The British Museum has announced the dismissal of a staff member for suspicion of stealing and damaging artifacts from the collection. An independent review of security has been ordered, and a program to recover the missing items is underway. The museum is also working with the police to investigate the incident and ensure the safety of the artifacts.
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Abigail Jo Shry of Texas was arrested last week and charged with sending a threatening and racist voicemail to the federal judge assigned to the Justice Department's election interference case against former President Donald Trump. The voicemail included threats to kill the judge, who is Black, as well as other Democratic leaders. Shry faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of making a threat against a federal judge. The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
The Republican-led General Assembly in North Carolina has passed a bill that bars medical professionals from providing hormone therapy, puberty-blocking drugs and surgical gender-transition procedures to minors, with limited exceptions. The bill has been met with strong opposition from LGBTQ+ advocates, while supporters argue it is necessary to protect children from making irreversible decisions. The bill’s passage marks a major victory for social conservatives in North Carolina and sets a precedent for other states.
Mackenzie Shirilla, 19, was found guilty of 12 charges, including four counts of murder, stemming from a high-speed car crash in Cuyahoga County, Ohio in July 2022. During the four-day bench trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Shirilla had been using drugs prior to the crash and had been in possession of criminal tools. Shirilla is currently being held in the Cuyahoga County Jail and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 14, with potential life in prison if convicted.
At Adele's "Weekends with Adele" residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the singer surprised an audience member couple by revealing the gender of their baby. Chris Dare and Shantelle Lord had smuggled a sign into the venue, and Adele opened an envelope to announce that they were having a baby boy. The audience erupted in applause and the couple was overwhelmed by Adele's kind gesture.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FDA failed to address safety concerns when it made the abortion pill mifepristone easier to obtain in 2016. The ruling is a win for abortion opponents, who argued that the FDA’s alterations to the drug’s disbursement regime in 2016 qualified as “reopening” the question of its initial approval. The court said that mifepristone should remain available under the rules that were in place from 2000 to 2016, which will likely have a significant impact on the availability of the drug.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has proposed a March 2024 trial date for the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his co-defendants. The 19 defendants are accused of operating a "criminal enterprise" while pursuing their efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Willis has given Trump and his co-defendants until August 25 to turn themselves in for booking. The proposed trial date of March 2024 would mean the trial would start just before the Georgia presidential primary, and the case will be closely watched by many.
Key takeaways: Donald Trump and his allies may soon face trial in Georgia for alleged crimes related to the 2020 election. Trump’s lawyers are expected…