Judge orders lawyers in Trump case to start getting security clearances
The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s indictment on charges of illegally retaining national defense information issued an order Thursday instructing any lawyer who wants to take part in the case to start the process of obtaining a security clearance to handle classified material by early next week. The brief order by the federal judge, Aileen Cannon, instructed the lawyers to reach out to the Litigation Security Group at the Justice Department by Tuesday to “expedite” the process for getting a clearance. The order presaged what is likely to be a legal battle over how to handle the documents at the center of the case without damaging national security.
Airman who leaked files is indicted on charges of mishandling secrets
A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guard member who posted secret intelligence reports and other sensitive documents on a social media server, on six counts of retaining and transmitting classified national defense information. The filing of criminal charges in Boston federal court against Teixeira, 21, comes about two months after FBI agents arrested him at his home in Massachusetts, and paves the way for a trial stemming from one of the most damaging national security leaks in recent history. If convicted, he could face up to 60 years in prison.
Supreme Court upholds Native American adoption law
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a 1978 law aimed at keeping Native American adoptees with their tribes and traditions. The case pitted a white foster couple from Texas against five tribes and the Interior Department as they battled over the adoption of a Native American child. Under the Indian Child Welfare Act, preference is given to Native families, a policy that the couple said violated equal protection principles because it hinges on placement based on race. The tribes have said they are political entities, not racial groups, and a different ruling could have had far-reaching implications for how tribal nations are allowed to govern themselves.
Florida schools question content on gender and sexuality in AP psychology
Advanced Placement psychology is the subject of the latest skirmish in the monthslong battle between the state of Florida and the College Board. The board said in a statement released Thursday afternoon that several Florida school districts had raised concerns about the course, noting that its content may violate new state laws limiting how issues of gender and sexuality are taught. The class has existed for decades and is among the country’s most popular AP courses. The College Board, which runs the AP program and the SAT, said Thursday that gender and sexual orientation were foundational to the college-level study of psychology, and that it would not remove such content.
Many Americans face insurance obstacles over medical care and bills
A majority of Americans with health insurance said they had encountered obstacles to coverage, including denied medical care, higher bills and a dearth of doctors in their plans, according to a new survey from the nonprofit health research group KFF. As a result, some people delayed or skipped treatment. Those who described themselves as in fair or poor health reported more trouble; three-fourths of those receiving mental health treatment experienced problems. About 40% of those surveyed said they had delayed or gone without care in the last year because of the expense, with Black adults more likely than white adults to indicate they had trouble.
Brutal killing of governor heralds new round of violence in Darfur
The killing of a powerful governor in Darfur, in western Sudan, has heightened worries that fighting between the country’s warring military factions is pushing a region blighted by genocide two decades ago into a new ethnic civil war. Since April, Sudan’s military has been battling the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that until recently was part of the national armed forces. The fighting has razed parts of the capital, Khartoum, and engulfed Darfur. Peace talks have failed to broker a durable cease-fire. Wednesday’s killing of Khamis Abdullah Abakar threatened to further ignite a tinderbox territory that has a history of catastrophic ethnic conflict.
Ukraine’s small, costly advances still seen as promising
Ukraine’s counteroffensive against formidable Russian defenses has been grueling and bloody, Ukrainian and U.S. officials acknowledged Thursday, but they insisted it was making gains and that any verdict on its success was extremely premature. Last week, Ukraine began a multipronged assault into southeastern territory that Russia’s forces had seized, hunting for weaknesses to exploit in hopes of punching through the deep network of minefields, trenches, bunkers, tank obstacles and artillery that the Russians built. Ukraine retook some small settlements and villages in the early going. Independent analysts say that Ukraine’s advances in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions are better measured in yards than miles.
Pope Francis will leave hospital on Friday, Vatican says
Pope Francis will be discharged from the hospital Friday, according to the Vatican, nine days after the 86-year-old pontiff underwent abdominal surgery for a hernia, an unexpected operation that raised concerns about his health. The Vatican described his recovery from the surgery as “regular,” and photographs it released showed him appearing in good health at the hospital in Rome. On Thursday, Francis met with the hospital’s medical team and administrators “in a sign of gratitude,” the Vatican said. Using a wheelchair, he visited patients in the pediatric cancer and child neurosurgery ward to thank them for the “numerous letters, drawings and messages” they had sent him.
Greece continues search for migrants after crowded ship capsizes
The grim search by Greek authorities for migrants after the country’s deadliest shipwreck in years moved into a second day Thursday, although the prospect of finding survivors was slim and hundreds were feared to be missing after their fishing ship capsized about 50 miles off the coast. Authorities said late Thursday that they had detained nine Egyptian nationals on criminal charges in connection with the episode, including membership of a criminal organization, provoking a shipwreck, the illegal transfer of migrants and the use of violence in connection with the episode. The nine were among 104 people rescued Wednesday.
North Korea fires 2 ballistic missiles
North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast Thursday, its first missile test in two months, as the United States and South Korean militaries conducted a live-fire exercise near the inter-Korean border. The missiles were launched from the Sunan district of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, the South Korean military said. The military said it was analyzing data from the test to learn more about the missiles. Hirokazu Matsuno, a Japanese government spokesperson, told reporters that at least two ballistic missiles had landed within Japan’s exclusive economic zone between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., calling the missile firing “an outrage which accelerates provocations against the international community.”
By wire sources