Will he or wont he? Bragg faces historic test with Trump indictment

Published

2 years ago

March 24, 2023

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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) is facing the biggest political test of his career: the possible indictment of former President Trump.

It’s a consequential moment that could end with Bragg becoming the first in history to prosecute an indicted former president.

As the possibility rises, Bragg is facing questions about the strength of his case, about his motives for going forward and even over whether he’ll pull back from the brink.

“Alvin Bragg is caught between a rock and a hard spot,” said Susan Del Percio, a longtime New York-based Republican strategist who has opposed Trump. “He had to bring the charges forward because of public pressure, but he isn’t sure if they’ll stick.”

Bragg is probing Trump’s involvement in a hush payment that his fixer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Trump predicted an arrest on Tuesday, but that did not come to fruition. It now appears that an indictment from the grand jury could come as soon as next week.

Since Trump’s surprise posts on Truth Social that he expected to be arrested, Bragg’s profile has gone national.

Republicans in Congress have promised an investigation, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) saying an indictment would “blow up the country.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) went further, saying that Bragg should be “put in jail.”

A trio of Republican House chairmen, led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), earlier this week demanded the district attorney turn over all documents and communications about the case.

“He should be disbarred,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said of Bragg. “If he’s going to be using his position to target the Republican Party’s top primary presidential candidate just for politics, that’s not what a DA should be doing. He should be prosecuting crime. That’s what people pay taxes for there.”

Bragg’s office hit back on Republicans’ request in a letter on Thursday, saying the request would interfere with ongoing law enforcement duties and violate state sovereignty.

The move “is an unprecedent[ed] inquiry into a pending local prosecution,” his office wrote. “The letter only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene. Neither fact is a legitimate basis for congressional inquiry.”

Bragg, 49, was at least already used to criticism and conflict from the race to succeed Cyrus Vance Jr. (D) and his short tenure after taking the job on Jan. 1, 2022.

After a grueling, eight-way primary for the job, the district attorney — during his first days in office — took partisan fire from Republicans.

A progressive who ran on balancing public safety with justice, Bragg issued a “Day One” memo instructing his office to reserve jail time for only the most serious crimes and to not prosecute certain low-level offenses.

The list included misdemeanors related to resisting arrest for noncriminal offenses, marijuana possession and trespassing.

It led to searing criticism from New York City’s police commissioner — appointed by a Democratic mayor — and Republicans, who accused Bragg of being soft on crime.

Bragg ultimately revised the policies the next month, but the attacks from the right haven’t stopped.

Basil Smikle, a consultant who served as the executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, said Bragg has been a longtime target of those on the right since he was sworn into the job.

In the New York gubernatorial race against now-Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) last year, Republican Lee Zeldin repeatedly campaigned on removing Bragg if he was elected.

“He’s handled the pressure and fended off criticism well but will be heavily scrutinized no matter the outcome,” said Smikle.

Bragg has also taken criticism from Democrats and members of his own prosecutorial team after he last year opted against moving forward in a different investigative prong involving Trump.

A grand jury empaneled before Bragg took office was hearing evidence about whether Trump’s businesses improperly manipulated property values for tax and loan benefits. Bragg’s decision to not seek an indictment from that jury compelled two top prosecutors in the probe — Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne — to resign.

“The team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes — he did,” Pomerantz wrote in his resignation letter, which The New York Times first published last March.

Liberals were enraged at the revelation, and Bragg started taking criticism from many in his own party as the investigation stalled.

Now, Bragg appears to be moving toward an indictment of Trump after all. He convened a new grand jury earlier this year to hear evidence in the hush money probe, and a series of recent steps suggest an indictment could come as soon as next week.

“In some ways, I think he felt some pressure to bring something forward because of all of this to help wipe his slate clean,” one strategist said. “This would be his chance to redefine himself and have a bit of redemption.”

“It was such an utter mess,” the strategist said.

Some of Bragg’s earlier detractors are now cheering him on. But it is Republicans who have now again gone on the attack, accusing Bragg of weaponizing the legal system.

Trump called Bragg “a danger to our country” and called for his removal on Thursday.

“He sort of can’t win. In many ways, I feel a lot of empathy for him,” said Catherine Christian, a former financial fraud prosecutor in Bragg’s office who was not involved in the Trump investigation.

Despite the rising tensions, the probe has yet to turn up an indictment. For reasons unclear, the grand jury did not meet about the case on either Wednesday or Thursday.

Some have speculated that Bragg could change course again.

“I think that the heat is on this DA, I think he’s going to make a very sober decision and I would not be surprised if he doesn’t step back from the brink,” CNN political commentator Van Jones said on CNN Monday night. ‘Bear huggers’ wanted: Potential dream job now open Asteroid expected to pass close to Earth on Saturday

But Christian said the lack of grand jury meetings late this week is no sign Bragg is backing away.

“I’ll be blunt: if he does that, he might as well just hang it up. All of this, and then say nevermind? Are you kidding me?” said Christian.

Mychael Schnell contributed.

Politics

No 10 decline to say if Palestine will be recognised with Hamas in power

Published

2 mins ago

August 4, 2025

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No 10 decline to say if Palestine will be recognised with Hamas in power

The prime minister’s spokesman has refused eight times to confirm whether recognition of Palestine could go ahead if Hamas remain in power and the hostages are not released.

Keir Starmer’s spokesman was questioned by journalists for the first time since the announcement last week that the UK will formally recognise the state in September – unless Israel meets certain conditions including abiding by a ceasefire and increasing aid.

The policy has been criticised by the families of UK hostages, campaigners and some Labour MPs, who argue it would reward Hamas and say it should be conditional on the release of the remaining hostages.

A senior Hamas politician, Ghazi Hamad, speaking to Al Jazeera, said at the weekend that major nations’ decision to recognise a Palestinian state “is one of the fruits of 7 October”.

Gaza latest: Trump pressed to recognise Palestinian state

The PM’s spokesman said on Monday: “The PM is clear that on 7 October, Hamas committed the worst act of terror in Israel’s history. That horror has continued since then.

“As the foreign secretary said over the weekend, Hamas are rightly pariahs who can have no role in Gaza’s future, there is a diplomatic consensus on that. Hamas must immediately release all hostages and have no role in the governance of Gaza.”

But asked whether removing Hamas from power and releasing hostages were conditions for statehood, he said a decision on recognition would be made at the UN General Assembly meeting in September, based on “an assessment of how far the parties have met the steps we have set out. No one side will have veto on recognition through their actions or inactions.”

He added: “Our focus is on the immediate situation on the ground, getting more aid in to end the suffering in Gaza and supporting a ceasefire and a long-term peace for Israelis and Palestinians based a two-state solution.”

Starmer, who recalled his cabinet for an emergency meeting last week before setting out the new position, is following the lead of French president Emmanuel Macron, who first pledged to move toward recognising Palestinian statehood in April.

Canada has also backed recognition if conditions are met, including by the Palestinian Authority.

The prime minister had previously said he would recognise a state of Palestine as part of a contribution to a peace process.

In his announcement last Tuesday, he said: “We need to see at least 500 trucks entering Gaza every day. But ultimately, the only way to bring this humanitarian crisis to an end is through a long-term settlement.

“So we are supporting the US, Egyptian and Qatari efforts to secure a vital ceasefire. That ceasefire must be sustainable and it must lead to a wider peace plan, which we are developing with our international partners.

“I’ve always said we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution. With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act.”

Adam Rose, a lawyer acting for British families of hostages in Gaza, has said: “Why would Hamas agree to a ceasefire if it knew that to do so would make British recognition of Palestine less likely?”

Environment

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max solar bundle $1,139 low, Lectric ONE e-bike gets $319 in free gear, Anker SOLIX C300 90,000mAh stations, more

Published

3 mins ago

August 4, 2025

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EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max solar bundle ,139 low, Lectric ONE e-bike gets 9 in free gear, Anker SOLIX C300 90,000mAh stations, more

We’re starting this week’s Green Deals with EcoFlow’s August Home Backup Sale that is seeing up to 59% initial discounts, bonus savings, continued 3x and 3.5x EcoCredit rewards, new free gift promotions, and more – with plenty of ongoing low prices like the DELTA 2 Max Solar Generator bundle that gives you a 220W panel at its $1,139 low, among many others. We also have Lectric’s ONE Long-Range e-bike getting the biggest $319 bundle of 2025 at $2,399, as well as Anker’s SOLIX C300 90,000mAh Power Stations and bundle options starting from $170. From there, we also have EcoFlow’s latest 48-hour flash sale on two power station bundles and a dual solar panel option, alongside the best price of the year on Worx’s 20V JawSaw PowerShare Cordless Chainsaw.Plus, all the hangover savings from last week are at the bottom of the page, rounded together in our Electrified Weekly coverage, which includes the new EcoFlow TRAIL releases, exclusive Bluetti Apex 300 launch savings, and much more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Save up to 59% on EcoFlow power stations and backup bundles with bonus savings, free gifts, up to 3.5x EcoCredits – all from $179

EcoFlow has launched a new Home Backup Sale through August 17 that is continuing some of the Monthly Madness rewards from last week while adding new free gift promotions and extra savings – with this event running parallel to the brand’s release of the new TRAIL series power stations. One of the notable low prices we’re seeing during this period is on EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 Max Solar Generator bundle that comes with a 220W solar panel for $1,139.05 shipped, after using the code 25EFDCAFF at checkout for an additional 5% off your order, which beats out Amazon’s current pricing by $60. Normally going for $2,548 in full here, over the last seven months we’ve seen discounts take things to their lowest for $1,139 back during last month’s Prime Day event, with prices otherwise keeping at or above $1,199. That low price is coming back thanks to the bonus savings, giving you $1,409 in savings and the best price we have tracked.

As previously mentioned, this Home Backup Sale is seeing some continuations alongside some new free gift promotions. Of course, there’s the extra 5% savings you’ll get using the code 25EFDCAFF at checkout, but standard members will also be getting 3x EcoCredits from orders, while Plus members get 3.5x EcoCredits – which you can use to score future discounts and other exchanged rewards. If you already have some saved, you can spend 500 to unlock a spin on the brand’s Lucky Draw wheel for guaranteed gifts/savings. There’s also the chance to get a free refurbished RIVER 2 Max power station with purchases of select DELTA series units.

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For folks not wanting to spend too much on larger whole-home backup systems but want to maintain their peace of mind during trips away from home and possible at-home outage emergencies, EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 Max is a solid option that starts with a 2,048Wh LiFePO4 capacity and can expand as high as 6,144Wh with add-on expansion batteries. It pumps out a steady stream of 2,400W of power through its 15 output port options, with the ability to surge up to 3,400W once you’ve activated its X-Boost mode in the remote app controls. A wall outlet can bring the battery back to 83% in 1.1 hours, with the option to plug it into your car’s auxiliary port to charge as you drive, on top of a max 1,000W solar input that can also be used simultaneously with a wall outlet for faster 43-minute charge times.

If you just want EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 Max power station by itself, you can pick it up at $996.55 shipped, after using the 5% off code, while bundling EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 Max with an 800W alternator charger that tops it off faster than a car auxiliary port will cost you $1,139.05 shipped, after using the extra savings code.

You can browse the full lineup during this EcoFlow August Home Backup Sale by checking out our original coverage of these deals here.

man riding down sidewalk on Lectric ONE e-bike

Lectric’s 60-mile traveling ONE e-bike with a Gates carbon belt drive gets largest $319 bundle of 2025 at $2,399

Looking in on Lectric’s ongoing Back to School Sale, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the biggest bundle we’ve seen accompany the brand’s ONE Long-Range e-bike at $2,399 shipped, which is getting $319 in free gear that includes a rear cargo rack, fenders to go over the tires, and a 4-liter frame bag. This package would normally run you $2,718 at full price, if it weren’t for the brand’s trend of offering savings on the bundles. While we did see it get a $308 bundle back in February, this model has otherwise only been getting $220 in free gear this year, but now, during this sale, we’re seeing a larger bundle than ever in 2025.

If you want to learn more about this model, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here, while you can also check out the full lineup of Back to School e-bike deals from this brand here.

man hiking through woods with Anker SOLIX C300 DC power station hanging from shoulder

Anker’s SOLIX C300 power stations are portable 90,000mAh backup companions that start from $170 (up to 32% off)

By way of its official Amazon storefront, Anker is offering its SOLIX C300 DC Portable Power Station at $169.99 shipped, beating out the brand’s direct website pricing by $20. You’d have to pay $250 for this unit at full price regularly, though discounts in 2025 have seen it go as low as $150, which was last seen in July’s Prime Day Sale event, with things otherwise seen repeating to $170 since June. This is the third-lowest price we have tracked, giving you $80 off the going rate and landing $30 above the all-time low from Black Friday and Christmas sales.

If you want to learn more about this model or get the rundown on its predecessor and bundle options, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

four people enjoying camping in tent with EcoFlow DELTA 2 power station with extra battery bundle

Save up to 62% on DELTA 2 and DELTA Pro bundles, as well as dual solar panels, starting from $499 for 48 hours

Alongside launching its latest Home Backup Sale that is running through August 17, EcoFlow has also launched a 48-hour flash sale that is taking up to 62% off three offers, with things starting lowest on the DELTA 2 Portable Power Station that comes bundled with a smart extra battery for $899 shipped, which beats out its Amazon pricing by $50. This bundle would cost you $1,798 at full price directly from the brand, while we’ve seen it more regularly at $1,289 at Amazon. Discounts this year have seen it fall to $799 back in March, with things otherwise dropping between $849 and $999 during sales. You’re looking at a 50% markdown off its MSRP here and the third-lowest price of 2025, while the savings last through today and tomorrow.

If you want to learn more about this bundle or the two other offers, be sure to check out our original coverage of this flash sale here.

man cutting thick tree branch with Worx 20V JawSaw cordless chainsaw

Worx’s 20V JawSaw chomps through thick branches with a retractable blade at $101

Amazon is offering the best price of the year on Worx’s 20V JawSaw PowerShare Cordless Chainsaw at $101.40 shipped. Most of the past year we’ve seen this more unique chainsaw keeping up at a full $170 rate, which we saw drop to $130 during Black Friday and Christmas sales and more recently fell to $109 at the top of July. While it has dropped as far as $89 in past years, today’s deal comes in lower than we’ve seen in the last 12 months, giving you $69 off the going rate and beating out our previous mention by $8.

If you want to learn more about this unique chainsaw, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Best Summer EV deals!

Aventon Ramblas Electric Mountain Bike: $2,599 (Reg. $2,899)
Ride1Up Prodigy v2 Brose Mid-Drive Gates Belt CVT e-bike: $2,595 (Reg. $2,795)
Ride1Up Revv 1 DRT Off-Road Moped-Style e-bike: $2,395 (Reg. $2,595)
Ride1Up Revv 1 Full Suspension Moped-Style e-bike: $2,395 (Reg. $2,595)
Rad Power RadRunner Max Cargo Utility e-bike with $139 bundle: $2,299 (No price cut)
Segway Xafari Red e-bike: $2,000 (Reg. $2,400)
Velotric Nomad 2 All-Terrain e-bike with $120 bundle (new model): $1,999 (No price cut)
Rad Power Radster Road Commuter e-bike: $1,999 (Reg. $2,199)
Rad Power Radster Trail Off-Road e-bike: $1,999 (Reg. $2,199)
Lectric XPedition 2.0 35Ah Cargo e-bike w/ up to $654 bundle: $1,999 (Reg. $2,653)
Ride1Up Prodigy v2 Brose Mid-Drive 9-Speed e-bike: $1,995 (Reg. $2,495)
Tenways AGO X All-Terrain e-bike with $307 bundle: $1,899 (Reg. $2,499)
Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser e-bike with $150 bundle (new model): $1,799 (No price cut)
Aventon Pace 4 Smart Cruiser e-bike (new model, first discount): $1,699 (Reg. $1,799)
Lectric XPedition 2.0 26Ah Cargo e-bike w/ $505 bundle: $1,699 (Reg. $2,204)
Lectric XPeak 2.0 Long-Range Off-Road e-bike with $316 bundle: $1,699 (Reg. $2,015)
Aventon Aventure 2 All-Terrain e-bike: $1,699 (Reg. $1,999)
Aventon Abound Cargo e-bike: $1,599 (Reg. $1,999)
Rad Power RadRunner Cargo Utility e-bike with $109 bundle: $1,499 (No pirce cut)
Lectric XPeak 2.0 Standard Off-Road e-bike with $227 bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,726)
Lectric XP Trike2 with $227 preorder bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,726)
Rad Power RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,799)
Tenways CGO600 Pro e-bikes with $118 bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
Velotric Nomad 1 Plus All-Terrain e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
Aventon Sinch 2 Folding e-bike (lowest price): $1,399 (Reg. $1,699)
Lectric XPedition 2.0 13Ah Cargo e-bike with $326 bundle: $1,399 (Reg. $1,725)
Aventon Level 2 Commuter e-bike (2025 low): $1,399 (Reg. $1,899)
Ride1Up Roadster V3 Lightweight Premium e-bike: $1,395 (Reg. $1,495)
Velotric T1 ST Plus Lightweight e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,649)
Lectric XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes with $366 bundle: $1,299 (Reg. $1,665)
Lectric XP4 750 LR Folding Utility e-bikes with $356 bundle: $1,299 (Reg. $1,655)
Lectric XP Lite 2.0 JW Black LR e-bike with $365 bundle: $1,099 (Reg. $1,464)
Ride1Up Portola Folding e-bike with BOGO accessory promo: $995 (Reg. $1,095)
Lectric XP4 Standard Folding Utility e-bikes with $79 bundle: $999 (Reg. $1,078)
Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes with up to $365 bundles: $999 (Reg. $1,364)
Heybike Hauler Single-Battery Cargo e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
Rad Power RadExpand 5 Folding e-bike (new low): $999 (Reg. $1,599)
Navee ST3 Pro Electric Scooter (new model): $760 (Reg. $1,014)
ENGWE Engine Pro Folding e-bike (use code 9TO5ENGWE50): $750 (Reg. $1,500)
Navee GT3 Pro Electric Scooter (new model): $520 (Reg. $714)

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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