald S. Lauder expressed his deep sorrow and condolences to the victims of the California attack, after the San Diego sheriff confirmed that one person had been killed and three others wounded.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jewish community of Poway, California today as their worst nightmare unfolds. There is absolutely no justification or explanation for such violence, and it is inconceivable that, yet again, innocent people have been targeted simply for their religion and for choosing to attend a place of worship,” Lauder said.

“We strongly condemn this heinous attack and extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, their loved ones, and the entire community. We pray for the swift recovery of the injured and trust that justice will be served against the perpetrator of this attack. There is no room for such hate-filled violence in our society. People of all faiths must stand together and declare that we will never tolerate such hatred,” Lauder said.

RJC Condemns Heinous Hate Crime At Poway Chabad, Sends Prayers To Victims

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04/28/2019

Earlier today there was a heinous attack on the Chabad House in Poway, California. RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman released the following statement:

The shooting at the Poway Chabad House, a Jewish house of worship, comes on the six-month anniversary of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. First and foremost, our prayers go out to the family of the fatally wounded worshiper, the wounded and their families, and the Jewish community of Southern California. Second, as the Mayor of Poway said, this is a hate crime, and we are reminded that as Jews we continue to be targets of hate even after 3000+ years. Finally, we are thankful to the first responders who appear to have already caught the shooter and have gotten the victims to help and safety quickly. These people are heroes.

Violence, especially violence born out of religious hate has no place in our society. The RJC strongly condemns anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry wherever it raises its head. We pray for a swift and complete recovery for all those injured. We also call on our elected leaders to do everything possible to combat anti-Semitism.

Trump Condemns Poway Shooting

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04/28/2019

Editorial - Trump's Call of article - pic 1 — Photo Credit: Shutterstock

“Tonight America’s heart is with the victims of the horrific synagogue shooting in Poway, California. Just happened. Our entire nation mourns the loss of life, prays for the wounded, and stands in solidarity with the Jewish community. We forcefully condemn the evil of anti-Semitism and hate, which must be defeated. Just happened. Must be defeated. And we are grateful to the law-enforcement personnel for their courageous response. Incredible response today by law enforcement. And I especially want to recognize a certain off-duty border patrol agent who bravely returned fire and helped disrupt the attack and saved so many lives. Border patrol!”

THE RABBINICAL ALLIANCE OF AMERICA MOURNS THE PASSOVER SYNAGOGUE TERRORIST ATTACK IN SAN DIEGO

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04/28/2019

With profound sorrow and grief, The Rabbinical Alliance of America (RAA) — Igud HaRabbonim, with a membership of over 950 Orthodox Rabbis across the United States and Canada — extends its boundless expression of support and solidarity to the victims, their families, and the survivors of the brutal, horrendous terrorist attack that took place this Sabbath, Achron Shel Pesach, the last day of Passover, at the Chabad of Poway in San Diego, California while innocent celebrants were sitting down for a holiday meal. Sadly, the terrorist killed a woman and wounded the rabbi and two others. We condemn the evil carnage perpetrated by a malevolent and hateful individual seeking to murder innocent people gathered in celebration of faith, life and community.

RAA/Igud calls upon all people of goodwill to unite in prayer beseeching our Creator for His protection and to increase in acts of charity and loving-kindness to help heal our fractured society. We must gather together in prayer and good deeds to thwart this cowardice and hatred that wishes to destroy all that is good in this world. Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht, Chairman of the RAA presidium, asks all member rabbis to call for additional prayers to be recited immediately at all prayer services for the healing of the injured.

Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, Executive Vice President of the RAA, stated that, “A hate attack on anyone is an attack on all of society. All decent people must come together to condemn such an evil act of anti-Semitism.”

May the One who makes peace in the Heavenly heights make peace upon us and upon all Israel, Amen.

Michael Cohen, In Recorded Phone Call, Says ‘There Is No Tax Evasion’

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04/25/2019

New York - Michael Cohen article — shutterstock

President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen, in a newly-surfaced phone call with comedian Tom Arnold, walked back segments of his plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

By: Harry Cherry

“There is no tax evasion,” Mr. Cohen reportedly said in the recording provided to the Wall Street Journal.

Cohen complained in the recorded phone call about the fact that a federal judge sentenced him to three years in prison.

“You would think that you would have folks, you know, stepping up and saying, ’You know what, this guy’s lost everything,” he said.

Cohen lamented about the assets which he’s lost since being indicted.

“My family’s happiness, and my law license,” Cohen lamented. “I lost my business … my insurance, my bank accounts, all for what? All for what? Because Trump, you know, had an affair with a porn star? That’s really what this is about.”

Cohen told Tom Arnold that he entered a guilty plea to a slew of federal charges because prosecutors had him “on campaign finance,” and threatened to charge his wife with crimes if he did not plead guilty. He told The Jewish Voice in a recent interview that federal prosecutors threatened to bring criminal charges against his wife if he didn’t enter into a plea agreement.

“I love this woman, and I am not going to let her get dragged into the mud of this crap,” he told Arnold. “And I never thought the judge was going to throw a three-year fricking sentence.”

Lanny Davis, one of Michael Cohen’s attorneys and legal advisers, told the Wall Street Journal that Cohen has “taken responsibility for his crimes,” and will report to prison next month, as planned.

“While he cannot change the past, he is making every effort to reclaim his life and do right by his family and country. He meant no offense by his statements,” Davis told the Journal.

Talking about embattled attorney Michael Avenatti, Cohen said in the recorded phone call that Avenatti “lied about him” every day.

Avenatti has been accused in New York of trying to extort Nike for $20 million dollars and is accused by federal prosecutors in California of committing bank fraud, wire fraud, and stealing millions of dollars from a mentally ill client.

“Look at what’s happening to Avenatti – it’s called karma boomerang,” Cohen told Tom Arnold. “The guy lied about me every single day, right? And the world loved it.”

Arnold told The Journal that he recorded the conversation because Michael Cohen “tapes everything,” adding that he wanted to remember what exactly they discussed.

Michael Avenatti was also charged with committing tax fraud and bankruptcy fraud and faces hundreds of years in prison if convicted of all charges against him in New York and California

Prior to IPO, Uber Mulling Over Large Office Space in NYC

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04/25/2019

FOR E-MAIL BLAST - UBER NYC article — shutterstock

Uber is currently looking for a large amount of office space in New York City, in advance of next month’s Initial Public Offering.

By: Craig Mendleton

Multiple sources inside Uber told Crain’s that they are searching for 250,000 to 300,000 square feet of office space. Uber Executives told Crain’s that they have looked at space near Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan — and at 3 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan — as possible locations.

Uber has retained CBRE to help with the search.

In February, Uber leased 50,000 square feet of office space 1400 Broadway for $50,000. The 50,000 square foot office at Terminal Stores, located at Hudson Yards — which is scheduled to undergo a vast renovation.

Uber’s main New York home is in Queens — where it’s had 20,000 square feet of office space in the Falachi Building since entering into a lease in 2014.

In comparison, Lyft has 11,000 square feet of space in New York — which houses its sales, marketing, and engineering departments. Lyft leased that space last year. A Lyft spokesperson at the time told The New York Post that employees will be working on research of driverless cars.

“The diversity of New York’s neighborhoods and urban layout makes it an ideal place for engineers to understand and strengthen Lyft’s technology nationwide,” the Lyft spokesperson told The Post in a statement. “If you can understand and build transportation in NYC, you can do it anywhere.”

One month before opening its Manhattan office, Lyft raised $1 billion dollars in funding.

A recent selloff and worries about a looming recession have scared off investors as well as Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s CEO.

Experts said earlier this year that Uber was overvalued at $120 billion — and is actually worth around $70 billion.

In a filing sent to the SEC earlier this month ahead of its Initial Public Offering (IPO), Uber declared that it had 91 million users, as of the end of 2018.

Uber said in the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it expects expenses to “increase significantly in the foreseeable future,” adding that it “may not achieve profitability.”

The New York Post reported earlier this month that Uber plans to sell about $10 billion in shares at its IPO. In the private fundraising market, Uber was valued at $76 billion dollars, however, executives are seeking a valuation of anywhere between $90 billion and $100 billion.

Uber had revenue last year of $11.3 billion dollars, and gross bookings were $50 billion, according to The Post. The Post added that Uber lost $3.3 billion last year.

Joe Biden to Announce 2020 Presidential Run; Says His Coffers Are Empty

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04/25/2019

Former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat from Delaware, is expected to launch his 2020 presidential campaign in a short video on Thursday — with no money from the outset.

By: Harry Cherry

“I don’t think the challenge is underestimated by the Biden team,” Rufus Gifford, President Obama’s 2012 financial director, told The New York Times.

Biden’s top political aides have talked to prominent Democratic donors in recent weeks, and have expressed concern that Mr. Biden may not be able to record fundraising numbers like former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Tex., and Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent from Vermont, did in the first 24-hours of his presidential campaign. Mr. O’Rourke raised over $6 million dollars in the first 24 hours within his campaign’s launch.

Some political experts fear that the more money from large donors that Mr. Biden collects — the more it will hurt his image of being a fighter for middle-class Americans.

One Democratic finance bundler, Wade Randlett, who lives in San Francisco, told The Times that he thinks the “overwhelming share” of Obama fundraisers will come to support Mr. Biden.

“He was an enormously valuable and loyal vice president of the man who we all shed blood, sweat, and tears to make president of the United States,” Mr. Randlett told The Times.

Other Obama fundraisers have thus far come to the aid of Pete Buttigieg, the Mayor of South Bend Indiana and California Senator Kamala Harris.

“This is going to be tough. This is going to be a heavy lift,” Mr. Gifford told The Times, adding: “The Obama people are not a given, and they’re going to have to work for them just like everyone has to work for them.”

Mr. Sanders as well as Elizabeth Warren, a Senator from Massachusetts who is running to obtain the Democratic nomination, have promised supporters not to use bundlers or accept large contributions from corporate donors.

Katie Petrelius, the Director of Development for the Biden Foundation, has been managing the early financial efforts for Mr. Biden’s impending presidential campaign, according to The Times.

“An awful lot of people have offered to help, and the people who are usually the biggest donors in the Democratic Party and, I might add, some major Republican folks,” Mr. Biden said in February at the University of Delaware.

One Democratic fundraising expert, Denise Bauer, however, told The Times in an email that she plans to raise money for Mr. Biden, saying that she is “quite optimistic” about his prospects.

“From what I understand, they are putting together a first-rate, modern organization,” she told The Times. “This wouldn’t be a rerun of 2008 or 2012, or even 2016.”

Seagram Heiress Clare Bronfman Pleads Guilty to Involvement in Sex Cult

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04/25/2019

Clare Bronfman, the heiress to the Seagram fortune, pled guilty in court yesterday to involvement in a self-help organization that many have said is really a so-called sex cult.

By: David Dennison

Bronfman, 40, “admitted Friday in a federal court in Brooklyn to harboring an undocumented immigrant for financial gain and committing credit card fraud on behalf of Keith Raniere, the leader of the Nxivm group. Prosecutors say some members of the group were forced to have sex with Raniere and were branded with his initials,” the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported.

The high-profile case has had a little something for everyone, including court room histrionics, as the defendant fainted earlier today when the judge “asked if she was being secretly represented by embattled celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti in a case where she is charged with money laundering and identity theft involving the alleged sex-cult NXIVM,” noted CNBC.

Bronfman will not be forced to go on trial alongside the reputed cult leader in May, since she has accepted a plea deal. The heiress is looking at two-plus years behind bars and having to give up approximately $6 million – pocket change, considering that the Bronfman fortune has been estimated by some at being ine excess of $200 million. She is due for sentencing on July 25.

“Your honor, I was afforded a great gift by my grandfather and father,” Bronfman said as part of her testimony. “With the gift comes immense privilege and, more importantly, tremendous responsibility. It does not come with an ability to break the law.”

As part of the plea deal, Bronfman admitted under oath that she had, indeed, hidden someone who was living in the United States illegally for unpaid “labor and services.” She also admitted to committing credit card fraud while working for Keith Raniere, who led the Nxivm cult based in upstate New York.

Bronfman, the daughter of the late philanthropist and former Seagram chairman Edgar Bronfman Sr., “told the judge she was trying to help people. Nxivm described itself as a “self-help” organization, but according to officials, it was actually a cult that branded members and forced them into having sex with Raniere,” according to The Forward.

Bronfman’s late father, Edgar Bronfman Sr., was “a scion and longtime head of the Seagram’s Company, at one point the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. Bronfman was president of the World Jewish Congress for many years and was a major supporter of an array of Jewish causes, including the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, where he was a board member, and JTA’s partner site MyJewishLearning, which he founded in 2003,” JTA reported.

Lawyer for Billion $$$ Hedge Fund Says Investors Knew They May Not Get Their Money Back

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04/25/2019