Monday, April 10, 2023

4/10 WAKE-UP CALL: Tenn. Struggles with Racial Tensions

Nashville officials are poised to vote Monday to reinstate one of the two Black Democratic lawmakers expelled by Republican colleagues for their gun control protest on the Tennessee House floor after a deadly school shooting — essentially, sending him back after a long weekend. Nashville’s metro council has called the meeting to address the vacancy left by the expulsion on Thursday of former Rep. Justin Jones. Many councilmembers have publicly commented that they want to send Jones back to the statehouse. The vote will happen as state lawmakers hold their first floor sessions since last week’s expulsion votes. Expelled Memphis Rep. Justin Pearson, meanwhile, could be reappointed at a Wednesday meeting of the Shelby County Commission. Special elections for the seats, which have not yet been set, will take place in the coming months. Jones and Pearson have said they want to be reappointed and plan to run in a special election.

➤DOJ PROBES INTEL LEAK: The Justice Department is investigating the leak of secret documents from the Pentagon on the war effort in Ukraine that show sensitive data on military activities, including U.S. drone spy planes in the region and use of ammunition by Ukrainian forces.  The Justice Department, at the Pentagon's request, has launched an investigation of the leak and who is responsible for the intelligence breach. It's unclear, officials said Saturday, if more documents could be released or the motivation for leaking them.  “The Department of Defense is actively reviewing the matter, and has made a formal referral to the Department of Justice for investigation," Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon's deputy press secretary, said in a statement.  The leaks, first reported by The New York Times, include documents released on social media sites, including Twitter.


Detailed information on Ukrainian weaponry: One document appears to have come from the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is dated March 1, and is labeled secret and not for distribution to foreign governments. It details U.S. forces in the region on the ground, air and at sea. The document also includes how many artillery shells Ukrainian forces have fired, including rocket-assisted missiles that have been used to devastating effect on Russian command posts and supply depots.   The Times also reported Saturday that more documents had been released that show the U.S. spying on allies.

➤WSJ JOURNALIST FORMALLY CHARGED: Russia has formally charged Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich with spying, Russian state media reported, citing people familiar with the case.  The reported charges by Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, come more than a week after the US citizen was detained during a reporting trip to Ekaterinburg in Russia’s Ural Mountains region. Gershkovich has denied the changes, Tass reported.   Gershkovich, 31, was brought to Moscow and is being detained in the city’s Lefortovo Prison. It wasn’t clear until now whether the New Jersey native had been formally charged, although various Russian officials have referred to “charges” against him.   The Wall Street Journal issued a statement Saturday saying the charges against Gershkovich are false


➤RUSSIAN FORCES STEP-UP STRIKES: Russia's forces kept up a barrage of attacks along the front concentrated in two Ukrainian cities in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine's military reported, as Kyiv said it repelled more than 40 enemy strikes over the past 24 hours. Fighting was heaviest along the western approaches to Bakhmut, the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said on Sunday, one of the two cities in the east, along with Avdiivka, that Russia's military has been targeting. Russian forces have been besieging Bakhmut for months in the longest battle in more than a year of war. In a nightly weekend video address, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced Russian air strikes coinciding with the observance of Orthodox Palm Sunday, saying Moscow was further isolating itself from the world.



➤U-S SHOWS SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN:  A US Navy destroyer passed through waters claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea in a show of force that comes as the nation’s military holds drills around Taiwan. The USS Milius guided missile destroyer conducted “freedom of navigation” operations Monday in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, the US Seventh Fleet said in a statement. The ship sailed within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of Mischief Reef, where China has its largest outpost on artificial islands in the South China Sea and the closest to Philippine territory. “These operations demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows — regardless of the location of excessive maritime claims and regardless of current events,” it said. The move risks stoking tensions with China, which has denounced similar operations as an infringement of its sovereignty and security. 

➤SO MUCH FOR A TIK TOK BAN,  THE SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT IS PART OF BIDEN'S RE-ELECTION EFFORT: Joe Biden is planning to recruit an army of TikTok influencers to win over Gen Z voters during his 2024 reelection run. The president's digital strategy team is connecting with social media celebrities and offering them their own briefing room in the White House, Axios reports. Among those recruited is Henry Sisson, a 20-year-old NYU student who runs a TikTok page with more than 600,000 followers. He offers commentary on US politics and regularly promotes the power of Gen Z to boost support for the Democrats.



➤THIRD THUG ARRESTED IN FLA. KILLINGS: The third suspect wanted in the grisly slaying of three Florida teenagers was nabbed by US marshals following a massive manhunt, law enforcement authorities said Sunday. Tahj Brewton (center), 16, was arrested after he was picked up on a slew of outstanding warrants and could face more charges in the killing spree that left Layla Silvernail and Camille Quarles, both 16, and an unidentified 17-year-old boy dead late last month, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office announced. “Brewton was arrested on his outstanding warrants for cracking with a firearm, aggravated assault, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing or attempt to elude a law enforcement officer and tampering with an electronic monitoring device,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. Police said the initial charges were unrelated to the slayings.

“At this time the homicide investigation is ongoing and additional charges are forthcoming,” the statement said. Two other teens — 12-year-old Christopher Atkins and Robert Robinson, 17 — were both charged in the slayings last week. Cops offered a $10,000 reward for Brewton, who remained on the run until he was picked up by the feds on Saturday, authorities said. Authorities said the three alleged killers were believed to be part of a burglary gang with their victims. “There’s no honor among thieves,” Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said at a press briefing on Friday. “At some point, these three individuals turned on our three victims and murdered them.”

➤TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT VOWS TO PARDON ARMY SERGEANT CONVICTED OF KILLING BLM PROTESTER: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott promised Saturday to pardon a US Army sergeant a day after he was convicted of shooting a protester to death during a Black Lives Matter rally.
The Republican said Sgt. Daniel Perry, 35, was acting in his own defense when he repeatedly fired his handgun on 28-year-old Garrett Foster as he marched in the July 25, 2020 Austin demonstration. The governor blamed the Friday conviction on the county’s George Soros-backed Democrat District Attorney José Garza and promised to reign in “rogue District Attorneys.”

➤L.A. SCHOOL DISTRICT WORKERS APPROVE LABOR DEAL AFTER STRIKE: Los Angeles Unified School District workers have approved a labor deal following a three-day strike over wages and staffing that halted education for students in one of the nation’s largest school systems. The agreement, which was voted on this week, would increase wages by 30% for workers who are paid an average of $25,000 a year. It also includes a $1,000 bonus for employees who worked during the Covid-19 pandemic and expanded family health care benefits.

➤GAINES BLASTS SFSU OVER 'PEACEFUL' PROTEST:  Swimmer Riley Gaines blasted San Francisco State University for praising a “peaceful” protest where she alleges she was attacked by trans-activists after urging that transgender athletes be kept out of women’s sports. Gaines, 23, threatened legal action against the school for its alleged failure to help her after droves of trans-rights protesters pushed back at Gaines’ controversial Thursday speech. Video of the chaos shows dozens of protesters berating the former NCAA swimmer and 12-time All-American champ following the speech. Gaines claims she was punched twice by a transgender woman and was forced to barricade for hours in a classroom. Following the mayhem, Jamillah Moore, vice president for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management, emailed students thanking them for taking part in the event.

➤BESIDES LAYOFFS, McDONALD ALSO CUTTING PAY:  McDonald’s Corp. reduced some employees’ compensation and titles as part of the restructuring this week that cost hundreds of workers their jobs, according to a person familiar with the situation. The Chicago-based fast-food giant offered some employees the opportunity to remain on the payroll with changes to their compensation packages, including items such as bonuses and equity awards, said the person, who asked not to be named discussing private information. McDonald’s closed its offices for a few days earlier this week to have career conversations with all corporate employees, including those being let go.

🏌TIGER WOODS WITHDRAWS FROM MASTERS DUE TO FOOT INJURY BEFORE PLAY RESUMES: Tiger Woods, who looked to be in serious pain during a rain-filled Saturday at the Masters, withdrew from the tournament because of a foot injury before play resumed Sunday morning at Augusta National Golf Club. In a statement posted to his Twitter account Sunday, Woods said he aggravated a previous plantar fasciitis injury in his right foot, the same injury that caused the five-time Masters champion to withdraw from the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event he hosts in the Bahamas, in February.

🏀LOS ANGELES LAKERS SIGN TRISTAN THOMPSON, SHAQUILLE HARRISON: The Lakers signed two players, including LeBron James' former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Tristan Thompson, on the final day of the regular season to add depth for the playoffs. Thompson last played in 2021-22 for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 23 games. He was a vital cog for the Cavaliers' four straight trips to the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018.

⚾ANGELS' AFFILIATE ALLOWS NO HITS, LOSES 7-5 ON 5 WALKS, 4 HBPS: Three pitchers combined on a seven-inning, no-hitter for The Los Angeles Angels' Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas only to lose 7-5 to the Cincinnati Reds' Chattanooga Lookouts in Saturday's opener after wildness caused a seven-run top of the seventh. Rocket City pitchers walked five, hit four batters and threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the seventh inning and were hurt by a dropped fly ball with the bases loaded on what would have been the final out.

⚾RAYS IMPROVE TO 8-0, EXTENDING MLB'S BEST START IN 20 YEARS: The Tampa Bay Rays extended Major League Baseball's best start in 20 years behind Jeffrey Springs' seven innings of three-hit ball and Randy Arozarena's four RBIs, routing the Oakland Athletics 11-0 on Saturday for an 8-0 record. Tampa Bay is the first big league team to open 8-0 since the 2003 Kansas City Royals won their first nine games. The Rays have outscored opponents 64-18 and are the first team to win its first eight games by four or more runs since the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association did it in their first 13.

⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Cincinnati Reds 6 Philadelphia Phillies 4
  • Boston Red Sox 4 Detroit Tigers 1
  • Tampa Bay Rays 9 Oakland Athletics 0
  • New York Yankees 5 Baltimore Orioles 3
  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1 Chicago White Sox 0
  • Miami Marlins 7 New York Mets 2
  • Cleveland Guardians 7 Seattle Mariners 6
  • Houston Astros 5 Minnesota Twins 1
  • Milwaukee Brewers 6 St. Louis Cardinals 1
  • Texas Rangers 8 Chicago Cubs 2
  • Colorado Rockies 7 Washington Nationals 6
  • San Francisco Giants 3 Kansas City Royals 1
  • Toronto Blue Jays 12 Los Angeles Angels 11
  • Arizona Diamondbacks 11 Los Angeles Dodgers 6
  • San Diego Padres 10 Atlanta Braves 2
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