Latest Hurricane Idalia and Ray Smith plead not guilty in Georgia: Morning Rundown
Idalia intensifies into a hurricane as Florida prepares for a potentially life-threatening storm surge. A defendant in the Georgia election interference case files a plea and waives his charges. And how a Marine veteran and mother of three won $40 million in a $377 million settlement.
You should know that today.
Tropical Storm Idalia targets Florida
Idalia intensified early Tuesday morning into a hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 km/h. The system is expected to “rapidly intensify” and could become a strong Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in Florida on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Hurricane warnings and warnings are in effect for parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, with evacuation orders in place for some areas.
Idalia is threatening “life-threatening storm surges” along parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, with flash flooding and urban flooding also likely, the NHC said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has activated members of the National Guard and President Joe Biden has also authorized a declaration of emergency, FEMA said.
Follow our live blog for the latest information. And follow Idalia’s path with our storm tracker.
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Fatal shooting at UNC-Chapel Hill
Classes at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are canceled today and the campus mourns a “tragic” start to the new school year after a shooting killed a faculty member. The shooting yesterday afternoon resulted in the campus being locked down for about two hours while police searched for and arrested a suspect. As of last night, neither the faculty member nor the suspect had been named. Here’s what else we know until now.
First not-guilty plea in Georgia election process
Attorney Ray Smith was the first defendant to plead not guilty in the case of electoral interference in Georgia. Smith, who represented former President Donald Trump in Georgia cases related to the 2020 election, faces 12 counts.
Hours before Smith’s pleading, a Fulton County Superior Court judge announced that Trump and the 17 remaining co-defendants in the case should be brought to justice next Wednesday in Fulton County, beginning with the former President at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.
Meanwhile, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows took the witness stand for five hours in his attempt to take the case to federal court. As then White House chief of staff, Meadows testified that his actions in 2020 were related to his responsibilities as a federal official. US District Judge Steve C. Jones has yet to render a verdict.
What we know about the victims of the Jacksonville shooting
Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr. was a 19-year-old freshman high school graduate who took a job at a Dollar General store to “have some loose change in his pocket,” his father told NBC News. But his life was cut short when a gunman opened fire at the Jacksonville store where he worked over the weekend. “I shouldn’t have to bury my son,” said Anolt Laguerre Sr. “He’s too young for that.”
The two other victims of the shooting included 56-year-old Angela Michelle Carr, who was dropping off an Uber passenger at the store when the incident happened, and 29-year-old Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion. Carr’s daughter sobbed as she recalled her mother as a “hardworking” and dedicated woman. And Gallion’s loved ones called him “the best dad ever” to his daughter. Read more about the victims the shooting.
More on the Jacksonville shooting:
- The Black Community’s Anger at Ron DeSantis was felt at a vigil over the weekend, and the Florida governor’s policies, from formation to redistribution, came under renewed scrutiny.
- News of the Jacksonville shooting reached residents of Buffalo, New York say their community is still shaken of the racist shooting in a supermarket that killed ten people.
- A concerned group of students at Edward Waters University, a historically black university, made campus official Lt. Antonio Bailey alerted him to a suspicious person on campus. This man was later identified as gunman Ryan Palmer. Bailey’s confrontation with Palmer prevented students from becoming potential victims. but he insists, “I’m not a hero.”
- Palmer wore a Rhodesian Army patch on his tactical vest. a symbol of white supremacy law enforcement sources said.
Today’s Talker: An anthropology professor accused of claiming false Cherokee ancestry…
… has resigned from her post at the University of California Riverside — but she can still claim to be a Cherokee if asked. That is in line with the terms of Professor Andrea Smith’s contract with the school, which also states she can continue teaching until next August and keep her pension rights. among other things. The agreement comes after Smith’s legacy was repeatedly questioned for years beginning in 2008.
politics in brief
Election 2024: After his sensational performance in the first Republican presidential debate, Vivek Ramaswamy faces a challenge This has bothered previous presidential candidates.
Negotiation date set: US District Judge Tanya Chutkan Set a hearing date for March 4, 2024 in the case of Donald Trump’s election interference in federal court. The schedule could have a major impact on the 2024 White House race.
Funding period: With Congress facing a Sept. 30 funding deadline, Republicans are looking at ways to include provisions in the legislation that would impede federal and state proceedings against Donald Trump. A shutdown alone will not stop the criminal proceedings.
“Joe the Plumber”: Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, whose question to then-presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008 put him in the national spotlight, has died at the age of 49.
Personnel Selection: Given $40 million for “doing the right thing.”
When Marine veteran Sarah Feinberg worked at Booz Allen Hamilton, a prestigious company with numerous government contracts, she was tasked with figuring out how to better track and analyze financial data. There she is made a discovery that would change her life. Our investigative team spoke to Feinberg about the challenges she faced trying to find someone to listen to her.
This story is a reminder that sometimes standing up for what you believe in can pay off. — Elizabeth Robinson, Newsletter Editor
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