Raw Story

Former President Donald Trump will struggle to retain his composure as he testifies at his civil fraud trial in New York — in large part because his entire public image as a successful businessman hangs in the balance of this case, argued CNN legal analyst Paula Reid on Monday morning.

Reid offered her analysis as Trump entered the building and the trial proceedings began — and as Judge Arthur Engoron swiftly ordered Trump's attorneys to control his commentary.

"He has started answering questions and facing questions from the state's attorney at this point," said anchor John Berman, turning to Reid. "What are you hearing from inside of the courtroom?"

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"Well, he has been asked a couple of the preliminary questions, what was his role in a certain year, and I mean, the stuff that you would ask any witness before beginning testimony, and we expect that most of the questions today will focus on the valuation of the property, and properties like 40 Wall Street, his Doral golf club, and also Mar-a-Lago, and that's one that is really sensitive for him," said Reid.

"We have heard him talk about this as he is entering the courtroom, and the judge has found that the value around that property is $18 million and something that Trump and the lawyers have taken issue with," Reid continued. "And the challenge for Trump while he is under questioning for prosecutor is to be composed and stick to the script that the lawyers have guided him through for the preparation, which is to emphasize that there are disclaimers in all of the valuation, and also to emphasize the valuing properties is an art and not a science."

That being said, Reid continued, "This case gets to something very close to his heart, which is his identity as a business tycoon, and we know that he has pretty thin skin, and so this is a test for him if he can remain composed. We know he can do this, because he has taken the witness stand many, many years before long before he was a candidate for White House, and right now while he is on the witness stand, the political and legal interests diverge, and we will see if he can keep the answers concise, honest and hopefully along the lines that the lawyers have prepared him to say."

Watch the video below or at this link.

Paula Reid says Trump's very "identity" is being challenged www.youtube.com

Michael Cohen said he barely recognized Donald Trump when he saw him in court during his New York fraud trial.

The former president's longtime attorney testified against him two weeks ago in the $250 million fraud lawsuit filed by state attorney general Letitia James, and Cohen told Salon columnist Brian Karem that Trump seemed to be a shell of himself.

"He didn't look good at all," Cohen said. "In fact, he looked beaten up and weathered. He looked really disheveled and really just different. He looked like somebody had just sucked the life out of him."

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"Rest assured, this New York case is really affecting him, specifically because it's about his money," Cohen added. "His money is his id, his ego, his superego, all combined into one narcissistic sociopath who for the last, what, 70-plus years — let's just say his whole life has been predicated on his wealth and his standing. What this attorney general case threatens to do is to basically expose the emperor without his clothes and, according to Stormy Daniels, that's not a pretty picture."

Judge Arthur Engoron has already found Trump liable for fraud, and the trial will determine what penalties he will pay – and Cohen predicted those would be ruinous.

"How much money is the state going to fine him as a direct result of the actions that he took with those statements of financial condition?" Cohen said. "We know that it is a baseline. The bottom number is $250 million. Mind you, that doesn't even begin to touch the additional disgorgement that they're going to be looking for, nor does it take into consideration the fines and the penalties associated with this type of a case. So, I suspect it's going to be substantially more than the $250 million. In fact, I've been so bold as to make a prediction that it'll be between $600 and $700 million."

"Mind you, he does not have that in equity," he added. "So when these assets get sold — remember, he is low-basis in most if not all of these assets — take the tax implications and then subtract from that the outstanding mortgages that may exist. Technically, there's nothing left."

Imagine a grand house on a hill, after dark on an autumn night. As the door opens, an organ pierces through the thick silence and echoes through the cavernous halls.

The tune that comes to many minds will be Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, an organ work composed in the early 18th century. Most people today recognize it as a sonic icon of a certain type of fear: haunting and archaic, the kind of thing likely to be manufactured by someone – a ghost, perhaps – wearing a tuxedo and lurking in an abandoned mansion.

Bach could not have thought that his nearly 9-minute organ piece would become so strongly associated with haunted houses and sinister machinations. As a musicologist whose current research is focused on the musical representation of mystery, I see the story of this song as a classic example of how the meaning, use and purpose of music can change over time.

30 seconds of sheer suspense

Bach was a technically skilled musical craftsman and a scholar of composition. In his work, he sought to dutifully serve his employer, whether that was a Lutheran church, a royal court or a town council. He wasn’t like the famous composers of later eras – Mozart, Haydn, Liszt – who used their talents to build fame and increase their influence.

As Bach scholar Christoph Wolff has pointed out, Toccata and Fugue belongs to the repertory of virtuosic show pieces that Bach created to exhibit his own prowess as an organ player.

For Bach, who left no documents pertaining to this piece, the work would have been merely functional, a way to show the abilities of the organ and to put his talent to good use – not indicative of emotions, stories or other ideas.

The music of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue owes much of its spookiness to the drama it employs: Harmonically, it is set in a somber minor mode that is generally aligned with more negative emotions such as sadness, nostalgia, loss and despair.

Within this minor mode, a striking melodic contour is unleashed. The piece’s first pitch is the fifth scale degree instead of the first pitch of the scale. The unexpected note creates uncertainty. Then there’s a quick descent down the D minor scale after the initial flickering ornament.

Add to this the silent background and the pregnant pauses between musical phrases, and the first 30 seconds are sheer suspense. A heavily contrasting texture – with lots of notes stacked up on each other – follows, introducing sonic clashes and rich harmony that swell with power.

The piece moves quickly after this arresting beginning, relentlessly following a pattern of solo figures interspersed with massive, pounding chords.

The organ’s haunting effect

The sounds of the pipe organ further enhance the piece’s spooky sound.

During the Baroque era – roughly 1600 to 1750 – the organ reached the height of its popularity. At the time, it was one of humankind’s most technologically advanced instruments, and musicians routinely performed organ music during church services and in concerts held at churches.

But as musicologist Edmond Johnson has explained, many instruments preferred in the Baroque era, such as the organ and the harpsichord, had become out of fashion by the 19th century, stashed in storage rooms where they gathered dust.

When music historians and ancient music revivalists first brought these instruments out for public performances after more than a century in storage, the now unfamiliar instruments sounded archaic and creaky to audiences.

Musicologist Carolyn Abbate has argued that music can be “sticky,” collecting new meanings as contexts change and time passes. You can see this in the way Schubert’s famous “Ave Maria”– originally written as accompaniment to the words of Walter Scott’s poem “Lady of the Lake” – became associated with Catholic devotional music. Or the way Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” morphed from an underappreciated neo-Romantic ballet in 19th-century Russia to a popular annual Christmas tradition in the U.S.

A song that stuck

So how did the piece become associated with Halloween?

One landmark film likely contributed to the impression that Bach’s Toccata and Fugue portends something nefarious: the 1931 release of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Rouben Mamoulian’s famous adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel uses Bach’s Toccata in the opening credits.

The piece sets a tone of suspense and suggests the depths of evil that Dr. Jekyll will encounter in his experiments. In the film, Dr. Jekyll is portrayed as an amateur organist who enjoys playing Bach’s music, so it is easy for a listener to apply the dramatic, suspenseful and complex nature of the Toccata to Dr. Jekyll and his alter ego.

Since then, the music has also been used in other spooky films and video games, including “The Black Cat” (1934) and the “Dark Castle” video game series.

Though Bach himself would not have thought of Toccata and Fugue in D minor as spooky, its origins as an innocuous concert piece won’t prevent it from sending a shiver down people’s spines every Halloween.

Megan Sarno is assistant professor of music at the University of Texas at Arlington. She was previously visiting assistant professor of music at Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges. She earned her PhD at Princeton University in 2016.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis never wanted to prosecute 19 people for a massive conspiracy to overturn Georgia's presidential election, experts say. She wanted 18 witnesses and just one defendant – former President Donald Trump.

"This has been Willis’ strategy the whole time,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Salon on Thursday. “She wanted 18 guilty pleas and one trial against Donald Trump.”

Considering that Willis has already secured deals with three Trump attorneys and a bail bondsman, news that she's also discussed pleas with six more defendants shows that the strategy is working, Pace University law professor Bennett Gershman told Salon.

“The D.A.’s strategy is working almost to perfection," Gershman said. "She is continuing to build momentum.”

Gershman goes on to explain that each new plea deal adds pressure on the remaining holdouts to cop pleas for themselves.

“Several other co-defendants, seeing the others plead guilty and the far riskier consequences of not pleading and facing trial, will also take pleas and cooperate," he predicted.

Willis in August filed a 41-count indictment accusing the 19 of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization act, court records show.

The top racketeering charge comes with a 20-year maximum prison sentence, typically doled out to organized crime magnates usually charged with RICO act violations.

That hefty sentence represents yet another ace in Willis's hand, as she's not going after mob bosses but attorneys and political operatives who've never before faced the prospect of time behind bars, argued Rahmani.

"Taking a no-time misdemeanor or felony deal is a no-brainer for co-defendants,” Rahmani said. “The offer is too good to pass up."

Texas attorney Paul Saputo contends Trump might be able to prove he didn't know 18 people were conspiring to break the law on his behalf, but it's not a great challenge to face.

Said Saputo, "Eventually, even a Trump card can't pull a joker out of the hat.”

Rep. Jim Jordan's (R-OH) bid for the speakership is in grave peril after he lost for the third time on Friday by an even wider margin than on the first two ballots.

Jordan's allies aren't giving up, however, and they are launching desperate new plans to save his campaign.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Jordan's allies now want to have a secret ballot within the conference to gauge his true support among members, which they hope will show Jordan's nemeses within the party that they are a small minority.

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“If he is still the designee, we come back and vote – and that’s the will of the conference,” said Jordan ally Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). “It’s not one person dragging everybody through this."

An even wilder plan is being pushed by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), one of the eight Republicans who voted earlier this month to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker.

In a letter posted on her Twitter account, Mace said that she and the other eight Republicans who voted to give McCarthy the boot would be willing to accept "censure, suspension or removal from the conference" at the hands of their fellow Republicans so long as they voted to make Jordan speaker.

However, there is a problem with Mace's letter: Namely, not everyone who supposedly signed it appears to be on board.

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who voted to oust McCarthy and who has also declined to back Jordan, told conservative journalist Michael Warren that he did not sign the letter despite the fact that his name is on it.

Editor's note: This report has been updated to include a response from GOP U.S. Rep. Ken Buck.

House Republicans who voted to remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker now say they are willing to accept punishment, including censure, suspension, or removal from the GOP conference itself, if Republican "holdouts" opposed to Jim Jordan flip and vote for him to become Speaker.

"So we've made them an offer," U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), the leader of the effort that successfully ousted McCarthy, said on the steps of Capitol Hill Friday. "The eight of us have said that we are willing to accept censure, sanction, suspension, removal from the Republican conference."

"But if what these holdouts need is a pound of our flesh, we're willing to give it to them in order to see them elect Jim Jordan for Speaker," Gaetz declared. He added, "for those who are holding out we would simply ask you what do you want, other than for us to suffer some consequence which we stand ready to endure."

He did not say if their offer required all "holdouts" to vote for Jordan, or just enough to hand the far-right Ohio Judiciary Chairman the gavel.

READ MORE: ‘This Is All a Game for a Lot of Them’: MSNBC Conservative Slams GOP as Jordan Fails Again

Calling Jordan "an inspirational Republican candidate for House Speaker," Gaetz, who has indicated he wants to run for governor of Florida, did some campaigning on the Capitol steps.

"I think the world was on fire when America sat atop a $33 trillion debt with no plan to reduce spending. I think the world was on fire as we watched the dollar just continue to slip away in its status as the global reserve currency."

In a Friday "Dear Colleague" letter (below) the far-right Republicans affirm they stand by their actions but acknowledge their "Motion to Vacate the Speaker has caused rancor, hurt feelings and acrimony in the House Republican Conference."

"It has been suggested the Conference cannot move forward until there are consequences for each of us," and that "some in the Conference wish to punish us."

They write, "if the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jordan would be willing to 'vote with the team' and elect him the 56th House Speaker, we are prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference to accomplish this objective."

READ MORE: ‘Red Herring’: Death Threats Against GOP Lawmakers Are Overblown Says Top Jordan Ally

The letter includes the following names: Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, and Matt Rosendale. But U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who is opposed to Jordan, quickly responded saying he did not agree to add his name.

The Dispatch's Mike Warren reports: "Just asked Ken Buck why he's on this letter. 'I'm not,' he said."

Meanwhile., CNN's Melanie Zanona observed they are, "Basically offering themselves as tribute in last-ditch attempt to help Jordan."

Watch the video and read their letter below or at this link.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): “The 8 of us have said that we are willing to accept censure, sanction, suspension, removal from the Republican conference… If what these holdouts need is a pound of our flesh, we're willing to give it to them...to see them elect Jim Jordan for Speaker.” pic.twitter.com/DaWKebHhhR
— The Recount (@therecount) October 20, 2023

BREAKING: All 8 Republicans Who Voted to Remove McCarthy From Speakership Are Willing to Accept “Censure, Suspension, or Removal From the Conference” In Order to Elect @Jim_Jordan as Speaker
“If the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jim Jordan would be willing to… pic.twitter.com/FKBKrzgwvc — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) October 20, 2023