Israel's Judicial Overhaul Bill, Spain's Elections, Trump's Legal Woes
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A rightwing government in israel plans to move ahead with its signature plans.

The government is poised today to weaken the power of judges, leaving more power for itself what thousands of protesters is doing in response.

students sleep in. This is up first from P. R. news. Analysts expected a rightwing government, spain, but voters had other ideas. The mainstream conservative party under performed in yesterday's election, so to the far right party that would have joined with IT to form a government who make up in the country next.

Also, what evidence points to a possible third and detection of former president truck? He says he's been warned. The question is how a grand jury viewed his effort to overturn his defeat in the twenty twenty election. Stay with us. We've got the news.

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by israel's rightwing government has torn israeli society apart, and today the government is scheduled to go ahead.

The connect plans to vote on canceling some of the power of israel supreme court, and that would be more power in the hands of the ruling coalition. President biden has called on prime minister Benjamin that's in yahoo to slow down. That in yahoo himself was just released from the hospital after an emergency heart procedure. And israelis who have protested for months are trying one more time.

And P. R. danel. Astronauts ching them, Daniel, where argue? What do you see?

I'm camped out right in front of israel's parliament, the connect, and i'm seeing um hundreds, thousands of israeli protesters with israeli flags. They are trying to block one of the four entrance to the parliament where lawmakers are supposed to convene today and and pass this bill into final law. I'm seeing police trying to drag medal barriers and try to stop them. There's a water canon here, so it's a little bit chaotic. But i've been speaking with protesters, including protest .

leader SHE, a bressler moment, a decision .

we have to be taken.

And that decision is whether this law will actually come into formation. This is a law that will allow the government to hire and fire senior officials without any oversight by the judiciary. The government says, well, you know, we want elections fair and square, so we should be able to act as we see fit. The political opposition says this kind of law could lead to unchecked power for the government. I spoke to another protesters.

psychologist meta voice, I do hope that at the end there would be some kind of compromise with the opposition, but it's not sure that will happen. And IT will not happen. We will be beginning dictatorship.

So now there are these feverish political negotiations behind the scenes to reach a compromise.

okay. That's useful to know that even though the connected has scheduled a vote, the vote is is coming that people are still talking as they have been period ally for months. So how does this work out?

Well, i've been speaking to a person involved in these behind the scene talks and and they say that this is a two part deal they're trying to work out between a tonia's government and the opposition. The first part is that they would try to agree on the sort of A A less strict to law.

So IT would restrict judicial oversight over appointing senior cabinet ministers, but the judiciary would still be able to have oversight over the appointment of key, what they call democratic gatekeepers like the attorney general and people that aren't supposed to be yes men, yes people, to the government. And in the second issue they're trying to work out is trying to delay the other draft of legislation to overhaul judiciary that the government wants. So their negotiating should have be pausing for three months, for twelve months. So those are these two issues that they're negotiating. IT seems that attalia, who does want to reach a compromise, he has to convince his far right to political partners who have about to their supporters.

They are moving ahead. And this just remember the year who came back into power in relation with far right parties making IT the farthest right government in israeli history. And you also remind us that this is just one of several changes they want to the power, the judiciary. What happens if IT is the.

if IT is past, the government could, for instance, fire the attorney general. We have seen signs they may want to, and then the supreme court would not be able to block that. And maybe that attorney general could be replaced with someone, I sort of a rubber stamp for the government.

But there is also a bigger security crisis, to which is that military reserve threatening not to serve in process of this law. And so there are a lot of enemies on on israel's borders. Leaders are worried .

in piers Daniel estan among the protesters in israel. Danielle, thank you so much.

You are .

welcome.

National elections in spain yesterday failed to produce a winner, with neither major party having enough support to form a government on their own.

The traditional conservative party to set the right one the most votes, but they didn't do as well as expected, and a far right party also under performed. And that means the country faces political uncertainty. A far right party has not ruled in spain since the fascist leader Francisco Frank died in the one thousand and seven.

Is covering this from civil welcome. Good to be with. I have just reading the other day that the conservative party and the far right together would probably win. What happened?

Yes, most polls showed partial popular projected to win. And the far right box party, as we mentioned, was suspected to do much Better. But these two together just didn't get enough seat in parliament to ensure a coalition government. And even though the conservatives obtained critical result compared to the previous election four years ago, the goal was to god, this is what this far right box party comes in as a key player was expected to do much Better than the death. And in fact, they lost more than a third of the seats they warned last time.

Yeah, the expectation was for the far right to surge. Why did they fail to do so?

Well, most political analysts are pointing at one thing they so called voto deal, which basic means the useful vote. Many people here were very worried about the possibility of the far right holding real national political power, spain again, so they might have voted for an option they did not like. But the Better than they far write the box body. And that getting held, the conservatives either.

Okay, so if the parties on the right did not prevail, does that mean the parties on the left, the ruling socialists and others can govern?

It's complicated. The socialist, now, we now seats either. So we need to look at the smaller parties. And someone then may hold only five seat, seven seats or even once IT, they're going to be very sought after by the left and right. These are all regional parties.

Uh, we are talking about the Caroline, the bask parties from other regions, all with their special interests. These smaller parties are not about to give a way their support for free. They will ask for things. But overall, Steve analysts are saying that political left has a much Better chance to persuade these smaller parties to give them their support.

This is particularly interesting because people were writing about the rise of the far right across europe. Of course, the far right party is in power in italy. Spain was in some mines expected to be next. What does that mean that the conservatives anto far right had to take a step back?

It's too early to tell. But one thing for sure, they ve, we've seen far write politicians in other european countries come back time and time again. And box is a style that comment sort of toxic with this regard, for the facts that has premiated to punish politics now. So voice might have been poorly in this election, but this certain ly changed the tone of public discard in this pain.

And I guess we should mention an alternative government is not formed. This isn't over. What happens now?

Well, we don't know. Prime minister Peter sanchez was celebrating last night, even though he did not win the election, but he's known to be a survivor, the fighter. He leads a coalition government right now, so he knows how to line at the votes in part, so he will surely try game. But remember, the conservatives ves still want the most votes. And so if no one can form a coalition .

is likely spain, go the house again.

I thank you.

Steve reported me. Ela C, A sense.

Our justice correspondent says we should be ready for another entitled a former president, Donald trump.

Yeah, the front runner for the republican presidential nomination has already been in. That is twice. One is state, one is federal. If IT happens soon, this would be another federal indication over his effort to overturn his defeat in the twenty twenty election.

And pears Carry. Johnson is following this story.

Hey, they are Carry.

Hey, Steve, what makes IT seem like an indication is near.

Don trump has told us all. Then he received a target letter about a week ago, and that's a strong signal that the special council, j. Smith, is moving toward a grand jury indictment of the former president.

In order to edit the grain, jury would have to find probable cause that trump broke the law. Now that's a lower standard than what's needed to convict in a courtroom, but it's still a very significant step. And trust lawyers are suggesting a number of possible charges maybe on the table, including conspiracy to to frame the U.

S. And obstruction of congress. On january six, trump says he's quote, completely innocent, and he's been fundraising off this target letter for several days now.

which might be one reason that one would release such a letteri ze supposed to martial political and financial support. Now, with each of these indications, we have to learn or relearn about another pattern of alleged criminal conduct. What would the alleged to be here in?

In some way, Steve, this would be the most serious criminal case against donal trump if IT goes forward. More than two years ago, we all watched rider storm the U. S.

capital. They beat up police officers with their fish and with polls and other instruments. They stopped, at least for a little while, the certification of the twenty twenty presidential election. And you know that just a department in the up.

I have already arrested about a thousand people in connection with the riot, but whether the people who spread lies about election fraud n and twenty twenty would ever face justice has been a big and open question. And this target letter for Donald d. Trump is assigned special counsel jack Smith is moving to hold the former president accountable. Grand juries here in washing dc continue to hear from witnesses and issues superiors for documents, so their work is not done yet.

How is the former president defending himself in case after case while also campaigning for another term as president?

Thump has made a different decision here than others. He's making his legal problems as senter piece of his presidential campaign.

He's casting himself as someone who's been targeted for political reasons that even though the justice department appointed a special council to try to isolate these investigations from politics and trump is going to be in in that accord for most of the next year, he has a criminal trial and manhattan new ver hush money payments. The adult films are stormy Daniel in march twenty twenty four. He now has a trial date in florida, may twenty twenty four.

Steve, that's the case that accuses trump of holding classified documents at his resorting florida in obstructing the fps efforts to recover those papers. Trump has pleaded not guilty in florida. He's signal he's gonna try to get those charges in some of the evidence against him. They're dismissed.

Isn't there even another possible indictment looming? absolutely.

There's a gandery in georgia that's been looking into trumps efforts to pressure state officials, define him more votes in twenty twenty. But georgia could also be important for another reason. If these federal cases are not wrapped up by the next election and dann d trump wins, he could try to direct his justice department to get rid of these federal cases, or even party himself. Trump would not have the same kind of power to get rid of any state case that are happening in new york or georgia.

Carry thanks is always for your insights.

My pleasure that npr.

just as correspondent, Carry Johnson. And that's at first for this monday, july twenty forth.

I'm Steve inc. And i'm later for up first is produced by vince I and show me hawkinson. Our editors are revonde and Olivia hampton, our technical director is that human with engineering from carly strange, and our executive producer is eric agua. Start your day here with this again tomorrow.

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