Santos steps down from House panels amid ethics issues
Republican congressman George Santos of New York says he is temporarily stepping down from his two congressional committees. The move comes amid a host of ethics issues and a day after Santos met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Santos has faced numerous calls for his resignation and is facing multiple investigations by prosecutors over his personal and campaign finances and lies about his resume and family background. Santos had been assigned to a committee on small business and on science, space and technology. Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma says the decision has been well-received from the GOP conference. In a prepared statement, Santos says he wants to focus on serving his constituents “without distraction.”
FBI searched Biden’s former think tank office in November
The FBI searched a think tank founded by President Joe Biden in mid-November after his aides discovered classified documents there that month, according to two people familiar with the situation. It is not clear if the previously undisclosed search, which was done with the cooperation of Biden’s lawyers after the first batch was discovered, turned up any additional files dating from Biden’s eight years as vice president. On Dec. 20, Biden’s team discovered a second trove of government documents at the president’s house in Delaware. The FBI searched that residence in January at the invitation of Biden’s lawyers. Neither the White House nor the Justice Department would comment.
Suspects in Haiti presidential slaying in US custody
U.S. officials say four key suspects in the killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have been transferred to the United States for prosecution as the case stagnates in Haiti amid death threats that have spooked local judges. The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday that the suspects include James Solages and Joseph Vincent. They were among the first arrested after Moïse was shot 12 times at his private home in July 2021. Also charged is Christian Emmanuel Sanon. He is a failed businessman that authorities have identified as a key player. The fourth suspect was identified as Colombian citizen Germán Rivera García. It wasn’t immediately clear if they had attorneys who could comment on the development.
Elon Musk’s Tesla tweet trial delves into investor damages
An Elon Musk tweet declaring he had the financing to take Tesla private in 2018 caused billions of dollars in investor damages after the deal collapsed. That’s according to estimates presented Tuesday at a trial examining the haphazard handling of the buyout proposal. The mind-bending estimates laid out by two experts hired by attorneys representing Tesla shareholders underscore the challenges facing a nine-person jury as the three-week trial winds down this week. The case is expected to be turned over to the jury Friday. The outcome could add to the financial fallout from Musk’s troublesome tweets, which have already resulted in a $40 million settlement with securities regulators.
Boeing bids farewell to an icon, delivers last 747 jumbo jet
Boeing bid farewell to an icon Tuesday: It delivered its final 747 jumbo jet. Since it debuted in 1969, the 747 has served as a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, and the Air Force One presidential aircraft. It revolutionized international travel. But over about the past 15 years, Boeing and its European rival Airbus have introduced more profitable and fuel efficient wide-body planes. The final plane is the 1,574th built by Boeing in the Puget Sound region of Washington state. Thousands of current and former Boeing workers gathered for a ceremony marking its delivery to cargo carrier Atlas Air.
Blinken meets with Palestinian leader after surge in violence
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the occupied West Bank on Tuesday to meet with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and called for a defusing of the violence that has gripped the region, while conceding that Palestinians face dwindling prospects in their larger struggle for independence. Blinken visited Abbas at the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters in Ramallah, part of a whirlwind regional tour coinciding with one of the deadliest months in the West Bank in several years. More than 30 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in January, mostly during Israeli military raids aimed at quelling a growing insurgency and arresting Palestinian gunmen.
Manslaughter charge for Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ set shooting
A Santa Fe district attorney has filed involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie “Rust.” Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced that her office filed the charges Tuesday. Investigators outlined evidence that Baldwin had his finger on the trigger before the gun went off and that he skipped required safety training. Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe in October 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at her when the gun went off. Film-set weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed also is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
By wire sources