Prosecutors reiterate need for gag order against Trump in 2020 election case

Prosecutors asked the judge to restrict Trump’s ability to attack them and potential witnesses ahead of a hearing about the issue

Special counsel prosecutors reiterated Friday to the federal judge overseeing the 2020 election interference prosecution against Donald Trump the need to impose a limited gag order against the former president to curtail his ability to attack them and potentially intimidate trial witnesses.

The sharply worded, 22-page filing, submitted ahead of a hearing scheduled for 16 October in federal district court in Washington, accused Trump of continuing to make prejudicial public statements even after they had first made the request three weeks ago.

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Senate to vote on stopgap bill on Saturday after House Republican measure fails – as it happened

Senate set for 1pm ET vote after McCarthy suffers another blog when lawmakers reject short-term funding bill by 232 to 198 vote

Joe Biden is out with a statement remembering Dianne Feinstein, who he crossed paths with during his time in the Senate:

Senator Dianne Feinstein was a pioneering American. A true trailblazer. And for Jill and me, a cherished friend.

In San Francisco, she showed enormous poise and courage in the wake of tragedy, and became a powerful voice for American values. Serving in the Senate together for more than 15 years, I had a front row seat to what Dianne was able to accomplish. It’s why I recruited her to serve on the Judiciary Committee when I was Chairman – I knew what she was made of, and I wanted her on our team. There’s no better example of her skillful legislating and sheer force of will than when she turned passion into purpose, and led the fight to ban assault weapons. Dianne made her mark on everything from national security to the environment to protecting civil liberties. She’s made history in so many ways, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations.

Often the only woman in the room, Dianne was a role model for so many Americans – a job she took seriously by mentoring countless public servants, many of whom now serve in my Administration. She had an immense impact on younger female leaders for whom she generously opened doors. Dianne was tough, sharp, always prepared, and never pulled a punch, but she was also a kind and loyal friend, and that’s what Jill and I will miss the most.

The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 5525, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2024, and for other purposes. Hours before a Government shutdown, House Republicans are playing partisan games instead of working in a bipartisan manner to fund the Government and address emergency needs.
In a blatant violation of the funding agreement the Speaker and the President reached just a few months ago, the bill endangers the vital programs Americans rely on by making reckless cuts to programs, regardless of the consequences for critical services from education to food safety to law enforcement to housing to public health. It also fails to address key emergency funding needs where lives are at stake, ignoring the Administration’s request for resources to combat the fentanyl crisis and effectively manage the border, support the people of Ukraine as they defend their homeland from Russia’s illegal war, and stand with communities across America as they recover from natural disasters. In addition, H.R. 5525 fails to provide the resources needed to avoid severe disruptions to Government services—risking unnecessary delays for travelers by underfunding the Federal Aviation Administration; loss of access to nutritious food for pregnant and postpartum women and children by underfunding the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and deterioration in service for the over 71 million Americans who rely on the income support Social Security programs provide.

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One of last living witnesses and ex-gang leader indicted in Tupac Shakur murder

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, a former Los Angeles drug dealer, was indicted Friday for one count of murder with a deadly weapon

Las Vegas police have arrested a man for the 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur, a long-awaited break for one of the most infamous unsolved murders in hip-hop history.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who has described himself as one of the last living witnesses of the shooting, was taken into custody early Friday morning after he was indicted by a grand jury for one count of murder with a deadly weapon in affiliation with a criminal gang, Marc DiGiacomo, the Clark county prosecutor, said in court on Friday. The 60-year-old was arrested while on a walk near his home in Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb.

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White House warns of ‘unprecedented’ Serbian troop buildup on Kosovo border

US calls for immediate withdrawal of forces as British troops sent to reinforce Nato peacekeeping force

Serbia has pulled some of its troops back from the Kosovo border after US warnings that it could face punitive measures for what the White House called an “unprecedented” buildup of Serbian troops and armour.

The Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, announced he had ordered troops to be pulled back. In a statement to the Financial Times, he said any military action would be counterproductive, adding “Serbia does not want war”.

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New York mayor dismisses claims he was slow to react as heavy rain causes major flooding – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report on the flooding here:

Governor Kathy Hochul’s office has issued the following steps to residents to remain safe amid the heavy rainfall and flooding:

Develop a household disaster plan and know how to always contact family members. Identify an out-of-town friend or family member to be the “emergency family contact” and make certain all family members have the contact info

Designate an emergency meeting spot - a familiar location where family can meet if the residence cannot be accessed

Know hurricane and storm risks in your community

If you live near coastal areas, learn about your area’s storm surge history and your community’s warning signals and evacuation plans, including safe routes inland and the location of official shelters

Know where to relocate pets during a storm - most shelters will not allow pets

Keep the following supplies on-hand:

Enough non-perishable food and water supplies for 10 days

Battery-operated radios and flashlights and an ample supply of batteries

A first aid with supply of medicines

Important documents: Insurance policies, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc. in a waterproof container

Cash, checkbook, credit cards and ATM cards

An emergency contact list of people and organizations who may need to be called: schools, doctors, providers, and insurance contacts

1,426 large dump trucks

315 large loaders

81 chippers

80 wheeled and tracked excavators

28 traffic tower platforms

15 vacuum trucks with sewer jets

15 tree crew bucket trucks

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New York declares state of emergency amid heavy rainfall and flash flooding

About 8.5 million people under flash flood warnings with 1-2in of rain an hour expected in Brooklyn and Queens

Parts of New York City were swamped with dangerous flash flooding on Friday as intense rainfall continued after pouring all night, and a state of emergency was declared amid warnings from officials that the deluge could turn deadly.

About 8.5 million people were under flash flood warnings in the New York City area, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The city’s concrete and pavement exacerbated flooding, as overwhelmed sewers failed to adequately drain rainwater during the heavy and sustained downpours.

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Robert Kennedy Jr to run for president as independent in 2024 – report

Scion of US political dynasty, who had been challenging Joe Biden for Democratic nomination, expected to announce on Sunday

Robert F Kennedy Jr is reported to be ending his challenge to Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination and run instead as an independent candidate, in a move that could upset the 2024 race for the White House.

Kennedy, 69 and a scion of a famous political dynasty – a son of the former US attorney general and New York senator Robert F Kennedy, and a nephew of the former president John F Kennedy – will announce his run in Pennsylvania on 9 October, according to Mediaite.

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Revealed: far-right Oath Keepers kept up dues payments after Capitol attack

Venmo records show members of rightwing militia paid vice-president for months after group’s January 6 role was exposed

Oath Keepers members paid dues to the rightwing militia’s then vice-president for up to almost a year after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and months after the organization and its founder, Stewart Rhodes, were named in court filings as participants in the assault, according to publicly accessible transaction records on the payment platform Venmo.

Those who made payments to an Oath Keepers leader on Venmo include an engineer whose employer provides satellite technology to US government agencies including the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security, a former Department of Homeland Security employee whose tenure at the agency overlapped with his membership in the group, and a 2022 candidate for the Wyoming state senate.

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First Thing: Biden says Trump 2.0 would threaten democracy

Faced with stagnant approval ratings, president ups ante in his re-election campaign. Plus, the plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world

Good morning.

Joe Biden dramatically raised the ante in the forthcoming US presidential election campaign yesterday with a stark and impassioned warning that American democracy was imperiled by a vengeful Donald Trump, his likely opponent next year.

What did he say about Trump? Referring to Trump by name just once in his half-hour speech, Biden nevertheless set out to contrast democratic norms and traditions with conduct that appeared to characterize his predecessor. He said democracy “means rule of the people, not rule of the monarchy, not rule of money, not rule of the mighty.”

What about the House? The House has teed up votes on four of the dozen annual spending bills that fund various agencies in hopes that would cajole enough Republicans to support a House-crafted continuing resolution that temporarily funds the government and boosts security at the US border with Mexico. It’s a long shot, but McCarthy predicted a deal.

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Tesla trial begins over whether ‘experimental’ autopilot caused driver’s death

Lawsuit claims company knowingly sold defective car that led to Micah Lee’s 2019 death while Tesla blames ‘classic human error’

The lawyer representing victims of a fatal Tesla crash blamed the company’s autopilot driver assistant system, saying that “a car company should never sell consumers experimental vehicles,” in the opening statement of a California trial on Thursday.

The case stems from a civil lawsuit alleging that the autopilot system caused the owner of a Tesla Model 3 car, Micah Lee, to suddenly veer off a highway east of Los Angeles at 65 mph (105 kph), where his car struck a palm tree and burst into flames.

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Biden warns voters a second Trump presidency will threaten democracy

Faced with stagnant approval ratings, president ups ante in what may become a central theme of his re-election campaign

Joe Biden dramatically raised the ante in the forthcoming US presidential election campaign on Thursday with a stark and impassioned warning that American democracy is imperiled by a vengeful Donald Trump, his likely opponent next year.

Faced by stagnant approval ratings and worries about his advanced age, the US president attempted to stir his dormant supporters and animate the undecided by spelling out the dangers he insisted a second Trump presidency would pose to the US’s status as the world’s leading beacon of democratic government.

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California county abuzz after far-right figure appointed for mosquito control

Store owner in Shasta county who has elevated conspiracy theories about mosquitoes and vaccines gets seat on local board

Ever since the far-right movement in California’s Shasta county gained control of local government, they have sought to throw out voting machines in favor of hand counting and pledged to defend the second amendment using all “lawful means”.

This week they focused their efforts on a new target: mosquitoes.

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Trump will not try to move Georgia election fraud case to federal court

He may stand trial as soon as 23 October in case alleging he conspired to reverse 2020 presidential election loss in state

Donald Trump will not seek to move a criminal case alleging he conspired to reverse his 2020 presidential election loss in Georgia from state to federal court, his lawyers said on Thursday.

Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and 18 others are charged with pressuring Georgia election officials to overturn his 2020 loss in the state to the current president, Joe Biden, a Democrat.

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Peruvian man arrested for making more than 150 bomb threats to US schools

Suspect, arrested in Peru, allegedly threatened schools after failing to ‘sextort’ nude photos from schoolchildren

A Peruvian man was arrested in Peru for sending more than 150 fake bomb threats to US schools, airports and a synagogue.

Eddie Manuel Núñez Santos, 33, was arrested by Peruvian officials on Tuesday in Lima, according to a press release from the justice department.

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AOC accuses Republicans of fabricating Biden impeachment evidence – live

Ocasio-Cortez also noted the witnesses were under oath, while the lawmakers on the panel could say what they want – including lies

The House oversight committee is about to hold its first hearing in the impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden, the latest step in a months-long effort investigating the president and his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings that has yet to produce substantial evidence of wrongdoing.

Today’s hearing, titled The Basis for an Impeachment Inquiry of President Joseph R Biden Jr, comes two weeks after House speaker Kevin McCarthy launched the inquiry in response to demands from hard-right members of the House Republican conference.

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Authorities rescue nearly 100 goldendoodles from Iowa puppy mill

The dogs at Paris Puppies Paradise, who were underweight and living in their own feces, were housed with a rescue organization

Iowa authorities rescued nearly 100 dogs from a puppy mill over the weekend, many of whom were living in their own excrement.

On Friday, a deputy from the Boone county sheriff’s office was conducting a welfare check on a missing woman and came across what appeared to be a puppy mill, the sheriff’s office said in a press release.

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Youth climate activists protest potential shutdown in Kevin McCarthy’s office

Members of Sunrise Movement say House Speaker is ‘playing political games with our futures’ and must avert shutdown

Scores of young activists with the youth-led climate organization Sunrise Movement are protesting in the office of the House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, on Thursday morning, demanding he avert a complete government shutdown.

“As storms rage stronger, fires grow hotter, and heatwaves grow more deadly, Kevin McCarthy is playing political games with our futures,” said Adah Crandall, a 17-year-old Sunrise Movement organizer, in an emailed statement.

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Declared dead but very much alive: Missouri woman tells of ‘nightmare’ ordeal

Madeline-Michelle Carthen was added to a death master file by SSA ‘in error’ but to this day she cannot revive herself

Madeline-Michelle Carthen was declared dead in the summer of 2007. The only problem? She was still very much alive.

Carthen, 52, learned she died while studying at university. A business technology student at Webster University, Carthen was accepted into an international internship program. But when she applied for financial aid to assist with expenses, the financial aid office told her that her social security number was associated with a deceased person and that she would have to withdraw immediately.

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Suspect arrested after manhunt over killing of young Baltimore tech chief

Jason Billingsley charged with first-degree murder after Pava LaPere, 26, found dead in apartment complex on Monday

A suspect has been arrested over the murder of a Baltimore tech chief executive, following a citywide manhunt.

Jason Billingsley, 32, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder on Wednesday by Baltimore police over the killing of 26-year-old Pava LaPere. Billingsley was reportedly apprehended at a Maryland train station, ending a day-long manhunt for the suspect.

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Election denier Kari Lake of Arizona to announce run for US Senate seat

Failed far-right gubernatorial candidate is also a possible pick for Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election

The far-right Trump supporter Kari Lake still refuses to accept her defeat in the 2022 race for Arizona governor but will nonetheless run for US Senate next year.

“We need to get a senator in there who is going to fight back and put America first,” the Republican told the Wall Street Journal.

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