Judge sets Trump’s sentencing for Jan. 10, 2024, indicating he won’t face jail time despite felony conviction.

In an extraordinary turn, a judge Friday set President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money criminal case for Jan. 10 — little over a week before he’s due to return to the White House — but indicated he wouldn’t be jailed.

The development nevertheless leaves Trump on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felony crimes.

Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, signaled in a written decision that he’d sentence the former and future president to what’s known as an unconditional discharge, in which a conviction stands but the case is closed without jail time, a fine or probation. Trump can appear virtually for sentencing, if he chooses.

Rejecting Trump’s push to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds and because of his impending second term, Merchan wrote that only “bringing finality to this matter” would serve the interests of justice.

He said he sought to balance Trump’s ability to govern, “unencumbered” by the case, against other interests: the U.S. Supreme Court’s July ruling on presidential immunity and the public’s expectation “that all are equal and no one is above the law,” and the importance of respecting a jury verdict.

“This court is simply not persuaded that the first factor outweighs the others at this stage of the proceeding,” Merchan wrote in an 18-page decision.

Trump lashed out at Merchan on his Truth Social platform Friday, writing that it “would be the end of the Presidency as we know it” if the judge’s ruling is allowed to stand.

He repeated his claims that the case was an “illegitimate political attack” and “nothing but a Rigged Charade” perpetuated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat. He didn’t elaborate on potential next legal moves.

Bragg’s office declined to comment on Merchan’s ruling.

Former Manhattan Judge Diane Kiesel said the ruling can’t be appealed under New York law, but Trump nonetheless might try to appeal it. In any event, he can appeal his conviction — a step that can’t be taken until he is sentenced — but he won’t be able to pardon himself. Trump’s case was tried in state court, but presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes.

Trump takes office Jan. 20 as the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.

The Republican was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records.

The charges involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s first campaign in 2016. The payout was made to keep her from publicizing claims she’d had sex with the married Trump years earlier. He says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong.

The case centered on how Trump accounted for reimbursing his personal attorney at the time, Michael Cohen, for the Daniels payment. Cohen on Friday called Merchan’s decision to go ahead with the sentencing “judicious and appropriate.”

The conviction left Trump, 78, facing the possibility of punishment ranging from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison. His sentencing initially was set for last July 11, then postponed twice at the defense’s request.

Then, after Trump’s Nov. 5 election, Merchan delayed the sentencing again so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case.

Trump’s lawyers urged Merchan to toss it. They said it would otherwise pose unconstitutional “disruptions” to the incoming president’s ability to run the country.

Prosecutors acknowledged there should be some accommodation for his upcoming presidency, but they insisted the conviction should stand.

They suggested various options, such as freezing the case during his term or guaranteeing him a no-jail sentence. They also proposed closing the case while formally noting both his conviction and his undecided appeal — a novel idea drawn from what some state courts do when criminal defendants die while appealing their cases.

Merchan ruled that Trump’s current status as president-elect does not afford him the same immunity as a sitting president. Setting the verdict aside and dismissing the case would be a “drastic” step and would “undermine the Rule of Law in immeasurable ways,” Merchan wrote.

Before Trump’s November election, his lawyers sought to reverse his conviction for a different reason: the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, which gave presidents broad protection from criminal prosecution.

Trump was a private citizen — campaigning for president, but neither elected nor sworn in — when Cohen paid Daniels in October 2016. He was president when Cohen was reimbursed, and Cohen testified that they discussed the repayment arrangement in the Oval Office.

The Trump hush money attorneys contended that the jury got some evidence that should have been shielded by presidential immunity. Merchan later rejected that argument, but in the meantime, the election raised new issues.

While urging Merchan to nix the conviction, Trump also sought to move the case to federal court, where he could also assert immunity. A federal judge repeatedly said no, but Trump appealed.

The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial.

Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases. One pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss; the other alleged he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

A separate, state-level election interference case in Georgia is in limbo after an appeals court removed prosecutor Fani Willis from the case.

Trump’s lawyers argued that Smith’s decision to dismiss the federal indictments against Trump should propel a dismissal of the New York hush money case, as well. But Merchan said he found that argument unpersuasive, noting that the hush money case was in a “vastly” different stage.

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Modi govt will thank Sullivan for his push to India-US ties. NSA Doval has already had two conversations with incoming NSA Mike Waltz.

New Delhi: Outgoing US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will be holding the third round of initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) dialogue with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday to maintain the strategic convergence between two natural allies and push for high technology transfer to India.

While some may think that it will be a farewell call from Sullivan, it is understood that the two sides will discuss how to operationalize the Middle-East Economic Corridor, which has been hit by the conflict in Gaza. Top officials say that the MEEC is all set to take off with Israel managing to emasculate Iran-backed militias in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria and signatories to Trump backed Abraham Accords are ready to join the economic wagon.

Even though NSA Ajit Doval has had two telephonic conversations with incoming US NSA Mike Waltz, India will lay out the red carpet for NSA Sullivan with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting him and his national security planners feting him as the outgoing top official of the Biden administration has gone out of his way to provide India access to critical technologies as well as bring India-US close on strategic ties.

During his soon to be completed tenure, Sullivan not only pushed for the F-414 jet engine deal between US defence major GE and India’s HAL, he also supported India on manufacture of semiconductors as an alternate global supply chain to China’s growing dominance. His support for US high-tech telecom technologies, weapon platforms, quantum computing and space for India has been noted by PM Modi and the Indian strategic community.

However, Sullivan, despite his young age, played a key part in putting pressure on Pakistan on cross-border terrorism against India and he also was the peacemaker when India-US tempers flared up on the Khalistani terrorist G S Pannun issue last year. The US NSA ensured that the India-US ties did not get derailed by daily anti-India rants by Pannun and also made sure that the Biden administration understood India’s sensitivities on Khalistani terrorism in Punjab and perceived support to these elements from Canada and UK.

In end-2024, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also paid a visit to Washington and met all top officials of the outgoing administration as well as new NSA Mike Waltz. The Indian Minister did not meet all those officials of the incoming Trump administration who need to be ratified by Capitol Hill. These meetings were planned well in advance so that there is no hic-up in India-US ties during the transition period.

Reports indicate a rapid spread of HMPV in China, which presents symptoms similar to flu and Covid-19, raising concerns among health officials.

Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed that hospitals in China are overwhelmed by a surge in respiratory illnesses, including human metapneumovirus (HMPV). Social media posts claim that outbreaks of multiple viruses—HMPV, influenza A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Covid–19—have led to overcrowded hospitals and cemeteries.

Reports indicate a rapid spread of HMPV, which presents symptoms similar to flu and Covid-19, raising concerns among health officials. Videos showed crowded hospitals, with unverified claims of a state of emergency in China. The situation has sparked fears of a potential pandemic five years after Covid-19 disrupted global life.

However, no credible sources have confirmed these claims. Chinese health authorities and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have not reported a new pandemic or issued any emergency warnings. The WHO has also not declared any health crisis related to HMPV.

All you need to know about HMPV
The American Lung Association identifies human metapneumovirus (HMPV) as a significant cause of acute respiratory infections. Discovered in 2001 by researchers in the Netherlands, HMPV typically spreads through close contact with infected individuals, either via respiratory secretions from coughing or sneezing or by touching contaminated surfaces like toys or doorknobs.

In the United States, HMPV tends to circulate more frequently during the winter and spring months, coinciding with the prevalence of other respiratory infections such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and the flu.

Symptoms of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) can vary in severity and commonly include cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, and sore throat. Some individuals may also experience wheezing and shortness of breath (dyspnea). In certain cases, a rash may also develop as part of the infection.

Who does it affect and how?
Children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications from HMPV infection.

The virus spreads through close contact with an infected person or by touching contaminated surfaces.

HMPV typically causes cold-like symptoms that generally resolve on their own within 2-5 days.

Most cases of HMPV in children occur in those aged 5 years or younger. A small percentage (5-16%) may develop lower respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia.

Who is at risk?
HMPV can lead to both upper and lower respiratory illnesses across all age groups. However, it is particularly prevalent among young children and the elderly, where it is more likely to progress into conditions such as bronchiolitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia.

While having a history of lung diseases like asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), or emphysema does not increase the likelihood of contracting HMPV, these conditions can worsen the severity of symptoms once infected. The same applies to individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those undergoing chemotherapy or recovering from organ transplants.

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