Elections
Trump trial strategically set for day before Super Tuesday
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers advocated for a trial start date in April of 2026; U.S. district Judge Tanya Chutkan, however, set the date for March 4, just one day before Super Tuesday. The trial is for the federal charges related to the allegations of attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
He has been charged with four counts in the case: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. He is also facing 13 felony charges, including conspiracy to commit forgery, filing false documents, solicitation of violation of oath by public officer, and violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Details of how the trial is to occur were released Monday. Trump will appear before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee at 9:30 a.m., followed by former Trump lawyer and New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani who will be arraigned shortly after, at 9:45am. The remaining defendants will continue at 15-minute intervals, expected to conclude at approximately 3:15pm.
The judge said last week he will allow cameras and recording devices from local TV affiliates in the courtroom for the proceedings. National Review reports:
The arraignments come as Trump and his co-defendants surrendered to authorities at the Rice Street jail last week ahead of the August 25 deadline. The normal process for defendants who are booked at the jail includes a search, medical screening, fingerprinting, and mug shot. Floyd, the former Black Voices director, was the only defendant who was kept in jail, after he was unable to secure his release on bond.
Trump agreed to a bond deal that would see him post $200,000 as a condition of his release, including $80,000 for racketeering and $10,000 for each of his other twelve counts. He paid a local bonding company 10 percent of the amount to post his bond, according to CNN.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is now acknowledging the unintended consequences of the healthcare legislation, particularly its impact on industry consolidation and rising healthcare prices.
Warren, who has been a vocal proponent of Obamacare, has recently had what the Wall Street Journal reported as an “epiphany” regarding the consequences of the healthcare law. In a letter addressed to the Health and Human Services Department inspector general, Warren, along with Senator Mike Braun of Indiana, expressed concerns about vertically-integrated healthcare companies potentially increasing prescription drug costs and evading federal regulations.
According to reports from Fox News, the bipartisan letter highlighted issues with the nation’s largest health insurers allegedly bypassing Obamacare’s medical loss ratio (MLR). According to Warren, these insurers, through vertical integration, have manipulated the system, leading to “sky-high prescription drug costs and excessive corporate profits.”
The senators detailed how conglomerates, like UnitedHealth Group, with ownership across various healthcare sectors, could inflate medical payments to pharmacies and, by realizing those payments on the pharmacy side, appear to comply with MLR requirements while retaining more profits.
Moreover, despite the Democrats’ argument that the MLR would benefit patients, it has incentivized insurers to merge with or acquire pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), retail and specialty pharmacies, and healthcare providers. This, in turn, has made healthcare spending less transparent, as insurers can allegedly shift profits to their affiliates by increasing reimbursements.
Warren, who has consistently voted against Obamacare repeal efforts, notably advocated for a “Medicare for All” proposal during her 2020 presidential campaign. Despite her prior support for the healthcare law, Warren’s recent concerns about its unintended consequences have raised questions about the long-term effects of Obamacare and its impact on the healthcare industry.
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