The Daily Signal - Former Trump Lawyer Cohen Testifies at Trial, Israel Attacks Northern Gaza, Billy Graham Statue Unveiled | May 13

Starting point is 00:00:02 I'm Brian Godstein, and this is the Daily Signal Top News for Monday, May 13th. Here are today's headlines. The White House has instructed federal agencies to use a template for determining the cost of implementing President Joe Biden's executive order that mandates those agencies encourage voter participation. This is according to government emails obtained by the Daily Signal and an exclusive report by the Daily Signal's Fred Lucas. Critics use the term Bidenbucks to refer to. to the President's controversial executive order from 2021 that directs federal agencies such as the Department

Starting point is 00:00:51 of Agriculture to get involved in elections. The order requires federal agencies to participate in voter registration activities and to help third-party organizations perform those activities on agency premises. Implementing the order could involve spending government funds or accepting voluntary services from these approved third-party organizations. Such activity could violate the Anti-Deficiency Act, a law that prohibits federal officials from spending money in ways not approved by Congress, and that prohibits federal agencies from accepting voluntary service from individuals. The Daily Signal obtained 73 pages of emails from the Department of Agriculture that prominently mentioned meetings and guidance from demos, one of these

Starting point is 00:01:37 government-approved third-party organizations. The left-wing think tank actually drafted Biden's executive order to agencies. President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified at Trump's New York hush money trial on Monday. Cohen, who was disbarred in 2019 over campaign finance violations, among other charges, said in his testimony Monday that he secretly recorded Trump in September 2016 before the presidential election. The recording was about a payment made to National Inquirer publisher David Pecker.

Starting point is 00:02:13 According to Fox News, in the recording, Cohen said that Trump needed to open up a company for the transfer of all that info regarding our friend David. Trump said in response, so what do we got to pay for this? 150? According to Cohen's testimony, Pecker had paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal, $150,000 to purchase her story that she had an affair with Trump. Pecker then killed the story so it would never be published. Cohen said in his testimony on Monday that Trump knew Pecker had purchased the rights to McDougal's claims of an affair and had agreed to pay the $150,000. The New York case revolves around Trump's alleged falsification of business records regarding the payment of the alleged hush money to McDougal, as well as pornographic film performer Stormy Daniels. The city of San Francisco has come under fire for its.

Starting point is 00:03:10 multi-million dollar program to give free alcohol to homeless alcoholics. The California City's managed alcohol program, operated by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, is distributing limited amounts of free alcohol. It says it's meant to prevent serious side effects of withdrawal. Proponents of the program have said that it reduces hospital visits to keep alcoholics in a safe location and give them limited amounts of booze. Some critics have blasted the program for being an ineffectual waste of taxpayer resources, as well as the opposite of helpful for alcoholics. Tom Wolfe, founder of the Pacific Alliance for Prevention and Recovery,

Starting point is 00:03:51 and a recovering heroin addict himself said in an interview with Fox and Friends First, it's not a good idea. Not when you consider the fact that over the last four years, San Francisco spent $20 million to basically service a total of a couple hundred people by giving them free vodka and beer. For that amount of money, we could have funded 60 drug treatment beds instead. Wolf said that he doesn't see a recovery endpoint for the program and that it will actually end up keeping people stuck as alcoholics

Starting point is 00:04:24 with no real road to recovery. He said the actual goal of any program should be full recovery, not just spending money to reduce hospital visits. The Israeli military has ratcheted up its attack on northern Gaza in its effort to defeat the terrorist group Hamas. This is occurring at the same time the Israel Defense Force battles Hamas in Rafa, which is in southern Gaza. According to Israeli officials, the attacks are occurring in northern Gaza because Hamas is trying to re-establish operations in some areas that the Israeli military has already fought over.

Starting point is 00:04:59 According to Reuters, Israeli military spokesman, Admiral Daniel Hagar, told reporters that Israel identified attempts by Hamas to rehabilitate its military. military capabilities in Jabalia and is working to stop those attempts. The Biden administration has condemned Israel's military offensive into Rafah and has said the U.S. will restrict weapons and supply shipments that would be used in the operation. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that the White House's view is that any kind of major Rafa ground operation would actually strengthen Hamas's hands at the negotiating table, not Israel's. According to the United Nations, about 300,000 people have fled over the past week from Rafa.

Starting point is 00:05:45 A statue to influential evangelical preacher Billy Graham is being unveiled in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall Collection this week. The Daily Signals, Tyler O'Neill, wrote about the unveiling, and wrote that Graham staged more than 400 crusades, televised events, and rallies in more than 185 countries and territories. and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association credits him with preaching the gospel to an estimated 215 million people around the world. Born before World War I ended, he lived until 2018, nine months shy of his 100th birthday. He prayed with every president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. House Speaker Mike Johnson and other legislators are set to attend the unveiling of the statue on Thursday. And that'll do it for today's episode. Thanks for listening to The Daily Signal's Top News.

Starting point is 00:06:38 If you haven't gotten a chance, be sure to check out our morning show right here in this podcast feed, where we interview lawmakers, experts, and leading conservative voices. Also, make sure you subscribe to the Daily Signal wherever you get your podcast and help us to reach more listeners by leaving a five-star rating and review. We read all of your feedback. Thanks again for listening. Have a great night, and we'll be back with you all tomorrow. morning. The Daily Signal podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Executive producers are Rob Bluey and Kate Trinko. Hosts are Virginia Allen, Brian Gottstein, Mary Margaret O'Lehan, and

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The Daily Signal - Former Trump Lawyer Cohen Testifies at Trial, Israel Attacks Northern Gaza, Billy Graham Statue Unveiled | May 13

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