President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to implement reforms passed by Congress that will significantly strengthen how the military handles sexual assault cases. The order transfers the decision to prosecute certain major crimes, including sexual assault, out of the chain of command and assigns them to independent military attorneys. It also requires the military to provide training to all personnel on the new system and to review and update policies and procedures to ensure that victims are treated with dignity and respect. This order is a major step forward in the effort to ensure justice for victims of sexual assault in the military and to hold perpetrators accountable.
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A third person has been charged in the federal case involving classified material taken from the White House to former President Donald Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker, is accused of helping Trump's aide Walt Nauta move boxes of classified documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago, and then lying to federal investigators about it. The charges against De Oliveira, Trump, and Nauta could have serious implications, and former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance believes that De Oliveira's charges could be the “final nail in the coffin” for Donald Trump if he flips.
Former President Donald Trump has been charged with three new felonies related to his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House, including two counts of ordering the deletion of a computer server and one count of willfully retaining documents. The Justice Department has opposed Trump's request to view and discuss documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence, and has filed a motion for a protective order to allow Trump and his attorneys to view and discuss documents only in a secure facility. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and the case is expected to move forward in the coming weeks.
Former President Donald Trump has been hit with an additional charge of willful retention of national defense information as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. The indictment has swelled from 38 to 42 counts, including the new charge related to the Iran war plan document allegedly flaunted at Bedminster. Trump has denied the charges and called it "prosecutorial misconduct" while ordering the White House to release all documents related to the case.
U.S. Park Police have arrested Benjamin Robertson, 33, of Washington, D.C. in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash near the National Mall earlier this month. The driver of a Honda Accord fled from Secret Service officers and ran a red light, striking and killing a 75-year-old Philadelphia man who was in a crosswalk. Robertson has been charged with second-degree murder and the investigation is ongoing.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) has criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his state's new standards on how Black history is taught in middle school, which include instruction on how "slaves developed skills." Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) was compared to Vice President Kamala Harris for his criticism of the curriculum. Scott, the Senate's only Black Republican and presidential candidate, said that there is "no silver lining" in slavery and suggested Donalds should not "swing for the liberal media fences like Vice President Harris." The standards have been widely condemned by civil rights groups.
Former Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks has revealed that former President Donald Trump asked him to help overturn the 2020 presidential election. The Justice Department's investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the election is ongoing, and Brooks has yet to be contacted by special counsel Jack Smith. If contacted, Brooks has said he would meet with prosecutors to discuss his accusations, which could have a significant impact on the outcome of the investigation.
Emails obtained by Judicial Watch reveal that President Joe Biden's dog Commander bit multiple Secret Service officers on multiple occasions between October 2022 and January 2023. The emails document 10 incidents, including one where an officer had to go to the hospital, and suggest that the Secret Service had been dealing with the dog’s aggressive behavior for several months. The White House has not yet commented on the emails, and it is unclear what, if any, disciplinary action has been taken against Commander.