Mitch McConnell’s airport fall and Sinéad O’Connor dies at 56: Morning Rundown
Sinead #Sinead
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to federal tax charges after his hearing took a surprise turn. Sources reveal Mitch McConnell fell at an airport weeks before his news conference freeze-up. And singer Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age of 56.
Here’s what to know today.
A surprise development at Hunter Biden’s hearing
Lawyers for Hunter Biden must reconvene with prosecutors to hammer out the terms of a plea agreement unraveled in Delaware.
President Joe Biden’s son was expected to plead guilty to federal tax charges yesterday, but in a last-minute development, the judge raised new questions. The hearing was expected to take a little over an hour, but it instead lasted well over three and ended with Biden pleading not guilty.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika appeared almost upset at times that she believed she was being asked to act as a “rubber stamp” for the deal. She pressed both sides about the terms of the agreement and expressed concern about how two separate deals — one regarding unpaid taxes in 2017 and 2018, and the other about a gun possession charge — intersected.
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One concern in particular: The deal would have Noreika act as an arbiter if Biden violated his plea agreement over a 24-month period. Noreika said the judiciary would normally not oversee such an agreement and that it was the responsibility of the executive branch to bring charges.
Noreika also worried that the plea agreement could shield Biden against further prosecution over his financial and tax issues.
Finally, the judge asked Biden, “Without me saying I’ll agree to the plea agreement, how do you plead?”
“Not guilty, your honor,” Biden responded.
Read the full story here.
Trump team prepares for possible grand jury vote
A federal grand jury could vote on charges against former President Donald Trump as early as today, according to three sources familiar with the thinking of his inner circle.
Special counsel Jack Smith has been investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump said earlier this month that he was notified that he is the target of the investigation, but whether he will be indicted — and, if he is, on what counts — remains unknown.
A recent fall preceded McConnell’s freeze-up
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell triggered concern yesterday when he suddenly stopped speaking during a weekly Republican leadership news conference. While talking about a defense policy bill, he froze and went silent for 19 seconds, and then was escorted away from cameras and reporters. A few minutes later McConnell resumed the news conference and insisted that he was fine.
Yesterday’s episode wasn’t the only one this month. On July 14, McConnell tripped and fell while disembarking from a plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, two sources familiar with the incident said. The previously unreported fall follows another fall in March that resulted in a concussion and a cracked rib.
The most memorable moments from Congress’ UFO hearing
A House Oversight subcommittee held a hearing on UFOs — officially known as unidentified aerial phenomena or UAPs — and heard mystifying testimony about unexplained object sightings and government possession of “nonhuman” biological matter.
Lawmakers on the committee, baffled by some of the testimony, repeatedly noted that UAP sightings are an issue of bipartisan concern and raise national security questions. Separately, some accused the federal government of endeavoring to conceal key UFO-related information from the public, though they did not provide evidence to support those allegations.
Ohio officer who handled K9 that mauled Black man is fired
The Circleville Police officer who released the police dog that mauled Jadarrius Rose during a stop has been fired, officials said yesterday. Ryan Speakman “did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers,” a statement from the department said. However, a union that represents Ohio police officers argues that Speakman was terminated without just cause.
Rose, who is Black, was driving a semi-tractor trailer in July 4 when the Ohio State Highway Patrol tried to stop him. He eventually stopped and got out of his vehicle. Rose had his hands raised when a trooper is heard telling another officer to not release the dog, but the dog rushes toward Rose moments later.
Sinéad O’Connor dies at 56
Sinéad O’Connor, the Irish singer who courted controversy throughout her long career and rose to fame with her rendition of the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U,” has died, her family said in a statement yesterday. A cause of death was not given. O’Connor’s lengthy career included 10 studio albums and an infamous performance on “Saturday Night Live” in October 1992, during which she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II and said, “Fight the real enemy.” Take a look back on her life and career.
Today’s Talker
‘Barbie’ is becoming a new litmus test for…
… dating men. “It’s like the new question on a first date or your dating profile: ‘What are your thoughts on the Barbie movie?’” one woman said. If your partner doesn’t really want to talk about the movie or reacts to it defensively, it might be a red flag, some argued. One woman even broke up with her boyfriend over his reaction to the film.
Politics in Brief
Jan. 6 riot: A would-be social media influencer who stormed the Capitol when he was 18 years old and sat in the vice president’s seat in the Senate gallery was sentenced to a year and a day in prison.
Immigration: The Justice Department is asking for the immediate removal of a floating barrier that Texas placed in the Rio Grande to deter migrants from crossing into the U.S.
2024 election: Bernie Sanders announced his endorsement in a Rhode Island special congressional election that could serve as an early bellwether of sentiment inside the Democratic Party’s base.
Drug supply chain: A bipartisan group of senators will introduce a bill today that seeks to increase stockpiles of medicine through increased drug manufacturing in the U.S. and other countries.
Staff Pick: How an anti-trans movie got made
The online documentary “What Is a Woman?” hit social media last month like a bombshell, spurring debate about transgender rights, prompting harassment of trans people and racking up 187 million views on Twitter.
I wanted to know more about the filmmakers (well-known right-wing provocateurs) and how they made the documentary, so I started interviewing people who appeared in the film, including the targets of creator Matt Walsh’s mockery. They had surprising things to say about the filmmakers’ methods. — David Ingram, tech reporter
In Case You Missed It
An Arizona teen who went missing nearly four years ago showed up at a police station in Montana, officials said this week, adding that the now-18-year-old is “by all accounts happy.”
The three Marines who were found dead in a vehicle at a North Carolina gas station died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Kevin Spacey was found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men, capping a high-profile case that saw the actor and all of his accusers testifying.
Days after announcing Twitter’s new name, Elon Musk took the @X account from a longtime Twitter user but offered him little in return.
A crane collapse in midtown Manhattan left 12 people injured. Video showed part of the crane hit a building across the street and then swing back to hit another building as passersby sprinted away.
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
The ‘90s are having a resurgence, from cargo pants to scrunchies — and now, Rollerblades. People are using them to exercise, to get from place to place or to just have some fun. Our Select team spoke to skating experts, who recommended the best inline skates and offered a few tips for staying safe.
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