A former British Army soldier facing terrorism charges has escaped from a London prison, prompting a massive manhunt. Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, was reported missing from Wandsworth prison and is believed to have crawled under a delivery van wearing chef's garb. He is accused of planting fake bombs at a military base and violating the Official Secrets Act. Police are conducting checks at airports and have appealed to the public for help, but no information has been released on Khalife's whereabouts.
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A 2013 bribery and fraud case against defense contractor Leonard Francis and dozens of military officials has been dealt a major setback after a U.S. District Judge vacated the felony convictions of four former Navy officers due to prosecutorial misconduct. The judge noted that the misconduct had “tainted the entire prosecution” and that the men had been denied their right to a fair trial. The government has recovered more than $35 million in fines and restitution, but it remains to be seen how they will proceed in light of the latest development.
Daniil Medvedev won the men's singles final at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, the hottest day of the tournament. He expressed concern about the extreme heat, saying “The only thing that is a little bit, let’s call it dangerous, is that the question is: How far could we go?” Medvedev's victory marks the first time a Russian man has won the U.S. Open since Marat Safin in 2000 and he will face Dominic Thiem in the semifinals on Friday.
President Joe Biden has refused to approve certain conditions sought by defense lawyers in a possible plea bargain for the five defendants accused of planning and aiding the 9/11 attacks, complicating negotiations and raising questions about the success of the agreement. The terms under discussion would have spared the defendants from solitary confinement and provided care for the trauma of their torture in CIA custody. The plea agreement would allow the defendants to plead guilty to the charges against them in exchange for a reduced sentence.
On August 31st, Shawndre Delmore was found unresponsive in the Fulton County Jail and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he passed away on September 3rd. The Atlanta Police Department and the Fulton County Sheriff's Office have launched an investigation into the incident, and the county medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The jail is already under investigation for potential civil rights violations.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has challenged House Republicans to impeach President Joe Biden, suggesting that the push is meant to deflect from former President Donald Trump's legal troubles. Fetterman warned that any attempt to impeach Biden would backfire in next year's elections and diminish the meaning of impeachment. He concluded by reiterating his challenge to House Republicans: “Go ahead, do it. I dare you.”
Former top aide Jeff Mateer testified in the historic impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, providing insight into why Paxton was using his power in ways that are now at the center of the trial. Mateer believes an extramarital affair Paxton had with a donor’s employee was “relevant” to the accusations, and that it helped connect the dots about why Paxton was using his power in the ways he was. If convicted, Paxton will be removed as attorney general and could be barred from running for office again. The Texas Senate is expected to make a decision on the articles of impeachment in the coming days.
The Biden administration has taken a major step in protecting the environment by canceling all remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and protecting an additional 13 million acres in the nearby National Petroleum Reserve from drilling and other development. This decision comes in response to the increasing global warming that is causing extreme weather disasters around the world, and is in line with Biden's campaign promise to “reverse the Trump administration’s assaults” on the environment. The Interior Department said that the 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve will be protected from drilling and other development, helping to ensure that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and its 19.6 million acres of habitat remain safe and protected.