Thursday, April 13, 2023

4/13 WAKE-UP CALL: Security Concerns Plague Biden Admin


Biden security information found on street in Northern Ireland: A resident of Northern Ireland made a surprising discovery after police lost a pretty important document. Ahead of President Biden's speech there Wednesday, police in Belfast lost a document that detailed sensitive security information related to Biden's visit, which a resident later picked up on the street, a U.S. law enforcement official said. The document contained names of Belfast police and postings but nothing related to the Secret Service's operations or its security plans. The security breach came as the terrorism threat in Northern Ireland was considered "severe" for Biden's visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

➤LEAKED DOCS PAINT BLEAK PICTURE: Despite US officials’ public words of confidence about Ukraine’s military capabilities, recently leaked Pentagon documents paint a bleaker picture of the state of the war as Kyiv’s troops prepare a renewed spring offensive. “I’m confident that we will meet Ukraine’s defense needs through this spring and beyond,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday as he welcomed Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to the Pentagon. “And as the president has repeatedly made clear, we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.” 

But as Austin pledged to continue “swiftly deliver[ing] security assistance through procurements and from our own stocks,” a document posted on Telegram late Tuesday suggests Russia has figured out how to disable one of the most critical capabilities American weapons have to offer: precision. The document says Russian forces have begun “jamming” GPS signals that direct precision-guided munitions to their targets, effectively turning expensive, highly accurate weapons into unguided “dumb bombs.” The document is undated but references strikes on Feb. 15 and 21.

➤WAPO REPORTS LEAKER IS NOW KNOWN: The culprit behind the leak of a trove of classified US intelligence documents is reportedly a man who works on a “military base” that shared the sensitive material with a close-knit group of online pals on the chat platform Discord. The bombshell development was revealed in a Wednesday Washington Post report that partially relied on interviews with a teenager in the Discord group who claims to be friends with the leaker, who goes only by “OG.”

➤BEHEADING INVESTIGATED AS WAR CRIME: Outrage grows over video that appears to show beheading of Ukrainian soldier. A macabre video circulating widely on social media that appears to depict the decapitation of a Ukrainian soldier and prompted a war crimes investigation. The video shows a man in green fatigues and wearing a yellow armband common among Ukraine fighters being decapitated with a knife. A war crime investigation has begun, said Vasyl Maliuk, chief of Ukraine's Security Service. "We will find these monsters," he said. "They will definitely be punished for what they have done." President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged to neither forgive the killers nor forget the crimes. 

➤SHOOTER'S MOM MADE FRANTIC CALL TO POLICE: Louisville shooter Connor Sturgeon's mother made a frantic phone call to 911, telling the operator that her son 'currently has a gun and is heading toward' the bank where he killed five people. Bank employee Connor Sturgeon, 25, used an AR-15 assault-style rifle in the attack Monday at Old National Bank, where he killed five coworkers while livestreaming before police fatally shot him. Eight others were injured, including a police officer who was shot in the head and remains hospitalized in critical condition. On Wednesday, police released several frantic 911 calls from witnesses reporting a mass shooting at a Louisville bank - including from a woman who was on a virtual meeting and saw the shooter, as well as one from the man's mother.

💸U-S INFLATION EASES: U.S. inflation eased in March to its lowest level in nearly two years. The consumer-price index, which measures what Americans pay for goods and services, rose 5% last month from a year earlier, down from February’s 6% increase, the Labor Department said. Consumers saw lower prices last month for groceries, gasoline, medical care and utilities and high prices for shelter, airline fares and insurance. According to minutes from last month’s Fed meeting, officials concluded that, given the strength of price pressures and demand for labor, more interest-rate increases might be necessary to bring down inflation. Fed staff also forecast a 'mild' recession to start later this year due to fallout from banking system turmoil.

➤PRINCE HARRY TO ATTEND CORONATION WITHOUT MEGHAN MARKLE: On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace released a statement announcing that Prince Harry will be attending King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation in May. The statement also declared that Meghan Markle will not be in attendance. "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” the statement reads. According to People, May 6th is also Prince Archie’s fourth birthday. Markle will be staying in California to celebrate with Prince Archie and 22-month-old Princess Lilibet.

➤BIDEN UNVEILS NEW EMMISSION GUIDELINES: The U.S. proposed strict new limits on tailpipe emissions to speed the transition to electric vehicles. The EPA’s new standards for passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks will apply to the 2027 to 2032 model years, with the goal of jump-starting EV sales and phasing out the era of internal combustion engines. The pace of adoption depends on factors including consumer preferences, supply-chain issues and a still-evolving network of public charging stations, according to auto-industry trade-group officials. Republicans said many consumers can’t afford the higher price of EVs. The EPA’s proposal is expected to be completed in spring 2024.

➤OUSTED LEGISLATORS RETURN TO TENNESSEE STATEHOUSE: The two legislators ousted from their seats by Tennessee House of Representatives are back in the Statehouse in Nashville. Justin Pearson was promptly and unanimously appointed by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners as an interim representative. Representative Justin Jones was already back, having been reinstated on Monday by the Nashville Metropolitan Council. The Republican-dominated House ousted both legislators after they advocated for gun control on the House floor.

➤DIANE FEINSTEIN HAS BEEN MIA: Senator Diane Feinstein, 89, has asked to be temporarily replace on a key committee.  She made the request in a statement Wednesday, roughly two hours after Rep. Ro Khanna, also of California, and Rep. Dean Phillips took to social media to demand she step down due to an ongoing, two-month medical absence. The consecutive calls for the elderly stateswoman's resignation - both from fellow Democrats - underscored rising concern over her prolonged leave, which has held up her party's ability to confirm federal judges. Supposedly stricken with shingles, Feinstein on Wednesday said she has asked Senate Leader Chuck Schumer 'to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve' on the judiciary panel 'until I'm able to resume my committee work.' The state senator, however, did not provide a timeline for the unapproved arrangement, only saying that she will head back to Capitol when her medical team says it is safe for her to travel.


➤TOXIC SMOKE RISES FROM INDIANA RECYCLING PLANT FIRE: A raging fire is shooting toxic black smoke from a recycling plant in Richmond, Indiana, forcing about 2,000 of the city’s residents to evacuate. The fire started Tuesday and spread through vast piles of plastics stored at the plant. The smoke contains a variety of chemicals that plastics give off when they’re on fire, Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones told CNN. Tests are being conducted by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

MUSIC ARTIST FOUND DEAD: A music rep who has worked with big names in the industry including Justin Bieber, Drake and Post Malone has revealed that a woman, 34, found dead in the bathtub of his ocean-view suite in Miami Beach was a budding musician he was hoping to sign. David Bolno, 46, left his luxury, close to $2,600 a night suite, in the residential towers of the Setai Hotel March 30 - in the early hours of the morning - hotel surveillance recording him leave just after 4.30am. Laura Lozano (left), a 34-year-old musician, according to Bolno, did not leave with him. She was instead discovered by hotel staff close to nine hours later, lying face up, unresponsive in the bathroom of the one-bedroom unit, where police say they found an 'unknown substances' in various areas of the property.

👼IT'S A GIRL! The last time a girl was born into the Clark family of Western Michigan was in 1885. Audrey Marie Clark has made headlines in publications worldwide since her birth on St. Patrick’s Day. Why? Because Audrey is the first girl born to the Clark family in more than 130 years, breaking a streak — which appears to be a statistical anomaly — according to her family, which apparently has been keeping track. Carolyn and Andrew Clark with their son, Cameron, and daughter, Audrey Marie. Audrey is the first girl born into Clark's family in roughly 100 years. "We had no idea the news was going to blow up the way it has," Carolyn Clark, Audrey's 36-year-old mom, told the Detroit Free Press. "This past week has been a whirlwind with all the press and people contacting us for interviews." Clark of Caledonia, a small village near Grand Rapids, said the media blitz started out as a "feel-good story" with the local TV station, but it snowballed into a segment on ABC, "Good Morning America" and then into reports on radio shows, websites, and newspapers worldwide.

🍺BUD LIGHT POCKETBOOK IS GETTING HIT: Unveiled on April 2, the brand's alliance with 26-year-old Dylan Mulvaney has since incited outrage and calls for a boycott - and now appears to be hitting Anheuser-Busch where it matters most: in the wallet. In the days leading up to the announcement, shares for the Belgium-based brewer had been trading around $66 - a high not seen since before the pandemic. As the market closed Wednesday, the beer giant's stock was trading at roughly $63, a more than 5 percent decrease in Anheuser-Busch's total share value - a concept more commonly known as 'market capitalization.' Currently at $125.73billion, the company's market capitalization six days ago stood at $132.38 billion, as brass continue to stand by their deal with Mulvaney - an outspoken activist who has more than 10million followers on social media.


⚾TOUGH DAY AT THE BALLPARK: Minnesota Twins shortstop Kyle Farmer took a 91 mile-per-hour fastball from Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito right in the jaw in the fourth inning of the Twins game against the White Sox on Wednesday. Farmer needs surgery to realign his teeth and fix a major laceration of the lower jaw but amazingly does not seem to have suffered a fracture. And, Twins designated hitter Byron Buxton had to leave the game after an infield collision with White Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa in the seventh inning. In the end, the Twins defeated the White Sox 3-1. 
  • There’s a lot of this going around. Umpire Larry Vanover was hospitalized yesterday after getting hit in the head with a throw during the game between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians.


⚾RANGERS’ SEAGER OUT FOR A MONTH: Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager will miss at least four weeks after straining a hamstring running the bases in Tuesday night’s game against Kansas City. On the other hand, the Rangers got center fielder Leody Taveras back from the injured list. He was nursing a strain incurred early in spring training.


⚾IAN HAPP STAYS WITH THE CUBS: Outfielder Ian Happ just agreed to a three-year extension with the Chicago Cubs. His new contract is reportedly worth $61 million. He might have entered the free agent pool but, Happ said, “It would be weird to wear another jersey.” He has been with the Cubs since entering the pros in 2017.

🌭DOLLAR DOG NIGHT GETS WILD IN PHILLY:  If you didn't know about the Philadelphia Phillies "Dollar Dog Night" at Citizens Bank Park, chances are you do now. The fan-favorite game day took a viral turn Tuesday night in Section 112. "It started in our section with them having a hot dog eating contest," said Robert Kristovich. "This kid was eating a bunch of hot dogs, he had 13 and people were trying to get him, people were like, 'eat another one, eat another one.' So they started throwing hot dogs to him. The guard came over and started yelling, and then it just went nuts."


☔RAIN INUNDATES PARTS OF SOUTH FLORIDA: Fort Lauderdale and nearby towns in South Florida were flooded last night after a rainfall of about 10 to 14 inches, with more expected. The National Weather Service warned residents to move to higher ground.

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