“Donald Trump, the former president and front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records after an investigation into hush money paid to a porn star. A photo taken by a photographer in the courtroom showed Trump sitting at the defense table, flanked by lawyers. Five photographers were to be admitted to the courtroom before the arraignment to take pictures for several minutes. Trump’s lawyers had urged the judge to block any videography, photography and radio coverage, arguing it would worsen “an already almost circus-like atmosphere.”
After the arraignment the former president tore into the judge’s supposed anti-Trump sentiment on Truth Social and said the new location would be ‘very fair and secure’, as protesters and the world’s media swarmed the Manhattan court where he turned himself in this afternoon.
He also noted that Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, 34, worked for Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, deepening the alleged bias against him.
“I think the entire world will be watching just how strong and just how fervent he is that we must continue this Make America Great Again movement because you can’t have Trump policies without President Trump. Nobody wants to go see the tribute band when the Rolling Stones are still playing. They’re here for President Trump and the Republican Party is solidly behind him.”
Jason Miller, announcing that Trump will hold a Mar-A-Lago press event tomorrow night after returning from his Manhattan arrest.
According to former Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. a gag order for Donald Trump “would be well within his rights to issue orders that ensured to the degree possible an orderly and safe trial.”
Responding to horriffic murder of Marc Carson, the 32-year-old gay man from Brooklyn who was shot and killed Friday night night in Greenwich Village NYC’s LGBT Community will hold a march on Monday, May 20th at 5:30 p.m to the site of Carson’s murder to demand an end to hate crimes against the LGBT community which have drastically increased in the past month.
Monday, May 20th at 5:30 p.m. beginning at the Center, 208 W 13th Street, and proceeding to West 8th Street and 6th Avenue. Following a string of heinous bias attacks against gay men, including the murder of a 32 year old man on Friday night, community members, elected officials, LGBT community leaders and allies will march to the site of Friday’s shooting to demand an end to hate crimes against the LGBT community. At the end of the march, we will rally to denounce hate violence, call for justice and to mourn the death of Marc Carson. Please join the Center, the NYC Anti-Violence Project, Speaker Quinn, community leaders and elected officials to reclaim our city for all New Yorkers.
Over the past month NYC has had a dramatic rise in anti-gay hate crimes with last night being the most horrific one yet to date.
An unidentified 32-year-old gay man from Brooklyn was shot in the head at about midnight at West 8th Street and Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village after being chased out of a restaurant bt his attacker who was shouting homophobic slurs before he fired.
The gunman ran five blocks before cops cornered him at West Third Street and MacDougal Street, according to police radio transmissions where he was arrested and confessed to the shooting.
The victim was taken to Beth Israel Hospital where he passed away shortly after arrival.
City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn said she was horrified by the attack.
“There was a time in New York City when hate crimes were a common occurrence. There was a time in New York City when two people of the same gender could not walk down the street arm-in-arm without fear of violence and harassment. We refuse to go back to that time.”
Law enforcement sources say the victim, who lived in Brooklyn, was walking with a friend along Sixth Avenue at about midnight when a group that included the suspect, made anti-gay remarks. A short time later, the suspect and the victim crossed paths again. Then, the suspect allegedly pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and shot the victim once in the head. The gunman ran five blocks before cops captured him at West Third Street and MacDougal Street, on the edge of the NYU campus. The busy and well-traveled intersection of 8th Street, Sixth Avenue and Greenwich Avenue is just a few blocks from Washington Square Park. The suspect had a fake ID on him when he was taken into custody.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the shooting took place shortly after midnight at West 4th Street and Barrow Street and it is classified as a hate crime. Kelly said the suspected gunman was caught urinating on the outside wall of a West Village bar, and then he walked into the bar and threatened the bartender with a silver pistol. The suspect then left the bar with two other men, and the trio confronted the victim and a male companion walking down the street. The alleged shooter called the victim and companion anti-gay slurs and asked if they were “gay wrestlers,” according to Kelly. After the victim was shot once, the suspect fled to MacDougal Street and West 3rd Street, where Kelly said the alleged gunman dropped his weapon and was caught by police.
The Ali Forney Center, one of the few places in New York City that provides homeless LGBT kids with safe shelter and counseling was totally destroyed by Hurricane Sandy last week.
Yesterday we were finally able to inspect our drop-in center in Chelsea, half a block from the Hudson River. Our worst fears were realized; everything was destroyed and the space is uninhabitable. The water level went four feet high, destroying our phones, computers, refrigerator, food and supplies.
This is a terrible tragedy for the homeless LGBT youth we serve there. This space was dedicated to our most vulnerable kids, the thousands stranded on the streets without shelter, and was a place where they received food, showers, clothing, medical care, HIV testing and treatment, and mental health and substance abuse services. Basically a lifeline for LGBT kids whose lives are in danger. We are currently scrambling for a plan to provide care to these desperate kids while we prepare to ultimately move into a larger space that will better meet our needs. The NYC LGBT Center has very kindly and generously offered to let us temporarily use some of their space, and we hope to determine the viability of that on Monday.
We have been deluged with kind offers from people who wish to volunteer and donate goods. Unfortunately, we will have to provide our services in the time being in much smaller spaces that won’t accommodate volunteers or allow for much storage space. The best way people can reach out to help in this very challenging time is by making monetary donations. Please go to our website.
It is heartbreaking to see this space come to such a sad end. For the past seven years it has been a place of refuge to thousands of kids reeling from being thrown away by their parents for being LGBT. For many of these kids coming to our drop-in center provided their first encounter with a loving and affirming LGBT community. I thank all of you for your care and support in a most difficult time.
this latest hurricane news is especially heartbreaking since it involves the most vulnerable of our community our own LGBT youth who have been through so much hardship and heartbreak already.
I know that everyone is pushed to the limits trying to do what they can and donate to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. But the Ali Forney center is one of the few resources in New York City that homeless at risk youth have. If everyone could just dig a bit deeper and help it would make a world of difference and just might help save a young gay persons life.
