www.cnn.com
Nearly two months ago, CNN reached out to Melania Trump’s book publisher to request an interview with the former first lady ahead of her upcoming memoir. After several exchanges about a possible interview, **the publisher sent an unusual demand last week: an interview would cost $250,000.** In an email to CNN, Skyhorse Publishing sent a document labeled, “Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement” that laid out strict terms for an interview and use of material from the book, titled “Melania,” due to publish on October 8. On top of that, the agreement stipulated that “CNN shall pay a licensing fee of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).” CNN did not sign the agreement. Days later, after a separate CNN journalist asked Skyhorse Publishing about the exorbitant interview fee, the publisher said it had sent the payment demand by mistake.
www.cnn.com
Police in a majority-Black Mississippi city **discriminate against Black people, use excessive force and retaliate against critics**, the Justice Department said Thursday in a scathing report detailing findings of an investigation into civil rights abuses. The Lexington Police Department “has created a system where officers can relentlessly violate the law” in one of the poorest counties in America, according to the Justice Department. Investigators found **police also sexually harassed women and kept people behind bars for minor offenses because they couldn’t afford to pay fines**. “Today’s findings show that the Lexington Police Department abandoned its sacred position of trust in the community by routinely violating the constitutional rights of those it was sworn to protect,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said.
www.lgbtqnation.com
**_All districts are now required to promote abstinence, exclude consent, and remove any pictures of reproductive organs._** The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) has ordered local school districts to submit their sex education plans to the state for approval. The FLDOE has also said the classes must promote abstinence and cannot include discussion of contraception or pictures of reproductive health organs. The sex-ed takeover removes local discretion when it comes to district sex education classes and materials.
www.politico.eu
**_“The most important red line has been crossed already. And that was when the Russians entered Ukraine,” Mette Frederiksen says._** Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called Monday for Ukraine’s allies to greenlight the use of donated weapons for long-range strikes against Russia. “My suggestion is, let us end the discussion about red lines,” Frederiksen [told Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-23/ukraine-use-of-weapons-in-russia-should-be-loosened-denmark-pm-frederiksen-says) in an interview that aired Monday. Ukraine’s benefactors had made a “mistake” by engaging in handwringing over Kyiv hitting targets inside Russia, she added, as doing so had given Moscow “too good a card in their hands.” Arms-donating countries, particularly the U.S., have set restrictions on Ukraine’s use of their weapons in long-range strikes, due to fears of being dragged further into a conflict with Russia.
www.cnn.com
The US Commerce Department on Monday will propose a ban on the sale or import of smart vehicles that use specific Chinese or Russian technology because of national security concerns, according to US officials. A US government investigation that [began in February](https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/politics/biden-administration-investigation-smart-cars-china/index.html) found a range of national security risks from embedded software and hardware from China and Russia in US vehicles, including the possibility of remote sabotage by hacking and the collection of personal data on drivers, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo told reporters Sunday in a conference call. “In extreme situations, a foreign adversary could shut down or take control of all their vehicles operating in the United States, all at the same time, causing crashes (or) blocking roads,” she said.
www.cnn.com
The Trump campaign continued to push false claims about [Haitian immigrants](https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/19/us/springfield-ohio-haitians-immigration-cec/index.html) in Springfield, Ohio, **even after a top city leader told a campaign staffer for its vice presidential nominee ahead of this month’s presidential debate the rumors were “baseless,”** the city’s mayor said, confirming a [Wall Street Journal report](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/springfield-ohio-pet-eating-claims-haitian-migrants-04598d48). A staffer of vice presidential candidate JD Vance called Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck on September 9 and asked if there was any truth in rumors that Haitian immigrants were taking and eating pets in Springfield, Heck told the Journal. “He asked point-blank, ‘Are the rumors true of pets being taken and eaten?’” Heck told the outlet. “I told him no. There was no verifiable evidence or reports to show this was true. I told them these claims were baseless.” --- 🗳️ **Register to vote:** https://vote.gov/
www.cnn.com
The Securities and Exchange Commission intends to seek sanctions against Elon Musk over his failure to appear for testimony in an investigation related to his takeover of Twitter, now called X, the regulator said in a court filing Friday. Earlier this year, a [federal judge ordered](https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/04/investing/elon-musk-twitter-shares-stake/index.html) Musk to testify as part of the SEC’s probe of the billionaire’s $44 billion acquisition. The agency is examining whether Musk followed the law when disclosing his purchases of Twitter stock and whether his statements in relation to the deal were misleading.
www.politico.eu
Russia is “fully ready” for a conflict with NATO in the Arctic, the country's foreign minister warned. "We see NATO stepping up drills related to possible crises in the Arctic," Sergey Lavrov [said](https://tass.com/politics/1845497), according to Russian state media, in comments for a documentary series that were first reported Friday. “Our country is fully ready to defend its interests militarily, politically and from the standpoint of defense technologies," he added. His comments mark the latest round of saber-rattling by the Kremlin, which has [repeatedly](https://www.politico.eu/article/vladimir-putin-attacking-nato-complete-nonsense/)... [threatened](https://www.politico.eu/article/vladimir-putin-new-speech-ukraine-war-transnistria-nato/) ... [to](https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-threatens-retaliation-if-us-deploys-long-range-missiles-in-germany/) ... [unleash](https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-threaten-arm-west-enemy-with-long-range-missile/) ... [nuclear](https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-warns-finland-will-suffer-in-latest-saber-rattling/) ... [war](https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-dmitry-medvedev-ukraine-kyiv-war-giant-melted-spot-threat/) on NATO and its allies in recent years. **The Arctic is the northernmost point on Earth and includes territory belonging to eight nations: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Canada, the United States, Iceland and Russia. All except Russia are NATO members.**
www.cnn.com
The [strike at Boeing](https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/13/business/strike-boeing-vote-iam-751-hnk-intl/index.html) by 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists union, which reaches its seventh day today, has already cost the company and workers $572 million, according to an estimate from Anderson Economic Group. And the pace of losses will climb rapidly if there’s no settlement, as soon as the second week of the strike, said Patrick Anderson, the founder and president of the Michigan research firm, which has experience estimating the cost of economic disruptions like strikes.
www.cnn.com
Microsoft said Tuesday that Russian operatives have in recent weeks intensified their online attacks on [Vice President Kamala Harris'](https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/05/europe/vladimir-putin-kamala-harris-endorsement-intl/index.html) campaign by producing and disseminating videos promoting "outlandish conspiracy theories" aimed at stoking US racial and political divisions. One of the inauthentic videos, which Microsoft said had been viewed millions of times, claimed to show Harris supporters attacking an attendee of a Donald Trump rally. Another video falsely claimed that Harris paralyzed a young girl in a 2011 hit-and-run accident. Russian operatives promoted the latter story through a website pretending to be a local San Francisco media outlet, Microsoft researchers said. Both videos were still accessible on X as of Tuesday afternoon, with one post of the video garnering 1.5 million views on its own. CNN has requested comment from the social media platform. --- 🗳️ **Register to vote:** https://vote.gov/
Seven more public sites in Sydney, including a school, sports hub and supermarket, were exposed to asbestos, authorities said on Monday, as the contamination of the toxic material widened and officials rushed to remove it from public spaces. Traces of bonded asbestos in mulch have been found in 41 spots scattered across Australia's most populous city since early January when it was found in a playground. In response, the New South Wales state government has set up an asbestos task force to give more resources and support to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), in one of the agency's largest probes in decades. Authorities have so far cordoned off areas in parks, some in popular tourist spots, and closed two schools. Contaminated spots in other sites have been blocked from the public.
apnews.com
Morale and trust within the Walt Disney World government has deteriorated since allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took it over earlier this year, according to many employees who have departed in recent months saying the governing district has been politicized and cronyism now permeates the organization. More than 40 out of about 370 employees have left the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District since it was taken over in February, raising concerns that decades of institutional knowledge is departing with them, along with a reputation for a well-run government. “When I first joined the District, I found an organization that strived to be the very best at serving our community, sought the very best employees and valued those employees above all else,” a former facilities manager with three years of experience said in an employee exit survey last week. “I find myself leaving a completely different District. A District that prioritizes politics above all else and will gladly sacrifice its employees, its community and its work if there’s an opportunity to score political points.”
apnews.com
The Archdiocese of Baltimore will end religious services at one of the city’s Catholic churches after its longtime pastor was recently suspended from ministry because he admitted to making a payment several years ago to settle sexual harassment allegations. Last month, Father Paschal Morlino was dismissed from his position at St. Benedict Church in southwest Baltimore, where he served for nearly 40 years and became known for his efforts to help residents of poor neighborhoods surrounding the church. Few details about the 2018 complaint against Morlino have been released. Church officials have said they regarded “alleged sexual harassment of an adult man.” The complainant died in 2020 and a lawyer representing him in the case has declined to comment citing a non-disclosure agreement.
www.cnn.com
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding its infectious disease surveillance program at four major US airports to more than 30 pathogens, including flu, RSV and other respiratory viruses. The Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program, led by CDC’s Travelers’ Health Branch, was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to detect new SARS-CoV-2 variants and other pathogens through nasal swab and wastewater sample collection from arriving international travelers at US airports. “We have known that travelers are a very important population to consider for tracking new and emerging infections,” Dr. Cindy Friedman, who leads the CDC’s traveler genomic surveillance program and is the chief of the agency’s Travelers’ Health Branch, told CNN.
www.reuters.com
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti on Wednesday urged citizens in the Caribbean country to leave "as soon as possible" citing security and infrastructure challenges, as escalating violence has left thousands displaced and sent homicides soaring. "U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible via commercial or private transport," the embassy said in a statement, urging extreme caution. An escalating gang turf war in Haiti has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis that has displaced around 200,000 nationwide and left some 5.2 million people - nearly half of Haiti's population – in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.
The Biden administration announced Wednesday it will spend $95 million to help strengthen Hawaii’s electrical grid in the wake of deadly wildfires that swept through parts of Maui earlier this month. The fast-moving fires were the deadliest in modern U.S. history, killing more than 100 people on the island, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying the historic town of Lahaina. On Wednesday afternoon, President Biden addressed both the government’s long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts on the island, as well as the administration’s ongoing response to Hurricane Idalia, a major storm that made landfall in Florida on Wednesday morning. “I don’t think anybody can deny the impact of a climate crisis anymore,” Biden said. “Just look around. Historic floods ... more intense droughts, extreme heat, significant wildfires have caused significant damage like we’ve never seen before.”
www.cnn.com
A federal judge has determined that Rudy Giuliani has lost a defamation lawsuit from two Georgia election workers against him after he failed to provide information sought in subpoenas. The decision could lead to significant penalties for the former Donald Trump attorney. In court in recent weeks, Giuliani said he could no longer contest that he made false and defamatory statements about Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss – who are only one group of plaintiffs suing him for defamation related to his work for Trump after the 2020 election.
www.nbcnews.com
An inmate at a Tennessee jail gave birth alone in a cell after seeking medical help, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said. The inmate and the infant were hospitalized after the birth Sunday and were in stable condition, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Tuesday. A review by the sheriff found that an inmate housed in a medical pod notified a deputy of a medical concern at 11:31 a.m., the statement said. The deputy contacted medical staff and a licensed practical nurse assessed the inmate and left to consult with additional medical staff. A registered nurse then arrived and conducted a follow up assessment, the sheriff said. “After the follow-up assessment, the medical staff left the cell but continued to assess the situation and order additional medical tests. Deputies continued to check on the inmate during this time,” the statement said. A deputy responded again to the inmate’s cell at 12:41 p.m. and found she had given birth while in her cell, the statement said. The deputy helped the inmate while medical staff and emergency medical services were alerted. After being treated at the jail, both mother and infant were taken to the hospital. No further information was immediately released.
abcnews.go.com
The judge overseeing Peter Navarro's contempt of Congress case ruled in a pre-trial hearing Wednesday that the former Trump adviser "has not met his burden" to show a formal assertion of executive privilege by former president Donald Trump. Navarro will stand trial on criminal contempt of Congress next week for defying subpoenas issued to him by the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a lengthy ruling, Judge Amit Mehta said that Navarro did not provide evidence that Trump asserted executive privilege specific to the Jan 6. committee's subpoena.
www.reuters.com
A Massachusetts judge on Wednesday dismissed a criminal case charging former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick with molesting a 16-year-old boy in 1974, saying the 93-year-old was not competent to stand trial after psychological experts found he had dementia. McCarrick, a former archbishop of Washington, D.C., who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019, became the only current or former U.S. Catholic cardinal to ever face child sex abuse charges when prosecutors in Massachusetts first charged him in 2021. He was charged in April in a separate, ongoing criminal sexual assault case in Wisconsin involving the same alleged victim, who prosecutors said was fondled by McCarrick when he was 18 years old while staying as a guest at a cabin in 1977.
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Attorney John Eastman and co-defendant Scott Hall, two of the 18 co-defendants charged in the Georgia election interference case alongside former President Donald Trump, have been booked at the Fulton County Jail, according to the Fulton County Inmate Record Database.
Eastman is charged with nine counts, including two counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree. The indictment names him as among those allegedly involved in a scheme to solicit public officers to unlawfully appoint Georgia presidential electors.
"He is going to trial, there will be no plea deal," Eastman's attorney told ABC News.
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Hall faces seven criminal charges linked to his alleged role in the Coffee County election equipment breach, including conspiracy to commit election fraud, conspiracy to defraud the state and violation of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
He was reportedly one of the individuals welcomed into the election office on the day of the breach by Cathy Latham, a retired teacher who served as the chairwoman of the Coffee County Republican Party.
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Attorney John Eastman and co-defendant Scott Hall, two of the 18 co-defendants charged in the Georgia election interference case alongside former President Donald Trump, have been booked at the Fulton County Jail, according to the Fulton County Inmate Record Database.
Eastman is charged with nine counts, including two counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree. The indictment names him as among those allegedly involved in a scheme to **solicit public officers to unlawfully appoint Georgia presidential electors. ** "He is going to trial, there will be no plea deal," Eastman's attorney told ABC News.
Hall, a Georgia bail bondsman, is charged with seven counts, including two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud. He is among those accused of conspiring to commit election fraud in Coffee County.
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What do you mean the Canadian government tolerates it? Sterilization is illegal and prosecutable under Canadian criminal law, and the article cites the recent Senate report condemning the practice.
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lemm.eeHi. My main is MicroWave on lemmy.world.