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  • Kirk killing suspect feared being shot by police and agreed to surrender if peaceful, sheriff says

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    Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.”He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.”The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.”Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killingHidden note in suspect’s apartmentInvestigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Investigators looking at whether Robinson had helpLaw enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.Parents said their son became more politicalRobinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

    OREM, Utah —

    Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.

    Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.

    “He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”

    On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.

    Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.

    Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.

    Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.

    “The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”

    Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.

    On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.

    “Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.

    Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killing

    Hidden note in suspect’s apartment

    Investigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.

    There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.

    After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”

    Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.

    Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.

    Investigators looking at whether Robinson had help

    Law enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.

    The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.

    Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.

    Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.

    Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?

    Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

    Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.

    While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.

    Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.

    Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.

    Parents said their son became more political

    Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.

    She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.

    The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.

    Robinson detailed movements after the shooting

    In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”

    The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.

    “To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.

    ___

    Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

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  • Republicans unveil a bill to fund the government through Nov. 21. Democrats call it partisan

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    House Republicans unveiled on Tuesday a stopgap spending bill that would keep federal agencies funded through Nov. 21, daring Democrats to block it knowing that the fallout would likely be a partial government shutdown that would begin Oct. 1, the start of the new budget year.The bill would generally fund agencies at current levels, with a few limited exceptions, including an extra $88 million to boost security for lawmakers and members of the Supreme Court and the executive branch. The proposed boost comes as lawmakers face an increasing number of personal threats, with their concerns heightened by last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.The House is expected to vote on the measure by Friday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he would prefer the Senate take it up this week as well. But any bill will need some Democratic support to advance through the Senate, and it’s unclear whether that will happen.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries have been asking their Republican counterparts for weeks for a meeting to negotiate on the bill, but they say that Republicans have refused. Any bill needs help from at least seven Democrats in the Senate to overcome procedural hurdles and advance to a final vote.The two Democratic leaders issued a joint statement saying that by “refusing to work with Democrats, Republicans are steering our country toward a shutdown.””The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis,” Schumer and Jeffries said. “At a time when families are already being squeezed by higher costs, Republicans refuse to stop Americans from facing double-digit hikes in their health insurance premiums.”Republicans say it’s Democrats who are playing politics by insisting on addressing health coverage concerns as part of any government funding bill. In past budget battles, it has been Republicans who’ve been willing to engage in shutdown threats as a way to focus attention on their priority demands. That was the situation during the nation’s longest shutdown, during the winter of 2018-19, when President Donald Trump was insisting on federal funds to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.This time, however, Democrats are facing intense pressure from their base of supporters to stand up to Trump. They have particularly focused on the potential for skyrocketing health care premiums for millions of Americans if Congress fails to extend enhanced subsidies, which many people use to buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchange. Those subsidies were put in place during the COVID crisis, but are set to expire.Some people have already received notices that their premiums — the monthly fee paid for insurance coverage — are poised to spike next year. Insurers have sent out notices in nearly every state, with some proposing premium increases of as much as 50%.Johnson called the debate over health insurance tax credits a December policy issue, not something that needs to be solved in September.”It’ll be a clean, short-term continuing resolution, end of story,” Johnson told reporters. “And it’s interesting to me that some of the same Democrats who decried government shutdowns under President Biden appear to have no heartache whatsoever at walking our nation off that cliff right now. I hope they don’t.”Thune said Republicans are simply providing what Schumer has always requested in the past when Democrats were in the majority — “a clean funding resolution to fund the government.” He said that if the House passes the measure and Trump is prepared to sign it, then “it will be only the Democrat leader that is standing between this country and a government shutdown and all that means.”

    WASHINGTON —

    House Republicans unveiled on Tuesday a stopgap spending bill that would keep federal agencies funded through Nov. 21, daring Democrats to block it knowing that the fallout would likely be a partial government shutdown that would begin Oct. 1, the start of the new budget year.

    The bill would generally fund agencies at current levels, with a few limited exceptions, including an extra $88 million to boost security for lawmakers and members of the Supreme Court and the executive branch. The proposed boost comes as lawmakers face an increasing number of personal threats, with their concerns heightened by last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

    The House is expected to vote on the measure by Friday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he would prefer the Senate take it up this week as well. But any bill will need some Democratic support to advance through the Senate, and it’s unclear whether that will happen.

    Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries have been asking their Republican counterparts for weeks for a meeting to negotiate on the bill, but they say that Republicans have refused. Any bill needs help from at least seven Democrats in the Senate to overcome procedural hurdles and advance to a final vote.

    The two Democratic leaders issued a joint statement saying that by “refusing to work with Democrats, Republicans are steering our country toward a shutdown.”

    “The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis,” Schumer and Jeffries said. “At a time when families are already being squeezed by higher costs, Republicans refuse to stop Americans from facing double-digit hikes in their health insurance premiums.”

    Republicans say it’s Democrats who are playing politics by insisting on addressing health coverage concerns as part of any government funding bill. In past budget battles, it has been Republicans who’ve been willing to engage in shutdown threats as a way to focus attention on their priority demands. That was the situation during the nation’s longest shutdown, during the winter of 2018-19, when President Donald Trump was insisting on federal funds to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

    This time, however, Democrats are facing intense pressure from their base of supporters to stand up to Trump. They have particularly focused on the potential for skyrocketing health care premiums for millions of Americans if Congress fails to extend enhanced subsidies, which many people use to buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchange. Those subsidies were put in place during the COVID crisis, but are set to expire.

    Some people have already received notices that their premiums — the monthly fee paid for insurance coverage — are poised to spike next year. Insurers have sent out notices in nearly every state, with some proposing premium increases of as much as 50%.

    Johnson called the debate over health insurance tax credits a December policy issue, not something that needs to be solved in September.

    “It’ll be a clean, short-term continuing resolution, end of story,” Johnson told reporters. “And it’s interesting to me that some of the same Democrats who decried government shutdowns under President Biden appear to have no heartache whatsoever at walking our nation off that cliff right now. I hope they don’t.”

    Thune said Republicans are simply providing what Schumer has always requested in the past when Democrats were in the majority — “a clean funding resolution to fund the government.” He said that if the House passes the measure and Trump is prepared to sign it, then “it will be only the Democrat leader that is standing between this country and a government shutdown and all that means.”

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  • Turning Point USA confirms CEO Charlie Kirk shot at Utah college event

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    Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday at an event at a Utah college, Turning Point said.The event was taking place on Utah Valley University’s campus in Orem, Utah. University police confirmed that a single shot was fired toward a “visiting speaker.”The police alert added, “Police are investigating now, suspect in custody.”President Donald Trump put out a statement on Truth Social, acknowledging the situation.”We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote.”I am tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in a post on X. “Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there.”This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

    Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday at an event at a Utah college, Turning Point said.

    The event was taking place on Utah Valley University’s campus in Orem, Utah. University police confirmed that a single shot was fired toward a “visiting speaker.”

    The police alert added, “Police are investigating now, suspect in custody.”

    President Donald Trump put out a statement on Truth Social, acknowledging the situation.

    “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote.

    “I am tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in a post on X. “Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there.”

    This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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  • Attorneys general warn OpenAI and other tech companies to improve chatbot safety

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    The attorneys general of California and Delaware on Friday warned OpenAI they have “serious concerns” about the safety of its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, especially for children and teens.The two state officials, who have unique powers to regulate nonprofits such as OpenAI, sent the letter to the company after a meeting with its legal team earlier this week in Wilmington, Delaware.California AG Rob Bonta and Delaware AG Kathleen Jennings have spent months reviewing OpenAI’s plans to restructure its business, with an eye on “ensuring rigorous and robust oversight of OpenAI’s safety mission.”But they said they were concerned by “deeply troubling reports of dangerous interactions between” chatbots and their users, including the “heartbreaking death by suicide of one young Californian after he had prolonged interactions with an OpenAI chatbot, as well as a similarly disturbing murder-suicide in Connecticut. Whatever safeguards were in place did not work.”The parents of the 16-year-old boy, who died in April, sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, last month.OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.Founded as a nonprofit with a safety-focused mission to build better-than-human artificial intelligence, OpenAI had recently sought to transfer more control to its for-profit arm from its nonprofit before dropping those plans in May after discussions with the offices of Bonta and Jennings and other nonprofit groups.The two elected officials, both Democrats, have oversight of any such changes because OpenAI is incorporated in Delaware and operates out of California, where it has its headquarters in San Francisco.After dropping its initial plans, OpenAI has been seeking the officials’ approval for a “recapitalization,” in which the nonprofit’s existing for-profit arm will convert into a public benefit corporation that has to consider the interests of both shareholders and the mission.Bonta and Jennings wrote Friday of their “shared view” that OpenAI and the industry need better safety measures.”The recent deaths are unacceptable,” they wrote. “They have rightly shaken the American public’s confidence in OpenAI and this industry. OpenAI – and the AI industry – must proactively and transparently ensure AI’s safe deployment. Doing so is mandated by OpenAI’s charitable mission, and will be required and enforced by our respective offices.”The letter to OpenAI from the California and Delaware officials comes after a bipartisan group of 44 attorneys general warned the company and other tech firms last week of “grave concerns” about the safety of children interacting with AI chatbots that can respond with “sexually suggestive conversations and emotionally manipulative behavior.”The attorneys general specifically called out Meta for chatbots that reportedly engaged in flirting and “romantic role-play” with children, saying they were alarmed that these chatbots “are engaging in conduct that appears to be prohibited by our respective criminal laws.”Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.The attorneys general said the companies would be held accountable for harming children, noting that in the past, regulators had not moved swiftly to respond to the harms posed by new technologies.”If you knowingly harm kids, you will answer for it,” the Aug. 25 letter ends.

    The attorneys general of California and Delaware on Friday warned OpenAI they have “serious concerns” about the safety of its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, especially for children and teens.

    The two state officials, who have unique powers to regulate nonprofits such as OpenAI, sent the letter to the company after a meeting with its legal team earlier this week in Wilmington, Delaware.

    California AG Rob Bonta and Delaware AG Kathleen Jennings have spent months reviewing OpenAI’s plans to restructure its business, with an eye on “ensuring rigorous and robust oversight of OpenAI’s safety mission.”

    But they said they were concerned by “deeply troubling reports of dangerous interactions between” chatbots and their users, including the “heartbreaking death by suicide of one young Californian after he had prolonged interactions with an OpenAI chatbot, as well as a similarly disturbing murder-suicide in Connecticut. Whatever safeguards were in place did not work.”

    The parents of the 16-year-old boy, who died in April, sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, last month.

    OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

    Founded as a nonprofit with a safety-focused mission to build better-than-human artificial intelligence, OpenAI had recently sought to transfer more control to its for-profit arm from its nonprofit before dropping those plans in May after discussions with the offices of Bonta and Jennings and other nonprofit groups.

    The two elected officials, both Democrats, have oversight of any such changes because OpenAI is incorporated in Delaware and operates out of California, where it has its headquarters in San Francisco.

    After dropping its initial plans, OpenAI has been seeking the officials’ approval for a “recapitalization,” in which the nonprofit’s existing for-profit arm will convert into a public benefit corporation that has to consider the interests of both shareholders and the mission.

    Bonta and Jennings wrote Friday of their “shared view” that OpenAI and the industry need better safety measures.

    “The recent deaths are unacceptable,” they wrote. “They have rightly shaken the American public’s confidence in OpenAI and this industry. OpenAI – and the AI industry – must proactively and transparently ensure AI’s safe deployment. Doing so is mandated by OpenAI’s charitable mission, and will be required and enforced by our respective offices.”

    The letter to OpenAI from the California and Delaware officials comes after a bipartisan group of 44 attorneys general warned the company and other tech firms last week of “grave concerns” about the safety of children interacting with AI chatbots that can respond with “sexually suggestive conversations and emotionally manipulative behavior.”

    The attorneys general specifically called out Meta for chatbots that reportedly engaged in flirting and “romantic role-play” with children, saying they were alarmed that these chatbots “are engaging in conduct that appears to be prohibited by our respective criminal laws.”

    Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The attorneys general said the companies would be held accountable for harming children, noting that in the past, regulators had not moved swiftly to respond to the harms posed by new technologies.

    “If you knowingly harm kids, you will answer for it,” the Aug. 25 letter ends.

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  • Survivors, lawmakers demand release of all Jeffrey Epstein files

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    Survivors, lawmakers demand release of all Jeffrey Epstein files

    Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are pushing for a discharge petition, forcing a House floor vote to release nearly everything related to the case.

    Updated: 3:17 PM PDT Sep 3, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Demanding transparency, truth and their own healing, survivors of sexual abuse, along with bipartisan lawmakers, called for the release of all documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Survivors accuse Epstein of abusing and trafficking countless underage girls for decades before his death in a New York jail cell in 2019. Survivors, including some speaking out for the first time, joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers, pushing for a discharge petition that would force a House floor vote on releasing nearly everything related to the Epstein case. “I am no longer weak, I am no longer powerless and I am no longer alone,” Anouska De Georgiou, a survivor, said before reporters on Wednesday. “With your vote, neither will the next generation be.”On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee released more than 30,000 pages on the case, which some say were heavily redacted and revealed too little new information. The petition’s supporters want all investigation files released, emphasizing that the issue should be non-partisan.”The American people deserve to see everything,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said. “When you sign this discharge petition, it should mean nothing should be off limits.””The FBI, the DOJ, and the CIA hold the truth. And the truth we are demanding come out,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said.But the petition is already facing some roadblocks. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says he believes the House Oversight Committee should be responsible for carefully handling the documents, while President Trump dismissed the effort Wednesday, calling it “a Democrat hoax.”Related video below: Speaker Johnson on meeting with Epstein victimsSurvivors responded directly to President Trump’s dismissal, with one registered Republican calling on him to meet her at the Capitol to share her story and explain why the issue is not a hoax. Others pleaded that he recognize the abuse as real and humanize them.Lawmakers leading the petition are close to a House floor vote, needing only two more signatures to reach the required 218. So far, the petition includes all Democrats and at least a handful of Republicans, including Greene and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.Lawmakers emphasized the rare coalition of bipartisanship, signifying the growing issue. If the petition passes the House, it still needs to pass the Senate before heading to Trump’s desk.Regardless of the petition’s outcome, survivors are planning their own action for justice by compiling a list of those involved in Epstein’s network of abuse, though they did not specify if or when they would release it. In Wednesday’s press conference, the victims said they aim to hold the powerful accountable and help their healing, despite concerns about retaliation from Epstein’s circle.

    WASHINGTON —

    Demanding transparency, truth and their own healing, survivors of sexual abuse, along with bipartisan lawmakers, called for the release of all documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

    Survivors accuse Epstein of abusing and trafficking countless underage girls for decades before his death in a New York jail cell in 2019.

    Survivors, including some speaking out for the first time, joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers, pushing for a discharge petition that would force a House floor vote on releasing nearly everything related to the Epstein case.

    “I am no longer weak, I am no longer powerless and I am no longer alone,” Anouska De Georgiou, a survivor, said before reporters on Wednesday. “With your vote, neither will the next generation be.”

    On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee released more than 30,000 pages on the case, which some say were heavily redacted and revealed too little new information. The petition’s supporters want all investigation files released, emphasizing that the issue should be non-partisan.

    “The American people deserve to see everything,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said. “When you sign this discharge petition, it should mean nothing should be off limits.”

    “The FBI, the DOJ, and the CIA hold the truth. And the truth we are demanding come out,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said.

    But the petition is already facing some roadblocks. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says he believes the House Oversight Committee should be responsible for carefully handling the documents, while President Trump dismissed the effort Wednesday, calling it “a Democrat hoax.”

    Related video below: Speaker Johnson on meeting with Epstein victims

    Survivors responded directly to President Trump’s dismissal, with one registered Republican calling on him to meet her at the Capitol to share her story and explain why the issue is not a hoax. Others pleaded that he recognize the abuse as real and humanize them.

    Lawmakers leading the petition are close to a House floor vote, needing only two more signatures to reach the required 218. So far, the petition includes all Democrats and at least a handful of Republicans, including Greene and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.

    Lawmakers emphasized the rare coalition of bipartisanship, signifying the growing issue.

    If the petition passes the House, it still needs to pass the Senate before heading to Trump’s desk.

    Regardless of the petition’s outcome, survivors are planning their own action for justice by compiling a list of those involved in Epstein’s network of abuse, though they did not specify if or when they would release it. In Wednesday’s press conference, the victims said they aim to hold the powerful accountable and help their healing, despite concerns about retaliation from Epstein’s circle.

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  • West Point restores Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s portrait

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    A painting of Gen. Robert E. Lee dressed in his Confederate uniform is back on display in West Point’s library, several years after the storied academy removed honors to the Civil War military leader.Related video above from 2021: Robert E. Lee statue removed in CharlottesvilleThere are also plans to restore a bust of Lee that had been removed from a plaza at the U.S. Military Academy, and a quote from Lee about honor that was removed from a separate plaza is now on display beneath the portrait, an Army spokesperson said Tuesday.The items were removed to comply with a Department of Defense directive in 2022 that ordered the academy to address racial injustice and do away with installations that “commemorate or memorialize the Confederacy.The Pentagon’s decision to re-hang the portrait, which shows a Black man leading Lee’s horse in the background, was first reported by The New York Times. It had been hanging in the library since the 1950s before it was placed it in storage.The actions at West Point come as the Trump administration restores Confederate names and monuments that had been removed in recent years.”At West Point, the United States Military Academy is prepared to restore historical names, artifacts, and assets to their original form and place,” Rebecca Hodson, the Army’s communications director, said in a prepared statement. “Under this administration, we honor our history and learn from it — we don’t erase it.”President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” that decried efforts to reinterpret American history. The Army then restored the names of bases that originally honored Confederate leaders, finding service members with the same surnames to honor.A commission created by Congress recommended in 2022 that the name and images of Confederate officers be removed from military academies. Lee graduated second in his West Point class in 1829 and later served as superintendent, and his name and image had prominent places at the academy on the Hudson River.Congress took this action after repeated complaints by current and former enlistees and officers in nearly every branch of the armed services, who described a deep-rooted culture of racism and discrimination that stubbornly festers, despite repeated efforts to eradicate it.Ty Seidule, a retired brigadier general who served as vice chair of the commission, said Lee’s image should not be on display because he “chose treason” and does not represent the values taught to cadets at West Point.”It is against the motto of ‘Duty, Honor, Country,’” Seidule said. “Robert E. Lee is the antithesis of that, because his duty and honor was for a rebellious slave republic.”Seidule, now a history professor at Hamilton College, also questioned whether the restoration of these symbols at West Point are legal under the federal law that led to their removal.An Army statement asserts that the law does not bar the restoration of Confederacy-related names, symbols, displays, monuments or paraphernalia on military property.

    A painting of Gen. Robert E. Lee dressed in his Confederate uniform is back on display in West Point’s library, several years after the storied academy removed honors to the Civil War military leader.

    Related video above from 2021: Robert E. Lee statue removed in Charlottesville

    There are also plans to restore a bust of Lee that had been removed from a plaza at the U.S. Military Academy, and a quote from Lee about honor that was removed from a separate plaza is now on display beneath the portrait, an Army spokesperson said Tuesday.

    The items were removed to comply with a Department of Defense directive in 2022 that ordered the academy to address racial injustice and do away with installations that “commemorate or memorialize the Confederacy.

    The Pentagon’s decision to re-hang the portrait, which shows a Black man leading Lee’s horse in the background, was first reported by The New York Times. It had been hanging in the library since the 1950s before it was placed it in storage.

    The actions at West Point come as the Trump administration restores Confederate names and monuments that had been removed in recent years.

    “At West Point, the United States Military Academy is prepared to restore historical names, artifacts, and assets to their original form and place,” Rebecca Hodson, the Army’s communications director, said in a prepared statement. “Under this administration, we honor our history and learn from it — we don’t erase it.”

    President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” that decried efforts to reinterpret American history. The Army then restored the names of bases that originally honored Confederate leaders, finding service members with the same surnames to honor.

    A commission created by Congress recommended in 2022 that the name and images of Confederate officers be removed from military academies. Lee graduated second in his West Point class in 1829 and later served as superintendent, and his name and image had prominent places at the academy on the Hudson River.

    Congress took this action after repeated complaints by current and former enlistees and officers in nearly every branch of the armed services, who described a deep-rooted culture of racism and discrimination that stubbornly festers, despite repeated efforts to eradicate it.

    Ty Seidule, a retired brigadier general who served as vice chair of the commission, said Lee’s image should not be on display because he “chose treason” and does not represent the values taught to cadets at West Point.

    “It is against the motto of ‘Duty, Honor, Country,’” Seidule said. “Robert E. Lee is the antithesis of that, because his duty and honor was for a rebellious slave republic.”

    Seidule, now a history professor at Hamilton College, also questioned whether the restoration of these symbols at West Point are legal under the federal law that led to their removal.

    An Army statement asserts that the law does not bar the restoration of Confederacy-related names, symbols, displays, monuments or paraphernalia on military property.

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  • What federal laws could President Trump use to send troops to US cities?

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    What federal laws could President Trump use to send troops to US cities?

    Updated: 3:24 PM EDT Aug 26, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    President Donald Trump indicated late last week that Chicago could be the next U.S. city targeted for a federal troop deployment, mirroring similar actions already taken in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.On Monday, Trump doubled down on the potential of sending the U.S. military to Chicago, though he stopped short of making any guarantees.”They need help. We may wait. We may or may not, we may just go in and do it, which is probably what we should do,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.The Washington Post reported over the weekend that the Trump administration has been working on plans for some time to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, possibly as early as September.The Trump administration has cited high levels of crime and lack of immigration enforcement as reasons for deploying federal troops. However, officials from D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago have pushed back against those claims and voiced strong opposition to Trump’s actions.“The guard is not needed,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told NBC News. “This is not the role of our military. The brave men and women who signed up to serve our country did not sign up to occupy American cities.”Sending federal troops to Chicago would represent a significant escalation beyond the Trump administration’s earlier deployments in Los Angeles and D.C., pushing the limits of executive authority and inviting greater legal scrutiny. It could also lay the groundwork for Trump to send troops to other U.S. cities.Here’s a closer look at the federal laws at play and the legal arguments the Trump administration may use to uphold its deployment of federal troops to cities like Chicago.Title 10, Section 12406When considering the legal justifications for future troop deployments to cities like Chicago, Baltimore and New York, it’s best to begin with the Trump administration’s past actions.Washington, D.C., was the most recent place targeted, but its unique status as the capital means it’s unlikely to serve as a legal precedent for a nationwide rollout.Los Angeles, on the other hand, may offer a better roadmap.On June 7, Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops in response to protests over his administration’s immigration policies. Shortly after, the number of Guard troops was increased to 4,100, plus approximately 700 Marines were also sent to the state.In a memo announcing the deployment, Trump invoked Title 10, Section 12406 of the U.S. Code, which states that the president can federalize National Guard units to repel an invasion, suppress a rebellion or enforce federal law.Video below: President Trump considers deploying armed National Guard to cities amid criticismAccording to Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, it was the first time since 1965 that a president activated a state’s National Guard without the governor’s request.California subsequently sued Trump, arguing that the deployment of federal troops violated the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 federal law that generally prohibits the use of the U.S. military to enforce domestic law.The Trump administration has maintained that federal troops were not engaged in law enforcement, but were instead deployed to protect federal immigration personnel and property.A federal judge initially ruled in favor of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, stating that Trump must relinquish control of the National Guard back to the state. However, a week later, an appeals court overturned the ruling.The lawsuit went back to court earlier this month, but a new ruling has not been made.Looking toward Chicago, Baltimore and New York, Trump could attempt to invoke Section 12406 again, using claims of high crime rates or lack of cooperation with federal officials in immigration enforcement as justification. But, like California, the move would certainly be met with legal action.Insurrection Act of 1807Another route the Trump administration could take is to invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act of 1807.The 19th-century law serves as an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, giving the president the power to use the U.S. military to carry out domestic law enforcement duties.Like Section 12406 of Title 10, the Insurrection Act requires certain conditions to be met to justify its use, such as suppressing an insurrection, quelling domestic violence or enforcing civil rights. However, it is widely viewed as a more extreme measure, especially when used without a state’s consent.Additionally, Section 12406 only gives the president control of the National Guard, while the Insurrection Act extends to the entire armed forces. The act also authorizes those forces to engage in domestic law enforcement, including detaining civilians and controlling crowds. Section 12406 does not.According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the Insurrection Act has only been used 30 times in American history. Most recently, it was used in 1992, at the request of California’s governor, to respond to the Los Angeles riots. The last time it was used against the state’s wishes was during the 1950s and 1960s to enforce school desegregation and to protect civil rights marches.Trump has never officially invoked the Insurrection Act, though he has repeatedly threatened to do so. “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it,” Trump said in June, regarding the situation in Los Angeles. “We’ll see … If we didn’t get involved right now, Los Angeles would be burning.”Some legal experts have questioned whether Trump’s past actions have already crossed the threshold, including his deployment of the Marines to Los Angeles, which isn’t explicitly protected by Section 12406, but does fall under the Insurrection Act’s powers.Ultimately, if Trump does invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to cities like Chicago, Baltimore, or New York, it would almost assuredly be challenged in court.However, it’s important to note that the Supreme Court, in the 1827 case Martin v. Mott, ruled that the president has sole discretion to determine if conditions are met to invoke the Insurrection Act. It’s a judgment that courts have historically been reluctant to contest.

    President Donald Trump indicated late last week that Chicago could be the next U.S. city targeted for a federal troop deployment, mirroring similar actions already taken in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

    On Monday, Trump doubled down on the potential of sending the U.S. military to Chicago, though he stopped short of making any guarantees.

    “They need help. We may wait. We may or may not, we may just go in and do it, which is probably what we should do,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

    The Washington Post reported over the weekend that the Trump administration has been working on plans for some time to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, possibly as early as September.

    The Trump administration has cited high levels of crime and lack of immigration enforcement as reasons for deploying federal troops. However, officials from D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago have pushed back against those claims and voiced strong opposition to Trump’s actions.

    “The guard is not needed,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told NBC News. “This is not the role of our military. The brave men and women who signed up to serve our country did not sign up to occupy American cities.”

    Sending federal troops to Chicago would represent a significant escalation beyond the Trump administration’s earlier deployments in Los Angeles and D.C., pushing the limits of executive authority and inviting greater legal scrutiny. It could also lay the groundwork for Trump to send troops to other U.S. cities.

    Here’s a closer look at the federal laws at play and the legal arguments the Trump administration may use to uphold its deployment of federal troops to cities like Chicago.

    Title 10, Section 12406

    When considering the legal justifications for future troop deployments to cities like Chicago, Baltimore and New York, it’s best to begin with the Trump administration’s past actions.

    Washington, D.C., was the most recent place targeted, but its unique status as the capital means it’s unlikely to serve as a legal precedent for a nationwide rollout.

    Los Angeles, on the other hand, may offer a better roadmap.

    On June 7, Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops in response to protests over his administration’s immigration policies. Shortly after, the number of Guard troops was increased to 4,100, plus approximately 700 Marines were also sent to the state.

    In a memo announcing the deployment, Trump invoked Title 10, Section 12406 of the U.S. Code, which states that the president can federalize National Guard units to repel an invasion, suppress a rebellion or enforce federal law.

    Video below: President Trump considers deploying armed National Guard to cities amid criticism

    According to Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, it was the first time since 1965 that a president activated a state’s National Guard without the governor’s request.

    California subsequently sued Trump, arguing that the deployment of federal troops violated the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 federal law that generally prohibits the use of the U.S. military to enforce domestic law.

    The Trump administration has maintained that federal troops were not engaged in law enforcement, but were instead deployed to protect federal immigration personnel and property.

    A federal judge initially ruled in favor of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, stating that Trump must relinquish control of the National Guard back to the state. However, a week later, an appeals court overturned the ruling.

    The lawsuit went back to court earlier this month, but a new ruling has not been made.

    Looking toward Chicago, Baltimore and New York, Trump could attempt to invoke Section 12406 again, using claims of high crime rates or lack of cooperation with federal officials in immigration enforcement as justification. But, like California, the move would certainly be met with legal action.

    Insurrection Act of 1807

    Another route the Trump administration could take is to invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act of 1807.

    The 19th-century law serves as an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, giving the president the power to use the U.S. military to carry out domestic law enforcement duties.

    Like Section 12406 of Title 10, the Insurrection Act requires certain conditions to be met to justify its use, such as suppressing an insurrection, quelling domestic violence or enforcing civil rights. However, it is widely viewed as a more extreme measure, especially when used without a state’s consent.

    Additionally, Section 12406 only gives the president control of the National Guard, while the Insurrection Act extends to the entire armed forces. The act also authorizes those forces to engage in domestic law enforcement, including detaining civilians and controlling crowds. Section 12406 does not.

    According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the Insurrection Act has only been used 30 times in American history. Most recently, it was used in 1992, at the request of California’s governor, to respond to the Los Angeles riots. The last time it was used against the state’s wishes was during the 1950s and 1960s to enforce school desegregation and to protect civil rights marches.

    Trump has never officially invoked the Insurrection Act, though he has repeatedly threatened to do so.

    “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it,” Trump said in June, regarding the situation in Los Angeles. “We’ll see … If we didn’t get involved right now, Los Angeles would be burning.”

    Some legal experts have questioned whether Trump’s past actions have already crossed the threshold, including his deployment of the Marines to Los Angeles, which isn’t explicitly protected by Section 12406, but does fall under the Insurrection Act’s powers.

    Ultimately, if Trump does invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to cities like Chicago, Baltimore, or New York, it would almost assuredly be challenged in court.

    However, it’s important to note that the Supreme Court, in the 1827 case Martin v. Mott, ruled that the president has sole discretion to determine if conditions are met to invoke the Insurrection Act. It’s a judgment that courts have historically been reluctant to contest.

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  • Trump fires Fed governor Lisa Cook, opening new front in fight for control over central bank

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    President Donald Trump said Monday night that he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, an unprecedented move that would constitute a sharp escalation in his battle to exert greater control over what has long been considered an institution independent from day-to-day politics.Trump said in a letter posted on his Truth Social platform that he is removing Cook effective immediately because of allegations that she committed mortgage fraud.Cook said Monday night that she would not step down. “President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so,” she said in an emailed statement. “I will not resign.”Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, made the accusations last week. Pulte alleged that Cook had claimed two primary residences — in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Atlanta — in 2021 to get better mortgage terms. Mortgage rates are often higher on second homes or those purchased to rent.Trump’s move is likely to touch off an extensive legal battle that will probably go to the Supreme Court and could disrupt financial markets. Stock futures declined slightly late Monday, as did the dollar against other major currencies.If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the board, it could erode the Fed’s political independence, which is considered critical to its ability to fight inflation because it enables it to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates. If bond investors start to lose faith that the Fed will be able to control inflation, they will demand higher rates to own bonds, pushing up borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans and business loans.Cook has retained Abbe Lowell, a prominent Washington attorney. Lowell said Trump’s “reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority,” adding, “We will take whatever actions are needed to prevent his attempted illegal action.”Cook was appointed to the Fed’s board by then-President Joe Biden in 2022 and is the first Black woman to serve as a governor. She was a Marshall Scholar and received degrees from Oxford University and Spelman College, and she has taught at Michigan State University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.Her nomination was opposed by most Senate Republicans, and she was approved on a 50-50 vote with the tie broken by then-Vice President Kamala Harris.Questions about ‘for cause’ firingThe law allows a president to fire a Fed governor “for cause,” which typically means for some kind of wrongdoing or dereliction of duty. The president cannot fire a governor simply because of differences over interest rate policy.Establishing a for-cause removal typically requires some type of proceeding that would allow Cook to answer the charges and present evidence, legal experts say, which hasn’t happened in this case.”This is a procedurally invalid removal under the statute,” said Lev Menand, a law professor at Columbia law school and author of “The Fed Unbound,” a book about the Fed’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.Menand also said for-cause firings are typically related to misconduct while in office, rather than based on private misconduct from before an official’s appointment.”This is not someone convicted of a crime,” Menand said. “This is not someone who is not carrying out their duties.”Fed governors vote on the central bank’s interest rate decisions and on issues of financial regulation. While they are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, they are not like cabinet secretaries, who serve at the pleasure of the president. They serve 14-year terms that are staggered in an effort to insulate the Fed from political influence.No presidential precedentWhile presidents have clashed with Fed chairs before, no president has sought to fire a Fed governor. In recent decades, presidents of both parties have largely respected Fed independence, though Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson put heavy pressure on the Fed during their presidencies — mostly behind closed doors. Still, that behind-the-scenes pressure to keep interest rates low, the same goal sought by Trump, has widely been blamed for touching off rampant inflation in the late 1960s and ’70s.President Harry Truman pushed Thomas McCabe to step down from his position as Fed chair in 1951, though that occurred behind the scenes.The Supreme Court signaled in a recent decision that Fed officials have greater legal protections from firing than other independent agencies, but it’s not clear if that extends to this case.Menand noted that the Court’s conservative majority has taken a very expansive view of presidential power, saying, “We’re in uncharted waters in a sense that it’s very difficult to predict that if Lisa Cook goes to court what will happen.”Sarah Binder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the president’s use of the “for cause” provision is likely an effort to mask his true intent. “It seems like a fig leaf to get what we wants, which is muscling someone on the board to lower rates,” she said.A fight over interest ratesTrump has said he would only appoint Fed officials who would support lower borrowing costs. He recently named Stephen Miran, a top White House economic adviser, to replace another governor, Adriana Kugler, who stepped down about five months before her term officially ended Aug. 1.Trump appointed two governors in his first term, Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, so replacing Cook would give Trump appointees a 4-3 majority on the Fed’s board.”The American people must have the full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve,” Trump wrote in a letter addressed to Cook, a copy of which he posted online. “In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot and I do not have such confidence in your integrity.”Trump argued that firing Cook was constitutional. “I have determined that faithfully enacting the law requires your immediate removal from office,” the president wrote.Cook will have to fight the legal battle herself, as the injured party, rather than the Fed.Trump’s announcement drew swift rebuke from advocates and former Fed officials.Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called Trump’s attempt to fire Cook illegal, “the latest example of a desperate President searching for a scapegoat to cover for his own failure to lower costs for Americans. It’s an authoritarian power grab that blatantly violates the Federal Reserve Act, and must be overturned in court.”Trump has repeatedly attacked the Fed’s chair, Jerome Powell, for not cutting its short-term interest rate, and even threatened to fire him.Forcing Cook off the Fed’s governing board would provide Trump an opportunity to appoint a loyalist. Trump has said he would only appoint officials who would support cutting rates.Powell signaled last week that the Fed may cut rates soon even as inflation risks remain moderate. Meanwhile, Trump will be able to replace Powell in May 2026, when Powell’s term expires. However, 12 members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee have a vote on whether to raise or lower interest rates, so even replacing the chair might not guarantee that Fed policy will shift the way Trump wants.__Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed.

    President Donald Trump said Monday night that he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, an unprecedented move that would constitute a sharp escalation in his battle to exert greater control over what has long been considered an institution independent from day-to-day politics.

    Trump said in a letter posted on his Truth Social platform that he is removing Cook effective immediately because of allegations that she committed mortgage fraud.

    Cook said Monday night that she would not step down. “President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so,” she said in an emailed statement. “I will not resign.”

    Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, made the accusations last week. Pulte alleged that Cook had claimed two primary residences — in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Atlanta — in 2021 to get better mortgage terms. Mortgage rates are often higher on second homes or those purchased to rent.

    Trump’s move is likely to touch off an extensive legal battle that will probably go to the Supreme Court and could disrupt financial markets. Stock futures declined slightly late Monday, as did the dollar against other major currencies.

    If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the board, it could erode the Fed’s political independence, which is considered critical to its ability to fight inflation because it enables it to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates. If bond investors start to lose faith that the Fed will be able to control inflation, they will demand higher rates to own bonds, pushing up borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans and business loans.

    Cook has retained Abbe Lowell, a prominent Washington attorney. Lowell said Trump’s “reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority,” adding, “We will take whatever actions are needed to prevent his attempted illegal action.”

    Cook was appointed to the Fed’s board by then-President Joe Biden in 2022 and is the first Black woman to serve as a governor. She was a Marshall Scholar and received degrees from Oxford University and Spelman College, and she has taught at Michigan State University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

    Her nomination was opposed by most Senate Republicans, and she was approved on a 50-50 vote with the tie broken by then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Questions about ‘for cause’ firing

    The law allows a president to fire a Fed governor “for cause,” which typically means for some kind of wrongdoing or dereliction of duty. The president cannot fire a governor simply because of differences over interest rate policy.

    Establishing a for-cause removal typically requires some type of proceeding that would allow Cook to answer the charges and present evidence, legal experts say, which hasn’t happened in this case.

    “This is a procedurally invalid removal under the statute,” said Lev Menand, a law professor at Columbia law school and author of “The Fed Unbound,” a book about the Fed’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Menand also said for-cause firings are typically related to misconduct while in office, rather than based on private misconduct from before an official’s appointment.

    “This is not someone convicted of a crime,” Menand said. “This is not someone who is not carrying out their duties.”

    Fed governors vote on the central bank’s interest rate decisions and on issues of financial regulation. While they are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, they are not like cabinet secretaries, who serve at the pleasure of the president. They serve 14-year terms that are staggered in an effort to insulate the Fed from political influence.

    No presidential precedent

    While presidents have clashed with Fed chairs before, no president has sought to fire a Fed governor. In recent decades, presidents of both parties have largely respected Fed independence, though Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson put heavy pressure on the Fed during their presidencies — mostly behind closed doors. Still, that behind-the-scenes pressure to keep interest rates low, the same goal sought by Trump, has widely been blamed for touching off rampant inflation in the late 1960s and ’70s.

    President Harry Truman pushed Thomas McCabe to step down from his position as Fed chair in 1951, though that occurred behind the scenes.

    The Supreme Court signaled in a recent decision that Fed officials have greater legal protections from firing than other independent agencies, but it’s not clear if that extends to this case.

    Menand noted that the Court’s conservative majority has taken a very expansive view of presidential power, saying, “We’re in uncharted waters in a sense that it’s very difficult to predict that if Lisa Cook goes to court what will happen.”

    Sarah Binder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the president’s use of the “for cause” provision is likely an effort to mask his true intent. “It seems like a fig leaf to get what we wants, which is muscling someone on the board to lower rates,” she said.

    A fight over interest rates

    Trump has said he would only appoint Fed officials who would support lower borrowing costs. He recently named Stephen Miran, a top White House economic adviser, to replace another governor, Adriana Kugler, who stepped down about five months before her term officially ended Aug. 1.

    Trump appointed two governors in his first term, Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, so replacing Cook would give Trump appointees a 4-3 majority on the Fed’s board.

    “The American people must have the full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve,” Trump wrote in a letter addressed to Cook, a copy of which he posted online. “In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot and I do not have such confidence in your integrity.”

    Trump argued that firing Cook was constitutional. “I have determined that faithfully enacting the law requires your immediate removal from office,” the president wrote.

    Cook will have to fight the legal battle herself, as the injured party, rather than the Fed.

    Trump’s announcement drew swift rebuke from advocates and former Fed officials.

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called Trump’s attempt to fire Cook illegal, “the latest example of a desperate President searching for a scapegoat to cover for his own failure to lower costs for Americans. It’s an authoritarian power grab that blatantly violates the Federal Reserve Act, and must be overturned in court.”

    Trump has repeatedly attacked the Fed’s chair, Jerome Powell, for not cutting its short-term interest rate, and even threatened to fire him.

    Forcing Cook off the Fed’s governing board would provide Trump an opportunity to appoint a loyalist. Trump has said he would only appoint officials who would support cutting rates.

    Powell signaled last week that the Fed may cut rates soon even as inflation risks remain moderate. Meanwhile, Trump will be able to replace Powell in May 2026, when Powell’s term expires. However, 12 members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee have a vote on whether to raise or lower interest rates, so even replacing the chair might not guarantee that Fed policy will shift the way Trump wants.

    __

    Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed.

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  • Netanyahu says he’ll push ahead with Gaza City takeover and renewed ceasefire talks

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    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he will give final approval for takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all of Israel’s remaining hostages and ending the war on Israel’s terms.The wide-scale operation in Gaza City could start within days after Netanyahu grants final approval at a meeting with senior security officials. Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which, if accepted by Israel, could forestall the offensive.The Israeli military began calling medical officials and international organizations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation. The military plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more.Israeli strikes meanwhile killed at least 36 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals. A renewed offensive could bring even more casualties and displacement to the territory, where the war has already killed tens of thousands and where experts have warned of imminent famine.Many Israelis fear it could also doom the remaining 20 or so living hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.Gaza City operation could begin in daysIsraeli troops have already begun more limited operations in the city’s Zeitoun neighborhood and the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, areas where they have carried out several previous major operations over the course of the war, only to see militants later regroup.The military says it plans to operate in areas where ground troops have not yet entered and where it says Hamas still has military and governing capabilities.So far, there has been little sign of Palestinians fleeing en masse, as they did when Israel carried out an earlier offensive in Gaza City in the opening weeks of the war. The military says it controls around 75% of Gaza and residents say nowhere in the territory feels safe.Hundreds gathered for a rare protest in Gaza City on Thursday against the war and Israel’s plans to support the mass relocation of Palestinians to other countries.Women and children held placards reading “Save Gaza” and “Stop the war, stop the savage attack, save us,” against a backdrop of destroyed buildings as Palestinian music played. Unlike in previous protests, there were no expressions of opposition to Hamas.”We want the war on Gaza to stop. We don’t want to migrate. Twenty-two months … it’s enough. Enough death. Enough destruction,” said Bisan Ghazal, a woman displaced from Gaza City.Protests in IsraelIn Israel, families of some of the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza gathered in Tel Aviv to condemn the expanded operation. Israel believes around 20 hostages are still alive.”Forty-two hostages were kidnapped alive and murdered in captivity due to military pressure and delay in signing a deal,” said Dalia Cusnir, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still being held captive. Eitan’s brother, Iair Horn, was released during a ceasefire earlier this year.”Enough to sacrifice the hostages. Enough to sacrifice the soldiers, both regular and reservists. Enough to sacrifice the evacuees. Enough to sacrifice the younger generation in the country,” said Bar Goddard, the daughter of Meni Goddard, whose body is being held by Hamas.Additional protests are planned for Thursday night in Tel Aviv.Plans for widening the offensive have also sparked international outrage, with many of Israel’s closest Western allies — but not the United States — calling on it to end the war.”I must reiterate that it is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, and the unconditional release of all hostages to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause,” United Nations chief António Guterres said at a conference in Japan.Dozens killed across GazaAt least 36 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including 14 who were seeking humanitarian aid, according to local hospitals.The Israeli military said it killed several armed militants in the Morag Corridor, a military zone where people seeking aid have repeatedly come under fire in recent weeks, according to witnesses and health officials. Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza had earlier reported that six people were killed in that area while seeking aid on Thursday. It was not possible to reconcile the two accounts.The Media Freedom Coalition, which promotes press freedoms worldwide, called Thursday for Israel to allow independent, foreign news organizations access to Gaza. Aside from rare guided tours, Israel has barred international media from the war, which has killed at least 184 Palestinian journalists and media workers.”Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war,” said a statement signed by 27 of the coalition’s member countries.Witnesses, health officials and the U.N. human rights office say Israeli forces have killed hundreds of people since May as they headed toward sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American contractor, and in the chaos surrounding U.N. aid convoys, which are frequently attacked by looters and overrun by crowds.The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces. GHF says there has been almost no violence at the sites themselves, and that its armed contractors have only used pepper spray and fired into the air on some occasions to prevent deadly crowding.Israeli strikes destroy evacuated tent campIsraeli airstrikes also destroyed a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, the only city in Gaza that has been relatively unscathed in the war and where many have sought refuge. Residents said the Israeli military warned them to flee shortly before the strikes set the camp ablaze, and there were no reports of casualties.Families, many with children, could later be seen sifting through the ashes for the belongings they had managed to take with them during earlier evacuations.Mohammad Kahlout, who had been displaced from northern Gaza, said they were given just five minutes to gather what they could and evacuate. “We are civilians, not terrorists. What did we do, and what did our children do, to be displaced again?”The Gaza Health Ministry said Thursday that at least 62,192 Palestinians have been killed in the war. Another two people have died from malnutrition-related causes, bringing the total number of such deaths to 271, including 112 children, the Health Ministry said.The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. It does not say whether those killed by Israeli fire are civilians or combatants, but it says around half are women and children. The U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel disputes its toll but has not provided its own.Hamas-led militants started the war when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Hamas says it will only free the rest in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.___Abou Aljoud reported from Beirut and Lidman reported from Jerusalem. Mari Yamaguchi contributed from Tokyo.

    DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip —

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he will give final approval for takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all of Israel’s remaining hostages and ending the war on Israel’s terms.

    The wide-scale operation in Gaza City could start within days after Netanyahu grants final approval at a meeting with senior security officials. Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which, if accepted by Israel, could forestall the offensive.

    The Israeli military began calling medical officials and international organizations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation. The military plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more.

    Israeli strikes meanwhile killed at least 36 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals. A renewed offensive could bring even more casualties and displacement to the territory, where the war has already killed tens of thousands and where experts have warned of imminent famine.

    Many Israelis fear it could also doom the remaining 20 or so living hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.

    Gaza City operation could begin in days

    Israeli troops have already begun more limited operations in the city’s Zeitoun neighborhood and the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, areas where they have carried out several previous major operations over the course of the war, only to see militants later regroup.

    The military says it plans to operate in areas where ground troops have not yet entered and where it says Hamas still has military and governing capabilities.

    So far, there has been little sign of Palestinians fleeing en masse, as they did when Israel carried out an earlier offensive in Gaza City in the opening weeks of the war. The military says it controls around 75% of Gaza and residents say nowhere in the territory feels safe.

    Hundreds gathered for a rare protest in Gaza City on Thursday against the war and Israel’s plans to support the mass relocation of Palestinians to other countries.

    Women and children held placards reading “Save Gaza” and “Stop the war, stop the savage attack, save us,” against a backdrop of destroyed buildings as Palestinian music played. Unlike in previous protests, there were no expressions of opposition to Hamas.

    “We want the war on Gaza to stop. We don’t want to migrate. Twenty-two months … it’s enough. Enough death. Enough destruction,” said Bisan Ghazal, a woman displaced from Gaza City.

    Protests in Israel

    In Israel, families of some of the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza gathered in Tel Aviv to condemn the expanded operation. Israel believes around 20 hostages are still alive.

    “Forty-two hostages were kidnapped alive and murdered in captivity due to military pressure and delay in signing a deal,” said Dalia Cusnir, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still being held captive. Eitan’s brother, Iair Horn, was released during a ceasefire earlier this year.

    “Enough to sacrifice the hostages. Enough to sacrifice the soldiers, both regular and reservists. Enough to sacrifice the evacuees. Enough to sacrifice the younger generation in the country,” said Bar Goddard, the daughter of Meni Goddard, whose body is being held by Hamas.

    Additional protests are planned for Thursday night in Tel Aviv.

    Plans for widening the offensive have also sparked international outrage, with many of Israel’s closest Western allies — but not the United States — calling on it to end the war.

    “I must reiterate that it is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, and the unconditional release of all hostages to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause,” United Nations chief António Guterres said at a conference in Japan.

    Dozens killed across Gaza

    At least 36 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including 14 who were seeking humanitarian aid, according to local hospitals.

    The Israeli military said it killed several armed militants in the Morag Corridor, a military zone where people seeking aid have repeatedly come under fire in recent weeks, according to witnesses and health officials. Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza had earlier reported that six people were killed in that area while seeking aid on Thursday. It was not possible to reconcile the two accounts.

    The Media Freedom Coalition, which promotes press freedoms worldwide, called Thursday for Israel to allow independent, foreign news organizations access to Gaza. Aside from rare guided tours, Israel has barred international media from the war, which has killed at least 184 Palestinian journalists and media workers.

    “Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war,” said a statement signed by 27 of the coalition’s member countries.

    Witnesses, health officials and the U.N. human rights office say Israeli forces have killed hundreds of people since May as they headed toward sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American contractor, and in the chaos surrounding U.N. aid convoys, which are frequently attacked by looters and overrun by crowds.

    The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces. GHF says there has been almost no violence at the sites themselves, and that its armed contractors have only used pepper spray and fired into the air on some occasions to prevent deadly crowding.

    Israeli strikes destroy evacuated tent camp

    Israeli airstrikes also destroyed a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, the only city in Gaza that has been relatively unscathed in the war and where many have sought refuge. Residents said the Israeli military warned them to flee shortly before the strikes set the camp ablaze, and there were no reports of casualties.

    Families, many with children, could later be seen sifting through the ashes for the belongings they had managed to take with them during earlier evacuations.

    Mohammad Kahlout, who had been displaced from northern Gaza, said they were given just five minutes to gather what they could and evacuate. “We are civilians, not terrorists. What did we do, and what did our children do, to be displaced again?”

    The Gaza Health Ministry said Thursday that at least 62,192 Palestinians have been killed in the war. Another two people have died from malnutrition-related causes, bringing the total number of such deaths to 271, including 112 children, the Health Ministry said.

    The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. It does not say whether those killed by Israeli fire are civilians or combatants, but it says around half are women and children. The U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel disputes its toll but has not provided its own.

    Hamas-led militants started the war when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Hamas says it will only free the rest in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.

    ___

    Abou Aljoud reported from Beirut and Lidman reported from Jerusalem. Mari Yamaguchi contributed from Tokyo.

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  • Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

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    Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

    Mr President, I know that it’s been an extremely busy week between this executive order, trade, Russia, Gaza, but also the family of Virginia Giuffre released *** statement overnight in response to some of the comments that you made this week. You said that Jeffrey Epstein stole people from Mar *** Lago at the time. Did you know why he was taking those young women, including Virginia? No, I didn’t know. I mean, I would, I would figure it was ABC fake news that would ask that question, one of the worst. Uh, but, uh, no, I don’t know really why, uh, but I said if he’s taken anybody from Mar *** Lago, he’s hiring or whatever he’s doing. I didn’t like it and we threw him out. We said we don’t want him, you know, at the place. This is *** story that’s been known for many years, as you know, uh, but it’s, uh, I didn’t like it that he was doing that. Yeah, please.

    Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

    Updated: 10:45 AM PDT Aug 20, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    A federal judge in New York who presided over the sex trafficking case against the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.The ruling Wednesday by federal Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell also turned down the government’s request.Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women.Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

    NEW YORK —

    A federal judge in New York who presided over the sex trafficking case against the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.

    The ruling Wednesday by federal Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell also turned down the government’s request.

    Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women.

    Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

    This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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  • Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

    [ad_1]

    Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

    Mr President, I know that it’s been an extremely busy week between this executive order, trade, Russia, Gaza, but also the family of Virginia Giuffre released *** statement overnight in response to some of the comments that you made this week. You said that Jeffrey Epstein stole people from Mar *** Lago at the time. Did you know why he was taking those young women, including Virginia? No, I didn’t know. I mean, I would, I would figure it was ABC fake news that would ask that question, one of the worst. Uh, but, uh, no, I don’t know really why, uh, but I said if he’s taken anybody from Mar *** Lago, he’s hiring or whatever he’s doing. I didn’t like it and we threw him out. We said we don’t want him, you know, at the place. This is *** story that’s been known for many years, as you know, uh, but it’s, uh, I didn’t like it that he was doing that. Yeah, please.

    Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

    Updated: 1:45 PM EDT Aug 20, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    A federal judge in New York who presided over the sex trafficking case against the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.The ruling Wednesday by federal Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell also turned down the government’s request.Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women.Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

    NEW YORK —

    A federal judge in New York who presided over the sex trafficking case against the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.

    The ruling Wednesday by federal Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell also turned down the government’s request.

    Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women.

    Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

    This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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  • Trump administration revokes security clearances of 37 current and former government officials

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    The Trump administration moved Tuesday to revoke the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials in the latest act of retribution targeting public servants in the federal government’s intelligence community.Related video from January above: White House press secretary comments on Gen. Milley’s security clearance being pulledA memo posted by Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, accuses the targeted officials of having engaged in the “politicization or weaponization of intelligence” to advance partisan goals, as well as a failure to safeguard classified information and a “failure to adhere to professional analytic tradecraft standards.”The action, coming months after an even broader clearance suspension on his first day in office, is part of a broader campaign by President Donald Trump’s administration to scrutinize the judgments of intelligence officials he personally disagrees with. Critics of his approach have said it risks chilling dissenting voices within the government.”These are unlawful and unconstitutional decisions that deviate from well-settled, decades-old laws and policies that sought to protect against just this type of action,” Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer whose own clearance was revoked by the Trump administration, said in a statement.Many of the officials who were singled out left the government years ago. Some worked on matters that have long provoked Trump’s ire, including the intelligence community assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election on Trump’s behalf, or have openly criticized him.Gabbard, in the last month, has declassified a series of years-old documents meant to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the assessment on Russian election interference.

    WASHINGTON —

    The Trump administration moved Tuesday to revoke the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials in the latest act of retribution targeting public servants in the federal government’s intelligence community.

    Related video from January above: White House press secretary comments on Gen. Milley’s security clearance being pulled

    A memo posted by Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, accuses the targeted officials of having engaged in the “politicization or weaponization of intelligence” to advance partisan goals, as well as a failure to safeguard classified information and a “failure to adhere to professional analytic tradecraft standards.”

    The action, coming months after an even broader clearance suspension on his first day in office, is part of a broader campaign by President Donald Trump’s administration to scrutinize the judgments of intelligence officials he personally disagrees with. Critics of his approach have said it risks chilling dissenting voices within the government.

    “These are unlawful and unconstitutional decisions that deviate from well-settled, decades-old laws and policies that sought to protect against just this type of action,” Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer whose own clearance was revoked by the Trump administration, said in a statement.

    Many of the officials who were singled out left the government years ago. Some worked on matters that have long provoked Trump’s ire, including the intelligence community assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election on Trump’s behalf, or have openly criticized him.

    Gabbard, in the last month, has declassified a series of years-old documents meant to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the assessment on Russian election interference.

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  • Rapper Young Thug is a free man. Here are things to know about his plea.

    Rapper Young Thug is a free man. Here are things to know about his plea.

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    Rapper Young Thug is a free man after pleading guilty to gang, drug and gun charges.About 2 ½ years after he was arrested on the charges in a sprawling gang and racketeering indictment, Young Thug was released from custody Thursday evening. It was a remarkable development in a trial that’s dragged on and been plagued by problems.Jury selection at the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta began in January 2023 and took nearly 10 months. Prosecutors had called dozens of witnesses since opening statements last November in the trial of six defendants.Here are some things to know about the plea: An Atlanta-based artist whose given name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, Young Thug is known for his eccentric style, mumble rap and squeaky, high-pitched vocals. He shot to popularity with breakout hits including “Stoner” and “Best Friend” and co-wrote the hit “This is America” with Childish Gambino, which became the first hip-hop track to win the song of the year Grammy in 2019. Young Thug has collaborated with other top artists including Drake, Chris Brown, T.I. and Travis Scott. Elton John called working with Young Thug an “amazing moment” after recording the song “Always Love You” featuring Nicki Minaj and Gunna.He broke with the hyper-masculine norms of the hip-hop scene, wearing a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape “Jeffery” and saying there’s no such thing as gender as part of a Calvin Klein campaign.Young Thug, 33, grew up in a suburban Atlanta housing project that was marred by crime and violence. He was originally indicted and arrested May, 9, 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment that August. The second indictment accused Young Thug and 27 others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper was also accused of participation in criminal street gang activity, as well as drug and gun charges.Prosecutors alleged that Young Thug and two other people co-founded a violent criminal street gang in 2012 called Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is associated with the national Bloods gang. The indictment says Young Thug “made YSL a well-known name by referring to it in his songs and on social media.”Prosecutors painted him as a gang leader known as King Slime, someone who calls the shots and directs others to engage in criminal activity. Prosecutors had been negotiating with Young Thug’s lawyers to try to reach a deal that would end his participation in the long-running trial. But those efforts stalled when the two sides disagreed on conditions. Speaking to reporters after the sentencing, Young Thug attorney Brian Steel declined to discuss the negotiations. But he said prosecutors were pushing for “outrageous” conditions: “They would let him out of custody, but they would have a tether around him so tight that it’s unconscionable.”Instead, the rapper went forward with a potentially risky non-negotiated or “blind” plea, meaning he was entering pleas without having a deal in place with prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges. He also entered a no contest plea to another gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge, meaning that he decided not to contest those charges but could be punished as if he had pleaded guilty. No — as long as he abides by the conditions of his sentence.Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker gave him a total sentence of 40 years. The first five years were to be served in prison, but that was commuted to time served. Then he has 15 years on probation. Finally, a “backloaded” 20 years in prison will be commuted to time served if he complies with all of the conditions of his probation. If he doesn’t complete his probation successfully, he will have to serve those 20 years in prison.Prosecutors wanted Young Thug sentenced to 45 years, with 25 years in prison and the remaining 20 on probation. The charges against him carried a potential maximum sentence of 120 years in prison, prosecutor Adriane Love said.Steel had asked the judge for a 45-year sentence with five in prison commuted to time served and 40 years on probation. He apologized to his family, his managers, the courtroom deputies and “really everybody that got something to do with this situation” for the time his case ate up.”I hope that you allow me to go home today and just trust in me to just do the right thing,” he told the judge, promising her that he’d never be in this type of situation again.”I’ve learned from my mistakes, you know. I come from nothing and I’ve made something and I didn’t take full advantage of it. I’m sorry,” he said.He told her he understands his impact on people and said he also has tried to give back, putting millions of dollars back into his community. He must stay away from the metro Atlanta area — as defined by the census — for the first 10 years of his probation, except for weddings, funerals, graduations or a serious illness of an immediate family member. He can arrive 24 hours before the event and must leave within 48 hours after.But he must also return to the Atlanta area four times during each year of his probation to make an anti-gang, anti-gun violence presentation at a grade school, middle school or high school, or at an organization like the Boys & Girls Club. Those visits can count toward the 100 hours of community service he must complete during each year of his probation.He also cannot knowingly have contact with any member of a criminal street gang. The judge said that includes other people named in the indictment, with the exception of his brother and the rapper Gunna, with whom he has contractual obligations.He cannot participate in criminal street gang activity or promote any gang, including through hand signs.He also can’t contact the victims in the case or their families, may not own a gun, must not use drugs other than those prescribed to him, must submit to random drug tests, and must allow searches of himself and his property and electronics. The trial has been long and was marred by problems.Before the trial began, prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over whether the defendants’ rap lyrics should be allowed as evidence. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, the original judge, allowed prosecutors to introduce certain lyrics as long as they could show that the lyrics were related to crimes that Young Thug and others were accused of committing. Defense attorneys had asked the judge to exclude them, arguing the lyrics are constitutionally protected speech and would be unfairly prejudicial. Just weeks after prosecutors began presenting evidence, the trial had to be paused because one of Young Thug’s codefendants was stabbed in jail. In June, Steel told Glanville in open court that he had learned of a meeting in the judge’s chambers between the judge, prosecutors and a prosecution witness. When Steel refused to tell him how he’d learned of the meeting, Glanville found him in contempt and ordered him to spend 10 weekends in jail. That sentence was paused while Steel appealed, and the Georgia Supreme Court recently overturned the contempt ruling.Glanville was removed from the case the following month after defense attorneys sought his recusal, citing the meeting the judge held with prosecutors and a state witness. That caused another delay until Whitaker was appointed to take over.Whitaker in September grew frustrated with Love, the lead prosecutor, saying the case was being presented in a “haphazard” way and that she couldn’t tell “whether all of this is purposeful or this is just really poor lawyering.” Three co-defendants had already pleaded guilty this week after reaching deals with prosecutors. That leaves just two other co-defendants on trial. Nine people charged in the indictment, including Gunna, accepted plea deals before the trial began. Twelve others are to be tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against one defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

    ATLANTA —

    Rapper Young Thug is a free man after pleading guilty to gang, drug and gun charges.

    About 2 ½ years after he was arrested on the charges in a sprawling gang and racketeering indictment, Young Thug was released from custody Thursday evening. It was a remarkable development in a trial that’s dragged on and been plagued by problems.

    Jury selection at the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta began in January 2023 and took nearly 10 months. Prosecutors had called dozens of witnesses since opening statements last November in the trial of six defendants.

    Here are some things to know about the plea:

    An Atlanta-based artist whose given name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, Young Thug is known for his eccentric style, mumble rap and squeaky, high-pitched vocals. He shot to popularity with breakout hits including “Stoner” and “Best Friend” and co-wrote the hit “This is America” with Childish Gambino, which became the first hip-hop track to win the song of the year Grammy in 2019.

    Young Thug has collaborated with other top artists including Drake, Chris Brown, T.I. and Travis Scott. Elton John called working with Young Thug an “amazing moment” after recording the song “Always Love You” featuring Nicki Minaj and Gunna.

    He broke with the hyper-masculine norms of the hip-hop scene, wearing a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape “Jeffery” and saying there’s no such thing as gender as part of a Calvin Klein campaign.

    Young Thug, 33, grew up in a suburban Atlanta housing project that was marred by crime and violence.

    He was originally indicted and arrested May, 9, 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment that August. The second indictment accused Young Thug and 27 others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper was also accused of participation in criminal street gang activity, as well as drug and gun charges.

    Prosecutors alleged that Young Thug and two other people co-founded a violent criminal street gang in 2012 called Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is associated with the national Bloods gang. The indictment says Young Thug “made YSL a well-known name by referring to it in his songs and on social media.”

    Prosecutors painted him as a gang leader known as King Slime, someone who calls the shots and directs others to engage in criminal activity.

    Prosecutors had been negotiating with Young Thug’s lawyers to try to reach a deal that would end his participation in the long-running trial. But those efforts stalled when the two sides disagreed on conditions.

    Speaking to reporters after the sentencing, Young Thug attorney Brian Steel declined to discuss the negotiations. But he said prosecutors were pushing for “outrageous” conditions: “They would let him out of custody, but they would have a tether around him so tight that it’s unconscionable.”

    Instead, the rapper went forward with a potentially risky non-negotiated or “blind” plea, meaning he was entering pleas without having a deal in place with prosecutors.

    He pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges. He also entered a no contest plea to another gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge, meaning that he decided not to contest those charges but could be punished as if he had pleaded guilty.

    No — as long as he abides by the conditions of his sentence.

    Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker gave him a total sentence of 40 years. The first five years were to be served in prison, but that was commuted to time served. Then he has 15 years on probation. Finally, a “backloaded” 20 years in prison will be commuted to time served if he complies with all of the conditions of his probation. If he doesn’t complete his probation successfully, he will have to serve those 20 years in prison.

    Prosecutors wanted Young Thug sentenced to 45 years, with 25 years in prison and the remaining 20 on probation. The charges against him carried a potential maximum sentence of 120 years in prison, prosecutor Adriane Love said.

    Steel had asked the judge for a 45-year sentence with five in prison commuted to time served and 40 years on probation.

    He apologized to his family, his managers, the courtroom deputies and “really everybody that got something to do with this situation” for the time his case ate up.

    “I hope that you allow me to go home today and just trust in me to just do the right thing,” he told the judge, promising her that he’d never be in this type of situation again.

    “I’ve learned from my mistakes, you know. I come from nothing and I’ve made something and I didn’t take full advantage of it. I’m sorry,” he said.

    He told her he understands his impact on people and said he also has tried to give back, putting millions of dollars back into his community.

    He must stay away from the metro Atlanta area — as defined by the census — for the first 10 years of his probation, except for weddings, funerals, graduations or a serious illness of an immediate family member. He can arrive 24 hours before the event and must leave within 48 hours after.

    But he must also return to the Atlanta area four times during each year of his probation to make an anti-gang, anti-gun violence presentation at a grade school, middle school or high school, or at an organization like the Boys & Girls Club. Those visits can count toward the 100 hours of community service he must complete during each year of his probation.

    He also cannot knowingly have contact with any member of a criminal street gang. The judge said that includes other people named in the indictment, with the exception of his brother and the rapper Gunna, with whom he has contractual obligations.

    He cannot participate in criminal street gang activity or promote any gang, including through hand signs.

    He also can’t contact the victims in the case or their families, may not own a gun, must not use drugs other than those prescribed to him, must submit to random drug tests, and must allow searches of himself and his property and electronics.

    The trial has been long and was marred by problems.

    Before the trial began, prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over whether the defendants’ rap lyrics should be allowed as evidence. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, the original judge, allowed prosecutors to introduce certain lyrics as long as they could show that the lyrics were related to crimes that Young Thug and others were accused of committing. Defense attorneys had asked the judge to exclude them, arguing the lyrics are constitutionally protected speech and would be unfairly prejudicial.

    Just weeks after prosecutors began presenting evidence, the trial had to be paused because one of Young Thug’s codefendants was stabbed in jail.

    In June, Steel told Glanville in open court that he had learned of a meeting in the judge’s chambers between the judge, prosecutors and a prosecution witness. When Steel refused to tell him how he’d learned of the meeting, Glanville found him in contempt and ordered him to spend 10 weekends in jail. That sentence was paused while Steel appealed, and the Georgia Supreme Court recently overturned the contempt ruling.

    Glanville was removed from the case the following month after defense attorneys sought his recusal, citing the meeting the judge held with prosecutors and a state witness. That caused another delay until Whitaker was appointed to take over.

    Whitaker in September grew frustrated with Love, the lead prosecutor, saying the case was being presented in a “haphazard” way and that she couldn’t tell “whether all of this is purposeful or this is just really poor lawyering.”

    Three co-defendants had already pleaded guilty this week after reaching deals with prosecutors. That leaves just two other co-defendants on trial.

    Nine people charged in the indictment, including Gunna, accepted plea deals before the trial began. Twelve others are to be tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against one defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

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  • In a first since 1938, Des Moines, Iowa, kids will trick-or-treat on Halloween

    In a first since 1938, Des Moines, Iowa, kids will trick-or-treat on Halloween

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    TAB. SO FAR THIS YEAR, 23 PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN PEDESTRIAN CRASHES ACROSS IOWA IN THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TELLS US THAT SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THIS TIME LAST YEAR, THERE WILL SOON BE A LOT MORE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS TRICK OR TREATING. KCCI MARCUS MCINTOSH HAS A LOOK AT WAYS TO KEEP YOURSELF AND YOUR KIDS SAFE. MARCUS. BEN, WE’RE OUT IN DES MOINES WHERE TRICK OR TREATING IS NEXT WEDNESDAY, BEGGARS NIGHT. THE NIGHT BEFORE HALLOWEEN. BUT THERE ARE ABOUT A HALF DOZEN COMMUNITIES WHERE TRICK OR TREATING WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY NIGHT. SO WE HAVE SOME TIPS FOR YOU TO AVOID TRAFFIC TROUBLE. WHILE TRICK OR TREATING. AT COLBY PARK IN WINDSOR HEIGHTS. THE SOUNDS OF KIDS HAVING FUN WILL RING LOUD AND STRONG AS THEY GO DOOR TO DOOR SATURDAY EVENING TO TRICK OR TREAT PARENTS, NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE. WANT TO MAKE SURE IT IS DONE SAFELY? IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT WE TRY TO WALK AROUND WITH GLOW STICKS OR HAVE SOME SORT OF GLOWING THING ON THE KIDS SO THAT NOT ONLY WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF THEM, BUT ANYBODY THAT’S THAT MAY BE DRIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN ALSO SEE THEM. ALYSSA CONOR SAYS THAT IS HER NUMBER ONE RULE. SHE AND HER HUSBAND WILL BE WITH THE KIDS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS THEY GO DOOR TO DOOR FOR CANDY. THAT’S KIND OF HOW I GREW UP, WAS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD THE SAFETY THINGS IN PLACE, HICKMAN ROAD GETS A LOT OF HIGH SPEED DRIVERS. LIEUTENANT MIKE AHLBECK WITH THE WINDSOR HEIGHTS POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFERS A TIP FOR DRIVERS WHEN THEY SEE THE TRICK OR TREATERS. I WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS BECAUSE KIDS DO TEND TO DART OUT. THEY’RE VERY EXCITED. THERE ARE CHALLENGES IN WINDSOR HEIGHTS THAT SOME COMMUNITIES DON’T HAVE, AND THAT IS HOW TRICK OR TREATERS AND THEIR PARENTS NAVIGATE STREETS WITHOUT SIDEWALKS. NOT EVERY STREET AROUND THE METRO HAS A SIDEWALK, SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE WALKING ON THE STREET, WALK AS FAR LEFT AS YOU CAN, PREFERABLY ON THE GRASS. NOW, LIEUTENANT URBIK ALSO ADVISES PEOPLE TO PUT THIS AWAY. WHETHER YOU’RE A TRICK OR TREATER, YOUR PARENT AND ESPECIALLY DRIVERS PUT AWAY THE CELL PHONE FOR A FEW HOURS AND HAVE FUN TRICK OR TREATING. WE’RE LIVE IN DES MOINE

    In a first since 1938, Des Moines, Iowa, kids will trick-or-treat on Halloween

    For the first time since 1938, children in Des Moines, Iowa, will go trick-or-treating on Halloween.Video above: Parents and community leaders share trick-or-treating safety tipsGoing door-to-door for candy on All Hallows’ Eve has long been commonplace throughout the country. But not in Des Moines, where Iowa’s capital city took a different approach more than seven decades ago in hopes of tamping down on hooliganism.Instead, Des Moines children don their costumes on Beggars’ Night, typically the day before Halloween. And besides screaming, “Trick-or-Treat,” children are expected to tell a joke before receiving a treat.This year, Beggars’ Night was set for Wednesday, but because of expected heavy rain and thunderstorms, officials delayed trick-or-treating until Thursday, which to the rest of the country is the normal Halloween.”To my knowledge, it has never been moved or canceled since it was established after Halloween in 1938,” Assistant City Manager Jen Schulte said. “However, the safety of our residents, families and children is always our top priority and led to the change in this year’s scheduled Beggars’ Night.”The city began its unusual custom at the suggestion of a former city parks director as a way to reduce vandalism and promote more wholesome fun for kids. Initially, children were encouraged to sing a song, recite poetry and offer some other kind of entertainment, but over time a joke became the most common offering.Beggar’s Night also has limited hours, typically running from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.Many of Des Moines’ suburbs also adopted the Beggars’ Night tradition and chose to shift the celebration to Halloween this year.”I didn’t realize we were that much of an anomaly because for us, this is normal,” said Debbie Westphal Swander, who owns a costume shop in West Des Moines. “We’re going to be in sync at least for this year with the way the event is celebrated everywhere else.”The big picture for me is, it’s absolutely about the kids. That’s the most important thing.”

    DES MOINES, Iowa —

    For the first time since 1938, children in Des Moines, Iowa, will go trick-or-treating on Halloween.

    Video above: Parents and community leaders share trick-or-treating safety tips

    Going door-to-door for candy on All Hallows’ Eve has long been commonplace throughout the country. But not in Des Moines, where Iowa’s capital city took a different approach more than seven decades ago in hopes of tamping down on hooliganism.

    Instead, Des Moines children don their costumes on Beggars’ Night, typically the day before Halloween. And besides screaming, “Trick-or-Treat,” children are expected to tell a joke before receiving a treat.

    This year, Beggars’ Night was set for Wednesday, but because of expected heavy rain and thunderstorms, officials delayed trick-or-treating until Thursday, which to the rest of the country is the normal Halloween.

    “To my knowledge, it has never been moved or canceled since it was established after Halloween in 1938,” Assistant City Manager Jen Schulte said. “However, the safety of our residents, families and children is always our top priority and led to the change in this year’s scheduled Beggars’ Night.”

    The city began its unusual custom at the suggestion of a former city parks director as a way to reduce vandalism and promote more wholesome fun for kids. Initially, children were encouraged to sing a song, recite poetry and offer some other kind of entertainment, but over time a joke became the most common offering.

    Beggar’s Night also has limited hours, typically running from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

    Many of Des Moines’ suburbs also adopted the Beggars’ Night tradition and chose to shift the celebration to Halloween this year.

    “I didn’t realize we were that much of an anomaly because for us, this is normal,” said Debbie Westphal Swander, who owns a costume shop in West Des Moines. “We’re going to be in sync at least for this year with the way the event is celebrated everywhere else.

    “The big picture for me is, it’s absolutely about the kids. That’s the most important thing.”

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  • Some Social Security recipients will get an extra check in November. Here’s what to know

    Some Social Security recipients will get an extra check in November. Here’s what to know

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    Some recipients of Social Security disability and retirement benefits will receive an extra payment in November, with the first coming this week.Related video above: Protect yourself from scams this shopping season People who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and have collected Social Security since before May 1997 will be paid on Friday. For those who receive both benefits, Social Security will be paid on Monday, Nov. 3.Adults and children are eligible for SSI if they have limited to no income or resources and have a disability and blindness, or are 65 and older. About 7.4 million people receive SSI benefits, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).SSI recipients will receive a second check next month, coming on Nov. 29. However, this is not an additional payment. That check will count toward December’s allotment.SSI payments typically occur on the first of every month but since Dec. 1 is on a Sunday, and the SSA does not make payments on weekends or federal holidays, the administration is pushing the payment up a couple of days.”We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment,” the SSA said in a blog post. “It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.”

    Some recipients of Social Security disability and retirement benefits will receive an extra payment in November, with the first coming this week.

    Related video above: Protect yourself from scams this shopping season

    People who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and have collected Social Security since before May 1997 will be paid on Friday. For those who receive both benefits, Social Security will be paid on Monday, Nov. 3.

    Adults and children are eligible for SSI if they have limited to no income or resources and have a disability and blindness, or are 65 and older. About 7.4 million people receive SSI benefits, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

    SSI recipients will receive a second check next month, coming on Nov. 29. However, this is not an additional payment. That check will count toward December’s allotment.

    SSI payments typically occur on the first of every month but since Dec. 1 is on a Sunday, and the SSA does not make payments on weekends or federal holidays, the administration is pushing the payment up a couple of days.

    “We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment,” the SSA said in a blog post. “It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.”

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  • Razor blades, white powder attached to political signs lead to more charges in Arizona DNC shootings

    Razor blades, white powder attached to political signs lead to more charges in Arizona DNC shootings

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    Arizona investigators surveilling the man accused of shooting at the Democratic National Committee office in a suburb of Phoenix saw him posting political signs with bags of a white, powdery substance attached, officials said.Investigators in Tempe began surveilling Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, as a suspect in three separate shootings of the DNC office after receiving tips from the public, Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy said at a news conference Wednesday.They watched Kelly placing the signs with the bags attached from late Monday into Tuesday morning, the chief said.Kelly was arrested Tuesday on three felony counts of acts of terrorism and seven other counts related to the shootings, court records show. The state added three additional felony counts of making false terrorism reports Wednesday night, bringing the total number of counts to 13.“It’s the state’s belief that Mr. Kelly poses the most extreme danger within a democracy and within our community,” prosecutor George Kelemen said. “Trying to disrupt political activity, aiming violence at a political party, is completely, completely out of bounds.”In addition to the bags of powder, Keleman said the signs placed by Kelly had utility knife blades attached to the edges. It was not immediately known what the powdery substance was.With the additional felony charges, a judge doubled Kelly’s bond to $1 million cash, an amount his attorney argued was completely out of reach.“Five hundred thousand dollars might as well be $5 billion” for Kelly, defense attorney Jason Squires told the judge. Maricopa County Jail records showed Kelly was still incarcerated as of Thursday night.Kelly was not asked to enter a plea at Wednesday’s hearings. CNN reached out to the prosecutor’s office and Squires for further comment Thursday.Arizona is among the crucial battleground states in the upcoming election, where the rivalry between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has intensified. The campaign season has already been marred by violence, including the alleged assassination attempts targeting Trump during a Pennsylvania rally and at his Florida golf course.Three shooting incidentsKelly is accused of shooting at the DNC office in Tempe on three occasions.First, on September 16, just after midnight, Kelly fired more than 10 shots from a BB gun into the front doors and windows of the building, McCoy said.A week later, on September 23, around the same time, about six shots were fired at the building, damaging the front windows and office signs, the chief said.“This time the situation escalated to the use of real bullets,” McCoy said.Surveillance video from the second incident showed a silver Toyota SUV leaving the parking lot shortly after the shots were fired.Two weeks later, on October 6, shortly after midnight, a glass break alarm was triggered and responding officers found three bullet strikes in the front of the building, McCoy said.The same silver SUV was seen in surveillance video, the chief said.“Threats, intimidation or violence toward political officials, no matter what party they are a part of, are completely unacceptable,” Mitchell said. “These actions create fear, and they weaken the trust in our elections, and frankly, they weaken our system of democracy.”“Our department recognizes the significance of this arrest, and we want to reassure our community that when you go to vote over the next 13 days, we are committed to keeping you safe,” McCoy said, denouncing political violence.Officials believe weapons stockpile points to ‘potential mass casualty event’More than 120 guns and more than 250,000 rounds of ammunition were found at Kelly’s home following his arrest, prosecutors said at Kelly’s initial court appearance Wednesday.Investigators believe he may have been planning a mass casualty event, prosecutors said.“Obviously … those numbers of guns as well as those numbers of rounds are certainly a factor that you would consider,” Mitchell said at the news conference.Defense attorney Jason Squires strongly disputed the claim that Kelly was found to be in possession of a grenade launcher during a search of his home. “He had a flare gun,” Squires said, stating Kelly is a sportsman who used it “in different competitive events.”Kelly was under suspicion for the 2022 theft of political signs, but, “I don’t believe charges were filed against him at that time,” McCoy said.A review of Kelly’s Facebook posts found a large number of posts and memes criticizing liberals and Democrats, showing support for former President Trump, and pro-gun and military content dating back to 2012. There are no public posts on his page after August 2023.“We’re continuing our investigation to see if we can learn if there were any additional things he planned on doing,” McCoy said.Squires told the judge Wednesday evening that his client is a “retired aerospace engineer” with a master’s degree and a top secret government clearance. He did not provide further details on the nature of his job that required special clearance.“There was no evidence at all that he was on his way to commit mayhem, destruction and death,” Squires said.The Arizona Democratic Party remains “undeterred and continue the work of ensuring voters in the East Valley turn out in full force now through Election Day,” a spokesperson for the group said.CNN’s David Williams and Chimaine Pouteau contributed to this report.

    Arizona investigators surveilling the man accused of shooting at the Democratic National Committee office in a suburb of Phoenix saw him posting political signs with bags of a white, powdery substance attached, officials said.

    Investigators in Tempe began surveilling Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, as a suspect in three separate shootings of the DNC office after receiving tips from the public, Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy said at a news conference Wednesday.

    They watched Kelly placing the signs with the bags attached from late Monday into Tuesday morning, the chief said.

    Kelly was arrested Tuesday on three felony counts of acts of terrorism and seven other counts related to the shootings, court records show. The state added three additional felony counts of making false terrorism reports Wednesday night, bringing the total number of counts to 13.

    “It’s the state’s belief that Mr. Kelly poses the most extreme danger within a democracy and within our community,” prosecutor George Kelemen said. “Trying to disrupt political activity, aiming violence at a political party, is completely, completely out of bounds.”

    In addition to the bags of powder, Keleman said the signs placed by Kelly had utility knife blades attached to the edges. It was not immediately known what the powdery substance was.

    With the additional felony charges, a judge doubled Kelly’s bond to $1 million cash, an amount his attorney argued was completely out of reach.

    “Five hundred thousand dollars might as well be $5 billion” for Kelly, defense attorney Jason Squires told the judge. Maricopa County Jail records showed Kelly was still incarcerated as of Thursday night.

    Kelly was not asked to enter a plea at Wednesday’s hearings. CNN reached out to the prosecutor’s office and Squires for further comment Thursday.

    Arizona is among the crucial battleground states in the upcoming election, where the rivalry between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has intensified. The campaign season has already been marred by violence, including the alleged assassination attempts targeting Trump during a Pennsylvania rally and at his Florida golf course.

    Three shooting incidents

    Kelly is accused of shooting at the DNC office in Tempe on three occasions.

    First, on September 16, just after midnight, Kelly fired more than 10 shots from a BB gun into the front doors and windows of the building, McCoy said.

    A week later, on September 23, around the same time, about six shots were fired at the building, damaging the front windows and office signs, the chief said.

    “This time the situation escalated to the use of real bullets,” McCoy said.

    Surveillance video from the second incident showed a silver Toyota SUV leaving the parking lot shortly after the shots were fired.

    Two weeks later, on October 6, shortly after midnight, a glass break alarm was triggered and responding officers found three bullet strikes in the front of the building, McCoy said.

    The same silver SUV was seen in surveillance video, the chief said.

    “Threats, intimidation or violence toward political officials, no matter what party they are a part of, are completely unacceptable,” Mitchell said. “These actions create fear, and they weaken the trust in our elections, and frankly, they weaken our system of democracy.”

    “Our department recognizes the significance of this arrest, and we want to reassure our community that when you go to vote over the next 13 days, we are committed to keeping you safe,” McCoy said, denouncing political violence.

    Officials believe weapons stockpile points to ‘potential mass casualty event’

    More than 120 guns and more than 250,000 rounds of ammunition were found at Kelly’s home following his arrest, prosecutors said at Kelly’s initial court appearance Wednesday.

    Investigators believe he may have been planning a mass casualty event, prosecutors said.

    “Obviously … those numbers of guns as well as those numbers of rounds are certainly a factor that you would consider,” Mitchell said at the news conference.

    Defense attorney Jason Squires strongly disputed the claim that Kelly was found to be in possession of a grenade launcher during a search of his home. “He had a flare gun,” Squires said, stating Kelly is a sportsman who used it “in different competitive events.”

    Kelly was under suspicion for the 2022 theft of political signs, but, “I don’t believe charges were filed against him at that time,” McCoy said.

    A review of Kelly’s Facebook posts found a large number of posts and memes criticizing liberals and Democrats, showing support for former President Trump, and pro-gun and military content dating back to 2012. There are no public posts on his page after August 2023.

    “We’re continuing our investigation to see if we can learn if there were any additional things he planned on doing,” McCoy said.

    Squires told the judge Wednesday evening that his client is a “retired aerospace engineer” with a master’s degree and a top secret government clearance. He did not provide further details on the nature of his job that required special clearance.

    “There was no evidence at all that he was on his way to commit mayhem, destruction and death,” Squires said.

    The Arizona Democratic Party remains “undeterred and continue the work of ensuring voters in the East Valley turn out in full force now through Election Day,” a spokesperson for the group said.

    CNN’s David Williams and Chimaine Pouteau contributed to this report.

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  • NASA astronaut remains at hospital after returning from an extended stay in space

    NASA astronaut remains at hospital after returning from an extended stay in space

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    NASA astronaut remains at hospital after returning from an extended stay in space

    Well, you know, we actually had *** couple of duties while we were getting ready to let the starliner depart. There are some things that the International Space Station has to get ready and be prepared and make sure that it understands that *** visiting vehicle has undocked and it goes back to its normal regime of operating. So actually, we were tasked with that, we were up in the cupola and we were watching our spaceship, you know, fly away at that point in time. So I think, I think it was good, we had some extra activities, you know, of course, we’re very knowledgeable about star starliner. So it was, it was obvious, you know, what was happening at each moment. We were talking to our control team, people, friends of ours that we, we know we know how much time and effort that they have put into this spacecraft, the excellent and precision uh activities that they’re doing down on the ground. It was, it was nice to have that, you know, one on one conversation over the space to ground as Steiner was leaving. Uh just knowing that she was in their hands and they were going to do the best that they could to get her back home. Um Other thoughts about seeing it leave, you know, like we’re, like you mentioned, we’re both, you know, navy, we’ve both been on deployments. We’re not surprised when deployments gets changed. I mean, our families extended, our families are used to that as well. So, uh that is, that’s not *** humongous surprise, I think like Butch said, this is, this is test, I think before we even flew, we had an interview with *** lot of you and the same thing that, you know, *** test flight means that we’re probably going to find some stuff we’ve done as much as we can to look at the envelope that we’re going to operate in. But this is the first time that we’ve had humans in space in starliner and we did find stuff and, you know, we made the right decisions and we’re here and that’s how things go in this business. Like what said it’s risky and that’s how it goes in the business. Welcome to Joey Roulette with Reuters. Hey, thank you. Um for both of you, you know, you both have had for the past few years. You played *** very kind of intimate role in starliner development, which of course, has not been easy for Boeing for *** number of reasons. Um And I know failures are common in spacecraft testing, but looking back what could Boeing have done differently in starliner development. That is *** very interesting and *** very fair question. I, I’ll say this, there is not enough time right now to go into all the details to make any answer. I think that I could, I could give uh make complete sense. I could say *** few things and it would be taken the wrong way, *** way that I didn’t mean it to be so for questions like that, all that will play out. Um uh In the coming months, we’ve got lessons learn that we will go through. We will have discussions, we will be involved with those discussions and things that need to change will change. Obviously, when you have issues like we’ve had, there are some changes that need to be made. Boeing’s on board with that. We’re all on board with that. And I can tell you when you push the edge of the envelope again and you do things with spacecraft that have never been done before, just like starliner, you’re going to find some things. And in this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the starliner when we had other options. There’s many cases in the past where there have not been other options. We were very fortunate that we have the space station um and that we had the option to stay and we had the option to come back *** different way if that’s what the data showed I think the data could have gotten there. We could have gotten to the point, I believe where we could have returned on starliner, but we just simply ran out of time.

    NASA astronaut remains at hospital after returning from an extended stay in space

    A NASA astronaut was taken to the hospital for an undisclosed medical issue after returning from a nearly eight-month space station stay extended by Boeing’s capsule trouble and Hurricane Milton, the space agency said Friday.Related video above: NASA astronauts discuss unexpectedly long stay in space after Starliner testA SpaceX capsule carrying three Americans and one Russian parachuted before dawn into the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida coast after undocking from the International Space Station mid-week. The capsule was hoisted onto the recovery ship where the four astronauts had routine medical checks.Soon after splashdown, a NASA astronaut had a “medical issue” and the crew was flown to a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, for additional evaluation “out of an abundance of caution” the space agency said in a statement.The astronaut, who was not identified, was in stable condition and remained at the hospital as a “precautionary measure,” NASA said.The space agency said it would not share details about the astronaut’s condition, citing patient privacy.The other three astronauts were discharged and returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.It can take days or even weeks for astronauts to readjust to gravity after living in weightlessness for several months.The astronauts should have been back two months ago. But their homecoming was stalled by problems with Boeing’s new Starliner astronaut capsule, which came back empty in September because of safety concerns. Then Hurricane Milton interfered, followed by another two weeks of high wind and rough seas.SpaceX launched the four — NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, and Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin — in March. Barratt, the only space veteran going into the mission, acknowledged the support teams back home that had “to replan, retool and kind of redo everything right along with us … and helped us to roll with all those punches.”Their replacements are the two Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose own mission went from eight days to eight months, and two astronauts launched by SpaceX four weeks ago. Those four will remain up there until February.The space station is now back to its normal crew size of seven — four Americans and three Russians — after months of overflow.

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —

    A NASA astronaut was taken to the hospital for an undisclosed medical issue after returning from a nearly eight-month space station stay extended by Boeing’s capsule trouble and Hurricane Milton, the space agency said Friday.

    Related video above: NASA astronauts discuss unexpectedly long stay in space after Starliner test

    A SpaceX capsule carrying three Americans and one Russian parachuted before dawn into the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida coast after undocking from the International Space Station mid-week. The capsule was hoisted onto the recovery ship where the four astronauts had routine medical checks.

    Soon after splashdown, a NASA astronaut had a “medical issue” and the crew was flown to a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, for additional evaluation “out of an abundance of caution” the space agency said in a statement.

    The astronaut, who was not identified, was in stable condition and remained at the hospital as a “precautionary measure,” NASA said.

    The space agency said it would not share details about the astronaut’s condition, citing patient privacy.

    The other three astronauts were discharged and returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

    It can take days or even weeks for astronauts to readjust to gravity after living in weightlessness for several months.

    The astronauts should have been back two months ago. But their homecoming was stalled by problems with Boeing’s new Starliner astronaut capsule, which came back empty in September because of safety concerns. Then Hurricane Milton interfered, followed by another two weeks of high wind and rough seas.

    SpaceX launched the four — NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, and Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin — in March. Barratt, the only space veteran going into the mission, acknowledged the support teams back home that had “to replan, retool and kind of redo everything right along with us … and helped us to roll with all those punches.”

    Their replacements are the two Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose own mission went from eight days to eight months, and two astronauts launched by SpaceX four weeks ago. Those four will remain up there until February.

    The space station is now back to its normal crew size of seven — four Americans and three Russians — after months of overflow.

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  • Harris to give campaign closing argument at site of Trump’s Jan. 6 speech before Capitol riot

    Harris to give campaign closing argument at site of Trump’s Jan. 6 speech before Capitol riot

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    Vice President Kamala Harris plans to lay out her campaign’s closing argument by returning to the site near the White House where Donald Trump helped incite a mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 — hoping it will crystalize for voters the fight between defending democracy and sowing political chaos.Her campaign says Harris will give a speech at the Ellipse on Tuesday — one week before Election Day — and will urge the nation to “turn the page” toward a new era and away from Trump.The site is symbolic since it’s where Trump delivered a speech on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was convening to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the election that past November. In it, Trump lied repeatedly about widespread voter fraud that had not occurred and urged supporters to fight. Hundreds then stormed the Capitol in a deadly riot.Word of the speech came from a senior Harris campaign official who insisted on anonymity to discuss an address that is still in development. The Harris campaign is betting that her speaking at the Ellipse can provide an opportunity for the vice president to stress that the country no longer wants to be defined by a political combativeness that Trump seems to relish.Trump has promised to pardon those jailed for their role in the Capitol attack should he reclaim the presidency during the election on Nov. 5.Closing arguments are important opportunities for candidates to sum up their campaigns and make a concise case for why voters should back them. Trump’s campaign suggested he’d begin framing his closing argument while addressing a rally last weekend in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Instead, the former president spent more than 10 minutes talking about the genitals of the late, legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, who was born in Latrobe.Her team announced the coming Ellipse addressed before Harris attended a CNN town hall in suburban Philadelphia on Wednesday night, where she took questions from an audience of undecided voters as part of what was once envisioned as a debate with Trump. Harris had said she would participate in a CNN debate but the two sides never worked out a formal agreement. CNN said it also invited Trump to a town hall. but that it didn’t happen.Harris told the audience that Jan. 6 saw a “president of the United States defying the will of the people in a free and fair election and unleashing a violent mob who attacked the United States Capitol.”The first audience question was from a self-described “anti-Trump Republican” who was concerned about the Jan. 6 attack.“I believe the American people deserve better, and they deserve a president who is focused on solutions, not sitting in the Oval Office plotting every day,” Harris said.When it comes to Jan. 6, about 4 in 10 likely voters in a CNN poll from September said the economy was their most important issue when deciding how to vote, and about 2 in 10 said protecting democracy was. That compared to about 1 in 10 who named either immigration or abortion and reproductive rights.Protecting democracy also seems to be more important to Democrats and Harris supporters. Roughly 4 in 10 voters who back Harris call it their top issue, compared to about 2 in 10 who say that about the economy. For Republicans and Trump supporters, about 6 in 10 name the economy as their top voting issue, followed by immigration. Only 5% of Trump supporters said protecting democracy was their top issue.During the town hall, Harris said Trump is “increasingly unstable and unfit to serve.” Asked directly if she thought her opponent was a fascist, Harris responded, “Yes, I do.”A short time later, Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt responded, “Kamala will say anything to distract from her open border invasion and record high inflation.”During the event, Harris was asked how her presidency would be different from Biden’s given that she’s been a part of his administration for nearly four years — a question she’s answered in recent weeks without naming major contrasts. This time, Harris seemed better prepared to talk about how things would be different, saying, “My administration will not be a continuation of the Biden administration” and saying she represented a “new generation of leadership on a number of issues.”“I’m pointing out things that haven’t been done that need to be done,” the vice president said of Biden’s policies, also noting, “I’m not going to shy away from saying, ‘Hey, these are still problems that we need to fix.’” She pointed specifically to her promises to increase federal grants for small businesses and to expand government funding for home health care to people caring for their elderly parents and children simultaneously.One audience member pressed Harris on key issues where she’s flip-flopped. That includes hydraulic fracturing, which she suggested that she’d support banning while running in the 2020 Democratic primary but now says should be allowed to continue. Harris said Wednesday that the U.S. can invest in a greener energy economy without halting fracking, which is key to the economy of parts of Pennsylvania.She added that she sees many key policies differently now: “Frankly I now have the experience and perspective of having been vice president.”Asked about the greatest weakness she’d bring to the White House, Harris offered, “I’m kind of a nerd sometimes, I confess” while admitting to making “parental mistakes” with her two stepchildren.The vice president also mentioned praying every day, saying, “I was raised to believe in a loving God, to believe faith is a verb.”__Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Linley Sanders contributed to this report from Washington.

    PHILADELPHIA —

    Vice President Kamala Harris plans to lay out her campaign’s closing argument by returning to the site near the White House where Donald Trump helped incite a mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 — hoping it will crystalize for voters the fight between defending democracy and sowing political chaos.

    Her campaign says Harris will give a speech at the Ellipse on Tuesday — one week before Election Day — and will urge the nation to “turn the page” toward a new era and away from Trump.

    The site is symbolic since it’s where Trump delivered a speech on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was convening to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the election that past November. In it, Trump lied repeatedly about widespread voter fraud that had not occurred and urged supporters to fight. Hundreds then stormed the Capitol in a deadly riot.

    Word of the speech came from a senior Harris campaign official who insisted on anonymity to discuss an address that is still in development. The Harris campaign is betting that her speaking at the Ellipse can provide an opportunity for the vice president to stress that the country no longer wants to be defined by a political combativeness that Trump seems to relish.

    Trump has promised to pardon those jailed for their role in the Capitol attack should he reclaim the presidency during the election on Nov. 5.

    Closing arguments are important opportunities for candidates to sum up their campaigns and make a concise case for why voters should back them. Trump’s campaign suggested he’d begin framing his closing argument while addressing a rally last weekend in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Instead, the former president spent more than 10 minutes talking about the genitals of the late, legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, who was born in Latrobe.

    Her team announced the coming Ellipse addressed before Harris attended a CNN town hall in suburban Philadelphia on Wednesday night, where she took questions from an audience of undecided voters as part of what was once envisioned as a debate with Trump. Harris had said she would participate in a CNN debate but the two sides never worked out a formal agreement. CNN said it also invited Trump to a town hall. but that it didn’t happen.

    Harris told the audience that Jan. 6 saw a “president of the United States defying the will of the people in a free and fair election and unleashing a violent mob who attacked the United States Capitol.”

    The first audience question was from a self-described “anti-Trump Republican” who was concerned about the Jan. 6 attack.

    “I believe the American people deserve better, and they deserve a president who is focused on solutions, not sitting in the Oval Office plotting every day,” Harris said.

    When it comes to Jan. 6, about 4 in 10 likely voters in a CNN poll from September said the economy was their most important issue when deciding how to vote, and about 2 in 10 said protecting democracy was. That compared to about 1 in 10 who named either immigration or abortion and reproductive rights.

    Protecting democracy also seems to be more important to Democrats and Harris supporters. Roughly 4 in 10 voters who back Harris call it their top issue, compared to about 2 in 10 who say that about the economy. For Republicans and Trump supporters, about 6 in 10 name the economy as their top voting issue, followed by immigration. Only 5% of Trump supporters said protecting democracy was their top issue.

    During the town hall, Harris said Trump is “increasingly unstable and unfit to serve.” Asked directly if she thought her opponent was a fascist, Harris responded, “Yes, I do.”

    A short time later, Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt responded, “Kamala will say anything to distract from her open border invasion and record high inflation.”

    During the event, Harris was asked how her presidency would be different from Biden’s given that she’s been a part of his administration for nearly four years — a question she’s answered in recent weeks without naming major contrasts. This time, Harris seemed better prepared to talk about how things would be different, saying, “My administration will not be a continuation of the Biden administration” and saying she represented a “new generation of leadership on a number of issues.”

    “I’m pointing out things that haven’t been done that need to be done,” the vice president said of Biden’s policies, also noting, “I’m not going to shy away from saying, ‘Hey, these are still problems that we need to fix.’” She pointed specifically to her promises to increase federal grants for small businesses and to expand government funding for home health care to people caring for their elderly parents and children simultaneously.

    One audience member pressed Harris on key issues where she’s flip-flopped. That includes hydraulic fracturing, which she suggested that she’d support banning while running in the 2020 Democratic primary but now says should be allowed to continue. Harris said Wednesday that the U.S. can invest in a greener energy economy without halting fracking, which is key to the economy of parts of Pennsylvania.

    She added that she sees many key policies differently now: “Frankly I now have the experience and perspective of having been vice president.”

    Asked about the greatest weakness she’d bring to the White House, Harris offered, “I’m kind of a nerd sometimes, I confess” while admitting to making “parental mistakes” with her two stepchildren.

    The vice president also mentioned praying every day, saying, “I was raised to believe in a loving God, to believe faith is a verb.”

    __

    Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Linley Sanders contributed to this report from Washington.

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  • What we know about the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak investigation

    What we know about the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak investigation

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    An E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 states, including one death.Here’s what we know.Quarter Pounders made people sickThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert on Tuesday warning that dozens of people reported eating the Quarter Pounder sandwich at McDonald’s before becoming sick.A specific ingredient has not yet been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that the slivered onions or beef patties on Quarter Pounder sandwiches are the likely source of contamination.McDonald’s has stopped using the onions as well as quarter-pound beef patties in several states including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma while the investigation continues, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.According to the agency, the beef patties are used only for the Quarter Pounders, and the slivered onions are used primarily for the Quarter Pounder and not other items. Diced onions and other types of beef patties used at McDonald’s have not been implicated in this outbreak, the FDA said.E. coli infections can be seriousEscherichia coli, or E. coli, is a common bacteria, but certain types can make you sick. Infections can occur after swallowing the bacteria, often after eating contaminated food or water. It can also spread from person to person through poor bathroom hygiene.People with E. coli infections may have symptoms including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Symptoms of infection usually begin three or four days after swallowing the bacteria.Although most people who become ill recover without treatment within a week, others can develop serious kidney problems and require hospitalization. Seniors, children younger than 5 and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of infection, according to the CDC.E. coli infections from the McDonald’s outbreak have led to at least 10 hospitalizations, including a child who had hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can develop from an E. coli infection. One older person has died.Most of the illnesses related to the McDonald’s outbreak are in Colorado and Nebraska, according to the CDC, but the agency notes that the outbreak may go beyond those states. Illnesses have also been reported in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.The CDC recommends that people call their doctor if they have recently eaten a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and are experiencing severe E. coli symptoms such as a fever higher than 102 and diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that has not improved in three days, vomiting that limits liquid intake or signs of dehydration.A ‘fast-moving’ investigationIt can take weeks to determine if an illness is part of an outbreak, but the CDC said the investigation into the McDonald’s outbreak is “fast-moving.”The agency said the outbreak is expected grow, with new cases being reported “on a rolling basis” as scientists are able to make genetic linkages between the outbreak strain and the bacteria that are causing human infections.The onset of illnesses associated with the outbreak have been reported from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11, according to CDC data. But the start date of the outbreak is likely to shift too as past cases come to light, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation.Outbreaks like these can also wind down quickly after the tainted food or ingredient is removed from the market. That requires a thorough investigation to make sure all possible channels of distribution have been uncovered and stopped.Changes at McDonald’sThe president of McDonald’s USA said that it’s safe to eat at McDonald’s and that affected ingredients are probably out of the supply chain at restaurants.”We are very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics” without getting sick, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said on NBC’s “Today Show” on Wednesday.Quarter Pounder sandwiches will temporarily be removed from the McDonald’s menu in some states while the company makes some supply changes, according to the CDC.Erlinger said he believes that “if there has been contaminated product within our supply chain, it’s very likely worked itself through that supply chain already,” but he acknowledged that the number of illnesses reported may rise as the CDC investigates and traces cases.”Serving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority,” McDonald’s said in a statement Tuesday.A fact sheet from the company highlights food safety protocols that it says are in place, including daily temperature checks and hourly handwashing for employees. It also notes that Quarter Pounders are cooked to order to temperatures that exceed the FDA’s code on best practices.Foodborne illness is on the riseCDC data released this summer shows that foodborne illness is on the rise in the U.S. A few illnesses, including E. coli infections, are well above federal targets for reducing foodborne illness.There were more than 5 E. coli illnesses for every 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2023 – a 25% increase from five years earlier and about 40% higher than target rates.The Campylobacter bacteria is the most common pathogen causing foodborne illness, with more than 19 illnesses for every 100,000 people – a rate that’s 22% higher than five years ago and twice as high as federal goals. Infections from this bacteria are most commonly caused by eating raw or undercooked poultry, according to the CDC, and it can make people ill with diarrhea.Salmonella infections haven’t increased in recent years, but the bacteria still caused about 14 illnesses for every 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2023.Listeria caused about 0.3 illnesses for every 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2023, according to data from the CDC, but has led to a few large, deadly outbreaks this year.Boar’s Head issued a recall in late July for more than 7.2 million pounds of its ready-to-eat liverwurst and some other deli meat products, leading to dozens of hospitalizations and at least nine deaths, and another recall of nearly 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry items made by BrucePac has affected schools, retailers and restaurants nationwide.CNN’s Nadia Kounang, Carma Hassan, Brenda Goodman and Meg Tirrell contributed to this report.

    An E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 states, including one death.

    Here’s what we know.

    Quarter Pounders made people sick

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert on Tuesday warning that dozens of people reported eating the Quarter Pounder sandwich at McDonald’s before becoming sick.

    A specific ingredient has not yet been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that the slivered onions or beef patties on Quarter Pounder sandwiches are the likely source of contamination.

    McDonald’s has stopped using the onions as well as quarter-pound beef patties in several states including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma while the investigation continues, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

    According to the agency, the beef patties are used only for the Quarter Pounders, and the slivered onions are used primarily for the Quarter Pounder and not other items. Diced onions and other types of beef patties used at McDonald’s have not been implicated in this outbreak, the FDA said.

    E. coli infections can be serious

    Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is a common bacteria, but certain types can make you sick. Infections can occur after swallowing the bacteria, often after eating contaminated food or water. It can also spread from person to person through poor bathroom hygiene.

    People with E. coli infections may have symptoms including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Symptoms of infection usually begin three or four days after swallowing the bacteria.

    Although most people who become ill recover without treatment within a week, others can develop serious kidney problems and require hospitalization. Seniors, children younger than 5 and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of infection, according to the CDC.

    E. coli infections from the McDonald’s outbreak have led to at least 10 hospitalizations, including a child who had hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can develop from an E. coli infection. One older person has died.

    Most of the illnesses related to the McDonald’s outbreak are in Colorado and Nebraska, according to the CDC, but the agency notes that the outbreak may go beyond those states. Illnesses have also been reported in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

    The CDC recommends that people call their doctor if they have recently eaten a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and are experiencing severe E. coli symptoms such as a fever higher than 102 and diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that has not improved in three days, vomiting that limits liquid intake or signs of dehydration.

    A ‘fast-moving’ investigation

    It can take weeks to determine if an illness is part of an outbreak, but the CDC said the investigation into the McDonald’s outbreak is “fast-moving.”

    The agency said the outbreak is expected grow, with new cases being reported “on a rolling basis” as scientists are able to make genetic linkages between the outbreak strain and the bacteria that are causing human infections.

    The onset of illnesses associated with the outbreak have been reported from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11, according to CDC data. But the start date of the outbreak is likely to shift too as past cases come to light, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation.

    Outbreaks like these can also wind down quickly after the tainted food or ingredient is removed from the market. That requires a thorough investigation to make sure all possible channels of distribution have been uncovered and stopped.

    Changes at McDonald’s

    The president of McDonald’s USA said that it’s safe to eat at McDonald’s and that affected ingredients are probably out of the supply chain at restaurants.

    “We are very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics” without getting sick, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said on NBC’s “Today Show” on Wednesday.

    Quarter Pounder sandwiches will temporarily be removed from the McDonald’s menu in some states while the company makes some supply changes, according to the CDC.

    Erlinger said he believes that “if there has been contaminated product within our supply chain, it’s very likely worked itself through that supply chain already,” but he acknowledged that the number of illnesses reported may rise as the CDC investigates and traces cases.

    “Serving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority,” McDonald’s said in a statement Tuesday.

    A fact sheet from the company highlights food safety protocols that it says are in place, including daily temperature checks and hourly handwashing for employees. It also notes that Quarter Pounders are cooked to order to temperatures that exceed the FDA’s code on best practices.

    Foodborne illness is on the rise

    CDC data released this summer shows that foodborne illness is on the rise in the U.S. A few illnesses, including E. coli infections, are well above federal targets for reducing foodborne illness.

    There were more than 5 E. coli illnesses for every 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2023 – a 25% increase from five years earlier and about 40% higher than target rates.

    The Campylobacter bacteria is the most common pathogen causing foodborne illness, with more than 19 illnesses for every 100,000 people – a rate that’s 22% higher than five years ago and twice as high as federal goals. Infections from this bacteria are most commonly caused by eating raw or undercooked poultry, according to the CDC, and it can make people ill with diarrhea.

    Salmonella infections haven’t increased in recent years, but the bacteria still caused about 14 illnesses for every 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2023.

    Listeria caused about 0.3 illnesses for every 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2023, according to data from the CDC, but has led to a few large, deadly outbreaks this year.

    Boar’s Head issued a recall in late July for more than 7.2 million pounds of its ready-to-eat liverwurst and some other deli meat products, leading to dozens of hospitalizations and at least nine deaths, and another recall of nearly 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry items made by BrucePac has affected schools, retailers and restaurants nationwide.

    CNN’s Nadia Kounang, Carma Hassan, Brenda Goodman and Meg Tirrell contributed to this report.

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  • Elderly woman earns high school diploma after years of waiting

    Elderly woman earns high school diploma after years of waiting

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    LOVE THESE HIGHS IN THE 70S. PERFECT WEATHER DREAM COME TRUE FOR A 99 YEAR OLD NAVAJO WOMAN. UNSER RITA LONG VISITOR. HOLY DANCE NEVER ENDED UP GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, BUT NOW THAT’S ALL CHANGED. PEYTON SPELLACY JOINS US LIVE FROM RIO RANCHO HIGH SCHOOL TO SHOW US HOW THEY JUST HONORED HER. GOOD MORNING. PEYTON. GOOD MORNING, ROYALE AND TODD. WHEN YOU USUALLY THINK ABOUT A TRADITIONAL GRADUATION, YOU THINK ABOUT A STUDENT’S BRIGHT FUTURE. HOWEVER, THIS GRADUATION WAS A CELEBRATION OF A LONG LIVED LIFE. HERE HE COMES IN. AND HE SAID, DAUGHTER RITA HAD JUST GRADUATED THE EIGHTH GRADE AND HAD ALL OF HER CLOTHES AND SUPPLIES READY FOR HIGH SCHOOL. WHEN HER DAD TOLD HER OF HER MOTHER’S ILLNESS AND HE SAID, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. SHE HAD TO PUT HER HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA ON HOLD TO TAKE CARE OF HER MOM. I JUST PUT MY HEAD DOWN AND I DIDN’T SEE NOTHING UNTIL SHE FOUND A FRIEND. SHE CONFIDED IN. FLORA DE MAYO AND RITA ARE BOTH A PART OF THE 13 INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S ACTIVIST GROUP, AND THEY’RE BEST FRIENDS. THEY TALK EVERY DAY, OFTEN JOKING ABOUT LIFE. IF THEY WERE NEIGHBORS, I WOULD WALK OVER TO YOUR HOUSE AND I WOULD SAY TO HER, WHAT WOULD YOU WHAT WOULD YOU SERVE? AND ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE CHAPTER, RITA NEVER FINISHED. SHE WAS STILL TALKING ABOUT HOW SHE DIDN’T GET HER DIPLOMA BECAUSE EVERY TIME I SEE HER, SHE TALKS ABOUT THAT WITH THE HELP OF THE 13 INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHERS AND RITA’S FAMILY IN NEW MEXICO, SHE WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS OUT OF REACH, EARNING HER DIPLOMA FROM RIO RANCHO HIGH SCHOOL IN TO TALK WITH SOMEONE WHO’S LIVED ALMOST 100 YEARS. ALL THE THINGS SHE’S SEEN AND EXPERIENCED, ALL THE MEMORIES, ALL THE WISDOM. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS THINKS THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT STICKS WITH HER STUDENTS. WHY ARE Y’ALL Y’ALL WAY? WHY ARE Y’ALL WAY? I HOPE THEY SAW HOW WHAT A MOMENTOUS EVENT THIS WAS TO WITNESS SOMETHING LIKE THIS. TO HEAR THAT MUSIC, TO HEAR THAT PRAYER AND THIS WASN’T SOMETHING RITA SAW COMING. WELL, THAT WAS A BIG SURPRISE. NOW, I ALSO SPOKE WITH HER SON, AND HE SAID THAT THE BIGGEST LESSON THAT HE LEARNED FROM HIS MOTHER WAS TO NEVER DO ANYTHING HALFWAY, AND THAT HER GETTING HER DIPLOMA YESTERDAY IS JUST A SIGN. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HER DETERMINATION. REPORTING LI

    Elderly woman earns high school diploma after years of waiting

    A 99-year-old woman in New Mexico has finally achieved what many take for granted: getting a high school diploma. Unci Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance had just graduated from the eighth grade and was ready for high school when her dad told her that her mom was ill. “He said, ‘You’re not going back to school,’” Rita recalled. She had to put her schooling on hold so she could take care of her ill mother. “I just put my head down. I didn’t say anything,” Rita said in an interview. She didn’t say anything until she found Grandmother Flordemayo, a spiritual healer. She and Flordemayo would talk every day and then talk about the chapter Rita never finished. “She was still talking about how she never got her diploma,” said Flordemayo. “Every time I see her, she talks about them.”With the help of a group and Rita’s family in New Mexico, she was finally able to achieve what she thought was out of reach: earning her diploma. The superintendent of Rio Rancho Schools, V. Sue Cleveland, said she thinks this is a moment that will stick with her students. “I hope they saw how what a momentous event this was to witness something like this, to hear that news, like to hear that prayer,” said Cleveland.

    RIO RANCHO, N.M. —

    A 99-year-old woman in New Mexico has finally achieved what many take for granted: getting a high school diploma.

    Unci Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance had just graduated from the eighth grade and was ready for high school when her dad told her that her mom was ill.

    “He said, ‘You’re not going back to school,’” Rita recalled.

    She had to put her schooling on hold so she could take care of her ill mother.

    “I just put my head down. I didn’t say anything,” Rita said in an interview.

    She didn’t say anything until she found Grandmother Flordemayo, a spiritual healer. She and Flordemayo would talk every day and then talk about the chapter Rita never finished.

    “She was still talking about how she never got her diploma,” said Flordemayo. “Every time I see her, she talks about them.”

    With the help of a group and Rita’s family in New Mexico, she was finally able to achieve what she thought was out of reach: earning her diploma.

    The superintendent of Rio Rancho Schools, V. Sue Cleveland, said she thinks this is a moment that will stick with her students.

    “I hope they saw how what a momentous event this was to witness something like this, to hear that news, like to hear that prayer,” said Cleveland.

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