RICH MAN, POOR MAN: Former President Donald Trump has been unable to find an insurance company to underwrite a $464 million bond to cover the massive judgment against him in his New York fraud case that would allow him to appeal the award.

  The man who claims massive wealth doesn’t have the money. His lawyers asked for the bond to be reduced to $100 million.

  “The amount of the judgment, with interest, exceeds $464 million, and very few bonding companies will consider a bond of anything approaching that magnitude,” Trump’s lawyers wrote. Trump was turned down by 30 bonding companies.

  The lawyers also asked the appeals court to delay posting the bond until Trump’s appeal is decided. They argued that the value of Trump’s properties far exceed the judgment.

  Yesterday Trump issued a clarification of his Saturday declaration that there would be a “blood bath” if he is not re-elected, claiming that he was talking about the automobile industry, not a bloody purge.

  But this is what he said after vowing to impose tariffs on cars made outside the US: “Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a blood bath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a blood bath for the country.”

  He posted on Truth Social, “The Fake News Media, and their Democrat Partners in the destruction of our Nation, pretended to be shocked at my use of the word BLOODBATH, even though they fully understood that I was simply referring to imports allowed by Crooked Joe Biden, which are killing the automobile industry.”

THE RUSSIA HOUSE: Russia’s Vladimir Putin presided over a Red Square celebration of his rubber-stamp election victory, touting his aggressive territorial gains and pledging more. The stage featured a banner marking the 10^th anniversary of his seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.

   Putin called for unity in bringing the people of eastern Ukraine “back to their home family” while bragging about a railroad line restored to connect Crimea through occupied territory in Ukraine. “And this is precisely what really makes us stronger,” Putin said, “not words, but deeds.”

 THE WAR ZONE: Israeli negotiators went to Qatar for a new round of talks about establishing a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held by Hamas militants. Israel is represented by the head of Mossad, the spy agency, as well as the director of internal security, and a representative of the Army.

  Negotiations are always through mediators from Qatar and Egypt. 

   Hamas wants a permanent cease fire in turn for the hostages/prisoner exchange. The Israelis have stuck by their demand for merely a temporary cease fire to allow the exchange.

FREE FROM SPEECH: The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday on the lengths to which government can go in pressuring social media companies to take down conspiracy theories and lies without violating the right to free speech. It’s a question of when “encouragement” becomes “coercion.”

  Last year after the Biden administration peppered social media companies with messages urging them to take down posts on topics like the coronavirus vaccines and claims of election fraud, a federal appeals court ruled that some of the government communications with social media companies were in fact coercive and could “reasonably be construed” as threats. 

  Journalists report that the Supreme Court seemed skeptical, drawing a parallel between trying to influence news coverage and attempting to do the same with social media posts. The justices suggested that it would be wrong to prohibit contacts between government officials and the social platforms.

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM: The Supreme Court put a hold on the new Texas law that allows local police forces to arrest and prosecute migrants who come into the country illegally. Gov. Greg Abbott claims he’s just helping the feds, but the federal government says border protection is solely a federal authority spelled out in the Constitution.

BANNED: The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday put the final ban on the use of chrysotile asbestos, the fibrous toxic mineral used for insulation linked to lung cancer and other illnesses. It’s estimated to be responsible for about 40,000 US deaths every year.

  Asbestos insulation used to be everywhere on pipes in schools, apartment buildings, and ships.

  The ban comes 30 years after the EPA first tried to eliminate the use of asbestos. EPA Administrator Michael Regan said, “Folks, it’s been a long road. But with today’s ban, EPA is finally slamming the door on a chemical so dangerous that it has been banned in more than 50 countries.” 

THE SPIN RACK: The Supreme Court turned down a request by former Trump Adviser Peter Navarro to stay out of prison while he appeals his contempt of Congress conviction for refusing to appear before the House January 6^th committee. He reports today for four months in a Florida federal pen. — Britain’s Princess Kate was seen briefly over the weekend outside a local farm stand walking with husband William. In a short video she appeared thin, but smiling and happy. She hasn’t made a formal public appearance since Christmas and an unspecified abdominal surgery. — Joann, the 81-year-old fabric and craft chain, filed for bankruptcy. The chain with 850 stores has $1 billion in debt, but the doors will remain open for the time being.  

BELOW THE FOLD: Probably your Timex is not a target but watch theft has become a big thing. The Watch Register based in England says that the number of watches lost or stolen has more than tripled over the last year, rising to 100,000. 

  Katya Hills, managing director of Register, said, “The incidence of violent street robberies is escalating, with owners afraid to wear their timepieces in public.”

  The report highlights cases, including that of a woman in Britain who was wrestled to the ground for her $60,000 Patek Philippe Aquanaut. Fortunately people who have a watch like that can buy another.

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