A powerful storm system has caused widespread power outages and flight cancellations across the East Coast and Southeast on Monday. Over 144,000 customers in Georgia are without power, and the National Weather Service has issued tornado watches and warnings. Heavy rains and flash floods are a concern for eastern New York into New England, and officials urge people to take necessary precautions.
News Mash
A federal judge is being asked to consider imposing content-based regulations on former President Donald Trump's political speech. Trump's legal team has argued that the government's proposal is "overbroad" and has asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to adopt a revised order that would only shield "genuinely sensitive materials" from public view. The request has sparked debate among legal experts, with some arguing that it could set a dangerous precedent for the regulation of political speech.
The USWNT's run in the 2019 Women's World Cup ended with a loss to Sweden in a penalty shootout, which has been met with criticism from right-wingers. Megan Rapinoe missed a crucial penalty kick and explained her reaction afterwards. Despite the criticism, the team has been praised for their accomplishments in the tournament, including winning all four of their group stage matches and defeating Spain in the Round of 16.
Legendary director William Friedkin, who won an Oscar for his crime thriller "The French Connection" and shocked audiences with his horror classic "The Exorcist," has died at the age of 87. His wife, Sherry Lansing, and daughter, Juliette, confirmed his death, which was due to heart failure and pneumonia. Friedkin was known for his talent, imagination, and ability to capture the zeitgeist, and his influence on the film industry will be remembered for years to come.
Mike Pence and Asa Hutchinson have both qualified for the first Republican presidential primary debate in August. Seven GOP hopefuls spoke at a Cedar Rapids fundraising barbecue, discussing their vision for the future of the Republican party and their plans to unify the party. Candidates must hit the minimum threshold of 40,000 unique donors and the polling thresholds 48 hours prior to the debate to qualify for the debate.
A federal judge in New York has dismissed former President Donald Trump's countersuit against E. Jean Carroll, who won a $5 million verdict against him for battery and defamation earlier this year. The jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll during an encounter in the mid-1990s, and Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that the jury found Trump had raped her "as the term is understood more broadly." This marks a victory for Carroll, who has been seeking justice for her allegations since 2019, and the case is set to move forward with a hearing scheduled for December.
On Friday, a 4-year-old girl in Michigan was struck and run over by a golf cart after a Labrador retriever stepped on the gas pedal. Fortunately, the girl had no obvious injuries and was back to playing shortly after the incident. The incident has raised questions about the safety of golf carts, and the Westland Fire Department is reviewing the incident to ensure it does not happen again.
Mutinous soldiers in Niger have closed the country's airspace and are checking cars for weapons in anticipation of foreign intervention. The junta has rejected the ECOWAS ultimatum to reinstate the ousted president and is convening on Thursday to discuss the political situation.