1 in 3 American women have already lost abortion access. More restrictive laws are coming. – The Washington Post
1 in 3 American women have already lost abortion access. More restrictive laws are coming. – The Washington Post

The states that bar abortion from conception tend to be located in the South and the Midwest, including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Oklahoma. Wisconsin has conflicting laws that leave the legality of abortion uncertain, but clinics stopped providing abortions in the state after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, effectively ending abortion within its borders. Georgia, Idaho, Ohio and Tennessee have bans that begin when fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can occur before many people realize they are pregnant.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/22/more-trigger-bans-loom-1-3-women-lose-most-abortion-access-post-roe/

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Trump’s legal team asks for ‘special master’ to go through Mar-a-Lago evidence and determine if some should be returned – CNN
Trump’s legal team asks for ‘special master’ to go through Mar-a-Lago evidence and determine if some should be returned – CNN

Former President Donald Trump’s legal team has asked a federal judge to appoint a “special master” to ensure the Justice Department returns any of his private documents seized during the search of Mar-a-Lago two weeks ago.

Trump is asking for a special master – a third-party attorney – to oversee the review of evidence gathered from the beach club in the criminal probe, and for the judge to pause federal investigators’ work related to the evidence until the review is done, according to a new court filing.

Mar-a-Lago — and its owner — have long caused concerns for US intelligence

The new lawsuit marks the first legal filing by Trump’s team after FBI agents carried out their search on August 8 and underscores how his legal team has struggled to coalesce around a singular strategy. It has been assigned to Judge Aileen Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Trump in 2020.

In the suit, Trump argues his constitutional rights were violated and that there may have been privileged materials seized.

Though the legal maneuver could slow down the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal investigation, Trump’s request to the federal court in South Florida could face an uphill legal battle after his team missed multiple opportunities to challenge the search.

“The Aug. 8 search warrant at Mar-a-Lago was authorized by a federal court upon the required finding of probable cause. The Department is aware of this evening’s motion. The United States will file its response in court,” Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said in response to the new filing.

The ex-President’s lawyers declined to take a position in court in the immediate aftermath of the search warrant execution. They also did not weigh in on whether the search warrant affidavit should be made public before or during a court hearing last week in West Palm Beach, Florida, even though one of his attorneys was present.

Trump, in the new filing, also asks for a more detailed receipt of what was removed from Mar-a-Lago. That request, if granted, would add to the two receipts the FBI already provided to Trump’s team describing 33 items seized, and which his attorney signed off on at the end of the search.

The Justice Department removed 11 sets of classified documents from Trump’s home, according to documents unsealed by a judge last week. The inventory shows that some of the materials recovered were marked as “top secret/SCI,” which is one of the highest levels of classification.

CNN Exclusive: ‘Ludicrous.’ ‘Ridiculous.’ ‘A complete fiction.’: Former Trump officials say his claim of ‘standing order’ to declassify is nonsense

The department has already signaled that it is using an internal filter team to review the seized items, to separate material that could be subject to privilege claims. For instance, investigators mentioned the work of a filter team when they returned to Trump private documents that wouldn’t be part of the investigation, such as two expired passports and his diplomatic passport.

The Justice Department, in court documents, said it believed the evidence it collected at Mar-a-Lago will support its criminal investigation into the mishandling of federal records, including national defense material, after Trump’s team took boxes of records to Florida when he left office. The investigation is also looking at potential obstruction of justice in the investigation.

The Justice Department has said it has concerns that further information becoming public or known by Trump’s team could prompt witness or document tampering. And, according to CNN and New York Times reports, a lawyer for Trump told investigators in writing that no classified records were left at Mar-a-Lago after June. The FBI said in an inventory list at the end of its search that there were additional classified documents retrieved.

A federal magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida examined the DOJ’s reasons for the search earlier this month and approved it. The judge is now weighing whether to make more details about the investigation public.

The three attorneys who signed the motion are Lindsey Halligan, Jim Trusty and Evan Corcoran. The filing included a line about politics not affecting the administration of justice.

Trump’s team gives his version of the Mar-a-Lago search

In the filing, Trump’s attorneys put forward the former President’s narrative for how the search went down, the events leading up to it and the fallout from it.

The lawsuit also recounted a message for Attorney General Merrick Garland that Trump’s lawyers gave to a top Justice Department official over the phone on August 11, a few days after the search.

“President Trump wants the Attorney General to know that he has been hearing from People all over the country about the raid,” Trump’s message said, according to the lawsuit. “If there was one word to describe their mood, it is ‘angry.’ The heat is building up. The pressure is building up. Whatever I can do to take the heat down, to bring the pressure down, just let us know.”

The filing states that at 9:10 a.m. ET on the day of the search, that same top Justice Department official – Jay Bratt, the head of the counterintelligence section in the Department of Justice’s national security division – telephoned Trump’s lawyers to tell them a search warrant was being executed at Mar-a-Lago.

“Heated discussion ensued as to why the Government did not make a voluntary request to further explore the premises, given the expansive assistance that President Trump had provided to that point,” the lawsuit said.

In Trump’s telling, the search took nine hours and involved two dozen FBI agents.

The lawsuit recounted a request from Bratt that Mar-a-Lago’s surveillance cameras be turned off – a request that the filing said was declined. Bratt also asked for the names of the Trump attorneys who may have been arriving at the search. The new lawsuit claims that Bratt rebuffed a request from Trump’s team that they be provided the affidavit.

“Among other actions taken after being notified of this unprecedented event, counsel for President Trump contacted three attorneys in the general area who agreed to go to Mar-a-Lago,” the lawsuit said. “Once they arrived, they requested the ability to enter the mansion in order to observe what the FBl agents were doing, which the Government declined to permit.”

June meeting between Trump and feds detailed

Trump’s legal team also describes, for the first time, their version of what happened in the criminal records investigation prior to the search – giving much agency to Trump himself.

At a June 3 meeting in which investigators visited Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s team states “President Trump greeted them in the dining room,” then left the agents with the parting words, “Whatever you need, just let us know.”

The investigators then inspected a storage room, which Trump authorized his lawyer to do, the filing says.

Five days later, when the Justice Department wrote a letter asking for the storage room to be secured, “President Trump directed his staff to place a second lock on the door to the storage room, and one was added,” his team writes.

Trump’s lawyers also say the former President directed the acceptance of a Justice Department subpoena in late June that sought footage from Mar-a-Lago surveillance cameras.

This is the first time those investigative steps have been described in public in court.

Trump’s disclosures could come into play as a federal magistrate judge considers transparency in the case. A lawyer for media organizations seeking access to the search warrant’s affidavit argued last week that the Justice Department’s version of events that Trump’s team has described publicly should be unsealed.

The Justice Department has said it is investigating attempts to obstruct justice as part of the probe, and CNN and other outlets have reported a lawyer for Trump represented no more classified material existed at Mar-a-Lago, before the FBI search found several sets of documents marked as classified.

In addition to asking for a special master to be appointed, Trump and his lawyers used their lawsuit as a vehicle to re-air some of his years-old grievances about the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The suit blasted “biased FBI agents” and criticized key Russia probe figures – including Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Christopher Steele and Bruce Ohr, who all played a role in the early FBI investigation into the web of connections between Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Kremlin.

Trump brought this up in the suit as part of his argument that the Justice Department and FBI are biased against him and that the Mar-a-Lago search was meant to derail his political career.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/politics/donald-trump-special-master-request/index.html

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Arkansas police beating update: Officers identified, suspended – USA TODAY
Arkansas police beating update: Officers identified, suspended – USA TODAY

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/22/arkansas-police-beating-officers-identified-updates/7864062001/

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Officials believe Kiely Rodni’s body was found at Prosser Creek Reservoir with car; Family releases statement – KCRA Sacramento
Officials believe Kiely Rodni’s body was found at Prosser Creek Reservoir with car; Family releases statement – KCRA Sacramento

Human remains found with a car submerged in a reservoir near where Truckee 16-year-old Kiely Rodni went missing two weeks ago are “more than likely” Rodni’s, the Nevada County sheriff said on Monday.

“We believe it is our missing person,” Sheriff Shannan Moon said a day after a volunteer dive team found the car and body at Prosser Creek Reservoir. “We have not been able to positively identify, but it’s more than likely.”

She said it’s still an active investigation and “we will release what we can.”

“But at this time our commitment is to this family and that is where we will consistently reach for making decisions on what we release,” Moon said.

    The dive team, Adventures With Purpose, said in a live-streamed announcement earlier Monday morning that it found Rodni’s silver 2013 Honda CRV, as well as human remains at the search site on Sunday.

    Adventures With Purpose is a search and recovery dive team dedicated to helping families of missing loved ones. According to the team, it has assisted in helping solve 23 missing person cold cases across the country since 2019. AWP provides services free of charge to families with missing loved ones. They joined the Rodni search effort on Aug. 20.

    Doug Bishop of AWP said the team began its investigation at Prosser Creek Reservoir Sunday at 10:40 a.m. It placed two sonar boats in the water and by 11:15 a.m., their technology had detected an object underwater.

    Bishop said he then confirmed the object was a vehicle under 14 feet of water, about 55 feet offshore.

    Nick Rinn of AWP then suited up with his dive gear and formally identified and assessed the vehicle, Bishop said.

    The group then informed law enforcement and Rodni’s family, and the teen’s father and grandfather arrived at the scene “within minutes,” Bishop said.

    Bishop and Rinn called for people to keep Rodni’s family in their prayers.

    Rodni’s family released a statement Monday afternoon saying they were “eternally grateful for the love and support” from an “army of warriors, matriarchs, healers and helpers.”

    Read the full statement below:

    Friends, Family, Law Enforcement, Media, and our Global Community:

    We are eternally grateful for the love and support you have shown us in the last couple of weeks. We have weathered a storm of unfathomable force, and it is purely thanks to the army of warriors, matriarchs, healers, and helpers holding us up that we continue to stand today. Mr. Rogers famously told a story of “looking for the helpers” whenever he saw scary things in the news. We have not had to look for the helpers, as you have all come to our rescue in full force. We are forever indebted to you.

    While we accept this sadness cast under death’s shadow, the rising sun shines light upon us, reminding us not to mourn our loss, but to celebrate Kiely’s spirit and the gift that we all received in knowing her. Kiely will surely remain with us even though we will not get her back.

    There are certain occasions when words fail. Perhaps this is why our human nature has given us art, dance, and music, which all are often more effective ways to connect us to each other and our rawest emotions. Kindly excuse us as we retreat and dance privately to life’s song while we celebrate our daughter’s spirit and heal our souls.

    In gratitude,

    The Rodni-Nieman Family

    Capt. Sam Brown with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that the lake had been “extensively searched” with sonar, divers and swimmers before Adventures With Purpose found Kiely’s car.

    “I think that’s part of what we’re going to have to do to debrief,” he said.

    But he said that responding peace officers and volunteers who respond in such situations aren’t always experts in the field.

    “Tracking underwater is an extremely difficult thing to do,” he said. “A lot of this equipment is high-end, very expensive and you really need to have a lot of practice and expertise.”

    Rodni was last seen on Aug. 6 at a large party with hundreds of teens at the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, which is next to the lake. The teen disappeared seemingly without a trace. Officials said early on they were treating the case as a possible abduction, which led to more resources for the investigation.

    Authorities said the last known ping from Rodni’s cellphone was made the same night around 12:30 a.m. near the reservoir.

    LiveCopter 3 was over the scene when the car was pulled out of the water on Sunday. See that process in the video below.

    On Sunday morning, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said seven personnel were assigned to Rodni’s case. That was down from 73 personnel on Friday. Seven helicopters were searching an 80-mile radius from where Kiely was last seen. About 2,000 tips from the community have been sent to authorities. A reward for information that would lead to her being found has grown to $75,000.

    Officials said Monday they believed that their investigation had helped to narrow the search area before her vehicle and likely remains were found.

    The California Highway Patrol is now conducting a traffic fatality investigation, Josh Ehlers with CHP’s Valley division said.

    An autopsy on the remains is expected on Tuesday and results from toxicology reports in a few weeks.

Source Article from https://www.kcra.com/article/kiely-rodni-case-authorities-to-give-update-after-dive-group-adventures-with-purpose-finds-car-remains/40958622

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UPDATE: Woman in custody after Midtown shooting leaves 2 dead, 1 injured – The Atlanta Journal Constitution
UPDATE: Woman in custody after Midtown shooting leaves 2 dead, 1 injured – The Atlanta Journal Constitution
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59% of Americans worry student loan forgiveness will make inflation worse, CNBC survey finds – CNBC
59% of Americans worry student loan forgiveness will make inflation worse, CNBC survey finds – CNBC

Some experts believe the Biden administration could announce a decision on whether to extend a more than two-year-long pause on federal student loan debt this week, ahead of the current Aug. 31 deadline. Many borrowers are hoping the Education Department will extend that break and announce up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness. 

Currently, about 44 million borrowers owe a collective $1.7 trillion in federal student loan debt.

Yet, a new poll finds Americans worry that debt forgiveness could have unintended consequences. 

Already battling higher prices, 59% of Americans are concerned that student loan forgiveness will make inflation worse, according to a new CNBC survey, conducted online by Momentive among a national sample of 5,142 adults from Aug. 4 to 15.

Still, the concern that canceling student debt would give borrowers more money to spend and therefore increase inflation may not hold true for many borrowers. Some say they would not change their spending habits if their college debt — or a portion of it — is canceled. Also, others haven’t made many changes during the payment pause.

More from Personal Finance:
75% of families don’t know a key date to get financial aid 
FTC sending over $822,000 in refund checks to defrauded student loan borrowers
More Americans live in multigenerational households to save money

Malcolm Newman, who works at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Drexel University. Now 26, he said he’s been paying back private student loan debt during the moratorium on federal student loan repayment.  

“I haven’t really altered my spending habits. You know when those payments kick back in, I’ll have a little bit less than what I’ve been used to,” he said. “But it’s nothing that’s going to, you know, put me under or get me evicted from my house.” 

The CNBC survey found that 53% of adults polled say if forgiveness put extra money back in their monthly budget, they would pay off other loans, and 45% said they would save that money for retirement.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/22/americans-are-concerned-student-loan-forgiveness-will-worsen-inflation.html

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More trigger bans loom as 1 in 3 women lose most abortion access post-Roe – The Washington Post
More trigger bans loom as 1 in 3 women lose most abortion access post-Roe – The Washington Post

The states that bar abortion from conception tend to be located in the South and the Midwest, including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Oklahoma. Wisconsin has conflicting laws that leave the legality of abortion uncertain, but clinics stopped providing abortions in the state after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, effectively ending abortion within its borders. Georgia, Idaho, Ohio and Tennessee have bans that begin when fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can occur before many people realize they are pregnant.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/22/more-trigger-bans-loom-1-3-women-lose-most-abortion-access-post-roe/

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Democrats Designed the Climate Law to Be a Game Changer. Here’s How. – The New York Times
Democrats Designed the Climate Law to Be a Game Changer. Here’s How. – The New York Times

The Clean Air Act was enacted in 1970, at the birth of the environmental movement, and is the primary law defining the E.P.A.’s responsibilities for protecting and regulating air quality. It was significantly expanded in 1990 to curb other major environmental threats like acid rain and urban smog.

The act does define greenhouse gases in some sections, but does not explicitly direct the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon dioxide. Rather, it more broadly asks the agency to regulate pollutants that “endanger human health.” In 2007, the Supreme Court, in Massachusetts vs. E.P.A., No. 05-1120, ordered the agency to determine whether carbon dioxide fit that description. In 2009, the E.P.A. concluded that it did.

That conclusion meant carbon dioxide could be legally defined as a pollutant and regulated. The Obama and Biden administrations used that finding to justify regulations on gasoline-powered vehicles and coal and gas-burning power plants, and several Supreme Court cases subsequently upheld that authority.

Yet, because Congress had never before directly addressed the issue, challenges have continued. In West Virginia vs. E.P.A., No. 20-1530, the landmark ruling this year, conservative Supreme Court justices made clear that if lawmakers really wanted the government to move away from fossil fuels, they should say so.

“One threshold assumption in the ruling was that Congress had not made it abundantly clear that E.P.A. had a responsibility to address climate pollution from the power sector,” said Vickie Patton, general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund. “Well, it is now abundantly clear,” she said.

Some experts played down the effect of the provisions. Jeff Holmstead, an energy lawyer who served in the E.P.A. during both Bush administrations, said there was a near-zero chance that legal efforts by some conservative groups to eliminate the government’s ability to regulate climate pollution would have prevailed anyway.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/22/climate/epa-supreme-court-pollution.html

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Anthony Fauci, face of coronavirus response, to retire in December – The Washington Post
Anthony Fauci, face of coronavirus response, to retire in December – The Washington Post

Coronavirus: What you need to know

The latest: The CDC has loosened many of its recommendations for battling the coronavirus, a strategic shift that puts more of the onus on individuals, rather than on schools, businesses and other institutions, to limit viral spread.

Variants: BA.5 is the most recent omicron subvariant, and it’s quickly become the dominant strain in the U.S. Here’s what to know about it, and why vaccines may only offer limited protection.

Vaccines: For people under 50, second booster doses are on hold while the Biden administration works to roll out shots specifically targeting the omicron subvariants this fall. Immunizations for children under 5 became available this summer.

Guidance: CDC guidelines have been confusing — if you get covid, here’s how to tell when you’re no longer contagious. We’ve also created a guide to help you decide when to keep wearing face coverings.

Where do things stand? See the latest coronavirus numbers in the U.S. and across the world. The omicron variant is behind much of the recent spread.

For the latest news, sign up for our free newsletter.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/08/22/fauci-retiring/

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Russia blames Ukraine for nationalist’s car bombing death – The Associated Press – en Español
Russia blames Ukraine for nationalist’s car bombing death – The Associated Press – en Español

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top counterintelligence agency on Monday blamed Ukrainian spy services for organizing the killing of the daughter of a leading Russian nationalist ideologue in a car bombing just outside Moscow.

Daria Dugina, the 29-year-old daughter of Alexander Dugin, a philosopher, writer and political theorist whom some in the West described as “Putin’s brain,” died when an explosive planted in her SUV exploded as she was driving Saturday night.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the main KGB successor agency, said that Dugina’s killing had been “prepared and perpetrated by the Ukrainian special services.”

In a letter expressing condolences to Dugin and his wife that was released by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the “cruel and treacherous” killing of Dugina, hailing her as a “bright, talented person with a real Russian heart — kind, loving, responsive and open.”

Putin added that Dugina has “honestly served people and the Fatherland, proving what it means to be a patriot of Russia with her deeds.”

On Sunday, Ukraine’s presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied any Ukrainian involvement in the killing.

In Monday’s statement, the FSB accused a Ukrainian citizen, Natalya Vovk, of perpetrating the killing and then fleeing from Russia to Estonia.

The FSB said that Vovk arrived in Russia in July with her 12-year-old daughter and rented an apartment in the building where Dugina lived to shadow her. It said that Vovk and her daughter were at a nationalist festival, which Alexander Dugin and his daughter attended just before the killing.

The agency said that Vovk and her daughter left Russia for Estonia after Dugina’s killing, using a different vehicle license plate on their way out of the country.

In a statement released by a close associate, Dugin described his daughter as a “rising star” who was “treacherously killed by enemies of Russia.”

“Our hearts are longing not just for revenge and retaliation, it would be too petty, not in Russia style,” Dugin wrote. “We need only victory.”

Dugin has been a prominent proponent of the “Russian world” concept, a spiritual and political ideology that emphasizes traditional values, the restoration of Russia’s global clout and the unity of all ethnic Russians throughout the world. He has been vehemently supported Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to send troops into Ukraine and urged the Kremlin to step up its operations in the country.

The car bombing, unusual for Moscow since the gang wars of the turbulent 1990s, triggered calls from Russian nationalists to respond by ramping up strikes on Ukraine.

The explosion took place as Dugin’s daughter was returning from a cultural festival she had attended with him. Russian media reports cited witnesses as saying the SUV belonged to Dugin and that he had decided at the last minute to travel in another vehicle.

On Sunday, Denis Pushilin, head of the Russia-backed separatist “Donetsk People’s Republic” in Ukraine’s east, quickly blamed the blast on “terrorists of the Ukrainian regime, trying to kill Alexander Dugin.”

While Dugin’s exact ties to Putin are unclear, the Kremlin frequently echoes rhetoric from his writings and appearances on Russian state television. He helped popularize the “Novorossiya,” or “New Russia” concept that Russia used to justify the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Dugin, who has been slapped with U.S. and European Union sanctions, has promoted Russia as a country of piety, traditional values and authoritarian leadership, and spoken with disdain about Western liberal values.

His daughter expressed similar views and had appeared as a commentator on nationalist TV channel Tsargrad, where Dugin had served as chief editor.

Dugina herself was sanctioned by the United States in March for her work as chief editor of United World International, a website that the U.S. described as a disinformation source. The sanctions announcement cited a United World article this year that contended Ukraine would “perish” if it were admitted to NATO.

In an appearance on Russian television just Thursday, Dugina said, “People in the West are living in a dream, in a dream given to them by global hegemony.” She called America “a zombie society” in which people opposed Russia but couldn’t find it on a map.

Source Article from https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-estonia-bombings-government-and-politics-a627f80e7a96c3b19e40e8ee95ce55fd

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2 Arkansas deputies suspended and 1 officer on administrative leave after video posted of violent encounter with man outside store – CNN
2 Arkansas deputies suspended and 1 officer on administrative leave after video posted of violent encounter with man outside store – CNN

By Andy Rose and Hannah Sarisohn, CNN

Updated 9:11 AM ET, Mon August 22, 2022

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/21/us/arkansas-officer-punching-video-suspensions/index.html

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Dallas area hit by flash floods; videos show highway partly underwater – The Washington Post
Dallas area hit by flash floods; videos show highway partly underwater – The Washington Post

At one point, Dallas had dozens of days above 100 degrees and 67 days in a row without any rainfall, a streak that was finally broken on Aug. 9. Now, in a shocking reversal, it is likely this August will be Dallas’ wettest since 1899, The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore noted on Twitter.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/22/dallas-texas-flash-floods/

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Judge says FBI’s evidence for searching Mar-a-Lago is ‘reliable’ – POLITICO
Judge says FBI’s evidence for searching Mar-a-Lago is ‘reliable’ – POLITICO

Reinhart ruled last week that he would consider unsealing portions of the affidavit after conferring with the Justice Department and determining whether proposed redactions would be sufficient to protect the ongoing criminal investigation connected to the search. But in his order, Reinhart emphasized that he may ultimately agree with prosecutors that any redactions would be so extensive that they would render the document useless.

“I cannot say at this point that partial redactions will be so extensive that they will result in a meaningless disclosure, but I may ultimately reach that conclusion after hearing further from the Government,” Reinhart wrote.

The new order underlines the historic significance of a typically secret part of the criminal investigative process, arriving just as Trump has indicated he’s preparing to mount his own attack on the FBI investigation in court. The Justice Department is due to propose potential redactions by Thursday, portending a potentially lengthy process of negotiation with Reinhart and possible appeals.

In his order, Reinhart noted that “neither Former President Trump nor anyone else purporting to be the owner of the Premises has filed a pleading taking a position” on efforts to unseal the affidavit.

Reinhart also rejected the contention that unsealing aspects of the affidavit would set a dangerous precedent, given the singular, historic significance of this case.

“Given the intense public and historical interest in an unprecedented search of a former President’s residence, the Government has not yet shown that these administrative concerns are sufficient to justify sealing,” Reinhart ruled.

Reinhart’s order echoed his decision to shoot down an effort by media organizations and conservative advocacy group Judicial Watch to unseal the entire FBI affidavit. Reinhart acknowledged that some reporting had already indicated the significance of what may have been recovered from Mar-a-Lago — some news reports described nuclear-related information and other documents related to highly classified government programs. But he said those anonymously sourced reports, whether true or not, reveal nothing about the sources and methods the government used to obtain its evidence.

“Disclosure of these facts would detrimentally affect this investigation and future investigations,” Reinhart wrote, adding, “The Government has a compelling reason not to publicize that information at this time.”

Reinhart also echoed the government’s concern about threats to those involved in the investigation if identifying information were released via court documents. He cited news reports about threats to the FBI and the recent attack by an armed man against an FBI building in Cincinnati, though he didn’t mention that he himself has reportedly faced threats.

“Given the public notoriety and controversy about this search, it is likely that even witnesses who are not expressly named in the Affidavit would be quickly and broadly identified over social media and other communication channels, which could lead to them being harassed and intimidated,“ Reinhart noted.

Another reason to keep the affidavit sealed? Trump and his family’s personal protection by the Secret Service. Reinhart noted that the document describes the physical characteristics of Mar-a-Lago.

“Disclosure of those details could affect the Secret Service’s ability to carry out its protective function,” he wrote. “This factor weighs in favor of sealing.”

Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/22/judge-fbi-evidence-mar-a-lago-reliable-00053074

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Teachers at Ohio’s largest school district vote to strike just before start of school year – CNN
Teachers at Ohio’s largest school district vote to strike just before start of school year – CNN

By Chris Boyette, CNN

Updated 8:29 AM ET, Mon August 22, 2022

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/us/ohio-school-district-strike/index.html

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‘Smooth’ start to Monday commute during MBTA’s Orange Line shutdown, Boston mayor says – WCVB Boston
‘Smooth’ start to Monday commute during MBTA’s Orange Line shutdown, Boston mayor says – WCVB Boston
BOSTON —

The first true test of the MBTA’s Orange Line shutdown began Monday as morning commuters navigated new transportation options for the 30-day closure.

The 11 miles of the Orange Line, from the Oak Grove to Forest Hills stations, closed Friday night and are scheduled to remain closed until 5 a.m. on Sept. 19.

Planned projects include track repairs to eliminate slowdowns, upgrading signals, replacing infrastructure and repairs or upgrades at various stations as part of what the MBTA calls major revitalization and safety work on the Orange Line.

MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak helped direct riders to Orange Line alternatives early Monday and passed out Charlie Card at Forest Hills Station.

“I anticipate we’ll face some challenges and probably learn something about where there’s going to be traffic issues and holdups, and we’ll get better as we go,” Poftak said.

A fleet of 200 buses is being used to shuttle Orange Line riders to their destinations during the next month.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu boarded a shuttle at Forest Hills Station in Jamaica Plain to start her commute to Government Center.

“It went pretty smoothly. It was a little bit longer than a usual commute, but no real bottlenecks or traffic along the way — buses and trains coming very shortly at each stop we were getting on and off at. Overall, very hopeful. It seems like that much of the planning and all of the details we discussed have been implemented and so far, so good.”

However, Wu said the real test for Boston would be when Boston Public Schools resume classes in September.

Officials say they can squeeze work that would have normally taken five years into the monthlong work period.

The Orange Line provides about 101,000 trips each day, so the impact of the closure on commuters is expected to be major.

The start of unprecedented closure ushered in a complicated dance of diversions and alternatives that Boston officials have called a “transportation emergency.”

“Things are looking pretty smooth throughout the roadways. We’re keeping an eye on a couple of key spots. Leverett Circle as one of the big ones that we’ve been mentioning for a week now, but also Charles Circle over at Sullivan Square. Those are the real hot spots that we’re going to be looking at throughout the morning to see if there’s adjustments that we need to make,” Massachusetts State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said.

Some streets are closed or effectively cut in half to create dedicated lanes for the shuttle buses. Curbside loading areas were also designated for the buses.

State Street between Congress and Washington streets, Dartmouth Street between St. James and Boylston streets and one side of Washington Street between Arborway and Williams Street will be closed to traffic to make a path for the buses.

Officials have said that making a path for the buses will have a ripple effect throughout the region, according to projections made by engineers who model traffic for MassDOT. Motorists have been warned to expect heavy traffic increases, especially on roadways along the shuttle bus routes.

Commuter Rail train frequency has been increased to accommodate anticipated changes to travel patterns. Riders can also use the Commuter Rail in Zones 1, 1A and 2 for free by showing a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket.

As an alternative, Boston is offering a free 30-day pass to ride Bluebikes during the shutdown.

Starting Monday, parts of the MBTA Green Line will also be closed for 28 days. The Green Line shutdown from the Union Square to Government Center stations will allow the MBTA to perform the final-phase construction work necessary to open the Medford Branch, which is now anticipated to open in late November.

Shuttle buses will also be offered to replace Green Line service.

The city of Boston and the MBTA announced the following number for a new MBTA Call Center: 617-222-3200.

Officials said the “impetus” for the Orange Line shutdown was a safety review by the Federal Transit Administration. The FTA has been digging into the MBTA’s record since May after a man was dragged to death on the Red Line in April. A final report from the federal agency is expected to be released within the next few weeks.

Source Article from https://www.wcvb.com/article/30-day-shutdown-of-mbtas-orange-line-monday-morning-commute-august-22/40952840

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The top 10 Senate races to determine the chamber’s control – NPR
The top 10 Senate races to determine the chamber’s control – NPR

Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Senate nominee John Fetterman, left, has so far maintained a polling edge over Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz, as Democrats try to take over the swing state’s seat.

Nate Smallwood/Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images


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Nate Smallwood/Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Senate nominee John Fetterman, left, has so far maintained a polling edge over Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz, as Democrats try to take over the swing state’s seat.

Nate Smallwood/Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

At this point, control of the U.S. Senate next year looks like a jump ball.

Four months ago — the last time we wrote about the top 10 seats most likely to change hands — Republicans were growing confident they would win the chamber.

But a lot has changed in that time.

The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade has boosted Democratic enthusiasm (and fundraising); a handful of hardline or untested Republican challengers won their primaries; and the Jan. 6 committee hearings and the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home have put him front and center yet again, threatening to make the election a choice rather than a referendum on President Biden and Democratic governance.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell noted last week that “candidate quality” could hamper Republicans’ ability to win the chamber.

“I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate,” the Kentucky senator said in his home state. “Senate races are just different, they’re statewide. Candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome.”

It’s all giving Democrats hope of retaining the 50-50 Senate, which they narrowly control with Vice President Harris casting tie-breaking votes. But inflation remains the top concern for many voters, especially independents, and Biden continues to be unpopular — though many Democratic candidates are outperforming his approval.

Here’s where things stand in the key races, in order of most likely to flip:

  1. Pennsylvania (Previous: 1)
  2. Georgia (Previous: 2)
  3. Arizona (Previous: 5)
  4. Nevada (Previous: 3)
  5. Wisconsin (Previous: 4)
  6. New Hampshire (Previous: 6)
  7. North Carolina (Previous: 7)
  8. Ohio (Previous: 8)
  9. Florida (Previous: 9)
  10. Colorado (Previous: 10)

1. Pennsylvania (R-Open)

Democrat John Fetterman has held up well so far against Trump-backed TV doctor Mehmet Oz, despite suffering a stroke that kept him off the campaign trail for months. Fetterman is better liked, and he’s pounded Oz’s residency and wealth on social media. Oz, on the other hand, is coming off a bruising primary and hasn’t quite found his footing.

Still, Oz is in striking distance. For him to improve his odds, he will need to pierce Fetterman’s brand, as Republicans try to figure out the best issue set to stick to Fetterman. Some operatives believe it’s not tying the tough-talking, burly former mayor to left-wing politics, like Medicare for All or the democratic socialism of Sen. Bernie Sanders, but fracking and crime. So far, that message hasn’t taken hold.

2. Georgia (D-Warnock)

Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, left, aims to fend off a challenge from political newcomer Herschel Walker.

Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images; James Gilbert/Getty Images


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Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images; James Gilbert/Getty Images

Very little separates the next four races, which are all expected to be extremely tight.

Georgia has remained close, and incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock has done well so far. Republicans acknowledge that earlier efforts to try and paint Warnock as a “radical” were a mistake. It’s tough to make the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church — the same post once held by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — whose ads have featured him smiling with his beagle, look like a bad guy. Instead, the attacks to come are more likely to be simply making Warnock out to be a Democrat whose votes are out of step with Georgia.

But Georgia is about as purple as it comes now, and Warnock’s Trump-backed opponent, Herschel Walker, has his issues as a candidate. Still, the former NFL and University of Georgia running back has high name ID and appeal among Republicans. And Walker will likely benefit from the gubernatorial race of Republican Brian Kemp, who is currently favored to win reelection. This one will likely be a nail-biter.

3. Arizona (D-Kelly)

Incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly has a lead in the polls and has struck a moderate profile in this state Biden won narrowly. Plus, Trump-endorsed Republican Blake Masters won his primary and backs Trump’s election lies. But this is Arizona, and operatives in both parties expect this race to tighten. Masters has landed in controversy on multiple topics, but Democrats have chosen to focus on his hardline stance on abortion. In fact, one of the first ads run against him after the primary was on that, showing what a salient issue Democrats think it is, especially with independents, which are so crucial in this state.

But Republicans see inflation and immigration as the two most important issues. Plus, Masters is already making a tonal shift now that he’s in the general election. Republicans also outnumber Democrats in the state by about 147,000, and with a third of the state not identifying with either party, independents are key for Kelly. Democrats have been able to win over independents in recent Senate elections in the state, but it’s a tougher task in the first midterm of an unpopular Democratic president.

4. Nevada (D-Cortez Masto)

Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto is the first Latina elected senator, while Republican Adam Laxalt is a political scion in Nevada.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; John Locher/AP


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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; John Locher/AP

Nevada’s political leaning and demographics — with substantial Latino and Asian American populations — tend to favor Democrats. But Republicans continue to doubt the strength of incumbent freshman Catherine Cortez Masto’s candidacy.

Democrats, on the other hand, think Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected senator, has run a good campaign so far, focusing on local issues, like helping get drought funding in the Democratic-passed Inflation Reduction Act.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in Nevada by tens of thousands of voters, and Democrats think abortion will fire up their voters to head to the polls. Republican Adam Laxalt is a controversial candidate who has backed Trump’s election lies, but he is a former attorney general who is also a political scion in the state. (His grandfather, Paul Laxalt, was a senator and governor.)

5. Wisconsin (R-Johnson)

Incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is not very well liked in the state and has landed in numerous controversies related to the coronavirus vaccine and his ties to Trump and the Jan. 6 insurrection. Johnson hardly cuts the image of the vanilla businessman that helped him first win his seat in 2010. An early poll shows he could be in trouble, but Republicans are feeling positive about his chances. They say Johnson is doing a good job raising money and running a strong campaign, doing the groundwork, even reaching out to the small share of Latinos in the state.

The Democrat here is Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is less well known, though he has won statewide. While Democrats want to make this about Johnson, Republicans will seek to paint Barnes as progressive as anyone in the state, particularly on crime and ties to the “defund the police” and “defund ICE” movements, which he has tried to distance himself from in recent months.

6. New Hampshire (D-Hassan)

New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan finds out who her Republican opponent will be next month.

Charles Krupa/AP


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Charles Krupa/AP

This is the one key Senate race that doesn’t have its general election matchup set. That would be thought of as an advantage for incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan, but New Hampshire is a purple state with a strong independent and libertarian streak, and Hassan’s numbers have lagged. Biden may have won New Hampshire in 2020 by 7 points, but he’s now very unpopular in the state. That makes it a tough place for a Democrat up for reelection.

The GOP primary will be decided Sept. 13, and no candidate has really stood out from the pack. So far, Don Bolduc, a retired Army general who has backed Trump’s election lies and whom Trump has praised, has a lead in polls over the more staid state Senate President Chuck Morse and others. Primary polls have moved quickly this year closer to elections, and this race hasn’t gotten a lot of attention yet, but Republicans likely would rather make this a campaign between a more generic Republican and Hassan rather than with an election denier.

7. North Carolina (R-Open)

These next two are close, but still lean in Republicans’ direction.

Democrats like what they’ve seen out of their nominee in North Carolina, Cheri Beasley, the first Black chief justice of the state Supreme Court. That’s a statewide elected position, one she lost by just 401 votes out of more than five million in 2020. (Biden lost the state by more than 100,000 votes.)

Notably, she has more than doubled the amount of money raised by Republican Rep. Ted Budd, the Trump-endorsed candidate, as of June 30. North Carolina has a Democratic governor, as well, but this has been something of a Lucy-and-the-football state for the party. Democrats have been close, but won no presidential or Senate races since Barack Obama (and former Sen. Kay Hagan) won in 2008.

There are more Democrats in the state than Republicans, but independents here are more GOP-leaning, which has given Republicans the advantage in recent federal elections. What’s more, while Republicans have seen their ranks stay about the same since 2020, Democratic registrations have shrunk since then, when Biden lost by 1.4 points.

8. Ohio (R-Open)

Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan has run a strong, middle-of-the-road campaign so far, Democrats say. And it’s showing in the polls against Republican J.D. Vance, who has landed in controversies with his remarks on women and family. Vance has a lot of work to do to right his campaign’s ship. He’s been seen as running a weak campaign and Ryan has raised seven times the amount of money as Vance.

But there’s a long way to go. And the cavalry is about to come to Vance’s aid. The Senate Leadership Fund is planning to plunk down $28 million to boost Vance, more than quadrupling what Republicans have already spent on his candidacy. Plus, this is a Republican-leaning state that Biden lost by 8 points. The president’s approval rating is underwater in the state, and Ryan has distanced himself from Biden.

9. Florida (R-Rubio)

Rounding out the top 10 are two states that are stretches for both parties, but where they are competing strongly.

In Florida, Republican incumbent Marco Rubio has veered a long way from his 2016 anti-Trump days that won him the pejorative “Little Marco” from Trump. Since then, he’s shrunk into the former president’s shadow, denouncing the search at Trump’s Florida home, for example, as a “Third World Act.”

The fact is: Rubio needs Trump’s supporters in a state Trump won twice and where conservative Ron DeSantis is governor. Challenging him is Democratic Rep. Val Demings. Demings, a former Orlando chief of police, was a Trump impeachment manager and has actually outraised Rubio, highly unusual for a sitting senator. At the end of the day, though, this is still Florida, and Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 200,000 voters.

10. Colorado (D-Bennet)

The incumbent here is Democrat Michael Bennet. Republicans are happy their candidate Joe O’Dea, a more moderate construction company executive who supports abortion rights in the early months of a pregnancy, made it through the primary against an election denier who did not believe in any exceptions for abortion. (Trying to get through the primary, O’Dea touted on his website that “pro-lifers” had endorsed him.)

Democrats aim to use abortion to fire up their voters in this state, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 100,000 voters. They’ll paint O’Dea as a vote for McConnell for majority leader and the 51st vote to ban abortion — despite the fact that O’Dea has said he would vote to codify early-term abortion rights and later with exceptions. (He has likened himself to a “Republican Joe Manchin.”)

Republicans don’t believe Bennet has been pushed and think he’s potentially vulnerable. He won in 2016 with just 50% and by 6 points. (Republicans also believe they can give Sen. Patty Murray in Washington state a run for her money, but that hasn’t borne out so far and is an even more left-leaning state than Colorado.)

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2022/08/22/1118389494/top-10-us-senate-seats-pennsylvania-georgia-arizona

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Car bomb kills daughter of ‘spiritual guide’ to Putin’s Ukraine invasion – Russian media – CNN
Car bomb kills daughter of ‘spiritual guide’ to Putin’s Ukraine invasion – Russian media – CNN

Russian authorities said Sunday they had opened a murder investigation after the daughter of influential, ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin was killed by a car bomb on the outskirts of Moscow.

The Russian Investigative Committee said it believed someone planned and ordered the car explosion that killed Darya Dugina, based on evidence already collected from the blast. “Taking into account the data already obtained, the investigation believes that the crime was pre-planned and was of an ordered nature,” the investigative committee said in a statement Sunday.

Dugina died at the scene after “an explosive device, presumably installed in the Toyota Land Cruiser, went off on a public road and the car caught fire” at around 9.00 p.m. local time on Saturday, near the village of Bolshiye Vyazemy, according to the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee, as reported by the Russian state news agency TASS.

Dugina’s father is a Russian author and ideologue, credited with being the architect or “spiritual guide” to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He is purported to have significant influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin and was described as “Putin’s Brain” by Foreign Affairs magazine.

Both Dugin and his daughter have been sanctioned by the United States. The United Kingdom sanctioned Dugina in July for being “a frequent and high-profile contributor of disinformation in relation to Ukraine and the Russian invasion of Ukraine on various online platform,” it wrote.

Videos of the explosion showed a vehicle on fire at the side of the road and smashed car parts strewn across the surrounding area. One unverified video appears to show Dugin at the scene.

A friend of Dugina told TASS that he believed Dugina’s father was the true target of the blast – or possibly both of them – as the car belonged to Alexander.

“It’s her father’s car,” Krasnov told TASS. “Dasha (Darya) drives another car, but she drove his car today, and Alexander went separately,” Andrei Krasnov, head of the Russky Gorizont (Russian Horizon) social movement and a personal acquaintance of Dugina’s family, told TASS.

A Russian foreign ministry official implied that Ukrainian state structures were responsible for the explosion, a claim that Ukrainian authorities have denied.

“If the Ukrainian trace is confirmed… then we should talk about the policy of state terrorism implemented by the Kyiv regime,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a Telegram post. “There have been plenty of facts accumulated over the years: from political calls for violence to the leadership and participation of Ukrainian state structures in crimes,” she said.

Ukraine on Sunday strenuously denied any involvement in the car explosion. “Ukraine definitely has nothing to do with this because we are not a criminal state, which the Russian Federation is, and even more so, we are not a terrorist state,” Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in a Ukrainian TV interview.

‘Flames completely engulfed it’

When Dugina “turned onto the Mozhaiskoye highway near the village of Bolshiye Vyazemi, there was an explosion, the car caught fire immediately,” Krasnov told TASS.

“The flames completely engulfed it. She lost control because she was driving at high speed and flew to the opposite side of the road,” Krasnov added, as cited by TASS.

In the meantime, forensic experts, investigators and experts in explosive engineering are inspecting the scene.

Dugina, the daughter, was born in 1992 and studied Philosophy at Moscow State University, according to TASS.

In March 2022, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Dugina for her contribution to an article on the United World International (UWI) website suggesting that Ukraine would “perish” if it is admitted to NATO. Dugina was UWI’s chief editor.

She claimed in a recent interview with the Russian news channel, 1RNK, that the atrocities that happened during the Russian occupation of the Ukrainian town of Bucha were American propaganda, chosen because of its phonological similarity to “butcher,” a word she connects with US President Joe Biden calling Putin a “butcher” on March 29.

CNN visited the scene of mass graves in Bucha in April after Russian forces had withdrawn, revealing the horrors of their occupation to the world. Images of bodies lying strewn the streets of Bucha sparked international condemnation and investigations into potential Russian war crimes. Multiple eyewitnesses and footage have connected many of the atrocities to Russian soldiers.

Her father was also sanctioned by the United States in 2015 for being responsible for, or complicit in actions or policies that threaten peace, security, stability, or sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The US Treasury department also said that Alexander Dugin was a leader of the Eurasian Youth Union, which actively recruited individuals with military and combat experience to fight on behalf of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and has stated that it has a covert presence in Ukraine.

In an interview with CNN in 2017, Dugin remarked on many similarities between his ideas and those of former US president Donald Trump. He called Trump’s inauguration speech discourse “as if I would write it myself.”

He also said that Putin provided inspiration for Trump, “a kind of… example to challenge the status quo, to challenge the conventional wisdom, challenge all this totalitarian principles of globalists and ultra-liberals.”

CNN’s Alex Stambaugh contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/20/europe/darya-dugina-killed-car-explosion-alexander-dugin-russia-intl-hnk/index.html

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Appeals court puts pause on Lindsey Graham’s testimony in Ga. election investigation – WLS-TV
Appeals court puts pause on Lindsey Graham’s testimony in Ga. election investigation – WLS-TV

A federal appeals court on Sunday temporarily halted a lower court’s ruling mandating that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., testify before a grand jury in Georgia that is investigating pro-Trump efforts to sway the state’s 2020 presidential election results.

In a brief order, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the ruling back down to the district court, instructing the judge there to weigh any potential changes to Fulton County’s grand jury subpoena to Graham in alignment with the Constitution’s speech and debate clause.

The clause, which offers lawmakers certain legal protections when they are acting in their official capacities, is at the heart of Graham’s challenge to the subpoena for his testimony.

Graham had been scheduled to testify Tuesday.

The appellate circuit ruled that the district court should “determine whether [Graham] is entitled to a partial quashal [rejection] or modification of the subpoena to appear before the special purpose grand jury based on any protections afforded by the Speech or Debate Clause of the United States Constitution.”

“Following resolution of the partial-quashal issue on limited remand, the matter will be returned to this Court for further consideration,” the appellate judges wrote.

The ruling is the latest development in Fulton County’s investigation of efforts to overturn the 2020 race — a probe that turned into a pitched legal battle with Graham after Georgia prosecutors sought his testimony earlier this year.

District Court Judge Leigh Martin May had ruled on Friday that “further delay of … Graham’s testimony would greatly compound the overall delay in carrying out the grand jury’s investigation” and “thus poses a significant risk of overall hindrance to the grand jury’s investigation.”

“The Court therefore finds that granting a stay would almost certainly result in material injury to the grand jury and its investigation,” May wrote.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat leading the investigation, first sought Graham’s testimony in July.

The South Carolina legislator, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, became embroiled in the case over two calls he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger shortly after the last presidential race.

Graham has since insisted that he was inquiring over how signatures on Georgia mail-in ballots were verified and was not pushing for any votes to be tossed in support of Trump. Graham’s legal team says his calls should be protected under the speech and debate clause, arguing they were related to legislative work under his role as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time.

The Georgia grand jury probe was launched after Raffensperger, a Republican and the state’s top elections overseer, was lobbied by Trump to “find 11,780 votes” — the number the then-president needed to win the state over Joe Biden, who won Georgia (which was later re-confirmed by a full manual recount).

In seeking a grand jury earlier this year, Willis wrote to the court that she had reason to believe there was “a reasonable probability that the State of Georgia’s administration of elections in 2020 … was subject to possible criminal disruptions.” She previously told the Associated Press that she was examining Graham and Trump’s calls with Raffensperger.

The Fulton County grand jury can make recommendations but does not have the power to indict, which would be up to another grand jury to weigh after the investigation.

Trump has insisted his pressure campaign in Georgia was appropriate and he did nothing wrong, claiming Willis is politically persecuting him.

ABC News’ Alexander Mallin and Will Steakin contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://abc7chicago.com/appeals-court-puts-pause-on-lindsey-grahams-testimony-in-ga-elect/12150818/

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Body, car found in Prosser Creek Reservoir near where 16-year-old Kiely Rodni went missing; Press conference on Monday – KCRA Sacramento
Body, car found in Prosser Creek Reservoir near where 16-year-old Kiely Rodni went missing; Press conference on Monday – KCRA Sacramento
TRUCKEE, Calif. —

A body and car have been found in a Truckee lake where authorities and dive teams have been searching for 16-year-old missing teen Kiely Rodni for the past two weeks.

LiveCopter 3 footage showed the car being pulled from Prosser Creek Reservoir Sunday evening and tarps were brought out to cover the vehicle. (See video below.)

Law enforcement has not confirmed that the remains are Rodni’s. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said it was out at the scene to investigate the dive team’s findings along with officials from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and other agencies.

There will be a press conference Monday at 11 a.m. at the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District.

A representative for Rodni’s family told KCRA 3 the family did not have anything to share until it received communication from law enforcement.

The specialty search and recovery dive team called Adventures With Purpose (AWP) started searching for the teen on Friday. They confirmed to KCRA 3 that a matching vehicle description with human remains were found at Prosser Creek Reservoir.

Rodni was last seen on Aug. 6 at a large party with hundreds of like-aged teens at the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, which is next to the lake. The teen disappeared seemingly without a trace.

Authorities said the last known ping from Rodni’s cellphone was made the same night around 12:30 a.m. near the lake.

At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Adventures With Purpose posted on Facebook about its findings. By 4:50 p.m., KCRA 3 arrived at the scene and saw law enforcement activity there.

The vehicle was taken out of the water around 7:49 p.m.

Adventures With Purpose told KCRA 3 that their team uses sonar, which is likely why they found the car in the same location agencies had been searching with their boats.

Hours earlier on Sunday morning, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said seven personnel were assigned to Rodni’s case. That was down from 73 personnel on Friday. Seven helicopters were searching an 80-mile radius from where Kiely was last seen. About 2,000 tips from the community have been sent to authorities.

The FBI had also added Rodni to their Missing Person Database.

Many members of the community are questioning why it took until Adventures with Purpose to get involved for law enforcement to potentially have an update in their search.

“For them to not be able to find her, it bothers me a little, honestly,” Truckee resident Gitana DeCoulode said. “Why don’t they have the equipment that [Adventures with Purpose] had, to find her? Why? Where we live, we have bodies of water everywhere.”

But others said the task authorities have in front of them is not an easy one.

“I don’t fault law enforcement in any way. I know they put in thousands of hours in searching,” Reno resident Greg Bishop said. Adventures with Purpose just has a specialty. They have the knowledge in reading their sonar equipment.”

| Video Below | Friend of Kiely Rodni hopeful in finding missing teen

Who are the Adventures With Purpose team?

AWP is a search and recovery dive team dedicated to helping families of missing loved ones. According to the team, they have assisted in helping solve 23 missing person cold cases since 2019.

AWP provides services free of charge to families with missing loved ones.

This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 for the latest.

Here is where you can download our app.

Source Article from https://www.kcra.com/article/body-found-prosser-lake-16-year-old-kiely-rodni/40950648

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Birx says early pandemic warnings came from Europe: ‘That in itself should be an indictment of our system’ – The Hill
Birx says early pandemic warnings came from Europe: ‘That in itself should be an indictment of our system’ – The Hill

Dr. Deborah Birx, who served as White House coronavirus response coordinator during the Trump administration, said on Sunday that the fact that early data on the COVID-19 pandemic came from Europe should be an “indictment of our system.”

During an appearance on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” moderator Margaret Brennan noted earlier remarks from Birx that she did not trust the data she received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during her tenure, specifically pointing to delays in information regarding the race and ethnicity of COVID fatalities. 

“First and foremost, in March of 2020, all of our data that I used to warn Americans of who was at risk for severe disease, hospitalization, and deaths came from our European colleagues,” Birx replied. “That in itself should be an indictment of our system.”

Birx also said that her requests to CDC to improve its system and develop partnerships with clinics, hospitals, and laboratories went unheeded. 

“The private sector is willing to help us, you know, they have people working in these communities. They want everyone to do well to thrive and survive,” Birx said. “And so I think we’re just not tapping into the system that the United States utilizes for health care delivery and because of that, there’s extraordinary delays, and critically, there’s incomplete data.” 

Birx’s remarks come after CDC Director Rochelle Walensky announced last week that the agency plans to overhaul its system, saying that “it didn’t meet expectations” following an internal review of the agency’s shortcomings in its COVID-19 response. 

When asked about on Sunday the latest CDC changes, Birx said that transparency is key for the agency to rebuild its trust with the public. 

“Well, the way you rebuild public trust is be transparent. And I think that’s in the report: better data, better accountability, better transparency. But they also have to believe, and this gets to the culture piece, people can understand complicated issues,” Birx said.  “It’s your job as a public health official.”

Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/3609714-birx-says-early-pandemic-warnings-came-from-europe-that-in-itself-should-be-an-indictment-of-our-system/

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Nearly 200 visitors and staff evacuated from Carlsbad Caverns National Park – KOAT New Mexico
Nearly 200 visitors and staff evacuated from Carlsbad Caverns National Park – KOAT New Mexico
CARLSBAD, N.M. —

Nearly 200 visitors and park staff were safely evacuated after they were stranded at Carlsbad Caverns National Park for nearly nine hours on Saturday.

In a statement released on Sunday, Chief Ranger Laura Steele said park rangers initially began the process of evacuating the park around 2 pm Saturday, due to thunderstorm activity at the park. About an hour later, the decision was made to issue a shelter in place, inside the visitors center.

“There was no signs or anything like that warning us about flash flooding or anything,” said Michael Conteas. The Albuquerque resident had brought his children to see the tourist attraction for the first time. “Children were upset. My wife was very, very nervous. Everyone was pretty much distraught.”

Albuquerque residents Robert and Stephanie Saavedra were also among those stranded at the Caverns, with their three children. Stephanie said they were about halfway done with the tour, when park officials gave the evacuation order. They made a 20-minute walk back out to the visitor center building. The family soon discovered that the road was impassable.

“We’ve been asking about food and water, since we have three small kids,” Stephanie Saavedra said. “They don’t even know about food and water for us. We’re just walking around and waiting.”

The family told Action 7 News that the staff at the tourist attraction gave them food, but they had to pay for it. They also said the caverns ran out of food, so some people were unable to eat.

Carlsbad Caverns remains closed.

Source Article from https://www.koat.com/article/carlsbad-caverns-shelter-in-place/40947915

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