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Trump Tries to Move Hush-Money Case to Federal Court Before Sentencing

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Trump Tries to Move Hush-Money Case to Federal Court Before Sentencing

Former President Donald J. Trump sought to move his Manhattan criminal case into federal court on Thursday, filing the unusual request three months after he was convicted in state court.

The long-shot bid marks Mr. Trump’s latest effort to stave off his sentencing in state court in his hush-money trial, in which he was convicted of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal.

He is scheduled to receive his punishment on Sept. 18, just seven weeks before Election Day, when he will square off against Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.

“The ongoing proceedings will continue to cause direct and irreparable harm to President Trump — the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election — and voters located far beyond Manhattan,” Mr. Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, wrote in the filing.

Their filing came even as the Trump legal team is awaiting the result of a separate effort to postpone the sentencing; it opened a second front that could complicate the first.

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On Aug. 15, Mr. Trump asked the state court judge who presided over the trial, Juan M. Merchan, to delay the sentencing until after Election Day. Mr. Trump’s lawyers argued that they needed more time to challenge his conviction on the basis of a recent Supreme Court ruling granting presidents broad immunity for official acts.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which won the conviction of Mr. Trump on May 30, has argued that the Supreme Court’s ruling has “no bearing” on their case, which centers on Mr. Trump’s cover- up of a sex scandal involving a porn star. But the Manhattan prosecutors deferred to the judge on whether to delay the sentencing, leaving the door open for Justice Merchan to punt until after the election.

Justice Merchan was expected to rule on the delay request next week, and it is unclear whether Mr. Trump’s federal petition would disrupt that. In the federal filing, the former president’s lawyers asked a judge to find that Justice Merchan was barred by law from sentencing Mr. Trump while their attempt to move the case was underway.

It seemed possible that effort might backfire. If the federal judge does not grant the lawyers’ request, they will have further alienated Justice Merchan as he prepares to sentence their client. Mr. Trump faces up to four years in prison, though he could receive a shorter sentence, or merely probation.

There are signs the federal judge might be skeptical. Mr. Trump already tried — and failed — to move the case to federal court. Last year, soon after the former president was indicted, he asked the same federal judge to remove the case from Justice Merchan, arguing that it concerned official acts as president.

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The judge, Alvin K. Hellerstein, rejected that argument.

“The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely personal item of the president — a cover-up of an embarrassing event,” Judge Hellerstein wrote in an opinion last year. “Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a president’s official acts. It does not reflect in any way the color of the president’s official duties.”

It is unclear how soon Judge Hellerstein might take up Thursday’s request, or whether he will hold a hearing to entertain it. In their filing, Mr. Trump’s lawyers cast aspersions on the New York State court system, saying its procedures had “proven inadequate” to protect federal interests and, if allowed to continue, would “result in further irreparable harm to President Trump.”

The unorthodox filing suggested that Mr. Trump’s lawyers are likely to make any and every attempt they can to delay the sentencing, even if Judge Hellerstein balks.

A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office declined to comment.

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The filing on Thursday captured two of Mr. Trump’s favorite legal strategies: delay, and attacks on Justice Merchan.

The former president has on three occasions sought to oust Justice Merchan from the case, claiming he is biased, and lobbing personal attacks at the judge’s daughter, who is a Democratic political consultant. The judge has rejected each request and assailed the claims as “rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims.”

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New York

As Trump Returns, Murphy Plans to Protect Abortion Access in New Jersey

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As Trump Returns, Murphy Plans to Protect Abortion Access in New Jersey

As he prepares for his final year as governor of New Jersey, Philip D. Murphy on Tuesday proposed banning cellphones in schools and disclosed plans to blunt any additional limits on abortion access by the Trump administration.

Mr. Murphy also said he would work to address last year’s alarming 14 percent increase in roadway fatalities by overhauling the state’s 10 most dangerous intersections.

Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, began his seventh State of the State address in Trenton by acknowledging what he called “the elephant that is not in the room”: President-elect Donald J. Trump.

“I know there is some uncertainty and even concern about what this administration will bring,” the governor said, drawing the first round of applause from the standing-room-only crowd.

Mr. Murphy, who plans to attend Mr. Trump’s inauguration next week, said he “would never back away from partnering with the Trump administration” when doing so aligned with New Jersey’s priorities. But he vowed to fight Mr. Trump “if and when” those values are tested.

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To that end, he said that New Jersey would stockpile a supply of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, in the event that Mr. Trump moved to limit its availability.

Aides to Mr. Murphy said New Jersey’s Department of Health had already begun gathering a six-month “strategic reserve” of medications, including mifepristone, which will be stored with abortion providers.

New Jersey law permits abortion throughout a pregnancy. But the governor also said that he would pursue legislation to end out-of-pocket costs for the procedure, reiterating a proposal he made last year.

As he outlined his priorities for his final year in office, Mr. Murphy said he would push for legislation to provide full pay to state workers on parental leave, make full-day kindergarten mandatory in the small number of towns that do not already offer it and permit 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections.

But perhaps the loudest and most sustained applause came when Mr. Murphy said he would direct school districts to adopt policies that ban cellphones in the state’s elementary, middle and high schools.

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“Our children are inundated with screens,” Mr. Murphy said, adding that cellphone use had fueled a rise in cyberbullying and contributed to a mental health crisis among children.

“We will help establish phone-free schools,” he vowed.

New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, said Monday that she planned to limit cellphone use in schools.

New York and New Jersey join a growing number of states, including Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota, that have moved to limit the use of the devices in schools. Los Angeles Unified became the largest school district in the United States to ban cellphones last year.

Mr. Murphy is prohibited by law from running for more than two consecutive terms, and November’s race to replace him is already in full swing.

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Six prominent Democrats and four Republicans are competing for their party’s nomination to run for governor in the June primaries. The list of contenders includes the mayors of the state’s two largest cities, two members of Congress and a former Republican Assembly member who came within three percentage points of beating Mr. Murphy in 2021.

Indeed, the governor’s speech had a perfunctory air, and members of the audience at times appeared distracted; some repeatedly exited and re-entered the State Assembly chamber throughout the address.

The Republican leader of the State Senate, Anthony M. Bucco, called Mr. Murphy’s address a retread of costly, feel-good policy proposals.

“This state has become more and more and more unaffordable,” Mr. Bucco said.

“The days of spending outside of our means are coming to an end,” he added.

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Still, the hourlong speech offered a window into major challenges facing New Jersey, including last year’s 14 percent increase in roadway fatalities.

Traffic fatalities nationwide have been declining. But last year in New Jersey, there were 691 traffic deaths, up from 606 the year before. Pedestrian fatalities soared by 32 percent.

The increase coincided with a drastic eight-month reduction in traffic enforcement by State Police troopers, who in July 2023 began writing far fewer tickets for speeding, drunken driving, cellphone use and other violations.

The reduced enforcement began a week after the state’s attorney general, Matthew J. Platkin, released a report critical of the performance of the State Police, New Jersey’s largest policing agency.

In August 2023, the first full month of the slowdown, troopers wrote 81 percent fewer tickets statewide, and crashes on the state’s two main highways immediately began to increase, according to records obtained by The New York Times through public records requests.

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Mr. Platkin has appointed Preet Bharara, a prominent former federal prosecutor in Manhattan, to lead a criminal investigation of the slowdown.

Mr. Murphy is the only official in New Jersey with the power to replace the State Police superintendent, Col. Patrick Callahan, who led the department during the slowdown.

On Monday, when asked about the relationship between traffic fatalities and the reduced levels of enforcement, Mr. Murphy said, “If we’re not enforcing the laws on the books, that’s unacceptable.”

But he also worked to shift accountability for the slowdown away from himself and instead place full responsibility on Mr. Platkin and Colonel Callahan.

“It’s on their backs to get this into the right place,” Mr. Murphy said, adding that he had confidence in both men.

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A spokesman for Colonel Callahan did not respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, Mr. Murphy signed a bill that created a commission dedicated to reducing the number of traffic fatalities in New Jersey to zero by 2040.

On Tuesday, he told lawmakers that he would “work with all of you to make New Jersey’s roads safer.”

He also announced plans to “overhaul” 10 of the state’s most dangerous intersections “to keep our families safe and to help prevent avoidable tragedies.”

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Hochul Proposes Cutting Income Taxes for Middle-Class New Yorkers

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Hochul Proposes Cutting Income Taxes for Middle-Class New Yorkers

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York proposed slashing the state’s income tax for most residents as part of a sweeping populist agenda that she planned to outline in her State of the State address on Tuesday.

The speech revolved around a series of proposals, which Ms. Hochul has called her “affordability agenda,” designed to court struggling New Yorkers who voiced their frustration in November and weakened the Democratic Party’s grip on the state.

The tax cut, according to a briefing book released in advance of her speech, would be given to those who earn up to $323,000 per year for joint filers, or 77 percent of the state’s taxpayers. The move would “deliver over $1 billion in tax relief to more than 8.3 million taxpayers,” according to the briefing material.

Ms. Hochul also intends to cut taxes for parents, make school lunch free and give millions of New Yorkers rebates of up to $500 depending on their income.

It was not immediately apparent how many of these proposed programs would be enacted or funded. But it was clear that the re-election of Donald J. Trump had been on her mind as she crafted the address.

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She highlighted proposals to protect the identities of doctors who prescribe anti-abortion drugs and add more state troopers to patrol the northern border. Expectant mothers would also qualify for a $100 monthly benefit during pregnancy; mothers on public assistance would receive an additional $1,200 when their child is born.

The governor, however, seemed to shy away from adopting the kind of “resistance” fervor that characterized responses to Mr. Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.

Ms. Hochul’s reluctance to do so, combined with her push on affordability, may reflect the precariousness of her own political future. Her popularity has plummeted in recent years, and rivals from both parties appear to be preparing to challenge her in 2026.

One potential Republican candidate, Representative Mike Lawler, who represents parts of the Hudson Valley, stood alongside Republicans from the State Legislature Tuesday morning and criticized the governor on a litany of issues, including congestion pricing, which he said only put more financial strain on New York commuters.

“She is a feckless and failed governor who needs to be replaced in 2026,” Mr. Lawler said, later adding that her speech on Tuesday “isn’t about working across the aisle to make New York a better, more affordable, safer place to live.”

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Last month, Siena College released a poll that found that just 33 percent of voters wanted Ms. Hochul re-elected and about 39 percent had a favorable view of her. The poll also showed that about 43 percent of New York voters thought lowering the cost of living should be the Legislature’s top priority this year. Creating more affordable housing was also high on the list of priorities.

Ms. Hochul has seemed to tailor some of her State of the State proposals to those voter concerns. Her proposed “inflation refund” program would route roughly $3 billion in excess sales tax revenue directly to New Yorkers.

And Ms. Hochul’s proposed expansion of the state’s child tax credit would more than double what some families currently receive. In recent years, New York’s poorest families have typically received up to $330 per child. If the plan were enacted, eligible families could get tax credits of up to $1,000 per child under the age of 4. Families with children ages 4 to 16 could get credits of up to $500 per child.

Before the speech, the Erie County executive, Mark C. Poloncarz, applauded Ms. Hochul’s focus on bread-and-butter issues but said she would have to keep promoting her agenda beyond the State of the State address for it to sink in.

“One of the things that you can’t do is make these big announcements, and then that’s it,” he said. “People want to see and know their elected officials. They want to know more than you’re just investing in affordability issues, but that you understand their issues in their communities.”

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Mr. Poloncarz, a Democrat, added that the governor needed to remind people that “the Democratic Party is the party of the working class. We’re the ones that brought Social Security, we’re the ones who came up with Medicare. We’re the ones of the Affordable Care Act, which the prior administration tried to eliminate.”

The proposed tax cuts and refunds come as the state contemplates how to plug a multibillion-dollar funding hole for infrastructure improvements to public transit. Last month, Carl E. Heastie, the Assembly speaker, and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Senate majority leader, rejected the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s capital proposal, citing in part the plan’s $33 billion deficit.

“Everything will have to be on the table,” Ms. Stewart-Cousins said when asked on Monday if new taxes to fund regional transit were under consideration.

Ms. Hochul said in papers accompanying the speech that she wants “a balanced mix of federal, state, city and M.T.A. contributions in line with historical practice, alongside new revenue sources to be agreed during budget negotiations this spring and cost efficiencies to be achieved by the M.T.A.”

Crime continues to be another pressing concern for New York voters, especially in the New York City subway, where a number of violent incidents have drawn attention to rider safety. Ms. Hochul wants to fund more lights and barriers on platforms, along with deploying more law enforcement officers on trains. She also wants to tweak and streamline how the discovery process works in preparation for trials.

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And she is expected to elaborate on her efforts to loosen the standards for involuntary commitment and expand laws relating to court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment for people with mental illness. Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has been a major proponent of these changes, saying they will go a long way toward addressing some of the perceived disorder on the trains and will help vulnerable people.

Brian Stettin, Mr. Adams’s senior adviser on severe mental illness, said in an interview that Ms. Hochul’s public comments had been encouraging and showed an urgency about the problems that outreach workers and others were confronting.

“Her comments have been consistent with what’s in our package,” he said. “But we are waiting to see the details.”

The governor will also propose spending $400 million to breathe new life into Albany’s struggling downtown, including $150 million for the aging New York State Museum. The proposed funds for the state’s capital were earlier reported by The Albany Times Union.

Jay Root and Maya King contributed reporting.

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Hochul’s State of the State Address Will Examine New York’s Future, and Her Own

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Hochul Proposes Cutting Income Taxes for Middle-Class New Yorkers

As Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York prepares to deliver her State of the State address on Tuesday, her priorities seem firmly focused on the voter frustrations that fueled Donald J. Trump’s election to the presidency in November.

Over the last month, Ms. Hochul has announced proposals to cut taxes for parents, make school lunch free and give millions of New Yorkers rebates of up to $500 depending on their income. These ideas have all been packaged as part of an “affordability agenda.”

And on Tuesday, Ms. Hochul is expected to announce a new series of middle-class tax cuts, and devote a portion of her speech to efforts to combat crime and mental illness.

“You tell us you need help; we hear you need help,” Ms. Hochul said earlier this month when previewing some of the proposals that will be included in her speech and her executive budget, which will come out next week. “We’re going to continue delivering real solutions that make a difference.”

Ms. Hochul, a centrist Democrat, is also expected to reinforce the notion that New York will protect vulnerable groups from aggressive policies adopted by the incoming Trump administration, especially concerning recent immigrants, according to someone familiar with her planned speech.

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The governor, however, has no plans to adopt the kind of “resistance” fervor that characterized responses to Mr. Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, the person said.

Ms. Hochul’s reticence may reflect the precariousness of her own political future. Her popularity has plummeted in recent years, and rivals from both parties appear to be preparing to challenge her in 2026.

One potential Republican candidate, U.S. Representative Mike Lawler, who represents parts of the Hudson Valley, will be in Albany on Tuesday to offer his party’s rebuttal to her remarks, alongside Republicans from the State Legislature.

Mr. Lawler has bashed the governor on congestion pricing, crime and a litany of other issues, and is certain to do the same on Tuesday.

Last month, Siena College released a poll that found that just 33 percent of voters wanted Ms. Hochul re-elected and about 39 percent had a favorable view of her. The poll also showed that about 43 percent of New York voters think lowering the cost of living should be the Legislature’s top priority this year. Creating more affordable housing was also high on the list of priorities.

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Ms. Hochul has seemed to tailor some of her State of the State proposals to those voter concerns. Her proposed “inflation refund” program would route roughly $3 billion in excess sales tax revenue directly to New Yorkers.

And Ms. Hochul’s proposed expansion of the state’s child tax credit would more than double what some families currently receive. In recent years, New York’s poorest families have typically received up to $330 per child. If the plan were enacted, eligible families could get tax credits of up to $1,000 per child under the age of 4. Families with children ages 4 to 16 could get credits of up to $500 per child.

These proposed tax cuts and refunds come as the state contemplates how to plug a multibillion-dollar funding hole for infrastructure improvements to public transit. Last month, Carl E. Heastie, the Assembly speaker, and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Senate majority leader, rejected the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s capital proposal, citing in part the plan’s $33 billion deficit.

“Everything will have to be on the table,” Ms. Stewart-Cousins said when asked on Monday if new taxes to fund regional transit were under consideration.

Crime continues to be another pressing concern for New York voters, especially in the New York City subway, where a number of violent incidents have drawn attention to rider safety. Ms. Hochul is expected to use her speech to propose adding more lights and barriers on platforms, along with deploying more law enforcement officers on trains.

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She is also expected to elaborate on her efforts to loosen the standards for involuntary commitment and expand laws relating to court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment for people with mental illness. Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has been a major proponent of these changes, saying they will go a long way toward addressing some of the perceived disorder on the trains and will help vulnerable people.

Brian Stettin, Mr. Adams’s senior adviser on severe mental illness, said in an interview that Ms. Hochul’s public comments had been encouraging and showed an urgency about the problems that outreach workers and others were confronting.

“Her comments have been consistent with what’s in our package,” he said. “But we are waiting to see the details.”

The governor will also propose spending $400 million to breathe new life into Albany’s struggling downtown, including $150 million for the aging New York State Museum. The proposed funds for the state’s capital were earlier reported by The Albany Times Union.

Jay Root contributed reporting.

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