Trump foe Liz Cheney defeated in Wyoming GOP primary
Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, Donald Trump’s fiercest Republican adversary in Congress, has been defeated in a GOP primary. She fell Tuesday to Harriet Hageman, a rival backed by the former president in a contest that reinforced his grip on the party’s base. Cheney is describing her loss as the beginning of a new chapter, telling a small collection of supporters that “our work is far from over.” She says, “I will do whatever it takes to ensure Donald Trump is never again anywhere near the Oval Office.” Cheney’s political future beyond Capitol Hill could include a 2024 presidential run, potentially putting her on another collision course with Trump.
Ezra Miller seeks treatment for ‘mental health issues’
After a string of arrests and erratic behavior that spanned Hawaii to Vermont, “Flash” actor Ezra Miller said they have begun treatment for “complex mental health issues.” The 29-year-old Miller, who identifies as non-binary, issued a statement late Monday. On Sept. 26, Miller is due to appear for arraignment in Vermont Superior Court after being cited for felony burglary in Stamford, Vermont. Authorities last week said Miller had taken several bottles of alcohol from a residence while the homeowners weren’t present. Miller was also arrested twice earlier this year in Hawaii, including for disorderly conduct and harassment at a karaoke bar. The second incident was for second-degree assault.
FDA clears path for hearing aids to be sold over the counter
The Food and Drug Administration decided Tuesday to allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter without a prescription to adults, a long-sought wish of consumers frustrated by expensive exams and devices. The high cost of hearing aids, which are not covered by basic Medicare, has discouraged millions of Americans from buying the devices. Health experts say that untreated hearing loss can contribute to cognitive decline and depression in older people. Under the FDA’s new rule, people with mild to moderate hearing loss should be able to buy hearing aids online and in retail stores as soon as October.
FBI interviewed top White House lawyers about missing Trump documents
Pat Cipollone and Patrick Philbin, the White House counsel and his deputy under President Donald Trump, were interviewed by the FBI in connection with sensitive documents that were stored at Trump’s residence in Florida after he left office, three people familiar with the matter said. Cipollone and Philbin are the most senior people who worked for Trump who are known to have been interviewed by investigators after the matter was referred to the Justice Department this year. The interviews are a sign of the intensity of the investigation into how sensitive government material remained at Trump’s residence for more than a year.
Education Department wipes out $4B in ITT Tech student loans
The Education Department on Tuesday wiped out about $4 billion in debts owed by students who attended ITT Technical Institute schools and sought to recoup $24 million from DeVry University. The moves are part of the department’s efforts to crack down on the for-profit education sector and help students who have been defrauded. The agency said that it would automatically discharge all remaining federal loans for 208,000 borrowers who attended ITT Technical Institute schools from 2005 until the chain’s collapse in 2016. ITT and Corinthian went bankrupt years ago, leaving taxpayers on the hook for the debts now being forgiven for the schools’ former students.
Prosecutors struggle to catch up to a tidal wave of pandemic fraud
In the midst of the pandemic, the U.S. government gave unemployment benefits to the incarcerated, the imaginary and the dead. As the virus shuttered businesses, the federal government sent a flood of relief money into programs aimed at helping the newly unemployed and boosting the economy. That included $3.1 trillion that President Donald Trump approved in 2020, followed by a $1.9 trillion package signed into law in 2021 by President Joe Biden. But those dollars came with few strings and minimal oversight. The result: one of the largest frauds in American history, with billions of dollars stolen by thousands of people. Now, prosecutors are trying to catch up.
Marshall Islands, once nearly COVID-free, confronts an outbreak
As a remote nation in the Pacific, the Marshall Islands had been almost completely spared from COVID-19, registering just a handful of cases, with no community transmission detected. But in just over a week, more than 4,000 people have tested positive in a population of about 60,000, including the country’s secretary of health and human services, Jack Niedenthal. He has been providing updates on Facebook and said 75% of those tested in Majuro, the capital, had COVID-19, “an incredibly high positivity rate.” On Tuesday, Niedenthal said there was some panic and concern, given that the islands, about halfway between Hawaii and the Philippines, had not recorded a single COVID-19 case last year.
Explosions rock Crimea in suspected Ukrainian attack
Explosions and fires ripped through an ammunition depot in Russia-annexed Crimea in the second suspected Ukrainian attack on the peninsula in just over a week. The blasts forced the evacuation of more than 3,000 people. Russia is blaming the explosions on an “act of sabotage” without naming the perpetrators. Ukraine stopped short of publicly claiming responsibility. Last week’s explosions destroyed nine Russian planes at another Crimean air base. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has used it to launch attacks against the country in the war that began nearly six months ago. If Ukrainian forces were, in fact, behind the explosions, they would represent a significant escalation in the war.
China sets sanctions on Taiwan figures to punish US, island
China is imposing visa bans and other sanctions on Taiwanese political figures as it raises pressure on the island and the U.S. in response to successive congressional visits. The Chinese Communist Party office that announced the sanctions says they’re designed to punish diehard supporters of Taiwanese independence. The measures apply to Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the U.S. and others, but it’s unclear whether they will have any impact. China considers self-governed Taiwan to be its territory. It held military exercises recently that including firing missiles over the island. It announced more drills Monday without offering further details. The U.S. says China is seeking to erode the status quo with its provocative response to recent congressional visits to the island.
By wire sources