In our latest 25-minute review of US politics, Republican consultant Tara Setmayer and I joined BBC Radio 5’s Colin Murray on Thursday to cover topics from Donald Trump’s contempt of court to the response over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Listen to Discussion from 1:42.24

After an introduction on Elon Musk’s hijacking of “free speech” and Twitter — “he is one of the biggest instigators of polemic on Twitter, so this is poacher turned gamekeeper” — we discuss the significance of a New York State judge fining Trump $10,000 a day for refusing to hand over documents in an investigation of his business and financial practices.

Financially, this won’t bother a guy who has made hundreds of millions of dollars off suspect business and financial practices.

But when Trump runs for President in 2024, he is not only going to have this case but a series of cases hanging over him.

We summarize US steps, as part of the international community’s escalating support, for economic and military aid to Ukraine as it resists Russian bombardment and occupation.

See also EA on RTE and BBC: Holding Back Russia in Ukraine

We turn to President Joe Biden’s three pardons and 75 commutations, focusing on the pardon of Abraham Bolden, the first black Secret Service agent in a Presidential detail.

We conclude with a discussion of the most expensive places to live in the US — and a battle over the best baseball team. (Answer: Boston Red Sox).