Senate report details Jan. 6 intelligence and law enforcement failures
Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday released a scathing report that detailed how the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies repeatedly ignored, downplayed or failed to share warnings of violence before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The report, titled “Planned in Plain Sight,” became the most comprehensive picture to date of a cascading set of security and intelligence failures that culminated in the deadly assault on the Capitol. The report found evidence of multiple calls for armed violence and some of the clearest threats the FBI received but did little about — including a warning that the far-right group the Proud Boys was planning to kill people in Washington.
U.S. pedestrian deaths are at highest level in 41 years, report says
The number of pedestrians who were struck and killed by vehicles in 2022 was the highest it’s been since 1981, according to a report based on state government data. At least 7,508 people who were out walking were struck and killed in the United States last year, said the report, published Friday by the Governors Highway Safety Association, a nonprofit that represents states’ safety offices. The findings for 2022, and an accompanying analysis of federal government data from 2021, showed that pedestrian deaths have continued to rise over the past decade. From 2010 to 2021, pedestrian deaths increased from 4,302 to 7,624, a 77% rise, according to the federal data.
U.S. sees first cases of local malaria transmission in 2 decades
In the past two months, at least five people, four in Florida and one in Texas, have been infected with malaria in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a health advisory Monday. These are the first known cases of locally acquired malaria here since 2003. Malaria, once endemic in the United States, is caused by several species of parasites transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. It often causes flu-like symptoms, including a fever and chills, but can lead to serious disease and death when left untreated. All five patients “have received treatment and are improving,” the CDC said. The agency is investigating the cases.
Knoxville bishop resigns amid turmoil
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee, the Vatican announced Tuesday. The resignation of Bishop Richard Stika comes after two years of turmoil in the small diocese in East Tennessee, where the bishop has been sued for his handling of sexual misconduct allegations, and faced internal criticism of his leadership more broadly. Priests in the diocese also made unusually direct complaints about him and asked a Vatican representative last year for “merciful relief” from his leadership. In an interview Tuesday, Stika, 65, broadly disputed complaints about his leadership and said that he had requested retirement purely for health reasons.
Putin recasts mutiny led by mercenary chief as his own victory
President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Tuesday tried to recast the weekend rebellion by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin as a heroic episode for a rock-solid Russian state, while neighboring Belarus said Prigozhin had gone into exile there, and signaled that it would be open to taking in his battle-hardened troops, as well. But even as the Kremlin projected an air of control and stability, top officials made clear that the fallout was not finished, signaling that it might root out people who were tied to the mercenary leader or who were insufficiently steadfast in support of Putin during the crisis.
The unexpected rescuers who found Colombia’s missing children
At first, he heard a soft cry. Then, Nicolás Ordóñez could make out the form of a small girl, a baby in her arms. Ordóñez, 27, stepped forward, soon to become a national hero. He and three other men had found four Colombian children who had survived a terrifying plane crash followed by 40 harrowing days in the Amazon rainforest. But these men did not wear the uniform of the Colombian military. Instead, they were members of a civilian patrol known as the Indigenous Guard. Many in the guard say their cause has long been marginalized. Now, they are at the center of the country’s biggest story.
Sierra Leone’s president reelected, barely avoiding a runoff
President Julius Maada Bio won reelection in the West African nation of Sierra Leone on Tuesday, a result rejected by his main opponent and questioned by some observers who cited a lack of transparency in the vote tallying. Bio took 56% of the vote, just clearing the threshold of 55% required to avoid the runoff that most analysts had predicted. Samura Kamara, the leading opposition candidate, finished second with 41% of the vote. Bio was quickly sworn in — just an hour after the official results were announced. Kamara, in a tweet, called the results “NOT credible” and “a frontal attack on our fledgling democracy,” but did not say how he might respond.
EU border agency considers pulling out of Greece over migrant abuses
The human rights chief at the European Union’s border agency said last week that it could suspend operations in Greece over chronic rights abuses against migrants, potentially pulling out dozens of border guards, vessels and aircraft from a key gateway into Europe. The assessment came days after one of the decade’s most devastating migrant shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, a case that was not covered in the EU report because it was so recent. That disaster has raised new questions about the conduct of Greek authorities, including whether they did enough to help the boat while it was in distress.
Pentagon announces $500 million in military aid for Ukraine
The Pentagon will send more ammunition to Ukraine from its stockpiles, including Stinger and Patriot air defense missiles, guided rockets for HIMARS launchers, and artillery ammunition, defense officials said Tuesday. The package of aid, the 41st for Ukraine since August 2021, is worth approximately $500 million and addresses specific Ukrainian needs, such as equipment for clearing minefields that have stymied ground advances and more Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles. In a briefing at the Pentagon, the Defense Department spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, described the materiel being sent as adding “important capabilities” that would contribute to Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
How do I love thee? Let me etch it into the Colosseum.
A tourist decided to immortalize a visit to the Colosseum in Rome with his girlfriend recently by scratching their names into one of the walls of the nearly 2,000-year-old monument. “Ivan + Hayley 23/6/23,” he etched into the brick on Friday with a set of keys. The act, apparently captured by another tourist and posted online, has left Ivan facing the prospect of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 15,000 euros — if he is apprehended. A representative for Italy’s specialized art squad said it was working with the carabinieri, the country’s military police force, to identify and track down the offender.
By wire sources