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What Pearsall believes Green will bring to 49ers defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and cornerback Renardo Green played at rival colleges, and now the 49ers' top two 2024 NFL draft picks will see a lot of each other during the offseason program and regular-season practices.

During an appearance on 95.7 The Game's "Morning Roast" on Thursday, Pearsall was asked about Green and their matchups during the Florida-Florida State games over the last few years.

"He's a very talented player," Pearsall told hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky. "I don't think we matched up against each other too many times, to be honest. But he's a very talented player. He's very physical. I think that's a really good pickup for us. I think he's going to benefit on the defense. He's going to bring that physicality. He's going to bring that 49ers' [defensive] mentality with him."

The 49ers used the No. 31 overall pick to add Pearsall to their wide receivers group, and on Day 2 of the draft, they took Green with the No. 64 overall pick, beefing up their defensive secondary.

Pearsall and Green will get to know each other better when 49ers draft picks and undrafted signees report to Santa Clara for the start of rookie minicamp on Thursday, May 9, with the first practice coming on Friday, May 10.

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What to know about Rickwood Field ahead of Giants-Cardinals game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Baseball is returning to its roots in a unique way.

The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals will head to at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., for a special regular-season matchup on June 20. The venue is the former home of the Negro Leagues Birmingham Black Barons and stands as the countrys oldest professional ballpark.

Before the Giants and Cardinals play in Birmingham, heres everything to know about Rickwood Field:

The field is located in Birmingham, Ala.

Rickwood Field opened on Aug. 18, 1910.

The field is named after former Birmingham Barons owner A.H. Rick Woodward. A newspaper decided the name of the stadium in 1910, combining the owners first name and part of his last name.

The stadium seats 10,800 people.

Rickwood Field was home of the Birmingham Black Barons from 1924 to 1960. It was also the Spring Training home for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1911 and 1920 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1919.

Two all-time baseball greats played home games at Rickwood Field during their Hall of Fame careers.

Willie Mays began his professional career with the Black Barons in 1948 when he was just 17 years old before heading to Major League Baseball in 1951. He would spend 21 seasons as part of the Giants organization, moving with the team from New York to San Francisco.

Satchel Paige also started his pro career in Birmingham and was a Black Baron from 1927 to 1930. The legendary pitcher is widely considered the greatest Negro Leagues player of all time.

Rickwood Field was the first ever minor league ballpark to be constructed from concrete and steel.

In addition to hosting baseball games, the ballpark has also been used as a filming location for baseball movies, including Cobb, Soul of the Game and 42.

The Giants and Cardinals will face off at Rickwood Field on Thursday, June 20, with first pitch set for 4:15 p.m. PT. The matchup will air on FOX.

The Birmingham Barons, the Chicago White Soxs current Double-A affiliate, and Montgomery Biscuits, the Tampa Bay Rays Double-A affiliate, will also play at Rickwood Field on Tuesday, June 18. The teams will honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues by playing their matchup as the Birmingham Black Barons and Montgomery Grey Sox, who joined the Negro Leagues in 1920 and played in Montgomery until 1932.

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Richard Riakporhe is the only man to have defeated Billam-Smith in his professional career [Getty Images]

WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith is relishing the chance to "avenge" the only loss on his professional record against Richard Riakporhe on 15 June.

The 33-year-old will face the undefeated Riakporhe in a rematch of their 2019 encounter.

"Theres added motivation for sure," Billam-Smith told BBC Sport.

"I want to avenge the loss, get this mandatory out the way and then we can look at unifications in America."

When the two English boxers met back in 2019, Riakporhe, 34, was victorious in a split decision win that saw Billam-Smith suffer a standing count in the seventh round.

Riakporhe, or 'The Midnight Train' as he is known, won the WBA Inter-Continental cruiserweight title on the night, but this time they will be fighting for world honours.

Both fighters have gone on to impress since, Riakporhe winning seven times and Billam-Smith 10.

'The Gentleman' Billam-Smith also picked up the WBO world title last summer when he defeated Lawrence Okolie in his hometown at Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium.

Billam-Smith will fight in a stadium for the second summer running when Selhurst Park hosts the world championship fight, marking the 100-year anniversary of the stadium being built.

Crystal Palace chairman - Steve Parish - was keen to have Riakporhe fight at the stadium as he is a big supporter of the Premier League side.

"There's a special type of energy in south London," Riakporhe said.

"Of course there is pressure that comes with it but without pressure I wouldn't be where I am today.

"Pressure is necessary for me to strive for greatness, I'm coming for this guy, you're all going to see."

His past three results have ended via technical knockout or straight knockout, and his record stands at 17-0.

Billam-Smith has fought just once since his world title win in the summer of 2023, beating Mateusz Masternak at the Bournemouth International Centre in December, breaking the Pole's rib and forcing him to retire on his stool before the start of the eighth round.

The Bournemouth man has 19 wins to his name after 20 bouts, his record holding just that singular anomaly - defeat to Riakporhe.

"It's what dreams are made of, fighting for a world title at a stadium it's a special 50/50 fight," Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom said of the contest.

"Steve Parish and Crystal Palace saw this vision from when we spoke two years ago, they want to have a festival experience at the stadium this summer."

Since Billam-Smith signed with Shalom's Boxxer, he has fought all four of his bouts in Bournemouth.

June's fight in London marks the first time since early 2022 that he will fight away from his hometown, where Billam-Smith has built a strong fan base.

"It gives me even more motivation with something a bit different," Billam-Smith said.

"But I'm buzzing for an away day and I think a lot of the supporters are too."

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F1 pulls into Miami this weekend for the first of three US-based races on the schedule for this year. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

F1 fans, start your engines. The 2024 season continues this weekend with the Miami Grand Prix. After a string of inconvenient race times for US viewers, this weekend's F1 race will take place in an easy Sunday afternoon time slot, with the race time set for 4 p.m. ET. Whether youve already got some miles on you as a Formula 1 fan, or the Miami Grand Prix will be your first time tuning into the action on the track, watching or streaming this wildly popular international sport from the US can be a challenge. If you dont want to have to race to find the Miami Grand Prix on TV, weve got you covered. Heres how to watch the F1 races this weekend.

Date: Sunday, May 5, 2024

Race time: 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Location: Miami International Autodrome, Miami, FL

TV channel: ABC

Streaming: ESPN+

The Miami Grand Prix will air live on ABC. ESPN is the home of F1 this season with 18 out of 24 races airing on either ESPN or ABC, and the remainder airing on ESPN2. 16 races will stream on ESPN+ in 2024.

For cord cutters who want to watch F1 racing, including this weekend's grand prix, we recommend a live TV streaming service such as Hulus live TV bundle, which includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+. If you're looking for a lower-cost subscription, a direct subscription to ESPN+ is an affordable option great for fans of all kinds of sports. If you're only interested in watching F1 racing and don't care about the ability to watch other sports, an F1 TV Pro subscription is a simple way to stream every race, practice and qualifier.

For watching F1 races (and other sports), Hulus live TV tier is a solid option. The streaming services live TV bundle will get you access to ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 (make sure to check your zip code to confirm eligibility). Plus, this bundle gets you a subscription to ESPN+ so you can stream F1 races and practices there. You'll also get ad-supported Disney+ and, of course, access to Hulus general content library. Hulus live TV plans also include unlimited DVR storage, a hardware-free set-up process and easy online cancellation.

The Chinese Grand Prix will stream on ESPN+. An ESPN+ subscription grants you access to exclusive ESPN+ content including live events, fantasy sports tools and premium ESPN+ articles. You can stream ESPN+ through an app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, computer and on ESPN.com.

An F1 TV Pro subscription lets you stream every F1 race live, plus all the practices, qualifying races and pre-race shows. F1 TV is also home to F1's post-race live shows, analysis, Tech Talks, documentaries and the official F1 archive. You can subscribe to F1 TV Pro for $10.99/month or pay $85 for the entire season.

Dont want to deal with racing to find F1 coverage across ESPN platforms every Grand Prix? Weve got a hack for you. Some residents in Europe are able to watch free F1 live streams of every Grand Prix in 2024 on the free-to-stream platform

. If you live in America, you can still tune into this free livestream with the help of a VPN.

A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether youre looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to the F1 race this weekend without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.

ExpressVPN offers internet without borders, meaning you can tune into an Austrian livestream this month as opposed to paying for ESPN or ESPN+ for US coverage of F1. All you'll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location and then find the free F1 livestream.

ExpressVPNs added protection, speed and range of location options makes it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities, plus, it's Endgadget's top pick for the best streaming VPN. New users can save 49% when they sign up for ExpressVPNs 12-month subscription. Plus, the service offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you're nervous about trying a VPN.

All times Eastern

Friday, May 3

Practice 1: 11 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Sprint Qualifying: 4:30 - 5:14 a.m.

Saturday, May 4

Sprint: 12-1 p.m.

Qualifying: 4-5 p.m.

Sunday, May 5

Miami Grand Prix race: 4 p.m. (ESPN+, F1 TV)

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Chinese Grand Prix 2024: How to watch tonight's F1 race without cable - Yahoo Sports

Lynch reveals hilarious truth about transition from player to GM originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After a 15-season Pro Football Hall of Fame playing career, John Lynch stayed close to the sport he loved and became 49ers general manager in 2017.

From the NFL draft to free agency to training camp and everything in between, Lynch thoroughly enjoys his executive role. But of the 365 days in a year, there might be about 20 days that fall as exceptions to that.

"Game day sucks," Lynch said on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday. "It's awful. There's not a damn thing you can do about it. That is really hard, it really is. I remember my first year doing this, I'd be up there and the cameras were on you a lot and I'd be pounding the table or whatnot, and my dad would say, 'Hey, don't let them see you sweat. You're going to have to learn to do that.'

"But I'd become so accustomed to doing something on game day, and I can't do a damn thing. if someone gets hurt, you start calling guys the next week for tryouts or something. But I think what you come to know is that your job is 365 days a year, helping run an organization, helping lead an organization, bringing in the right people."

Lynch will enter his eighth season as general manager, and while he has yet to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to the Bay during his tenure with the organization, he has come mighty close.

The top executive confessed that he is a "pacer" during game days, anxiously walking back and forth on Sundays during the season. But there's another area he has turned to in his role where he hopes to further help the team.

"Hay is in the barn come game day, but I can still be passionate and I live and die with these guys," Lynch said. "I've been through what these players have been through, so I respect the heck out of what they're trying to do, I know how hard it is.

"Really more than anything, I just pull for these guys and try to be there to support them and support our coaches. It's fun until that game kicks off and it doesn't get any easier knowing that there's nothing you can do come game day."

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Months after a humiliating vote by his own party to oust him as speaker of the House, longtime GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy is days away from exiting Congress on Dec. 31, leaving confusion over who is eligible to run for his seat in a conservative Central Valley district.

A dozen people have jumped into the race, but McCarthy's chosen Republican successor was barred from the ballot and on Friday sued the California secretary of state in an attempt to reverse the decision. Giddy Democrats are sending out fundraising emails saying McCarthy's protege will "be mired in legal challenges for weeks." Bakersfield locals are grumbling about the chaos. Political professionals are aghast at the mess.

It's hardly the succession plan expected for McCarthy, who built his power over two decades as a masterful tactician of electoral politics who helped Republicans win control of the House in the pivotal 2010 election and again in 2022.

McCarthy climbed the ranks by recruiting candidates, studying political maps and raising money. When conservative commentator Fred Barnes predicted in 2010 that McCarthy would become speaker some day, he wrote, "He'll be fixated on how to win more elections, more often."

But after McCarthy announced his retirement in early December, his allies in Bakersfield popped a series of surprises.

First, McCarthy's former staff member, Republican Assemblyman Vince Fong, said he would not run for Congress and instead would seek reelection to his Bakersfield seat in the state Assembly. Fong's announcement cleared the way for another McCarthy ally, GOP state Sen. Shannon Grove, to enter the race but then she too said she wouldn't run. Fong then changed his mind and filed to run, only to be barred from the ballot by California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, who said state law prohibits candidates from running for two offices in one election.

"It would be important to Kevin that succession for that seat remain in the political family," said Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist who knows Fong but is not working for his campaign.

The chaos was eye-opening for constituents in the 20th Congressional District, who have become accustomed to having powerful, longtime members of Congress protecting the interests of the heavily agricultural San Joaquin Valley. The March 5 primary will be the district's first election without an incumbent candidate since 2006, and only the second since 1978.

"This is a conservative district, so voters are going to look for somebody who is focused on representing the area the way Kevin has," said Jim Brulte, the former chair of the California Republican Party. "The people in this district have had consistent leadership, and they're going to look for more of the same."

Read more: McCarthys constituents dont blame him, but worry about losing their voice in Congress

McCarthy's exit from the race has thrown open the floodgates to nearly a dozen candidates. The district, the most conservative in California, is almost certain to elect a Republican.

Aside from Fong, the only other candidate who has previously held elected office is Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. Other Republicans include David Giglio, a far-right, self-described "America First" candidate who has been critical of McCarthy; Matt Stoll, a former fighter pilot who operates a landscaping business and has run for Congress twice before; and Kyle Kirkland, the owner of Fresno's only card room.

The most prominent Democrat in the race is Bakersfield teacher Marisa Wood, who raised more than $1 million in her unsuccessful run against McCarthy in 2022.

The biggest question is whether Fong, who was endorsed by McCarthy the day after he entered the race, will even appear on the ballot.

Fong, born and raised in Bakersfield, began his career working for McCarthys predecessor, then-Rep. Bill Thomas, before spending nearly a decade as McCarthys district director. Fong was elected to the state Assembly in 2016.

Its a path that mirrors that of McCarthy, who began his political career in Thomas office, then served four years in the state Assembly before running for Congress.

After McCarthy announced that he would retire, election officials extended the filing period for the 20th Congressional District seat by five days. Fong entered the congressional race during the extension period and was sworn in as a candidate by the Kern County elections division, prompting complaints from other candidates who said Fong had already qualified to run for reelection to the state Assembly.

Days later, Weber's office said that Fong's congressional paperwork was "improperly submitted," and he would "not appear on the list of certified candidates for Congressional District 20."

Said one political consultant who asked for anonymity in order to speak frankly: "How the hell does that even happen?"

Read more: California elections officials say Assemblymember Vince Fong can't run for Congress in Bakersfield

In a 13-page petition filed Friday in Sacramento County Superior Court, Fong said that Weber's decision was based on an outdated law, which reads: "No person may file nomination papers for a party nomination and an independent nomination for the same office, or for more than one office at the same election."

Fong argued that the law has not been applicable since 2010, when California voters revamped the states primary system, scrapping party nominations in favor of a system in which the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Fong also said that Weber's decision to bar him from the congressional ballot is an "attempted unilateral expansion of her powers," which should be limited to receiving and filing the list of candidates collected by California's county election officials. Adding an extra qualification for candidates that only those who have not filed for another office may run is a violation of the Constitution, his lawyers argue.

Newspaper columnist Robert Price put the blame for the kerfuffle squarely at McCarthy's feet, writing for the Bakersfield Californian that the congressman's retirement announcement will not only leave the district temporarily without representation in Washington but has created "chaos in the succession process chaos likely to give an advantage to a Democrat or a far-right Republican not based in Bakersfield."

"It would have been nice if McCarthy had first huddled with other Republican elected officials," Price wrote, so that Fong and Grove would have "enough time to figure out what was best for themselves and their districts. That seems not to have happened, or happened sufficiently well."

Brulte said he and McCarthy spoke in mid-December about what McCarthy planned to do after leaving Washington. McCarthy helped deliver the House majority to the Republican Party in 2010 and again in 2022 by raising millions of dollars and helping to pick diverse candidates who were good fits for their districts. That, Brulte said, will continue to be McCarthy's priority.

"He knows a Republican is going to carry his district," Brulte said. "He's more interested in recruiting good candidates. He's much more focused on helping Republicans keep the congressional majority than he is focused on his own district."

After McCarthy leaves office, Gov. Gavin Newsom will have 14 days to set the date of a primary for a special election to temporarily fill the 20th District seat until January 2025.

Scheduling special elections concurrently with regularly scheduled elections can save hundreds of thousands of dollars in administration costs. California's primary election is March 5, and ballots will be mailed to voters in the first week of February.

Still unclear is whether the elections officials in the four counties that comprise the 20th Congressional District Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare would have enough time to certify candidates for a special election, update the ballots to reflect the new race and print them in time to meet that deadline.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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'How the hell does that even happen?' McCarthy exits Congress amid confusion over who can run to replace him - Yahoo News

The U.S. Supreme Court rejects special counsel Jack Smiths request to fast-track a ruling on whether presidential immunity protects former President Donald Trump from being prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, likely delaying the federal trial. One day after Donald Trumps former lawyer Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in an effort to shield himself from a jurys verdict that he must pay two Georgia election workers $148 million for his false claims about them, other lawsuits against the former New York mayor continue to push forward. Heres the latest on the legal cases facing those who sought to overturn the election.

Supreme Court rejects Jack Smiths request to quickly rule on presidential immunity question

Key players: United States Supreme Court, special counsel Jack Smith, JudgeTanya Chutkan

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request by Smith to fast-track a decision on whether presidential immunity protected Trump from prosecution in the case that alleges he defrauded the United States with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the Associated Press reported.

The courts decision not to immediately rule on that question puts the March 4 start date for Trumps federal trial in jeopardy.

The justices did not offer reasons for rejecting Smiths request.

Judge Chutkan, who ruled Trump was not protected by presidential immunity in the case, had paused the trial proceedings until the appeals process played out.

The issue is already being reviewed by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 9, but Smith sought to speed things along by making his risky request to the high court.

In his request, Smith noted that an appeal of the D.C. Circuits ruling might not reach the Supreme Court before its summer recess.

Trumps lawyers had asked the court to slow down the process.

Why it matters: Trump has been working to delay the start of the criminal and civil trials he faces until after the 2024 presidential elections. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll released this week offers one reason why: If convicted of a serious crime, Trumps support with voters would plummet.

Dominion, Smartmatic and others press ahead with lawsuits against Giuliani

Key players: Former Trump lawyerRudy Giuliani, Georgia election workers RubyFreeman and Shaye Moss, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, voting machine manufacturer Dominion, voting technology company Smartmatic, Hunter Biden,attorneyRobert Costello,bankruptcy expert Eric Snyder

When Giuliani filed for bankruptcy Wednesday in the wake of a jurys verdict that he was required to pay Freeman and Moss $148 million for his false claims that they had manipulated votes in the 2020 election in Georgia, he listed up to $500 million in liabilities and only between $1 and $10 in assets.

As Business Insider notes, those liabilities include the amounts being sought from the former New York mayor in lawsuits brought by Smartmatic, Dominion, the presidents son Hunter and others.

Dominions effort to hold Rudy Giuliani accountable will move forward, a company spokesperson told Business Insider regarding the lawsuit that seeks damages of more than $1.3 billion.

Smartmatic is suing Giuliani and Fox News for $2.7 billion for their false election claims.

Hunter Biden is suing Giuliani for an unspecified amount for allegedly hacking into his digital devices.

Costello is suing Giuliani for $1.4 million in unpaid legal bills.

After Giuliani repeated his false claims against Moss and Freeman, the pair filed a second suit Monday against the former mayor.

While Giuliani may not have the financial resources to pay those who have sued him, bankruptcy will not shield him from paying what he does have, experts say, because he purposefully broke civil laws.

If you owe somebody money and you get a judgment, you can get rid of that in the bankruptcy, Snyder, chairman of the bankruptcy practice at Wilk Auslander, told Business Insider. But if the judgment comes from certain things like fraud, breach of your duties, intentional torts then you cant get rid of them.

Why it matters: As he heads into bankruptcy proceedings amid multiple civil lawsuits and a forthcoming criminal trial in Fulton County, Ga., Giulianis answers about his financial condition and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election will be under scrutiny even more than they already have been.

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A recording of a Nov. 17, 2020, telephone call surfaces in which former President Donald Trump is heard pressuring two Michigan officials not to certify his election loss to Joe Biden. Trumps former lawyer Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy one day after a federal judge ruled he must immediately pay two Georgia election workers the $148 million defamation judgment determined by a Washington jury. In paperwork filed Thursday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York, Giuliani lists assets between $1 million and $10 million, and debts between $100 million and $500 million.

Captured on tape: Trump pressured Wayne County canvassers to withhold certification of 2020 election

Key players: RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Michigan Republican canvassersMonica Palmerand William Hartman, special counselJack Smith, former Michigan Democratic canvasser Jonathan Kinloch

The Detroit News obtained an audio recording of a Nov. 17, 2020, phone call in which Trump pressured Palmer and Hartman to withhold their signatures to an official document so as to block the certification of Bidens victory in the swing state.

Trump, according to the News, told the two they would look terrible if they signed the documents, despite the fact that they had already voted to certify the legitimate results.

McDaniel, a native of Michigan, told the two canvassers: If you can go home tonight, do not sign it. We will get you attorneys.

Trump added: Well take care of that.

Audio recordings of the conversation were made by someone present for the conversation between Trump, McDaniel, Palmer and Hartman, the News reported.

Neither Palmer nor Hartman went on to sign the document certifying Bidens victory.

As part of his case against Trump, Smith has focused on the former presidents efforts to erase his 154,000-vote defeat in Michigan.

Its just shocking that the president of the United States was at the most minute level trying to stop the election process from happening, Kinloch said when asked about the call.

Why it matters: Along with Trumps infamous phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, during which the former president asked Raffensperger to find enough votes to overturn his loss to Biden, the newly revealed recording with Michigan officials will help Smith establish Trumps direct involvement in what he alleges was a plot to defraud the United States.

Giuliani files for bankruptcy after judge orders immediate payment of $148 million defamation judgment

Key players: Former Trump lawyerRudy Giuliani, District Judge Beryl Howell, Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss

One day after Howell ordered Giuliani to immediately pay Moss and Freeman a $148 million defamation judgment stemming from his assertions that the two women had helped rig the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in New York, Reuters reported.

In paperwork submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Giuliani said he had assets of between $1 million and $10 million, but that he owed between $100 and $500 million, including the $148 million owed to Moss and Freeman.

Giulianis filing also lists Hunter Biden as a creditor, but did not specify the amount of money he owed the presidents son. Hunter Biden sued Giuliani in September for violating his privacy.

In Wednesdays ruling, Howell suggested Giuliani was not being truthful about his finances in an effort to avoid paying out the two election workers.

Such claims of Giuliani's financial difficulties no matter how many times repeated or publicly disseminated and duly reported in the media are difficult to square with the fact that Giuliani affords a spokesperson, who accompanied him daily to trial, Howell wrote.

On Monday, Moss and Freeman filed another lawsuit against Giuliani to keep him from repeating his election lies.

Why it matters: Giuliani still faces steep legal bills in Georgia, where he is charged with 11 felonies in the plot to overturn the 2020 election results. The jurys verdict, awarding Freeman and Moss $148 million after being defamed by Giuliani, is also one more example of the courts dismissing Trumps election falsehoods. Trump continues to promote those baseless claims and, in at least one case against him, plans to push them as a defense strategy.

Setting up an appeal before the highest court in the land, the Colorado Supreme Court issues a landmark ruling to remove former President Donald Trumps name from state ballots based on its reading of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Lawyers for Trump seek to block Northwestern University marketing professor Ashlee Humphreys from testifying in the second defamation lawsuit brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll. Days after winning a $148 million civil judgment against former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Shaye Moss file another lawsuit against him to keep him from repeating his false claims against them. Here is the latest legal news involving the man who hopes to win reelection to the White House in 2024.

Colorado Supreme Court blocks Trump from appearing on ballot

Key players: Colorado Supreme Court, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

In a 4-3 ruling Tuesday, the court voted to remove Trump from presidential primary ballots, the Associated Press reported.

The decision was based on its reading of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which bars those who have engaged in insurrection from holding office.

A majority of the court holds that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, the ruling states.

But the court also stayed its ruling until Jan. 4, giving Trumps lawyers time to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme court in the case brought by CREW on behalf of Colorado voters.

A lower court judge had ruled that while Trump had engaged in an insurrection stemming from his actions to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss to Joe Biden, it was not clear that Section 3 applied to the presidency.

The Colorado Supreme court ruled that it did.

Other state courts are also hearing 14th Amendment challenges to Trumps inclusion on ballots.

Why it matters: The U.S. Supreme Courts ruling will ultimately settle the question of whether Trump is entitled to seek the presidency again following his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building.

Trump looks to block key witness from testifying

Key players: Former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Trump lawyer Michael Madaio, Northwestern University marketing professor Ashlee Humphreys, former Trump lawyerRudy Giuliani, Georgia election workers Ruby Freemanand Wandrea Shaye Moss

In a court filing last week, Trumps lawyers asked Kaplan to exclude Humphreyss testimony from the second defamation case brought by Carroll, the Daily Beast reported.

In May, during the first civil case brought by Carroll, Humphreys testified about the financial damage Trumps alleged sexual assault and defamation had done to the writers reputation. A jury concluded that Trump had indeed sexually assaulted Carroll and awarded her $5 million.

Humphreys was also a witness in the defamation trial of Giuliani brought by Georgia election workers Freeman and Moss, testifying last week regarding damages. The jury in that case ordered Giuliani to pay Freeman and Moss $148 million.

In their filing last week, Trumps lawyers faulted the methodology used by Humphreys to calculate financial damages.

The damages estimations in her initial report are egregiously inflated (to the tune of millions of dollars), utilize methods which ascribe harm in an unreliable and incorrect manner; and do not accurately reflect the actual harm to plaintiffs reputation, Madaio wrote in the filing.

Following the first judgment, Trump again attacked Carrolls credibility, leading her to file another lawsuit. The second defamation trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 15.

Why it matters: In two high-profile cases involving Trump, juries have been persuaded that Humphreyss estimates on damages are sound, and largely adhered to them in reaching the $5 million judgment against the former president.

Giuliani sued again by Georgia poll workers following $148 million judgment

Key players: Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman andShaye Moss

Days after a Washington jury ordered Giuliani to pay Freeman and Moss $148 million in damages for defaming them with false claims about their role in the 2020 presidential election, the pair filed a new lawsuit Monday against the former New York mayor, Bloomberg reported, to keep him from repeating his false assertions.

Defendant Giulianis statements, coupled with his refusal to agree to refrain from continuing to make such statements, make clear that he intends to persist in his campaign of targeted defamation and harassment, the new lawsuit states. It must stop.

On Monday, Giuliani was interviewed on Newsmax, and was asked if he still believed his allegations that the two women manipulated votes that contributed to Trumps loss in Georgia.

If I showed you the evidence right now, and I think youve played it on your air, people would see that what I said was absolutely true, Giuliani responded.

Giuliani declined to testify during the case, despite earlier claims that he would present evidence that proved his claims. He has vowed to appeal last weeks verdict.

Why it matters: Like Trump in the E. Jean Carroll case, Giuliani has stood by his claims despite losing a defamation judgment, setting up follow-up lawsuits.

An appeals court on Monday rejects a bid by former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to have his Georgia election interference case moved to federal court. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump go on the offensive Monday, issuing a filing with Georgia Judge Scott McAfee asking that the charges against the former president be dropped because they violate his core political speech. In the federal election interference case, meanwhile, Trumps lawyers ask an appeals court to reconsider their ruling last month that let stand a gag order that prohibits Trump from speaking about witnesses, prosecutors and courtroom staff, saying the ruling conflicts with decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court. Here are the latest legal developments involving the man who hopes to return to the White House in 2024.

Appeals court rejects Meadowss bid to move case to federal court

Key players: Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis

On Monday, a three-judge appeals court panel rejected an attempt by Meadows to have his case in Georgia moved to federal court, Reuters reported.

In their ruling the judges wrote that the events giving rise to this criminal action were not related to Meadows official duties.

Meadows, who had appealed a ruling by a district court that refused to allow him to move his case to federal court, has argued that he could not be tried in state court because the actions he undertook to overturn the 2020 election results were part of his official federal duties.

Willis has charged Meadows with two felonies: violation of the Georgia RICO Act and solicitation of violation of oath by public officer.

Why it matters: Mondays ruling affirms the lower courts decision and makes Meadowss chances of a successful appeal less likely.

Trump asks judge to dismiss invalid charges

Key players: JudgeScott McAfee, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Trump attorneys Steve Sadow and Jennifer Little

In a filing on Monday, Trumps lawyers asked McAfee to dismiss the election interference charges against him because they violated his core political speech,the Guardian reported.

"Because the claim the 2020 election was rigged and stolen is protected by First Amendment when it is made in a public speech, it is equally protected by the First Amendment when it is made to government officials in an act of petitioning or advocacy," Sadown and Little wrote in the filing.

The First Amendment not only embraces but encourages Trumps request to Raffensberger to find enough votes to overcome PresidentBidens margin of victory, the filing states.

Willis has charged Trump with 13 felony counts for his role in a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Why it matters: As with the attempt to have federal election interference charges dropped on grounds of presidential immunity, Trumps lawyers are seeking to use the First Amendment as a blanket protection from prosecution. McAfee will have to decide whether Trumps words in the Georgia case were simply expressing an opinion or were directing a conspiracy that violated state laws.

Trump asks federal appeals court to reconsider gag order decision

Key players: JudgeTanya Chutkan, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals

On Monday, Trumps lawyers asked a court of appeals panel to reconsider its decision to leave in place a partial gag order on the former president issued by Chutkan, or to allow arguments on the issue to be heard by the full court, CNN reported.

The 22-page filing states that the gag order imposed on Trump conflicts with decisions of the Supreme Court and other Circuits and therefore requires consideration from the full court.

Trumps lawyers also requested that the gag order be lifted until the court decides on the matter.

Last month, a three-judge court of appeals panel ruled unanimously that the bulk of Chutkans order barring Trump from talking about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and their family members could stand.

Why it matters: As Mondays filing shows, if at first Trumps lawyers dont succeed, they will try, try again. They have been successful in forcing Chutkan to pause the proceedings in the case while they pursue an appeal that argues that presidential immunity protects Trump from being prosecuted for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

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JERUSALEM (AP) The Israeli military campaign in Gaza, experts say, now sits among the deadliest and most destructive in recent history.

In just over two months, the offensive has wreaked more destruction than the razing of Syrias Aleppo between 2012 and 2016, Ukraines Mariupol or, proportionally, the Allied bombing of Germany in World War II. It has killed more civilians than the U.S.-led coalition did in its three-year campaign against the Islamic State group.

The Israeli military has said little about what kinds of bombs and artillery it is using in Gaza. But from blast fragments found on-site and analyses of strike footage, experts are confident that the vast majority of bombs dropped on the besieged enclave are U.S.-made. They say the weapons include 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bunker-busters that have killed hundreds in densely populated areas.

With the Palestinian death toll in Gaza surpassing 20,000, the international community is calling for a cease-fire. Israel vows to press ahead, saying it wants to destroy Hamas military capabilities following the militant groups Oct. 7 cross-border rampage that triggered the war, in which it killed 1,200 people and took 240 others hostage.

The Biden administration has quietly continued to supply arms to Israel. Last week, however, President Joe Biden publicly acknowledged that Israel was losing international legitimacy for what he called its indiscriminate bombing.

Heres a look at what is known so far about Israels campaign on Gaza.

HOW MUCH DESTRUCTION IS THERE IN GAZA?

Israels offensive has destroyed over two-thirds of all structures in northern Gaza and a quarter of buildings in the southern area of Khan Younis, according to an analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data by Corey Scher of the CUNY Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University, experts in mapping damage during wartime.

The percentage of damaged buildings in the Khan Younis area nearly doubled in just the first two weeks of Israels southern offensive, they said.

That includes tens of thousands of homes as well as schools, hospitals, mosques and stores. U.N. monitors have said that about 70% of school buildings across Gaza have been damaged. At least 56 damaged schools served as shelters for displaced civilians. Israeli strikes damaged 110 mosques and three churches, the monitors said.

Israel holds Hamas responsible for civilian deaths by embedding militants in civilian infrastructure. Those sites also shelter multitudes of Palestinians who have fled under Israeli evacuation orders.

Gaza is now a different color from space. Its a different texture, said Scher, who has worked with Van Den Hoek to map destruction across several war zones, from Aleppo to Mariupol.

HOW DOES THE DESTRUCTION STACK UP HISTORICALLY?

By some measures, destruction in Gaza has outpaced Allied bombings of Germany during World War II.

Between 1942 and 1945, the allies attacked 51 major German cities and towns, destroying about 40-50% of their urban areas, said Robert Pape, a U.S. military historian. Pape said this amounted to 10% of buildings across Germany, compared to over 33% across Gaza, a densely populated territory of just 140 square miles (360 square kilometers).

Gaza is one of the most intense civilian punishment campaigns in history, said Pape. It now sits comfortably in the top quartile of the most devastating bombing campaigns ever.

The U.S.-led coalitions 2017 assault to expel the Islamic State group from the Iraqi city of Mosul was considered one of the most intense attacks on a city in generations. That nine-month battle killed around 10,000 civilians, a third of them from coalition bombardment, according an Associated Press investigation at the time.

During the 2014-2017 campaign to defeat IS in Iraq, the coalition carried out nearly 15,000 strikes across the country, according to Airwars, a London-based independent group that tracks recent conflicts. By comparison, the Israeli military said last week it has conducted 22,000 strikes in Gaza.

WHAT TYPES OF BOMBS ARE BEING USED?

The Israeli military has not specified what it is using. It says every strike is cleared by legal advisers to make sure it complies with international law.

We choose the right munition for each target so it doesnt cause unnecessary damage, said the armys chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

Weapons experts have been able to draw conclusions by analyzing blast fragments found on-site, satellite images and videos circulated on social media. They say the findings offer only a peek into the full scope of the air war.

So far, fragments of American-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) bombs and smaller diameter bombs have been found in Gaza, according to Brian Castner, a weapons investigator with Amnesty International.

The JDAM bombs include precision-guided 1,000- and 2,000-pound (450-kilogram and 900-kilogram) bunker-busters.

It turns earth to liquid, said Marc Garlasco, a former Pentagon defense official and a war crimes investigator for the U.N. It pancakes entire buildings.

He said the explosion of a 2,000-pound bomb in the open means instant death for anyone within about 30 meters (100 feet). Lethal fragmentation can extend for up to 365 meters (1,200 feet).

In an Oct. 31 strike on the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya, experts say a 2,000-pound bomb killed over 100 civilians.

Experts have also identified fragments of SPICE (Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) 2000-pound bombs, which are fitted with a GPS guidance system to make targeting more precise. Castner said the bombs are produced by the Israeli defense giant Rafael, but a recent State Department release first obtained by The New York Times showed some of the technology had been produced in the United States.

The Israeli military is also dropping unguided dumb bombs. Several experts pointed to two photos posted to social media by the Israeli Air Force at the start of the war showing fighter jets stocked with unguided bombs.

IS THE STRATEGY WORKING?

Israel says it has two goals: destroy Hamas and rescue the 129 hostages still held by militants.

Eleven weeks into the war, Israel says it has destroyed many Hamas sites and hundreds of tunnel shafts and has killed 7,000 Hamas fighters out of an estimated 30,000-40,000. Israeli leaders say intense military pressure is the only way to free more hostages.

But some families of hostages worry that the bombing endangers their loved ones. Hostages released during a weeklong cease-fire last month recounted that their captors moved them from place to place to avoid Israeli bombardment. Hamas has claimed that several hostages died from Israeli bombs, though the claims could not be verified.

The level of destruction is so high because Hamas is very entrenched within the civilian population, said Efraim Inbar, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, a think tank. He also said intense bombardment of Hamas tunnels is needed to protect advancing Israeli ground forces from attacks.

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Israel's military campaign in Gaza seen as among the most destructive in recent history, experts say - Yahoo News

The chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Btzing, has criticized Pope Francis' stance on the war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza as not being clear enough.

"Yes, I too am sometimes puzzled by this art of equidistance," Btzing told the Sddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

Although Btzing said that he is aware the Vatican is keen to keep all channels of dialogue open, there are situations in which such restraint is not appropriate, the Catholic bishop said.

"When I think of Ukraine and [the Hamas attacks on] October 7, I think the criticism of the Holy Father is justified: He does not speak clearly enough about who the attacker was and where the causes of this horrific suffering lie," he said.

On October 7, Hamas militants and other extremist groups carried out the worst massacre in Israel's history. About 1,200 people were killed and another 240 were taken hostage, some of whom were released during a brief truce.

Israel has since launched massive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, followed by a ground offensive that began in late October, in which more than 20,000 Palestinians are said to have been killed so far.

Btzing also reiterated his stance on Germany's right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

"Being Catholic and an AfD supporter at the same time does not go together for me," he said.

The growing strength of the far-right AfD in Germany, which has traditionally been on the fringes of German politics, has raised alarm among many who view the party as extremist, anti-democratic and xenophobic.

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President Biden and former President Donald Trump are tied at 44% apiece among registered voters heading into the 2024 election year, according to the final Yahoo News/YouGov poll of 2023.

The survey of 1,533 U.S. adults, which was conducted from Dec. 14 to Dec. 18, represents a reality check at a time when the press has been far more focused on Bidens vulnerabilities than Trumps. In fact, it is Trump's underlying problems including his criminal trials and unpopular plans that may pose the bigger electoral risk in next years election, the results suggest.

Its true, for instance, that Bidens long-standing lead over Trump in the Yahoo News/YouGov poll faded this fall after averaging about 4.5 percentage points between March and August. Yet Trump has not been able to capitalize on Bidens meager job-approval rating currently 37% approve, 57% disapprove among all Americans to expand his appeal and pull ahead.

Instead, Trumps support among registered voters has remained at 44% or lower.

Last month, when Bidens support dipped to 42%, that was enough to give Trump a narrow edge (within the margin of error). Now Biden has ticked back up, and the two candidates are again level. While other national polls have shown larger swings, the Yahoo News/YouGov survey portends a very close campaign (consistent with the last two presidential elections) if Biden and Trump face off again in 2024.

Even when voters are offered the choice of another candidate in addition to Biden and Trump an option that 12% select the two presidents remain tied at 41%, implying that third-party bids are unlikely to upend the fundamental dynamics of the contest.

What might change the race, however, is a Trump criminal conviction.

Large majorities of Americans continue to say that the charges on which Trump has been indicted and for which he is likely to stand trial next year represent serious crimes, including taking highly classified documents from the White House and obstructing efforts to retrieve them (63%); conspiring to overturn the results of a presidential election (66%); and attempting to obstruct the certification of a presidential election (64%). In each case, only about one in five Americans say these are not serious crimes.

Asked, then, how they might vote if Trump is convicted of a serious crime in the coming months, registered voters say they would prefer Biden by a 7-point margin in that scenario, 46% to 39%. Trumps support (previously 44%) immediately falls by 5 percentage points.

Among potential Republican primary voters registered voters who identify as Republicans or Republican-leaning independents the decline is even steeper: a full 15 percentage points, from 56% to 41%. Without a criminal conviction, Trumps primary support is more than double the combined backing of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (15%) and former United Nations ambassador and onetime South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (10%), his two leading challengers for the GOP nomination. With a criminal conviction, DeSantis (21%) and Haley (16%) combine to come within 4 points of Trump.

While neither of these results should be seen as a prediction of what might happen in the event of an actual conviction, they do suggest that such a conviction something unprecedented in the history of U.S. presidential politics would at least have the potential to complicate Trumps campaign.

Meanwhile, Americans are not buying the arguments from Trumps legal team that all former presidents are immune from federal prosecution for crimes allegedly committed while in office (57% not immune, 21% immune) or that Trumps trials should take place after the 2024 general election (61% before, 21% after). Even potential Republican primary voters are relatively divided on presidential immunity (42% immune, 32% not immune) and the proper timing of Trumps trials (37% before Election Day, 42% after Election Day).

Another risk for Trump in 2024 is rising voter awareness regarding his plans for a second term.

Recent reporting and remarks from the former president have focused on some of the more unusual policies he intends to implement if reelected. For now, most voters arent paying close attention to each candidates agenda. But the new Yahoo News/YouGov poll suggests that Trumps platform might prove to be particularly unpopular once the 2024 campaign gets underway in earnest.

For example, just 19% of Americans favor and 60% oppose the idea that Trump might replace tens of thousands of federal workers whose politics dont align with his. Just 27% favor and 49% oppose the idea that Trump might order the Justice Department to investigate and criminally charge [his] political adversaries. Just 29% favor and 53% oppose the idea that Trump might send troops into big U.S. cities to enforce public order. Only about a third of Americans want Trump to appoint a real special prosecutor to go after Biden and his family (34%) or round up millions of undocumented immigrants and detain them in government camps while they wait to be deported (35%). Even the most popular Trump policy on the list using the U.S. military to attack drug cartels in Mexico only reaches 40% support.

In keeping with these numbers, far more Americans say they disapprove (49%) than approve (36%) of Trumps recent comments about being a dictator on Day One of his second term but not after that because were closing the border, and were drilling, drilling, drilling.

Nearly half (48%) say Trump would be more of a dictator than previous presidents, while only 18% say he would be less of a dictator, and 23% say he would be about the same. (The poll was taken prior to Trumps statement that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country.")

To be sure, Biden plagued by concerns about his age, the economy and the war in Gaza remains vulnerable. But the numbers dont show that Democrats would automatically fare better with a different nominee. When registered voters are given alternative Democrats to choose from, neither California Gov. Gavin Newsom (who trails Trump 41% to 45%) nor Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (who trails Trump 41% to 44%) performs as well as the president.

Likewise, Bidens support among potential Democratic primary voters (68%) over his actual challengers self-help author Marianne Williamson (4%) and Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips (3%) has grown by 4 points since last month, and a majority now say they prefer Biden (51%, up from 46% in November) over someone else (35%) for the nomination.

As a semi-incumbent himself, Trumps position among Republicans is equally commanding: 59% of potential GOP primary voters support him in a hypothetical one-on-one matchup against DeSantis (25%), while a full 70% support him against Haley (19%).

The bottom line is that a 2020 rematch is looking more likely than ever. But while Bidens weaknesses have been well-publicized ahead of 2024, Trumps may be underestimated.

____________

The Yahoo News survey was conducted by YouGov using a nationally representative sample of 1,533 U.S. adults interviewed online from Dec. 14 to Dec. 18, 2023. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondents most recent answer given prior to Nov. 1, 2022, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (33% Democratic, 27% Republican). Respondents were selected from YouGovs opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S. adults. The margin of error is approximately 2.8%.

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Poll: Trump is tied with Biden for now but criminal trials and unpopular plans pose risks for 2024 - Yahoo News