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Trump rips trial judge whose $500M penalty was erased on appeal

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Fresh off a major appellate win, President Donald Trump on Sunday tore into New York Judge Arthur Engoron, who oversaw his state civil fraud trial, calling him «incompetent,» «crooked» and nearly as «corrupt» as New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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Trump’s barbs followed an appellate ruling that erased a $500 million penalty in James’ high-profile civil fraud case, handing Trump one of his biggest legal wins yet. 

«The Appellate Court removed incompetent Judge Engoron, but he refused to go, or even to acknowledge them,» Trump wrote on Truth Social. «He’s a highly overturned, CROOKED Judge, who is retiring into a life of lawsuits, along with his Chief Clerk, soon! He is almost as Corrupt as Leticia James, but not quite!»

Engoron presided over the non-jury trial, and Trump allies accused him of bias against the president-elect, his family and his company. Trump was accused of inflating the value of his assets to get more favorable terms from a lender his real estate business worked with.

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JUDGE WHO FINED TRUMP $500 MILLION GETS THE BOOKS THROWN AT HIM

Justice Arthur Engoron sits in his court room during the civil fraud trial of-gh President Donald Trump at New York State Supreme Court on October 24, 2023 in New York City.  (Photo by Mike Segar-Pool/Getty Images)

The New York Appellate Division tossed the penalty, ruling the fine was excessive and violated the Eighth Amendment.

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The five-member panel upheld findings that Trump and his company were liable, affirming James acted within her authority and that injunctive relief against the Trump Organization was appropriate.

The ruling left liability intact but wiped out the $364 million penalty plus interest, which totaled about $500 million.

TURLEY HAILS TRUMP’S ‘TREMENDOUS VICTORY’ AFTER CIVIL FRAUD PENALTY TOSSED, BLASTS ‘GROTESQUE’ USE OF NY LAW

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Letitia James angrily gestures and points finger

NY Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at Manhattan Federal Courthouse on February 14, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago)

Justice David Friedman dissented in part, arguing James’ true aim was political, and the case should be dismissed. He wrote her «ultimate goal was not market hygiene … but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump’s political career and the destruction of his real estate business.»

Friedman blasted James’ use of Section 63(12) of New York’s Executive Law, which gives the attorney general broad civil fraud powers.

He called the use unprecedented and political, giving James «essentially limitless power to prosecute her political enemies.»

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NY APPEALS COURT THROWS OUT $500M PENALTY AGAINST TRUMP IN LETITIA JAMES CIVIL CASE

Judge Arthur Engoron

Justice Arthur Engoron presided over the civil fraud trial of President Donald Trump and his children at New York State Supreme Court on November 13, 2023 in New York City. ((Photo by Erin Schaff-Pool/Getty Images))

Friedman said Trump’s business deals involved sophisticated parties who profited without harming the public and concluded he would «reverse the judgment and dismiss the complaint.»

With judges split on liability, the case is likely headed to New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. James said she will appeal.

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James, a Democrat elected in 2018, has long targeted Trump. On the campaign trail, she called him an «illegitimate president» and vowed to «use every area of the law» to investigate him and his businesses.

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Since Trump returned to office, the Justice Department has opened investigations tied to the case brought against Trump and also over allegations she committed mortgage fraud herself.

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James alleges Trump is using the federal government to target her politically. DOJ is also investigating her for alleged mortgage fraud, including misrepresenting her primary residence on loans in Virginia and New York. She denies the claims and calls the probe a «revenge tour» for the civil fraud suit.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.

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Virginia slammed for ‘truly demonic’ election that excused political violence to spite Trump, critics say

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Many political observers nationwide equated an upset win by Virginia Attorney General-elect Jay Jones and the Democratic ticket as a «demonic» example of the left putting politics ahead of decency.

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A majority of Virginia voters ignored scandals that roiled Jones’ campaign, including his envision of murdering a top Republican lawmaker and their children, to put him in office and unseat more than a dozen GOP state delegates.

«They overlooked it because they hate Trump more than they care about what … the Virginia attorney general[-elect] said,» Outkick founder Clay Travis told Fox News on Wednesday.

«Miyares did an incredible job. This is an example of outrage at Trump motivating the turnout,» Travis said on «America’s Newsroom.»

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LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER

President Trump juxtaposed next to Jay Jones, Democratic nominee for Virginia Attorney General. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, Pool)

Travis said Trump was clearly a driving force and that there were some Spanberger voters who split tickets in favor of outgoing Attorney General Jason Miyares, but that Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ losing margin was too much in an era of rare ticket-splitting.

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He said one key observation is that Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger received 600,000 fewer total votes than Trump himself did in the president’s losing battle in Virginia one year prior.

When Trump is off the ballot, Republicans also don’t appear to turn out to vote, he said – as figures from heavily conservative southwestern Virginia bore that out Tuesday night.

JAY JONES INVOKES TRUMP NEARLY 50 TIMES DURING VIRGINIA AG DEBATE, TIES MIYARES TO ‘MAGA’

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WTAR radio host Kerry Dougherty, who co-hosts an AM dial show in Hampton, wrote on X that Virginia needs to «buckle up.»

«Democrats last night installed a deranged sociopath in the attorney general’s office. A man who may find his law license suspended over chicanery with community service hours. Yep, they preferred him to a moderate, smart and successful Republican. We’re in deep trouble.»

Elsewhere, Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, argued that the political left shows little concern for victims of political violence, calling Jones’ victory the latest proof.

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«A deranged lib murders Charlie Kirk, and Democrats respond by electing a sociopath who – in his own words – wants his political opponents and their children dead. Truly demonic,» Gill, wrote on X.

«Truly evil,» added Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS HAVE A VIOLENCE PROBLEM

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Jay Jones texted controversial things about Del. Todd Gilbert

A text message from Jay Jones to Del. Carrie Coyner. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

Uthmeier tried to help Miyares in the closing days of the race, appearing with him, Earle-Sears and now-outgoing Dels. Geary Higgins, R-Lovettsville, and Ian Lovejoy, R-Warrenton, at a closing-days rally in New Baltimore.

Virginia Republican voters were also vocal the morning after – as one wrote that it’s clear his neighbors would be alright if he was dead.

«At least I now know that all of my neighbors with Jay Jones signs up are okay with political violence,» the voter wrote on X.

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SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER DISGRACED DEM NOMINEE LEANS ON TRUMP ATTACKS IN VIRGINIA AG DEBATE

«I can no longer in good conscience be associated with them. They obviously want me dead too.»

Conservative commentator Benny Johnson played out the scenario such Jones voters may have thought through before voting:

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«Democrats in Virginia saw these texts from Jay Jones and decided ‘yup, he has my vote’,» Johnson said.

JAY JONES’ ‘TWO BULLETS’ SCANDAL OVER VIOLENT TEXTS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE VIRGINIA AG DEBATE

«Truly evil. You can’t live in a country with people that want you dead.»

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Jack Posobiec, a conservative commentator and editor at Human Events, responded to Jones’ post-scandal win with his own recollection of political violence:

«I saw a leftist murder Charlie Kirk and I saw them celebrate it,» Posobiec said.

«While conservatives have spent the last few weeks arguing with each other, Democrats just elected an Attorney General who openly fantasizes about murdering us and watching our children die in our arms,» added commentator Matt Walsh.

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«These people are the enemy. What more do you need to see? Seriously. What more do you need to see?»

«Ruthless» podcast producer Leigh Wolf wrote on X that the election results in Virginia are the «first empirical evidence» in the public sphere that proves Democrats writ-large support political violence as a tool to achieve power.

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«They saw with their own eyes this absolute psycho go into graphic detail about the need to murder children as a means of achieving political outcomes, and they voted yes,» Wolf said.

«You can’t hand wave away violence as the actions of a few fringe radicals when you affirmatively vote in favor of those tactics.»

In their responses to Jones’ victory, voices on the left steered clear of the question of condoning violence, including one of the attorney general-elect’s top backers, Senate President L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth.

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Lucas posted a clip drawn from Fox News video of Jones greeting voters in Norfolk, which an official at the Republican Attorney General’s Assocation trimmed down to show the Democrat appearing to try to kick a dog in a potentially playful manner.

Lucas re-envisioned that clip as a GIF of Jones making the kicking motion toward the dog – but instead hitting Attorney General Jason Miyares, whose avatar went flying upward toward the sky.

Elsewhere, Democratic state Sen. Mamie Locke of Hampton commented that Democrats wins instead showed that her party won because «Republicans cannot govern, do their jobs and would rather shut the government down than feed people or provide them health care.»

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«And, Trump, you were on the ballot. Maybe not literally, but your failed policies were,» Locke said. «Voters told you how they felt about those failures. Your efforts to distract, distort, discourage, discredit, and destroy this country has Virginians and citizens all over America fighting back. This is just the beginning.»

Anti-Trump commentator Tim Miller also commented on X about those observers expressing fears as some conservatives have.

After conservative commentator Megyn Kelly said that «God save Republicans and their children in VA,» Miller called it «the first known case of Spanberger Derangement Syndrome.»

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Fox News Digital also reached out to Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi for her view on whether Jones’ election and that of Democrats writ large should be connected with a passivity toward political violence.

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Kristi Noem se reunió con el presidente Daniel Noboa para evaluar las capacidades de la antigua base militar de EEUU en Ecuador

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La secretaria de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos, Kristi Noem, recorre la base aérea Eloy Alfaro acompañada por el presidente de Ecuador, Daniel Noboa (REUTERS)

La secretaria de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos, Kristi Noem, se reunió este miércoles en la ciudad costera de Manta con el presidente de Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, para evaluar las capacidades de la antigua base militar local, utilizada por fuerzas estadounidenses entre 1999 y 2009, informó la ministra de Relaciones Exteriores ecuatoriana, Gabriela Sommerfeld.

“Hemos visitado la base de Manta junto al presidente y realizado un recorrido para conocer sus capacidades operativas, las condiciones de sus instalaciones, la ficha técnica de las pistas y el tipo de aeronaves que pueden operar allí”, detalló la funcionaria en un video difundido por la Cancillería.

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Por su parte, la portavoz Carolina Jaramillo calificó la visita como parte del proceso de fortalecimiento de la cooperación bilateral en seguridad, migración y desarrollo.

La funcionaria estadounidense Noem llegó este miércoles a la Base Aérea Eloy Alfaro de Manta, ciudad considerada estratégica y que podría albergar “bases potenciales” para operaciones conjuntas con agencias estadounidenses, según detalló Jaramillo, en conferencia de prensa en Quito.

Kristi Noem recorrió la base
Kristi Noem recorrió la base aérea ecuatoriana Eloy Alfaro y fue fotografiada junto a Daniel Noboa (Alex Brandon/REUTERS)

La visita se enmarca en el próximo referéndum nacional, programado para el 16 de noviembre, en el que los ecuatorianos decidirán, entre otras cuestiones, si permiten nuevamente la instalación de bases militares extranjeras en el país. Estados Unidos expresó su interés en este tema.

En la visita también participaron los ministros ecuatorianos del Interior, John Reimberg, y el de Defensa, Gian Carlo Loffredo. Este último destacó que la cooperación giró en torno a recursos y equipos tecnológicos: “Aunque las fuerzas de seguridad ejecutan las operaciones, son los recursos tecnológicos los que permiten identificar amenazas en zonas extensas como el territorio marítimo ecuatoriano”.

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Loffredo afirmó además que la lucha contra el narcotráfico trasciende fronteras y requiere estrategias integradas. Reimberg insistió en la prioridad del gobierno de Noboa de combatir el crimen organizado y consideró clave “escoger aliados en esta lucha” con las organizaciones criminales.

El jueves, Noem tiene programada una visita a una base militar en Salinas, en la costa suroeste de Ecuador. Durante una década, Manta funcionó como centro de operaciones de aeronaves estadounidenses para vuelos antidrogas, hasta que la constitución de 2008 prohibió las bases extranjeras en territorio ecuatoriano.

Salinas, por su parte, sirvió como base militar estadounidense durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Actualmente, ambas instalaciones están bajo control de las fuerzas armadas ecuatorianas.

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La jefa de Seguridad estadounidense recorrerá las bases militares en Ecuador antes del referéndum a votarse el 16 de noviembre (Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS)

El presidente Daniel Noboa anunció la semana pasada que Ecuador y Estados Unidos descartaron la instalación de una base militar estadounidense en Galápagos en el marco de la estrategia antidrogas de Washington.

Si el referéndum es aprobado por la ciudadanía, las agencias de seguridad y defensa de Estados Unidos podrán operar en conjunto con las fuerzas policiales y militares ecuatorianas en las bases habilitadas para combatir el crimen organizado, confirmó la vocera ecuatoriana Jaramillo.

La ola de violencia en Ecuador, agravada en 2025, se atribuye al avance de bandas criminales vinculadas al narcotráfico, la extorsión y la minería ilegal. El presidente Noboa, quien declaró un “conflicto armado interno” en enero de 2024, calificó a estas estructuras como “terroristas”. Solo en el primer semestre de 2025, el país registró 4.619 homicidios, un 47% más que en igual periodo de 2024.

(Con información de EFE y AFP)

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Siete montañistas desaparecidos y tres muertos en Nepal tras avalanchas en el Himalaya

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El saldo para los montañistas europeos en las altas cumbres de Asia continúa en negativo este año: en las últimas horas, las autoridades de Nepal comunicaron que siete escaladores italianos permanecen desaparecidos desde el lunes, mientras que otros tres resultaron fallecidos el viernes, debido a dos avalanchas en alta montaña, en un pico del Himalaya. Según informaron fuentes de ambas cancillerías (la de Nepal y la de Italia), la búsqueda se reanudará este jueves, en medio de condiciones climáticas adversas.

Todo comenzó el viernes en el pico Panbari Himal, de 6.887 metros de altitud, en el Himalaya nepalí. Una avalancha repentina comprometió gravemente la travesía de dos montañistas italianos, que quedaron sepultados bajo la nieve y este martes fueron decretaros fallecidos. Se trata de Alessandro Caputo, de 28 años, milanés e instructor de ski; y de Stefano Farronato, de 50 años, un horticultor de Bassano del Grappa (un pueblo cercano a Venecia).

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El lunes por la mañana, en otro pico del Himalaya, el Yalung Ri (5.630 mts), otra avalancha sepultó el campamento de otro italiano, Paolo Cocco, un fotógrafo oriundo de Fara San Martino (Chieti, centro de Italia). También fue declarado fallecido por las autoridades nepalíes y las italianas, junto con Caputo y Farronato, dado que sus cuerpos fueron recuperados: el de Cocco ya fue trasladado hacia un hospital para extranjeros, mientras que los de los dos primeros fueron recuperados en el pico Manaslu, la octava montaña más alta del mundo, de la que el Panbari Himal es parte, y ya se encuentran en Katmandú, la capital de Nepal, para luego ser repatriados.

Un tercer miembro del equipo de Caputo y Farronaro, Valter Perlino, de 64 años y veterinario de profesión, oriundo de Pinerolo (un suburbio de Turín), sobrevivió a la avalancha del viernes y permaneció en el campamento, debido a que se encontraba lesionado en un pie. Fue él quien pudo dar aviso a los rescatistas. «Aquí, cada metro ganado es fruto de la fuerza, la experiencia y el respeto por la montaña», fue el último mensaje que había podido transmitir el grupo.

Otra fue la suerte de quienes acompañaban a Cocco el lunes, cuando la avalancha en el Yalung Ri los sorprendió. Desde entonces se busca a Marco Di Marcello, biólogo y guía de montaña de 37 años originario de la región de los Abruzos, y a Markus Kirchler, otro italiano del grupo.

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Este miércoles, las autoridades deslizaron que ambos tienen pocas posibilidades de sobrevivir, debido a las difíciles condiciones climáticas en la zona de alta montaña donde la avalancha los afectó. La luz de esperanza es que, según trascendió de fuentes oficiales, el GPS de Di Marcello continúa emitiendo señal cada cuatro horas.

A su vez, hay otros cinco italianos a quienes la Farnesina (la casa de Asuntos Exteriores de Italia) no considera desaparecidos pero son intensamente buscados. Se trata de un grupo que perdió el contacto por radio con el operador que les prestaba asistencia, pero este miércoles la Farnesina aseguró, mediante el cónsul italiano en Calcuta (India, pero con competencia en Nepal), Riccardo Dalla Costa, que se retomarán el jueves los esfuerzos por encontrarlos.

Se trata de cinco italianos de la provincia de Como (Lombardía, norte de Italia), que viajaron a Nepal con una agencia con sede en Milán. Entre sus planes declarados se incluía una excursión al Campo Base del Makalu, al oeste del valle del Khumbu, una zona distinta a donde se produjeron los accidentes causados ​​por avalanchas y fuertes nevadas que costaron la vida a sus compatriotas. Se estima que están a 4.800 metros de altitud, aproximadamente.

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Mientras tanto, las condiciones climáticas arrecian en el Himalaya nepalí, situación a la que se vinculan las avalanchas. Las labores de rescate se ven extremadamente dificultadas por el mal tiempo, que ha anegado las zonas donde deben realizarse los rescates.

En tanto, el martes por la mañana, cuatro personas heridas —dos alpinistas franceses y dos sherpas nepaleses— fueron evacuadas y trasladadas a Katmandú para recibir tratamiento médico. Entre ellas se encuentran Carole Fuchs, maratonista francesa; Chhulthim Dolma Gurung, actriz y modelo nepalesa; y Raj Gurung, empresario local.

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