Doctor: Biden likely has highly contagious COVID-19 strain
President Joe Biden likely has contracted a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly through the United States, and now has body aches and a sore throat since his positive test. That’s according to an update from his doctor. The BA.5 variant is an offshoot of the omicron strain that emerged late last year. It’s believed to be responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus cases in the country. Dr. Kevin O’Connor writes in his latest update on Biden’s condition that the results of the preliminary sequencing that indicated the BA.5 variant do not affect Biden’s treatment plan “in any way.” Biden tested positive on Thursday. He’s been isolating in the White House residence since then.
Parents, 6-year-old girl fatally shot in tent at Iowa park
A 9-year-old boy who was camping at an Iowa state park with his parents and 6-year-old sister survived a shooting that killed the rest of his family. The victims were found in their tent early Friday at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground, about 180 miles east of Des Moines. They were 42-year-old Tyler Schmidt, his wife, 42-year-old Sarah Schmidt, and their 6-year-old daughter, Lula. Sarah Schmidt’s brother said the couple’s 9-year-old son, Arlo, is safe. Investigators have provided no motive, but named the suspected gunman as 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, of La Vista, Nebraska. Sherwin’s body was found at the park with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators: Attacker ‘did not know who’ Zeldin was
A man accused of attacking New York GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin during a recent campaign rally told investigators he’d been drinking that day and didn’t know who the congressman was. David Jakubonis’s remarks are summarized in a federal criminal complaint filed Saturday. Jakubonis appeared in court Saturday in Rochester to face a count of assaulting a member of Congress with a dangerous weapon. Authorities say Jakubonis, an Iraq War veteran, told investigators he went onstage to ask the speaker if he was disrespecting veterans. Video shows Jakubonis raising his arm toward Zeldin as he holds a keychain. The two tussled to the ground and Zeldin suffered a minor scrape.
On the docket: Atlanta v. Trumpworld
Since early last year, Fani T. Willis, the Atlanta-area district attorney, has been leading the investigation into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his election loss in Georgia. But it is only this month — with a flurry of subpoenas, target letters and more — that the inquiry’s sprawling contours have emerged. For legal experts, that sprawl is a sign Willis is doing what she has indicated all along: building the framework for a broad case that could target multiple defendants with charges of conspiracy to commit election fraud, or racketeering-related charges for engaging in a coordinated scheme to undermine the election.
In Japan, Abe suspect’s grudge against Unification Church is a familiar one
Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of killing Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, said his mother’s huge donations to the Unification Church bankrupted his family. In a letter he sent to a blogger before the shooting, Yamagami said he had spent years dreaming of revenge, but had become convinced that attacking the church would accomplish nothing. Many others in Japan have similar frustrations with the church. And the July 8 shooting has thrust the church’s legal troubles back into the national dialogue, in particular its battles with families who said they had been impoverished by large donations.
State Department says 2 Americans died recently in Ukraine
Two Americans recently died in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, the U.S. State Department said Friday. It was not known whether they had been fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in the region, which has been the focus of intense Russian assault and continuing Ukrainian resistance in recent weeks. The State Department provided no further information about their identities or the circumstances of their deaths, citing respect for their families. U.S. officials are in touch with the families and are providing consular assistance, according to a State Department spokesperson. At least two Americans are believed to have died while fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers.
Warner Bros. brings ‘Black Adam,’ ‘Shazam! 2’ to Comic-Con
Dwayne Johnson came out in full costume to promote his new superhero film “Black Adam” at Comic-Con in San Diego on Saturday. The actor brought with him a new trailer and the promise of free tickets for every person in the 6,000 seat auditorium. It was just one part of a Warner Bros. presentation that also included a new look at the “Shazam!” sequel, with stars Zachary Levi and Lucy Liu in attendance as well. The studio stuck to its 2022 releases and did not mention the status of “The Flash,” which has wrapped filming but whose star Ezra Miller has been arrested several times this year, including in Hilo.