Draft shows watchdog took months to report missing Secret Service texts
The Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog took months to alert Congress to missing Secret Service text messages around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol even after lawyers had approved a draft notification, leaving the information out of a key report and eventually releasing only a milder version, newly released documents show. The draft alert, obtained by the Project on Government Oversight, is the latest evidence to raise questions about the Office of Inspector General’s handling of the missing texts, and is sure to anger House Democrats, some of whom have accused the inspector general of a cover-up.
Albuquerque Muslims help bid to keep killings suspect jailed
New Mexico prosecutors are amassing evidence they hope will convince a judge that the Afghan refugee suspected of killing four Muslim men should remain jailed pending his trial. Muhammad Syed is due in court Monday and a state judge will decide if he’s enough of a danger to the community to deny him bond. Syed is charged with two killings and authorities say he the primary suspect in the other two. He has denied the allegations. Muslim community leaders say they’re working with law enforcement to push for Syed’s continued detention. They cite previous accusations of domestic violence against him and a 2020 tire slashing incident outside the local mosque.
Russia struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine
The Kremlin has refused to announce a full-blown mobilization as Russia suffers military losses in its invasion of Ukraine which is nearing its sixth month. Such a move could be very unpopular for President Vladimir Putin. Russia is engaged instead in a covert recruitment effort that includes using prisoners to make up for the manpower shortage. This also is happening amid reports that hundreds of soldiers are refusing to fight and are trying to quit the military. Authorities seem to be pulling out all the stops to bolster enlistment although the Defense Ministry denies any “mobilization activities” are happening. Billboards urge men to join up and authorities have set up mobile recruiting centers.
Brazilians rally for democracy, seek to rein in Bolsonaro
Thousands of Brazilians are rallying in defense of the nation’s democracy. The event was held Thursday at the University of Sao Paulo’s law school. It carried echoes of a gathering nearly 45 years ago when citizens amassed to denounce a brutal military dictatorship, which lasted two decades. At the rally, organizers read from documents supporting democratic institutions and the electoral system. While the letters don’t mention President Jair Bolsonaro by name, they appear aimed at reining in the far-right leader as he seeks reelection. Much like former U.S. President Donald Trump before him, Bolsonaro has repeatedly attacked the country’s election system — without providing any evidence.
Arctic warming is happening faster than described, analysis shows
The rapid warming of the Arctic, a definitive sign of climate change, is occurring even faster than previously described, researchers in Finland said Thursday. Over the past four decades, the region has been heating up four times faster than the global average, not the two to three times commonly reported. Some parts of the region are warming up to seven times faster, they said. One result of rapid Arctic warming is faster melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which adds to sea-level rise. But the impacts extend far beyond the Arctic, reaching down to influence weather such as extreme rainfall and heat waves in North America and elsewhere.
Blinken urges Rwanda and Congo to end support for warring militias
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday he had urged the leaders of Rwanda and Congo to end their support for militias in eastern Congo, warning that continuing to back the groups threatened stability across the Great Lakes region of Africa. “Whoever it’s by, whoever it’s to, that support has to cease,” Blinken said at a news conference in Kigali, capital of Rwanda. “It’s a matter of principle that applies equally.” U.S. and Rwandan officials estimate over 130 armed groups are operating in eastern Congo, now a battleground for militias who have maimed and murdered while profiting from the billions of dollars of minerals smuggled out of the region.
Don’t blame monkeys for monkeypox, WHO says after attacks
Monkeys are not to blame for the monkeypox outbreak that has triggered health alerts as the viral disease has continued to spread, the World Health Organization said this week after reports of attacks against the animals in Brazil. At least 10 monkeys were recently rescued in Sao José do Rio Preto in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo after authorities found signs they had been attacked or poisoned, out of fear of monkeypox transmission, according to the G1 news site in that country. Seven of the monkeys later died. The risk of monkeypox transmission during this outbreak is centered on humans, not animals, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris recently said.
By wire sources