High security outside a Georgia courthouse indicates Trump’s next indictment could be looming. The deaths of two FBI agents investigating an alleged pedophile ring leads to the rescue of 13 children in Australia. And at least 2 were killed by severe weather in the South.
Here’s what to know today.
In downtown Atlanta, signs that another potential Trump indictment may be near
Something major could soon be happening inside Georgia’s Fulton County Courthouse.
There are a few signs: The road in front of the building has been closed to traffic. Orange barricades and metal barriers line the street. And officers from both the sheriff’s and marshal’s offices have a visible presence.
The added security measures mean that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will soon be presenting her 2020 election interference case to a grand jury. Her office has been conducting a wide-ranging investigation since early 2021 into whether there were any “coordinated attempts to unlawfully alter the outcome of the 2020 elections” by Trump and his allies.
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The timing isn’t completely unexpected. Willis has previously sent the chief judge and law enforcement officials letters indicating that her office could seek indictments in the first half of August. In addition, Willis sent subpoenas to witnesses, telling them to be prepared to testify before the end of the month. Here’s who we know received subpoenas.
More coverage of Trump investigations:
- Judge Tanya Chutkan indicated she plans to hold a hearing on competing proposals by federal prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers regarding what evidence in the special counsel’s 2020 election probe can be disclosed publicly.
- A Trump ally who worked with Rudy Giuliani met with investigators from special counsel Jack Smith’s team in the 2020 election probe.
- A federal judge dismissed Trump’s countersuit against E. Jean Carroll that alleged the writer defamed him by continuing to say publicly that he’d raped her.
At least 2 killed in severe weather in the South
A 15-year-old boy was killed in South Carolina after he was struck by a falling tree, and a 28-year-old man in Alabama was killed by a lightning strike, officials said yesterday. In Maryland, dozens of people were trapped in their vehicles after weather downed power lines. And more than 940,000 homes and businesses were without electricity across the South and East Coast as of last night.
Tornado watches and thunderstorm watches covered a swath of the country yesterday, resulting in damage in some communities and at least 1,000 canceled flights.
Deaths of two FBI agents played role in Australian child abuse sting
Nearly 100 people in the United States and Australia have so far been arrested after the fatal shooting of two FBI agents led to the unraveling of a suspected international pedophile ring, according to Australian Federal Police. Nineteen men in Australia were arrested for allegedly sharing child-abuse material online, the AFP said, while at least 13 children were rescued from further harm as a result of a joint operation with the FBI, dubbed “Operation Bakis.”
The probe began after two FBI agents were fatally shot in 2021 while executing a search warrant in Sunrise, Florida, for a man suspected of being in possession of child abuse material.
Nursing pillows are associated with more than 160 infant deaths, investigation finds
At least 162 babies under a year old have died in incidents involving nursing pillows since 2007, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis from NBC News based on federal data and hundreds of public records.
After years of delays, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is preparing to take the first steps toward rules to make nursing pillows safer, with a proposal expected in the coming weeks. But several leading manufacturers of baby products are pushing back against new regulation.
Grieving parents said they had no idea the popular product could be dangerous. Read the latest report in “Death by Delay,” a series on how consumer products hazards have cost lives.
Witnesses recall Alabama riverfront brawl
Those who saw a brawl unfold at the Montgomery Riverfront over the weekend say it was fueled by alcohol and adrenaline. “They just didn’t think the rules applied to them,” said one person, referring to a group of rowdy boaters who refused to remove their pontoon to make way for the Harriott II riverboat. “Everything just spiraled from there,” another said.
Video of the incident shows a group of what appear to be white men running to the boardwalk, one by one, and attacking a worker, who is Black. People were seen handcuffed after the fight, and officials said yesterday that police are still investigating.
‘Big swath’ of warm water approaches West Coast
A warmer-than-usual “big swath of water” could reach the West Coast “in the next week or so,” according to experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The intense marine heat wave in the Pacific Ocean started growing offshore in May. In recent weeks, changing wind patterns started pushing the warm water to the coast, resulting in sea surface temperatures more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal.
While marine heat waves are not uncommon, scientists track these events closely because there can be far-reaching consequences.
Today’s Talker
Wayne Brady revealed he is…
…pansexual. The “Let’s Make a Deal” host opened up about his sexuality in an interview with People that published this month. Pansexual is defined as “a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions to any person, regardless of gender identity,” according to GLAAD. In the interview, Brady also explained what prompted him to come out.
Politics in Brief
Biden family: Republicans have attacked Joe Biden’s age and his handling of the economy. But their mounting criticisms of his family are not as easy to defend, some Democratic allies worry, because they cut at the bedrock of Biden’s longtime appeal.
Kentuckians heckle McConnell: Mitch McConnell was met with cheers and jeers at Kentucky’s annual “Fancy Farm Picnic,” with some calling on the Senate minority leader to retire.
2024 election: Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy missed his third event in less than a month because of issues relating to his private plane.
Staff Pick: A microscopic worm and an enormous threat
There’s concern among plant experts that a mysterious disease could wipe out one of America’s most iconic trees. A subspecies of microscopic parasitic worm, called nematodes, are to blame. As reporter Rich Schapiro explains, the newly discovered nematode has proven both alarming and fascinating to the researchers studying them. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor
In Case You Missed It
Tonight’s Mega Millions drawing could yield a record-setting jackpot of $1.55 billion, if estimates for the top prize are correct. The odds of winning are 1 in 302,575,350.
The 74-year-old owner of a cheese factory in northern Italy has died after being crushed when thousands of his Grana Padano cheese wheels fellon him.
A woman was in critical condition after a shark attack off Rockaway Beach, one of New York City’s most popular Atlantic coast attractions.
A man who officials say kidnapped and held a woman captive in a makeshift cell in his Oregon garage appeared in an episode of “Judge Judy” with the mother of his two children.
Actress Sandra Bullock’s longtime partner, Bryan Randall, has died at the age of 57 after fighting ALS.
The number of officers employed by the Los Angeles Police Department dropped below 9,000, the fewest cops the city has had in a generation.
A Chicago man was charged with first-degree murder in the death of an 8-year-old girl who was fatally shot while riding a scooter.
A California black bear, nicknamed “Hank the Tank” and responsible for at least 21 home break-ins in South Lake Tahoe since 2022, is headed to a wildlife sanctuary in Colorado.
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