TRUMP SKATES: The judge in Donald Trump’s criminal fraud case in New York has upheld the President-elect’s conviction and scheduled sentencing for January 10^th,  signaling that he will give the president-elect an “unconditional” discharge with no fine or jail time. What it does mean, though, is that Trump’s conviction will be certified and he will enter The White House as the first President to be a convicted felon. 

  Trump was convicted of illegally covering up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

  Judge Juan Merchan wrote in an 18-page decision that the discharge “appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow defendant to pursue his appellate options.” What that means is that Trump can begin appealing his conviction, which he has always said he would do. Trump could still ask an appeals court to delay the scheduled January 10^th sentencing, which comes just 10 days before his inauguration.

  Explaining his decision to let Trump ’s conviction stand despite his political status, Merchan said, “To dismiss the indictment and set aside the jury verdict would not serve the concerns set forth by the Supreme Court in its handful of cases addressing presidential immunity nor would it serve the rule of law.” He said,  “On the contrary, such decision would undermine the rule of law in immeasurable ways” and that “the sanctity of a jury verdict” was “a bedrock principle in our nation’s jurisprudence.”

  Trump’s firebrand spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement, “There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”

PERMISSION TO SPEAK: It was touch and go for a while there, but House Speaker Mike Johnson held onto his job yesterday in the first round of voting.

    The vote was 218 to 215 with all the Democrats voting for their minority leader Hakim Jeffries. Johnson couldn’t have afforded to lose more than one vote.

  Two members who had originally voted “no” voted for Johnson after a little private arm twisting. The question is what Johnson promised to get those two votes.

  The House is now in order to confirm the election of Donald Trump to the presidency on Monday.

  In an acceptance speech that began with florid platitudes about the greatness of America, Johnson got right down to the Republican agenda; extend the Trump tax cuts, close the borders, drill for oil, kill The Green New Deal, and above all, “America First.”

  Starting out the agenda in veiled language Johnson said, “It’s better to give a hand up, than a hand out; Innovation thrives when bureaucracy dies; The simple truth is that it is families, parents, and not administrators that must be in charge of their children’s education.” He promised to deport illegal aliens, finish the border wall, and make America energy dominant again. He said the Republicans have a “mandate” for an America First agenda. 

  Johnson’s re-election was a demonstration that the Republicans have the ability to pull themselves together, but they also have a history of turning against their own elected Speaker. Winning the speakership with the Republicans is no guarantee of keeping it.

   The House Freedom Caucus released a tepid letter of endorsement saying they were following the endorsement of Donald Trump “despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker’s track record over the past 15 months.”

HONORABLE MENTION: President Biden plans to give the Medal of Freedom to 19 Americans, including Hillary Clinton, which would be a thumb in the eye to Donald Trump.

  Among other recipients named by the administration are assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, the father of Trump ally RFK Jr., and retiring Utah Sen. Mitt Romney.

  Maintaining the tradition of giving the medal to major political donors, billionaire George Soros is on the list

THE OBIT PAGE: Jocelyn Wildenstein, the Swiss-born socialite and cosmetic surgery addict labelled “Catwoman” by the tabloids for how her face over the years took on feline features, died  at home in Paris at age 79. The cause was given as a pulmonary embolism.

  Wildenstein was the former wife of Alec Wildenstein, an heir to a French art-world fortune.

  She was party to a lurid divorce after discovering her husband in bed with another woman at their Manhattan townhouse. He pulled a gun on her.

  What followed was a public legal conflict that revealed the couple’s spending habits … a $350,000 Chanel dress for her … an annual phone bill of $60,000 … and he paid $80,000 for a photo portfolio for a young Russian model with whom he was having an affair.

  Once a Hollywood beautiful young woman with almond eyes, Wildenstein was a case study in body dysmorphia … a pathological focus on her looks. She had her cheeks, chin, and eyes repeatedly re-built until she looked like a cat. She used to deny that she had any surgery at all … an obvious lie … and then admit it with a wink.

THE SPIN RACK: Ann Telnaes, a Pulitzer-winning cartoonist for The Washington Post, announced her resignation after her cartoon depicting Post owner, Jeff Bezos worshipping a statue of Donald Trump was killed. The cartoon featured three billionaires and Mickey Mouse, representing ABC News and Disney. On Substack, Telnaes called the newspaper’s decision “dangerous for a free press.” She said she had never before had a cartoon killed because of who was the target. — A powerful winter storm is on track to move through the central US, bringing a mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain from Kansas to Virginia this weekend. 

BELOW THE FOLD: Hey, Siri, get this. Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of using its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhone and other devices. Before anyone gets excited, so many Apple customers are covered by the agreement that the average payout will be about $20. 

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