‘Tiger King’s’ Joe Exotic pens letter to Trump asking for pardon, role in cabinet
Joe Exotic has asked President-elect Donald Trump for a pardon and for a role in his new cabinet. Exotic shared the letter he wrote to Trump from prison with RadarOnline.
âEveryone hopes you keep the promises you made during your campaign, which include pardoning everyone sooner than later in January 2025. Some of those very people have been stuck in solitary confinement, forced to live like rats, have killed themselves in prison, or have died. Some, like myself, have fought like hell to hang on, hoping for you to win this election.â
Exotic also wrote that if heâs able to get out of prison, heâd like to become Trumpâs Fish and Wildlife Service director. He appears in the 2020 Netflix docuseries âTiger King,â which turned into a pop culture phenomenon.
In 2019 he was arrested and sentenced to 20-plus years in prison for animal abuse and attempted murder for hire, which stemmed from an alleged murder plot directed at fellow “Tiger King” star, Carole Baskin.
Exotic has denied all allegations. His legal team has also filed an appeal for a retrial.
Trump appoints aide Steven Cheung to head White House communications
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Friday, Nov. 15, that Steven Cheung will be his top communications director in the White House. Cheung will reportedly serve as assistant to the president and director of communications.
Trump also announced the appointment of Sergio Gor as assistant to the president, as well as the director of presidential personnel.
In a statement Trump said, “Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor have been trusted Advisors since my first Presidential Campaign in 2016 and have continued to champion America First principles throughout my First Term, all the way to our Historic Victory in 2024.” Trump added, “I am thrilled to have them join my White House as we, Make America Great Again!”
In Trump’s first term as president, Cheung served as the director of strategic response.
Cheung handled communications during parts Trump’s presidential campaign this year, including an incident at Arlington National Cemetery between a cemetery official and members of the Trump campaign.
Cheung has faced backlash for some of his comments in the past, including calling Vice President Kamala Harris a “stone cold loser,” and claimed her rhetoric was to blame for two attempts on Trump’s life this year.
He also wrote that author and Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward was a “truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Despite the statements during the heat of the 2024 presidential election, Cheung is reportedly known for his practical approach to working with the press corps covering the president.
Cheung grew up in California and worked for several Republican campaigns before joining Trump’s campaign. Cheung is also a former spokesperson for the Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC.
New LA County DA takes on crime, weighs in on Menendez brothers case
Crime policies are a major point of contention among residents in California. Now, the newly-elected Los Angeles County District Attorney plans to get rid of what he calls a âpro-criminalâ blanket stance by the current DA. Incoming Los Angeles County DA Nathan Hochman said heâll go after low-level, nonviolent crime.
He said his first tasks will include an increase in gang-related sentencing, allowing prosecutors to file juvenile charges more freely and having prosecutors attend parole hearings with victimsâ families so they can help argue against the release of convicts.
Hochman told The Associated Press he wants to reverse the culture maintained by his predecessor George GascĂłn.
âI want to send a message to criminals that basically the lines will be enforced again,” Hochman said. “They will be done in a proportional way. A common sense way.”
âA way that rejects extremes: both the extreme that we’ve been living with of decarceration, which says that certain crimes and certain criminals will not be prosecuted no matter what the facts and the law are- as well as the extremes of mass incarceration,” Hochman continued. “I reject both extremes.”
Hochman said he also wants to look at solutions that donât involve filling up jails such as court-mandated drug treatment, community service, and restitution.
New plans for Mendendez brothers case
Among the multiple issues Hochman is taking on from GascĂłn, arguably the most notable is the Menendez brothers murder case.
In October, GascĂłn called for the release of the brothers after 35 years in prison for the murders of their parents.
Hochman now wants to review all the evidence as he questions the timing of GascĂłnâs decision so close to the election.
âIf you decide this case based on just reviewing a Netflix documentary you’re doing a disservice to the Menendez brothers, to the victims family members and to the public,â Hochman told ABC News. âThere’s a cloud over that credibility. Is it a just decision, or was it just a political ploy? There will be no cloud over whatever decision I do.â
GascĂłn denies his decision was politically motivated, saying he based his decision on a thorough understanding of the case.Â
Recount to start in PA Senate race as legal disputes over ballots intensify
Pennsylvaniaâs U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick sparked a legal showdown over whether to count mail-in ballots missing handwritten dates. With a mandatory recount underway, Republicans are challenging multiple county decisions to include undated or misdated ballots, a move that Democrats argue would disenfranchise voters.
In the days leading up to the Nov. 5 election, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered counties to enforce the handwritten date requirement on all mail ballots, a rule that Republicans say disqualifies any ballot without a proper date.
However, Democratic-leaning counties such as Bucks and Philadelphia have counted hundreds of such ballots, arguing that timestamps prove the ballots were received on time.
Reuters
On Nov. 12, the Bucks County Board of Elections voted 2-1 along party lines to count 405 undated or misdated mail ballots. Similarly, the Philadelphia City Commissioners voted 2-1 to count several hundred ballots with date issues, sparking a new round of lawsuits.
The Republican National Committee and Pennsylvania GOP filed an appeal, asking the state Supreme Court to use its Kingâs Bench Power to enforce the courtâs order across the state.
Republican Senate candidate McCormick, who declared victory and currently holds a narrow lead, has joined the RNCâs legal efforts. He filed suit against the Bucks County decision, calling undated ballots invalid and accusing Caseyâs team of attempting to âcount illegal ballots.â
In response, the Casey campaign called McCormickâs reversal hypocritical, noting that he supported counting ballots with date issues in his last Senate race recount in 2022.
âSenator Caseyâs priority continues to be making sure Pennsylvaniansâ voices are heard,â said his campaign manager, Tiernan Donohue, while accusing McCormick of trying to suppress votes.
As Pennsylvania law requires an automatic recount for any race with a margin of 0.5% or less, counties are set to start the process by Nov. 20, with final recount results due by Nov. 27.
The Department of State estimates that the recount will cost taxpayers over $1 million.
Trump calls RFK Jr. a ‘great mind’ after health secretary nomination
President-elect Trump has named RFK Jr. as his Health and Human Services Secretary. And fight fans are ready for a streaming spectacle: former champ Mike Tyson will return to the ring to take on social media star Jake Paul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
Trump calls RFK Jr. a ‘great mind’ after health secretary nomination
â[Kennedy is] another one, whoâs a great guy and great mind and so popular, and I think heâs right, he wants to make people healthy,â Trump said. âItâs driven him pretty wild over the last number of years, and the Democrats didnât treat him well. He was doing fantastically well.”
“Today I nominated him for, I guess if you like health and you like people that live a long time, itâs the most important position RFK Jr.,” Trump said.
Kennedy responded to the nomination earlier in the day, posting on X in part, âWe have a generational opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in science, medicine, industry, and government to put an end to the chronic disease epidemic.”
The 70-year-old Kennedy is a former Democrat, who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race. He would oversee a group of health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) called Kennedy “a brilliant, courageous truth-teller whose unwavering commitment to transparency will make America a healthier nation.âÂ
Meanwhile, critics of Kennedy pointed to his previous comments questioning vaccinations. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden (D) said in a statement, âMr. Kennedyâs outlandish views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should worry all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children.â
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey (D) just posted three words: âDangerous. Unqualified. Unserious.â
Kennedy is also the founder of the Childrenâs Health Defense, which is described by media outlets as the leading anti-vaccine group in the nation.Â
Also on Thursday, Trump nominated Doug Collins as Veterans Affairs secretary. The former Republican congressman from Georgia and Iraq war veteran was a supporter of Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2019.Â
Trump also named three of his lawyers to positions in the Justice Department.
Finally, John Sauer, who won the presidential immunity case at the U.S. Supreme Court, is Trumpâs pick for solicitor general.
House Ethics Committee cancels meeting on Matt Gaetz investigation
The Republican-led House Ethics Committee canceled its meeting over the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, according to multiple outlets citing sources. Gaetz resigned from Congress earlier this week after President-elect Trump announced he’s nominating Gaetz for attorney general.Â
The meeting, which was scheduled for Friday morning, Nov. 15, before Gaetz resigned, was supposed to focus on the investigation into multiple allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and obstruction.Â
Tropical Storm Sara brings dangerous torrential rain to Honduras
Tropical Storm Sara made landfall late Thursday in northern Honduras, bringing torrential rain as it skirts the country’s coast. Authorities there have warned of the potential for dangerous flash flooding and landslides, with the country’s president saying it could “become a catastrophic event.”
Honduran officials have issued the highest-level warning along the country’s northern coast and activated the national police and military for rescue and relief efforts. Sara is expected to move inland, making landfall over Belize on Sunday, Nov. 17, before dissipating over the YucatĂĄn Peninsula, according to the National Hurricane Center.Â
This marks the 18th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.
Annual UFO report finds 21 cases that can’t be explained
Pentagon officials maintain they’ve found no evidence of alien activity, but the government’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) said it takes every report seriously and investigates each one.
If none of this UAP stuff exists, if itâs all false, why at every turn are people trying to stop transparency? You canât talk about fight club if thereâs no fight club. pic.twitter.com/otPGNbwu71
Of the new reports the AARO has received, nearly 50 have already been closed as everyday items, such as balloons, birds or drones. The government agency expects to resolve another 243 cases by identifying them as one of those objects.Â
More than 400 of the new reports were put into an active archive because there was not enough data or evidence to keep investigating.
Tyson vs. Paul in Netflixâs first live streaming boxing event
The two faced off during a final weigh-in on Thursday, with Tyson slapping Paul. The eight-round match at AT&T Stadium in Texas was postponed from July after Tyson suffered an inflamed ulcer weeks before the bout.
Reports indicate both competitors are expected to have a big payday. Tyson, who has a record of 50-6, will reportedly make $20 million and the 27-year-old Paul, who has a record of 10-1, will make $40 million.
Paulâs startup, Most Valuable Promotions, teamed up with Netflix to bring the fight together.Â
Netflix currently has more than 282 million paid subscribers worldwide and Paul predicts at least 25 million of them will tune in. If that comes to pass, itâll make this the most watched boxing match of all time.
FBI offers $25K reward in ballot box arson investigation
Federal authorities are investigating a series of ballot box fires in Oregon and Washington, offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect. The attacks, which occurred days before the 2024 election, destroyed or damaged hundreds of ballots and raised concerns about election security in states heavily reliant on mail-in voting.
The FBI described the suspect as a white male in his 30s or 40s with thinning or very short hair. Investigators believe he may have metalworking or welding experience.
Surveillance footage shows the suspect driving a dark-colored 2003 to 2004 Volvo S-60 sedan with dark wheels and a light-colored interior. The car had a fraudulent temporary Washington license plate on the rear and no front plate but authorities warned the fraudulent plate may no longer be on the vehicle.
The #FBI offers a reward of up to $25,000 for info leading to the identification, arrest, & conviction of the suspect responsible for setting incendiary fires at ballot boxes in Vancouver, WA, & Portland, OR, in Oct 2024: https://t.co/a3hhyZnp0Zpic.twitter.com/amEckWg3ta
The first incident occurred on Oct. 8 in Vancouver, Washington, when a ballot box was set on fire. No ballots were damaged.
On Oct. 28, improvised incendiary devices targeted ballot boxes in Vancouver and Portland within a two-hour window. Nearly 500 ballots were destroyed or damaged in Vancouver. A fire suppression system in the Portland drop box saved all but three ballots.
The incendiary devices were marked with messages such as “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine.” Investigators are determining whether the messages reflect genuine political views or were intended to exploit existing political divisions.
Portland police noted the devices displayed detailed welding work, suggesting the suspect has advanced technical skills.
William Brooks, acting special agent in charge of the FBIâs Portland office, said the attacks undermine the rights of voters in both states.
âVoters in Oregon and Washington deserve answers, and their voices cannot be silenced by violent actions,â Brooks said.
Election officials have mailed replacement ballots to affected voters where possible. However, some ballots were destroyed. Oregon and Washington rely predominantly on mail-in voting and ballot drop boxes. In-person voting only accounts for a small fraction of ballots cast.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities urge anyone with information to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
Polymarket calls FBI raid on CEO âpolitical retributionâ
The FBI raided the Manhattan home of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan early Wednesday, Nov. 13. During the raid, agents seized electronic devices as part of a Justice Department investigation into allegations that the platform violated federal gambling laws.
Coplan, who wasn’t arrested, called the raid âdiscouragingâ and accused the outgoing administration of targeting businesses perceived to be aligned with political opponents.
Polymarket, in a statement, labeled the raid as âpolitical retribution.â
Itâs discouraging that the current administration would seek a last-ditch effort to go after companies they deem to be associated with political opponents. We are deeply committed to being non-partisan, and today is no different, but the incumbents should do some self-reflectingâŚ
Polymarket is a crypto-based prediction market that allows users to trade contracts on the outcomes of events, including elections.
The platform gained significant attention during the 2024 presidential race for giving President-elect Donald Trump much higher odds of victory than traditional polls. This prediction proved accurate when Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris with 312 Electoral College votes.
Critics argue that Polymarketâs prediction model blurs the line between betting and market trading, fueling concerns about transparency and regulatory oversight. Unlike traditional betting sites, Polymarket lets users buy and sell contracts as odds shift, reflecting changes in market sentiment.
The platform has also been accused of market manipulation. Third-party investigations uncovered evidence of wash trading, an illegal practice in which traders artificially inflate activity by executing fake transactions.
Before the election, a French trader, dubbed the âTrump Whale,â reportedly earned $48 million betting on Trumpâs victory. The large wagers raised questions about the platformâs influence and transparency during a politically charged election season.
This isn’t Polymarketâs first encounter with regulators. In 2022, the company paid the Commodity Futures Trading Commission a $1.4 million fine for failing to register with the agency. The platform also temporarily halted trading during that time.
Additionally, users have reportedly circumvented U.S. betting restrictions by using virtual private networks (VPNs), highlighting enforcement challenges with cryptocurrency-based platforms.
Prominent tech industry figures have weighed in on the raid. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong warned that the move could backfire, increasing Polymarketâs visibility and influence. Elon Musk, a close ally of Donald Trump, criticized the raid, calling it âmessed upâ in a social media post.
Gaetz resigns from Congress after being picked as Trumpâs attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump has made his selection for attorney general: Rep. Matt Gaetz. Why it might be an uphill battle for the Florida congressman to get confirmed. And we now know in a clean sweep, Republicans won control of the House of Representatives. Who GOP lawmakers voted to lead them in the next term. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.
Gaetz resigns from Congress after being picked as Trumpâs attorney general
President-elect Trump selected more names for key cabinet positions on Wednesday, Nov. 13, including nominating Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general. That choice is being met with opposition from some Senate Republicans â who would need to confirm the pick.
“I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately,â House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said of Gaetzâs decision. âThat caught us by surprise a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, âWell, you can’t have too many absences.â So, under Florida state law there is about an eight-week period to select and fill a vacant seat.âÂ
Johnson said Gaetzâs resignation started the clock for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to call for a special election to fill the vacancy, which will narrow Republicansâ slight majority in the House.Â
In making his nomination, Trump called Gaetz a âdeeply gifted and tenacious attorneyâŚwho has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice.âÂ
A bipartisan House Ethics Committee is in the final stages of its own investigation into Gaetz. Gaetz told the committee in September he was done cooperating with its investigation.Â
His resignation would put an end to that investigation, as the Ethics Committee does not have jurisdiction over former House members.Â
Trumpâs announcement came during the House Republicansâ closed door leadership election, with lawmakers telling several news outlets that there were âaudible gaspsâ in the room when they heard the pick.Â
In response to Gaetzâs nomination, multiple senators went on record not throwing their full support behind the decision. One senator told Fox News Gaetz âwill never be confirmedâ and another said it âainât gonna happen.âÂ
Gaetzâs office has not responded to the criticism. Gaetz himself issued a statement on social media in response to the nod from the president-elect, saying, âIt will be an honor to serve as President Trumpâs Attorney General!â
Johnson wins nomination for speaker as GOP takes House majority
The landscape of Congress in the new year became clearer on Wednesday with Republicans winning enough seats to control the House. Victories in Arizona and California gave the GOP the 218 seats needed to make up the majority in the chamber.Â
Republicans will now have control of the House and the Senate when President-elect Trump takes office. GOP lawmakers voted on leadership in both chambers Wednesday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson won the nomination to remain on the job for another two years. A full house vote will take place in January. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and GOP Whip Tom Emmer were also reelected in their leadership roles.Â
In the Senate, Republican John Thune of South Dakota was elected as the next majority leader. The fourth-term senator will replace longtime leader Mitch McConnell.
Pennsylvania Senate race heads to a recount
While Republicans have won enough seats to take control of Congress, Pennsylvania’s Senate race is headed for a recount as Democratic incumbent Bob Casey refused to concede to his Republican rival, Dave McCormick, despite the race being called by the Associated Press.
Across our Commonwealth, close to 7 million people cast their votes in a free and fair election.
The American democratic process was born in Pennsylvania and that process will play out. pic.twitter.com/R2RirIa09j
While provisional and mail-in ballots are still being counted, unofficial results show the race to be within the one-half of 1% margin which automatically triggers a recount under state law. Currently, McCormick leads Casey by less than 30,000 votes.Â
Despite Casey refusing to concede, McCormick was on Capitol Hill Wednesday for freshman orientation, where he and other new lawmakers met with outgoing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Suspect dead after explosion outside Brazil’s Supreme Court
Security concerns are heightened in Brazil after an explosion outside the country’s Supreme Court less than a week before G20 leaders are set to meet in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil’s Supreme Court is in the nation’s capital, Brasilia about 700 miles northwest of Rio.Â
Authorities said a man killed himself while detonating explosives in Three Powers Plaza, which is home to all three branches of Brazil’s government, after unsuccessfully trying to get into the Supreme Court with the explosives.
The vice-governor of the country’s federal district said the suspect blew up a car near Congress before heading to the Supreme Court. Police have not identified the attacker, but they believe he was working alone.
Teen ‘serial swatter’ behind hundreds of hoax threats pleads guilty
A prolific teenage “serial swatter” from California, has pleaded guilty to making hundreds of hoax calls about mass shootings and bomb threats to schools, religious institutions and government officials nationwide.Â
The Department of Justice announced Wednesday Alan Filion, 18, pleaded guilty in a Florida federal courtroom to four counts of making interstate threats. He faces up to 20 years in prison, as each charge carries a five-year maximum sentence.Â
Officials said from August 2022 to January of this year, Filion made more than 375 swatting and threat calls in various parts of the country including Maryland, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Washington, Texas and Florida.
“Swatting” is when someone makes false accusations to send a large number of law enforcement rushing to a location where there is essentially nothing going on.
Dem lawmaker to introduce 22nd Amdt resolution after Trump 3rd term remarks
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., says that he will introduce a resolution that will, in his words, reaffirm Congress’ commitment and the Constitution’s clear definition that prohibits any president from serving more than two terms. Earlier on Wednesday, Nov. 13, President-elect Donald Trump told House Republicans, “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we got to figure something else out.’”
Some Republicans said he was joking, but Goldman does not think it’s funny.
“They always say he’s joking. It’s always Trump being Trump, or he’s just joking, but this is his MO,” Goldman said. “He will drop in something outlandish, claim he’s joking, but then he starts to repeat it more and more, and it starts to become normalized.”
Goldman added, “When you see members of Congress like Lauren Boebert start to parrot the same rhetoric, it’s time once and for all, for those of us who took an oath to uphold the Constitution to declare clearly that the Constitution does not permit a third term.”
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, one of Trump’s closest allies on Capitol Hill, repeatedly assured reporters that the president-elect would only serve one more term.
This is how he reacted when asked by Straight Arrow News about Goldman’s resolution.
“Oh, stop it, you guys,” Nehls said. “Stop all that. President Trump’s going to be president for four more years. That’s what we have. Stop all this stuff. Don’t you guys have more important things to focus on? And instead of all that garbage.”
Straight Arrow News responded by saying it was Goldman who came to reporters to make the announcement, reporters did not seek him out.
Nehls answered, “The point I’m making is we had a great meeting this morning. President Trump shows up to our conference, and it was just so reassuring, and it just, very positive comments coming from the 47th president. It’s a new day in America.
The 22nd Amendment states: “No person shall be elected to office of the president more than twice.” It makes no exceptions for those elected to non-consecutive terms.
More than one week after Election Day, we still don’t know who has control in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, Republicans are very confident they’ll be in the majority once all the races are called.
As of Wednesday, Nov. 13, The Associated Press projected Republicans winning 216 seats, while Democrats only have 207.
Twelve races have not officially been called yet. The GOP would only need two of those uncalled races to keep control of the House.
California has the largest number of uncalled House races with six. This is due to California requiring mail-in ballots be postmarked by Election Day, or Nov. 5. County elections offices can receive them up to seven days after the election.
Other states where a congressional seat is up in the air include Ohio, Maine, Arizona, Iowa, Oregon and Alaska.
Decision Desk HQ has Republicans with 219 seats to Democrats 211, with five seats undecided. That tally would give the GOP the majority in the House.
As the counting continues, Republicans in D.C. are proceeding as if they’ve won.
