{"id":1133761,"date":"2021-12-20T10:50:13","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T15:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1133761"},"modified":"2021-12-20T10:50:15","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T15:50:15","slug":"ghislaine-maxwell-trial-draws-to-a-close","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ghislaine-maxwell-trial-draws-to-a-close\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghislaine Maxwell Trial Draws To A Close"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fghislaine-maxwell-trial-draws-to-a-close%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1133761&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"p1\">It\u2019s Monday, December 20th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">1) Ghislaine Maxwell Trial Draws To A Close<\/p>\n<p>The Topline: Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s defense team rested its case after just two days, setting up closing arguments to begin today.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-319867\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-319867\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Andrew-SavulichNY-Daily-News-Archive-via-Getty-Images.jpeg\" alt width=\"600\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/12\/Andrew-SavulichNY-Daily-News-Archive-via-Getty-Images.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/12\/Andrew-SavulichNY-Daily-News-Archive-via-Getty-Images-300x169.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-319867\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrew Savulich\/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>The Trial<\/p>\n<p>The Ghislaine Maxwell trial was expected to last up to six weeks, but the defense rested its case on Friday, ending testimony after 12 trial days \u2013 the defense took only 2. On Monday, closing arguments will be made by both sides, and the outcome could be known as early as Tuesday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Maxwell is accused of trafficking underage girls across state lines for deceased businessman Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell declined to testify on her own behalf. The judge asked her why, explaining that it was her choice, and she claimed that since the prosecution had not proven their case beyond reasonable doubt, there was no reason for her to testify.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The case has been considered by most legal experts to be a toss-up and closing arguments are likely to be consequential for both sides. Each side introduced a slew of documentary evidence, flight logs, school records, photos, and emails, but didn\u2019t explain why many of these elements had been introduced. Witness testimony largely failed to present a clear narrative, so it will be up to the attorneys in closing to tie up all the loose ends.<\/p>\n<p>Since the defense only presented a handful of witnesses, they likely agree with Maxwell that the prosecutors did not prove their case. The defense called an ex-girlfriend of Epstein\u2019s who was friendly with him and Maxwell for decades, and a former employee who praised Maxwell as a boss. Both women said they never saw or participated in any inappropriate behavior. There was also expert and technical testimony, which will possibly be fleshed out in closing arguments.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-319863\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-319863\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/D57B57B4-F7B3-495E-9DB9-C95A42BDCE91_1_201_a.jpeg\" alt=\"West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin Holds News Conference Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. Manchin said Congress needs more time to assess the impact of President Biden&#039;s $1.75 trillion tax and spending package on the economy and the national debt, a severe setback to any chances of quick action on the plan. Photographer: Samuel Corum\/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg \/ Contributor\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/12\/D57B57B4-F7B3-495E-9DB9-C95A42BDCE91_1_201_a.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/12\/D57B57B4-F7B3-495E-9DB9-C95A42BDCE91_1_201_a-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/12\/D57B57B4-F7B3-495E-9DB9-C95A42BDCE91_1_201_a-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-319863\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photographer: Samuel Corum\/Bloomberg\/Contributor via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p><strong>2) <\/strong>Manchin Kills Biden\u2019s Social Spending Bill<\/p>\n<p>The Topline: On Sunday, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced on Fox News he will vote \u201cNo\u201d on the Build Back Better Act, effectively putting an end to the legislation as it currently stands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/transcript\/fox-news-sunday-12-19\">Quote Of The Day:<\/a> \u201c\u2026 I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can\u2019t. I\u2019ve tried everything humanly possible. I can\u2019t get there. \u2026 This is a \u2018no\u2019 on this legislation. I have tried everything I know to do and the president has worked diligently. \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)<\/p>\n<p>White House Responds<\/p>\n<p>By defecting from his party on the bill, Manchin has effectively ended negotiations on the current version of the Democrats\u2019 expansive social spending bill.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week, President Joe Biden reportedly told aides that Manchin might be leaning towards voting against the bill, but it was still a surprise when he announced it on Fox News Sunday. Manchin reportedly reached out to the White House about half an hour before appearing on Fox, so they weren\u2019t entirely blindsided, but one senior aide still described it as \u201ca total surprise.\u201d There appeared to be a feeling in the White House that Manchin was still more on the fence at this stage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a written statement shortly after the announcement which characterized Manchin\u2019s announcement as a \u201csudden and inexplicable reversal\u201d and a \u201cbreach of his commitments.\u201d Psaki\u2019 also said the White House will \u201ccontinue to press [Manchin] \u2026 to honor his prior commitments and be true to his word.\u201d She also suggested he\u2019s being dishonest about his reasons for rejecting the bill.<\/p>\n<p>Manchin\u2019s Opposition<\/p>\n<p>The main issue for the moderate senator from West Virginia has been the price of the bill.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Manchin has said he\u2019s concerned about inflation, and the legislation would cost trillions of dollars. The official price tag is $1.9 trillion, but experts say it would likely end up being two or three times that amount. Manchin also said he\u2019s hesitant to sign a large and complex bill that isn\u2019t clear and transparent to his constituents. In his statement, Manchin said \u201cIf I can\u2019t go back home and explain it, I can\u2019t vote for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s Next: It seems increasingly unlikely there will be another version of the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s Monday, December 20th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:1) Ghislaine Maxwell Trial Draws To A CloseThe Topline: Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s defense team rested its case after just two days, setting up closing arguments to begin today.\u00a0Andrew Savulich\/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesThe TrialThe Ghislaine Maxwell trial was expected to last up to six weeks, but the defense rested its case on Friday, ending testimony after 12 trial days \u2013 the defense took only 2. On Monday, closing arguments will be made by both sides, and the outcome could be known as early as Tuesday.\u00a0Maxwell is accused of trafficking underage girls across state lines for deceased businessman Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell declined to testify on her own behalf. The judge asked her why, explaining that it was her choice, and she claimed that since the prosecution had not proven their case beyond reasonable doubt, there was no reason for her to testify.\u00a0The case has been considered by most legal experts to be a toss-up and closing arguments are likely to be consequential for both sides. Each side introduced a slew of documentary evidence, flight logs, school records, photos, and emails, but didn\u2019t explain why many of these elements had been introduced. Witness testimony largely failed to present a clear narrative, so it will be up to the attorneys in closing to tie up all the loose ends.Since the defense only presented a handful of witnesses, they likely agree with Maxwell that the prosecutors did not prove their case. The defense called an ex-girlfriend of Epstein\u2019s who was friendly with him and Maxwell for decades, and a former employee who praised Maxwell as a boss. Both women said they never saw or participated in any inappropriate behavior. There was also expert and technical testimony, which will possibly be fleshed out in closing arguments.Photographer: Samuel Corum\/Bloomberg\/Contributor via Getty Images2) Manchin Kills Biden\u2019s Social Spending BillThe Topline: On Sunday, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced on Fox News he will vote \u201cNo\u201d on the Build Back Better Act, effectively putting an end to the legislation as it currently stands.\u00a0Quote Of The Day: \u201c\u2026 I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can\u2019t. I\u2019ve tried everything humanly possible. I can\u2019t get there. \u2026 This is a \u2018no\u2019 on this legislation. I have tried everything I know to do and the president has worked diligently. \u2026\u201d\u2013 Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)White House RespondsBy defecting from his party on the bill, Manchin has effectively ended negotiations on the current version of the Democrats\u2019 expansive social spending bill.\u00a0Earlier this week, President Joe Biden reportedly told aides that Manchin might be leaning towards voting against the bill, but it was still a surprise when he announced it on Fox News Sunday. Manchin reportedly reached out to the White House about half an hour before appearing on Fox, so they weren\u2019t entirely blindsided, but one senior aide still described it as \u201ca total surprise.\u201d There appeared to be a feeling in the White House that Manchin was still more on the fence at this stage.\u00a0White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a written statement shortly after the announcement which characterized Manchin\u2019s announcement as a \u201csudden and inexplicable reversal\u201d and a \u201cbreach of his commitments.\u201d Psaki\u2019 also said the White House will \u201ccontinue to press [Manchin] \u2026 to honor his prior commitments and be true to his word.\u201d She also suggested he\u2019s being dishonest about his reasons for rejecting the bill.Manchin\u2019s OppositionThe main issue for the moderate senator from West Virginia has been the price of the bill.\u00a0Manchin has said he\u2019s concerned about inflation, and the legislation would cost trillions of dollars. The official price tag is $1.9 trillion, but experts say it would likely end up being two or three times that amount. Manchin also said he\u2019s hesitant to sign a large and complex bill that isn\u2019t clear and transparent to his constituents. In his statement, Manchin said \u201cIf I can\u2019t go back home and explain it, I can\u2019t vote for it.\u201dWhat\u2019s Next: It seems increasingly unlikely there will be another version of the bill. Manchin has been firm about not wanting to exacerbate inflation, and if inflation continues to rise, as is expected, he may become even more resolute. The upcoming election year will also present further complications.Alex Tai\/SOPA Images\/Contributor\/LightRocket via Getty Images3) Google Enacts Company Vaccine MandateThe Topline: Google, which employs more than 140,000 people, has announced a vaccine mandate for their employees.Quote Of The Day: \u201cWe expect that almost all roles at Google in the US will fall within the scope of the executive order. Anyone entering a Google building must be fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation that allows them to work or come onsite.\u201d\u00a0\u2013 Google memoGoogleFollowing the push to mandate COVID vaccines on a federal level, several large corporations have moved to mandate vaccinations for their employees.Last week, Google told it\u2019s U.S.-based staff that they must get the COVID-19 vaccine by the middle of January, or face repercussions, such as pay cuts and termination, according to internal documents uncovered by CNBC.\u00a0A company-wide memo said employees had until December 3rd to provide proof of their vaccination status, or apply for a religious or medical exemption. Employees who fail to follow these instructions, or whose exemption requests are denied, would be \u201creviewed\u201d after that date.Unlike most of the tech industry, which is prioritizing remote work, Google is pushing to get their workforce back into the office. At some point in 2022, Google is going to require its workforce to come into the office three days a week.Meanwhile, other tech companies are pushing back their in-office work plans. Facebook is looking to reopen their U.S. offices by the end of January, but is giving their employees the option to delay returning until the summer.\u2018Consequences\u2019\u00a0According to the documents, employees who haven\u2019t complied with Google\u2019s vaccine rules by January 18th will be placed on \u201cpaid administrative leave\u201d for 30 days. After that, presumably if they have still refused to get vaccinated, they\u2019ll be put on \u201cunpaid personal leave\u201d for up to six months. Then, they\u2019ll be fired.CNBC reported that a Google spokesperson said in a statement their \u201cvaccination requirements are one of the most important ways we can keep our workforce safe and keep our services running,\u201d and added that the company stands behind their vaccination policy.Google referenced President Biden\u2019s executive order in the memo, even though a federal court issued a stay on the order in November.In the memo, they also said \u201cfrequent testing is not a valid alternative to vaccination.\u201d\u00a0Photographer: Jim Lo Scalzo\/EPA\/Bloomberg\/Contributor via Getty ImagesOther Stories We\u2019re TrackingDr. Fauci On Plane MandatesIn an interview with ABC on Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested mask mandates on planes should continue indefinitely, despite evidence that plane filtration systems are effective at preventing spread of the virus.Fauci was asked, \u201cAre we gonna get to the point where we won\u2019t have to wear masks on airplanes?\u201d He answered, \u201cI don\u2019t think so. I think when you\u2019re dealing with a closed space, even though the filtration is good, that you want to go that extra step.\u201dNicholas SandmannOver the weekend, former Covington Catholic high school student Nicholas Sandmann announced he\u2019s reached a confidential settlement agreement with NBC News over his $275 million defamation lawsuit against the network. Sandmann has also reached settlements with CNN and The Washington Post, which he also sued for defaming him over a viral video from January 2019.\u00a0The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":1893947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1133761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/71"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1133761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1893947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1133761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1133761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1133761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}