Insulin cap for Medicare patients signals hope for others
The recent passage of legislation that would limit the cost of insulin for Medicare patients has renewed hope for those pushing for Congress to do more. The provision, a longstanding priority for Democrats, is estimated to bring relief to nearly 2 million people across the country with diabetes. But due to Republican opposition, a provision that would have included patients on private insurance was stripped out moments before the bill’s passage in early August. Now advocates and lawmakers say a bipartisan proposal would expand coverage to millions more patients in need of the life-saving drug.
Georgia governor, seeking distance from Trump inquiry, fights a subpoena
Lawyers for Gov. Brian Kemp, one of the Georgia Republican officials who declined to help Donald Trump overturn his 2020 election loss in the state, showed up in an Atlanta courtroom to argue that the governor should not have to help with the ongoing criminal investigation into election meddling by testifying before a special grand jury. Kemp’s legal team wants any testimony to take place after the polls close on his reelection bid in November. Fani T. Willis, the local prosecutor leading the inquiry, moved Thursday to compel testimony from a number of additional Trump advisers, including Mark Meadows, his former chief of staff.
Alex Jones accused of hiding assets from Sandy Hook families
Sandy Hook victims’ families asked a federal bankruptcy court Thursday to order Infowars conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones to relinquish control over his company, saying he has “systematically transferred millions of dollars” to himself and his relatives while claiming to be broke. The families of nine Sandy Hook victims said they sought to have a bankruptcy trustee who is already monitoring the case take control of Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Jones’ misinformation-peddling media outlet. The families are also seeking a court-appointed oversight committee to restrict Jones’ ability to control Infowars’ finances. Jones is seeking to avoid paying for the damage done by his Sandy Hook lies.
Florida pair plead guilty in theft of Biden’s daughter’s diary
Federal prosecutors Thursday presented new evidence implicating the conservative group Project Veritas in the theft of a diary and items belonging to Ashley Biden, President Joe Biden’s daughter. The court papers were filed in connection with the guilty pleas Thursday of two Florida residents who admitted in federal court in the New York City borough of Manhattan that they had stolen the diary and sold it to Project Veritas. Citing a text message between the defendants who pleaded guilty — Aimee Harris and Robert Kurlander — prosecutors provided new insights into how Project Veritas tried to authenticate the diary and what the group had planned to do with it.
Pentagon unveils changes to better protect civilians during US combat operations
The Pentagon on Thursday announced sweeping changes aimed at reducing risks to civilians in U.S. military operations by fostering a culture in which those in the field view preventing such harm as a core part of their missions. A 36-page action plan directs broad changes at every level of military planning, doctrine, training and policy. It includes emerging war-fighting tactics such as attacks on satellites and computer systems. The directive contains 11 major objectives. They are aimed at helping commanders better understand the presence of noncombatants before any operations begin, and they require operators to consider potential consequences for civilians in any combat action.
Putin orders a sharp expansion of Russia’s hard-hit armed forces
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered a sharp increase in the size of Russia’s armed forces, a reversal of years of efforts by the Kremlin to slim down a bloated military and the latest sign he is bracing for a long war in Ukraine, where Russia has suffered heavy losses. The decree, stamped by the president’s office and posted on the Kremlin website, raised the target number of active-duty service members by about 137,000, to 1.15 million, as of January 2023. It was the first time in five years that Putin had issued an order changing the overall head count of the Russian armed forces.
UN report on rights abuses in Xinjiang may be delayed again
The United Nations top human rights official, Michelle Bachelet, has signaled she might not release a report about allegations of abuses in China’s region of Xinjiang before leaving office next week, as she had promised. The delay of that report has already exposed her to fierce criticism from human rights groups. Four years after academics, activists and independent U.N. experts first sounded the alarm over reports that China had arbitrarily detained more than 1 million Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim groups in Xinjiang, human rights groups have looked to the U.N. to provide an independent assessment that could help hold Beijing accountable.
Japan police chief to resign over Abe shooting death
Japan’s national police chief says he will resign to take responsibility over the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe last month. National Police Agency Chief Itaru Nakamura’s announcement comes as his agency released a report on how it failed to save Abe’s life July 8 when he was assassinated at a campaign speech in Nara in western Japan. The report found that holes in police protection allowed the attacker to reach Abe from behind. The alleged gunman, Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested at the spot and is being held for mental evaluation until late November.
By wire sources
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