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Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Trump Indicted on 13 Felonies in Georgia Court

Fox News: Former President Trump was indicted out of the years-long criminal investigation led by state prosecutors in Georgia into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state. The charges include violating the Georgia RICO Act—the Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act; Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings; Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Filing False Documents; and Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer (Fox News). Spencer Brown: In all, the grand jury handed up a 98-page indictment against Trump as well as a handful of his allies (Townhall). Greg Price: The Trump indictments in Fulton County Georgia have dropped and they are the exact same ones that were “accidentally” posted and then deleted from their website earlier today before the grand jury had voted to indict him (Twitter). Benny Johnson: Fulton County, Georgia DA Fani Willis reads names of those indicted by Grand Jury including President Trump and 18 others (Twitter).

Hawaii Braces as the Death Toll Increases

The fires have caused an estimated $5.5 Billion worth of damage. Wall Street Journal: Maui officials increased the death toll to at least 96 following the catastrophic wildfires on the island as they continue the painstaking search for victims in the rubble. Residents braced for a higher death toll in what is already America’s deadliest wildfire event in over a century as searchers find more human remains in the charred town of Lahaina. Across Maui, officials urged residents to share DNA samples to help identify those lost (Wall Street Journal). CNN: Firefighters have made progress against the three largest wildfires, but the deadly fire in hard-hit Lahaina, covering more than 2,000 acres, was only 85% contained by Sunday afternoon (CNN).

United States Sends $200 Million in Aid to Ukraine

Hill: The U.S. on Monday announced a $200 million security assistance package for Ukraine, providing Kyiv with another round of munitions and tactical vehicles for use in the fight against Russia. The latest package places total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine at roughly $43 billion since Russia invaded in February 2022, meaning the remaining funds for Ukrainian forces is fast approaching their limit. The Biden administration unveiled the critical assistance for Ukraine in the midst of a major counteroffensive operation. The package includes more munitions for advanced weapons systems coveted by Ukraine, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Patriot missile defense systems (Hill). Collin Rugg: The United States has just sent another $200 million in aid to Ukraine. $200 million to Ukraine today and Maui doesn’t even get a comment. Nearly 100 people have been confirmed dead in the Maui fires, over 2000 structures have been destroyed and thousands have been displaced. I hope Biden had a great vacation (Twitter).

US Gas Prices Soar to Nearly $4 Per Gallon

CNN: Pump prices are creeping towards $4 a gallon nationally. The national average for regular gasoline hit $3.85 a gallon on Monday, according to AAA. That’s the highest level since October 19 and comes just weeks ahead of Labor Day weekend when millions of Americans will hit the roads. The summer spike in gas prices has eased, with the cost to drivers moving just gradually higher more recently. The national average is up by two cents over the past week. Still, gas prices have climbed by 28 cents over the past month and 32 cents since the Fourth of July as a result of higher oil prices caused by Russia and Saudi Arabia cutting supply and extreme heat sidelining some US refineries (CNN). Proud Elephant: “Gas prices are now hitting an eight-month high, with the national average creeping closer to $4/gallon.” Gas was $2.39/gallon when Biden took office. Who else misses cheap gas and a thriving economy (Twitter)?

Biden Earmarks the $6 Billion Ransom for Iran to be Used for “Humanitarian Purposes” Only

Iran is recognized as the world’s number one leader in state-sponsored terrorism. Wall Street Journal: The Biden Administration seems prepared to hand over $6 billion to Iran’s ruling mullahs in return for five Americans it has taken prisoner to get precisely this kind of ransom. Iran keeps raising the price for its hostage-taking, and the U.S. keeps paying it (Wall Street Journal). Christian Post: White House spokesman John Kirby told CBS News that Iran would only be able to use the funds for humanitarian purposes, such as food and medicine, and that there would be no sanctions relief in this hostage deal (Christian Post). The $6 billion could go toward a more positive thing like rebuilding Maui after the devastating wildfire.

Federal Employees in San Francisco Mandated to Work Remotely Amid Extensive Crime

National Review: Employees at San Francisco’s federal building, which is located at an intersection notorious for open-air drug transactions, were instructed to work from home amid rampant crime in the city. In early August, the Department of Health and Human Services advised hundreds of workers in San Francisco to work remotely until further notice due to crime concerns (National Review). Daily Wire: Outside, one of San Francisco’s worst open-air drug markets rages, with dealers and addicts doing business in broad daylight daily. Addicts often hang out and use drugs on the federal building’s concrete benches, the Chronicle reported. In June, two men were charged with attempting to deal drugs in full view of the federal building’s surveillance cameras, the U.S. Attorney said in a press release. One of the men was in possession of a gun when he was arrested and may have fired a gun at someone near the building months earlier, the U.S. Attorney’s office said (Daily Wire).

Biden Administration Forgives $39 Billion in Student Debt

Insider: Student-loan forgiveness is set to begin for thousands of borrowers. On Monday, student-loan companies are set to begin discharging the debt of 804,000 borrowers who have qualified for $39 billion in debt relief — part of the first batch of borrowers affected by the Education Department’s one-time account adjustment for income-driven repayment plans. The department announced on July 14 that borrowers who had made the required 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments on income-driven repayment plans would be notified of their debt cancellation and that 30 days later, their servicers would begin discharging their loans (Insider). ABC: Administration officials were unable to provide an exact timeline for how many borrowers would receive their relief and when, citing the complicated nature of reviewing each individual loan, but said the process would be complete within weeks. There is also the potential for lawsuits to interrupt the debt discharges, though a recent suit filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) on behalf of the Cato Institute and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, arguing that the Department of Education is going beyond its authority, was recently dismissed by a U.S. district court judge in Michigan. For the time being, though, the Department of Education is moving forward with the plan to discharge debt for borrowers who qualify (ABC).

As White House Defends Biden’s Narrative, Reporters Question if Biden Needs to Stop Insisting Hunter “Did Nothing Wrong”

Fox News: CNN host Jake Tapper questioned President Biden’s judgment amid his repeated claims that son Hunter had “done nothing wrong” in his business dealings. While interviewing Rep. Dan Goldman , D-N.Y., on his Sunday show, Tapper brought up the latest developments in the Hunter Biden probe, with the appointment of federal prosecutor David Weiss to special counsel, before moving on to Biden’s defense of his son during his legal troubles (Fox News). Daily Caller: Jake Tapper: “Does the President need to stop publicly saying that his son did nothing wrong?” Rep. Goldman (D-NY): “President Biden – There’s been no evidence to show that he’s been involved in anything” (Daily Caller). Townhall: REPORTER: “Can you say with certainty that David Weiss isn’t going to unearth any connections between the president and his son’s business dealings?” JEAN-PIERRE: “The president was not in business with his son. That still stands” (Twitter).

New College of Florida Votes to Dismantle Gender Studies Department

Washington Examiner: The board of trustees at the New College of Florida voted to abolish the school’s gender studies department Thursday, marking the latest effort by the conservative trustees to redirect the college’s mission. The board, which was filled with conservative trustees by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) earlier this year, voted 7-3 to eliminate the gender studies department, 27 years after it was first established in 1995 (Washington Examiner). Christopher Rufo: The New College of Florida board of trustees has directed the administration to abolish its Gender Studies program. We are the first public university in America to begin rolling back the encroachment of queer theory and gender pseudoscience into academic life (Twitter).

10.

Hong Kong Court Rules Several Individuals Protested Peacefully in 2019, Scrap

Bloomberg: A Hong Kong court overturned one of two convictions for seven top democracy activists including media mogul Jimmy Lai over an unauthorized protest in 2019, a narrow victory for the city’s beleaguered opposition. The Court of Appeal said in a written ruling Monday there was no evidence the defendants played any role in planning, organizing or issuing any instructions either before or during the march. Judges Andrew Macrae, Maggie Poon, and Anthea Pang let stand an earlier court’s verdict that the seven had participated in the peaceful demonstration at the height of the city’s unrest. Their decision means that four defendants have their sentences from the organizing conviction scrapped. The other three had received suspended terms (Bloomberg). Associated Press: Lai, who suffers from diabetes and was diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2021 while in detention, is treated as a Category A prisoner, a status for inmates who have committed the most serious crimes such as murder (Associated Press).