Rome News-Tribune

Ghislaine Maxwell is denied bail

♦ She is facing Epstein-related sex abuse charges.

- By Larry Neumeister and Tom Hays

Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, will remain behind bars until trial after she was denied bail Tuesday as a risk to flee rather than face charges she recruited girls for the financier to sexually abuse more than two decades ago.

Two Epstein accusers implored the judge to keep the British socialite detained after she pleaded not guilty to the charges during a video court hearing in Manhattan.

U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan said even the most restrictiv­e form of release would be insufficie­nt to ensure Maxwell would not flee, particular­ly now that she has seen the strength of the evidence and realizes that she could face up to 35 years in prison if she is convicted.

As the judge explained her reasoning for denying bail, Maxwell dropped her head repeatedly, appearing dejected.

Maxwell, 58, has been held without bail since her July 2 arrest at her million-dollar New Hampshire estate, where prosecutor­s say she refused to open the door for FBI agents, who busted through to find that she had retreated to an interior room.

NEW YORK —

WILMINGTON, Del. — Joe Biden released a $2 trillion plan on Tuesday to boost investment in clean energy and stop all climate-damaging emissions from U.S. power plants by 2035, arguing that dramatic action is needed to tackle climate change and revive the economy.

In remarks near his home in Wilmington, Delaware, the presumptiv­e Democratic presidenti­al nominee sought to reframe the politics of climate change. He rebuffed arguments from President Donald Trump and his Republican allies that Democratic plans to invest in clean energy would cost jobs.

“When Donald Trump thinks about climate change, the only word he can muster is ‘hoax,’” Biden told reporters. “When I think about climate change, what I think of is jobs.”

The climate package added to a series of detailed policy proposals Biden has released, including a $700 billion plan unveiled last week that would increase government purchasing of U.s.-based goods and invest in new research and developmen­t to frame a contrast with Trump, who has struggled to articulate a vision for a second term in the White House.

Biden’s proposal on Tuesday didn’t go as far as some measures in the Green New Deal, the sweeping proposal from progressiv­es in Congress that calls for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 2030.

But it does align with a climate bill spearheade­d by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in reducing emissions to zero by 2050. And it goes farther than that bill on ridding the nation’s power sector from

Democratic presidenti­al candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Mcgregor Industries in Dunmore, Pa. damaging fossil fuel pollution. ing the primary, including House Democrats’ proposal Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, sets a 2040 deadline for that whose campaign centered on goal, while Biden’s aims to the issue of climate change. achieve it five years faster. “Joe Biden’s modern infra

The proposal would also structure and clean energy include progressiv­e priorities plan shows that he’s serious such as investment in retrofitti­ng about defeating climate national infrastruc­ture change and has a roadmap and housing to use and emit to become the Climate President less carbon and addressing the that America needs,” disproport­ionate impact of climate Inslee said in an email to change. Forty percent of members of the Progressiv­e the money he wants to spend Change Campaign Committee, on clean energy deployment, a liberal advocacy group. reduction of legacy pollution The proposals could open and other investment­s would Biden to attacks from Trump go to historical­ly disadvanta­ged that he will hurt coal and gas communitie­s. industries in critical states

Biden placed a heavy emsuch as Pennsylvan­ia and phasis on updating America’s Texas, where Democrats are infrastruc­ture, improving engrowing more bullish about ergy efficiency in buildings their prospects. and housing, and promoting Republican National Committee production of electric vehicles spokespers­on Michael and conservati­on efforts Joyce blasted Biden’s “wild in the agricultur­e industry. obsession with eliminatin­g

As he spoke about infrastruc­ture all fossil fuels, raising trillions on Tuesday, Biden in taxes and reshaping needled the president for the American economy what has become a trope that to fit coastal elite values.” the White House frequently He claimed the plan “will turns to infrastruc­ture when destroy millions of jobs and Trump “needs a distractio­n” devastate our economy.” from negative news. Biden’s proposal seemed

“He’s never delivered,” designed to avoid antagonizi­ng Biden said. “Never even really independen­ts or moderate tried.” Republican­s considerin­g

Some of the ideas in the backing him. proposal began with Biden’s The plan makes no mention more progressiv­e rivals dur- of banning dirtier-burning

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Ap-matt Slocum

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