Tennessee House Poised to Expel 3 Democrats Over Gun Control Protest
As teenagers and demonstrators flooded the Tennessee state legislature last week to call for lawmakers to toughen access to guns after a deadly shooting at a Christian school, three Democrats headed to the well of the House chamber. Holding a sign calling to “protect kids, not guns” and speaking through a megaphone, state Reps. Justin Jones, Justin J. Pearson and Gloria Johnson called on their colleagues to pass stricter gun laws, forcing the legislative proceedings to a temporary halt. Now, Republicans are poised to vote Thursday to oust the three Democrats from the General Assembly and carry out the first partisan expulsion in the state’s modern history.
EPA to Tighten Limits on Mercury and Other Pollutants From Power Plants
The Biden administration said Wednesday that it would require coal- and oil-fired power plants to reduce emissions of several hazardous air pollutants, including mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause developmental problems in infants and children. The proposed rule from the Environmental Protection Agency has two broad policy aims: reduce dangerous toxins in the environment while encouraging the transition away from coal-burning power plants. The EPA will accept public comments on the proposed rule for 60 days and will hold a public hearing before a final rule would take effect, most likely next year. Many Republican lawmakers are expected to oppose the rule.
Haley Raises More Than $11 Million to Start 2024 Campaign
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, raised more than $11 million in the first six weeks of her presidential run, her campaign said Wednesday, a sizable sum that easily eclipses what former President Donald Trump was able to raise during the same period after announcing his candidacy. Haley received 70,000 donations, from all 50 states, the vast majority of which were under $200, her campaign said. Early polling has shown Haley trailing significantly behind Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who has not yet formally entered the race.
Baltimore Catholic Clergy Abused Hundreds of Children and Teens, Attorney General Says
Clergy members across the Archdiocese of Baltimore abused hundreds of children and teenagers over the course of six decades, abetted by a church hierarchy that systematically failed to investigate and restrict their access to children, according to a report from the Maryland attorney general released Wednesday. The report documents what it describes as “pervasive and persistent abuse” by clergy members and others in the archdiocese, as well as dismissals and cover-ups by the church hierarchy. State officials have said that they do not expect to file criminal charges as a result of the abuse detailed in the report.
Pence Won’t Appeal Ruling Forcing Testimony to Jan. 6 Grand Jury, Aide Says
Former Vice President Mike Pence will not appeal a federal judge’s ruling forcing him to testify in front of a grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump’s efforts to thwart the transfer of power after the 2020 election, an aide said Wednesday. It is unclear whether lawyers for Trump, who lost a parallel effort to limit Pence’s testimony, will appeal the judge’s ruling. Should Pence end up testifying, it would mark a turning point in a monthslong behind-the-scenes battle waged by Trump and several witnesses close to him to block the disclosure of details about plans to overturn the election.
Heroin Dealer Who Sold Michael K. Williams a Fatal Dose Pleads Guilty
A heroin dealer who sold a fatal dose to Michael K. Williams, the actor who shot to fame with his portrayal of a fearsome drug world figure in the series “The Wire,” pleaded guilty to a narcotics conspiracy charge Wednesday in Manhattan federal court. Irvin Cartagena was accused of running a trafficking operation that sold fentanyl-laced heroin from a Brooklyn apartment with three co-defendants. He was arrested in Puerto Rico early last year and originally charged with narcotics conspiracy resulting in death. Police were already investigating the ring when Williams bought the drugs from Cartagena on Sept. 5, 2021. Williams was found dead in his apartment the following day.
Russia Accused of Spreading Disinformation at U.N. Event
Days after Russia took the helm of the U.N. Security Council’s rotating presidency, a coalition of more than 50 countries on Wednesday called Moscow’s first event a disinformation showcase and an abuse of its role at the world body. Russia hosted an informal Council meeting on the fate of thousands of Ukrainian children forcefully deported to Russia. Maria Lvova-Belova, head of a Russian child protection agency who is charged with a war crime by the International Criminal Court of Justice, appeared via video before the Council to defend Russia’s actions. When she spoke, representatives of several Western countries, including Britain and the United States, walked out of the chamber.
Zelenskyy Gets Hero’s Welcome in Poland, Cementing Ukraine’s Ties
Feted as a hero who is saving Europe from Russia’s maw, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, on his first official visit to Poland, on Wednesday cemented a new axis of shared interests and military power that is pushing Europe’s center of geopolitical gravity eastward. Zelenskyy won strong backing from Polish leaders for his country’s rapid entry into NATO — still a remote prospect given the wariness of Western European members — and signed a deal paving the way for the joint production of arms and ammunition.
Macron, in China, Says He’ll Urge Xi to Work for Peace in Ukraine
President Emmanuel Macron of France, speaking at the start of a three-day visit to China, said Wednesday that Beijing could play a “major role” in bringing peace to Ukraine and made clear that he would urge the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, to get deeply involved in this effort. His aim over meetings Thursday and Friday with Xi was to “relaunch a strategic and global partnership with China” and so engage the country in a “shared responsibility for peace and international stability,” Macron said.
Israeli Police Raid Jerusalem Mosque; Brief Flare-Up Follows
The Israeli police raided the most sensitive holy site in Jerusalem before dawn on Wednesday after Palestinians barricaded themselves inside a mosque there, setting off a brief exchange of rocket fire from Gaza and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes. The violence at al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, led to the injuries of at least 37 Palestinians and two Israeli officers and the arrests of hundreds of Palestinians. The situation nevertheless remained volatile. On Wednesday night, armed police swept through the compound again, forcing out scores of worshippers there.
Italian Ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Is Hospitalized
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was admitted to intensive care at a hospital in Milan on Wednesday and is expected to remain for a few days, hospital officials said. The hospital, San Raffaele, declined to give further details, but Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters in Brussels that Berlusconi, 86, had been admitted because a “problem related to a previous infection had not been resolved.” Berlusconi has battled a series of health problems in recent years, including COVID in September 2020, which he described as an “infernal disease” and “very ugly.”
Nicola Sturgeon’s Husband Questioned in Inquiry Over Party Finances
Just weeks after Nicola Sturgeon resigned as Scotland’s first minister, her husband Peter Murrell was arrested, and later released, on Wednesday as part of a police investigation into the finances of the Scottish National Party, where he served until recently as chief executive. Around 11 hours later, the police said that the detained man, identified in the media as Murrell, had been “released without charge pending further investigation,” adding that officers had carried out searches at a number of addresses as part of the inquiry.
By wire sources
