Congressman George Santos of New York has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, signaling his intention to run for reelection in 2024 despite facing ethics and criminal inquiries since his election. He has reportedly told advisers that he hopes to run again and tweeted, “I’m not leaving, I’m not hiding and I’m not backing down.” The filing of the statement of candidacy allows him to raise money for a potential campaign, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to secure the support of voters in his district and overcome the allegations against him.
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The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Customers and employees of both banks will have full access to their deposits, including insured and uninsured deposits, and the FDIC is working to ensure that they have access to their money. The outcome of the investigation is still unclear, but customers and employees can rest assured that their deposits are safe.
A 13-year-old girl reported missing in Dallas, Texas was found safe in an outbuilding in North Carolina after being enticed away from home by an adult man she met on a social media platform. The man, 34-year-old Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho, was arrested on child abduction, felonious restraint, statutory rape and other charges. The girl was found unharmed and has since been reunited with her family. The Davidson County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the incident and encourages parents to be aware of their children's online activity.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Rite Aid Corp, accusing the pharmacy chain of illegally filling hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids, without recognizing "red flags". Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General, said that Rite Aid's pharmacists filled prescriptions with obvious red flags and intentionally deleted notes about suspicious prescribers. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department is using every tool to confront the opioid epidemic. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and other relief to ensure Rite Aid complies with all applicable laws and regulations in the future.
Meanwhile, Republicans and conservative influencers have argued that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank was due to its focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, but the 2018 repeal of stricter regulations on regional banks and the Federal Reserve's decision to hike interest rates are seen as more likely causes.
President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday to increase background checks and promote better firearms storage. The order will direct Attorney General Merrick Garland to clarify the statutory definition of who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms. The order is part of a larger effort by the Biden administration to reduce gun violence in the United States, including a ban on so-called “ghost guns” and a requirement for buyers to undergo background checks for all firearms purchases.
On Sunday, a man was hospitalized after being attacked and bitten by a zebra at a home in Circleville, Ohio. The deputy on the scene used his air horn and sirens to scare the animal away and apply a tourniquet to the man's arm, but the zebra continued to act aggressively and was eventually shot and killed. The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, and the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate.
At least seven of the eight people killed in a maritime migrant smuggling operation off the San Diego coast were Mexican migrants, according to Mexican officials. A Spanish-speaking woman called 911 to report that 15 people were on a boat that overturned, and the Mexican consulate in San Diego has said it is working with local authorities to investigate the cause of the accident. Outrage has been sparked in the Mexican community over the tragedy.