Airman in Leak Case to Remain Detained as He Awaits Trial
Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Air Force National Guardsman accused of posting a trove of secret documents online, will remain in prison pending trial because he poses a continuing threat to national security and public safety, a federal magistrate judge ruled Friday. Judge David Hennessy cited Teixeira’s history of seeking out and posting classified intelligence materials in defiance of his superiors at an Air Force base in Massachusetts, in denying his request to be released on bond into the custody of his father. Teixeira’s actions were “a profound breach” of his vow to protect sensitive information when he received his security clearance, Hennessy said.
Whiplash Day of Debt Limit Talks Ends Without a Breakthrough
Negotiations between top White House and Republican congressional officials over a deal to raise the debt limit resumed Friday just hours after House GOP leaders said it was time to “press pause,” complaining that President Joe Biden’s team was being unreasonable and that no progress could be made. The abrupt turn reflected the unwieldy state of negotiations over a bipartisan deal to avert a debt default that could occur as soon as June 1. Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Friday evening declared the talks were back on. Negotiations then broke up again roughly an hour after they resumed, and it was unclear when negotiators planned to meet again.
Feinstein Faces Growing Scrutiny, but Voters Are Still Divided on Her Fitness
Voters interviewed in California this week had mixed views on the meaning and consequences of fresh and troubling revelations about Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s medical condition. But they did not seem to share the sense of urgency expressed by some state political players, who were distressed over the possibility that Feinstein’s condition would slow the Democrats’ agenda and effectiveness in Washington. “I didn’t realize she was so unwell,” Megan Kracalik Bayar said, adding that she was not ready to pass judgment on whether Feinstein, 89, should step down. Feinstein, a Democratic eminence in California politics for decades, has suffered from brain swelling and has been increasingly frail, forgetful and impaired.
Trump Ally Could Face Perjury Charge if He Doesn’t Cooperate With DA
One of former President Donald Trump’s longtime lieutenants, Allen Weisselberg, was recently released from Rikers Island jail complex after pleading guilty to a tax fraud scheme. Yet Weisselberg’s legal troubles remain. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is considering a new round of criminal charges, and this time he could be charged with perjury, according to people with knowledge of the matter. It was the latest effort in a two-year campaign to persuade Weisselberg to testify against Trump. Weisselberg has refused to turn against his former boss, but prosecutors recently warned his lawyers that they might bring the perjury charges if their client declined to testify against Trump.
Georgia Prosecutor Signals August Timetable for Charges in Trump Inquiry
The Georgia prosecutor leading an investigation into former President Donald Trump and his allies has announced remote work days for most of her staff during the first three weeks of August, asking judges in an Atlanta courthouse not to schedule trials for part of that time as she prepares to bring charges in the inquiry. The moves suggest that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expecting a grand jury to unseal indictments during that time. Willis outlined the remote work plan and made the request to judges in a letter sent Thursday to 21 Fulton County officials, including the chief county judge and the sheriff.
Nebraska Votes to Restrict Abortion and Transgender Care
Nebraska lawmakers voted Friday to restrict access to abortion and medical care for transgender youth, after weeks of vociferous debate. Conservative legislators bundled provisions restricting access to both forms of medical treatment into a single bill in the final days of the legislative session. State Republicans initially had sought to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, but that measure failed, and the amended proposal set the limit at 12 weeks. On transgender care, the bill bans surgeries and calls on the state’s chief medical officer to establish criteria under which puberty blockers and hormone therapy may be administered to people younger than 19.
In a Sharp Reversal, Biden Opens a Path for Ukraine to Get Fighter Jets
President Joe Biden told U.S. allies Friday that he would allow Ukrainian pilots to be trained on American-made F-16 fighter jets, several U.S. officials said, adding Biden is prepared to let other countries give F-16s to Ukraine — a major upgrade of the Ukrainian military and a sharp reversal. Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago, officials in Ukraine have pleaded for advanced warplanes to overcome Russian air superiority. But Biden has resisted, concerned the jets could be used to hit targets deep inside Russia and prompt the Kremlin to escalate the conflict. Pentagon officials have said other weapons, especially air defenses, were needed more urgently.
A ‘Canadian Armageddon’ Sets Parts of Western Canada on Fire
As acrid smoke filled the air, turning the sky around her sleepy hometown, Fox Creek, Alberta, a garish blood orange, Nicole Clarke said she felt a sense of terror. With no time to collect family photographs, she grabbed her two young children, hopped into her pickup truck, and sped away, praying she wouldn’t drive into the blaze’s menacing path. “This feels like a Canadian Armageddon, like a bad horror film,” said Clarke, a 37-year-old hair stylist. Weeks of out-of-control wildfires raging across western Canada have ushered in a potent sense of fear, threatening a region that is the epicenter of the country’s oil and gas sector.
After Earthquakes and Drought, Floods Devastate Northern Italy
Eleven years ago this month, back-to-back earthquakes struck the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, which this week was devastated by another disaster: widespread flooding that has caused at least 14 deaths and left thousands more homeless. On Friday, rescue workers continued to clear streets of mud, while towns in the Ravenna area remained submerged. Hundreds of roads were blocked by landslides making travel in the region difficult — with some towns cut off completely — and power was still out in some places. Officials said the full extent of the damage was not clear in the region, which had recently been plagued by drought.
Cheetah Deaths in India Mar Reintroduction Efforts
For centuries, cheetahs roamed swaths of India and prowled among lions, tigers and leopards. They were declared extinct in 1952 after decades of hunting by princely rulers and British colonizers, shrinking habitats and vanishing prey. Last year, the Indian government sought to bring cheetahs back by reintroducing the species to the country, bringing 20 in from South Africa and Namibia. Those efforts suffered another setback this month after the death of a third cheetah in 45 days at Kuno National Park. In that case, a female cheetah was killed during a violent interaction with two older males.
Tensions Flare in Georgia as Direct Flights Resume With Russia
As passengers on the first direct flight from Russia to Georgia in more than three years disembarked Friday, they were met by protesters cursing their arrival. Shouts of “Why did you come here? Your country is an occupier!” echoed through the arrivals hall at Tbilisi International Airport. Outside, a crowd of about 200 hundred demonstrators unfurled a banner saying, “You are not welcome.” Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, and it wields military control over one-fifth of its territory. Graffiti that says “Russians go home” is commonplace in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. A determination to join NATO is enshrined in the former Soviet republic’s constitution.
Britain’s Briefest Prime Minister Gets a Warmer Welcome in Taiwan
On a controversial trip to Taiwan, Liz Truss, Britain’s prime minister for 44 tempestuous days, met President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday and called for an “economic NATO” to counter Chinese coercion. Truss’ visit has been denounced by Beijing, which claims the self-governed island as its territory. China opposes visits to Taiwan by foreign politicians, even fallen ones like Truss, who resigned last year after the shortest tenure of any British prime minister. Even some members of her Conservative Party suggested her trip was unnecessarily provocative. Taiwan’s government has nonetheless treated Truss’ five-day visit as a welcome gesture of support.
By wire sources
