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US

Trial of Texas man accused of murdering daughters in ‘honor killings’ for having non-Muslim boyfriends begins

Trial of Texas man accused of murdering daughters in 'honor killings' for having non-Muslim boyfriends begins

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The trial for a Texas man who allegedly murdered his two daughters in “honor killings” in 2008, then spent the next 12 years as a fugitive on the FBI’s most wanted list, started on Tuesday.

Yaser Abdel Said, 65, is on trial for capital murder and would automatically be sentenced to life in prison if convicted because prosecutors aren’t seeking the death penalty.

Said, an Egyptian immigrant, is accused of killing his daughters Amina, 18, and Sarah, 17, because they were “too American.” His wife, Patricia Owens, previously told Fox News that Said had become enraged that his daughters had boyfriends who were n’t Muslim. He said he didn’t want to raise “whores as daughters,” Owens said. She divorced him after her daughters’ killings.

Said allegedly took the girls out on New Year’s Day under the guise of going to a local restaurant in Lewisville, Texas, but instead drove to Irving, Texas, and allegedly shot them in his taxi.

NEW YORK MAN INDICTED IN AMBUSH SHOOTING DEATH OF MOM PUSHING BABY IN STROLLER

Yaser Abdel Said, 65, is on trial for capital murder for allegedly killing his teenage daughters.

Yaser Abdel Said, 65, is on trial for capital murder for allegedly killing his teenage daughters.
(FBI)

Sarah was able to call 911 before she died. “Help, my dad shot me! I’m dying, I’m dying!” she said. Amina is thought to have died instantly.

“This is a case about a man obsessed with possession and control,” prosecutor Lauren Black said in court on Tuesday.

Amina’s boyfriend testified that she “knew she was gonna die” when she reluctantly went home on New Year’s after she fled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her mother, sister and their boyfriends. He said her last words of her to him were that she would never see him again. She returned home on Jan. 1, 2008 and was murdered that night.

The bodies of Amina and Sarah were found riddled with bullets inside their father’s cab, which was parked outside of a hotel in Irving on New Year’s Day 2008.

MARYLAND MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING, DISMEMBERING DAUGHTER, YEARS AFTER ALLEGEDLY MURDERED SON AND FRIEND

The girls and their mother had left their home before Christmas 2007 after their father placed a gun to Amina’s head, prosecutors said.

Mugshots of Yaser Abdel Said, middle, his son Islam, left, and brother Yassein, right. Islam and Yassein were both arrested for harboring a fugitive.

Mugshots of Yaser Abdel Said, middle, his son Islam, left, and brother Yassein, right. Islam and Yassein were both arrested for harboring a fugitive.
(Irving Police Department)

Amina’s history teacher testified that the 18-year-old had emailed her about her plans to escape her home, writing, “He will, without any drama or doubt, kill us” while asking the teacher to keep her plans quiet until she had left home, according to the Dallas Morning News.

“These were two young, spirited young ladies,” Black said. “Normal teenage girls who wanted a normal life.”

After they settled in Tulsa, their mother, Patricia Owens and Sarah decided to return home for New Year’s. Amina apprehensively returned.

Sarah, left, and Amina Said in happy times.

Sarah, left, and Amina Said in happy times.
(Facebook )

Said’s defense lawyers said police didn’t do a thorough investigation of the murders and focused solely on him as a suspect.

“Rather than investigating the murders, they were investigating Yaser,” attorney Joseph Patton said. “Evidence cannot and will not support a conviction for capital murder.”

Said fled after the murders and was found in 2020 around 30 miles away from the crime scene. His son from him Islam, who was 19 at the time, and his brother, Yassein, were both convicted of harboring a known fugitive. Yassein was sentenced to 12 years and Islam to 10.

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“My daughters were loving, caring, smart, loved everybody, would help anybody,” Owens told the Dallas Morning News after Said’s arrest. ‘They were two of the most awesome kids in the world and they did not deserve what happened to them. “

Honor killings are typically carried out on a family member who is thought to have brought dishonor upon relatives. These kinds of killings and violence, which typically see men victimize wives and daughters because of behavior that has somehow insulted their faith, are among the most secretive crimes in society, experts told Fox News in 2015.

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.

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Technology

High Five: Artificial Intelligence-Generated Campaigns and Experiments

Peach

I can’t stop playing with Midjourney. It may signal the end of human creativity or the start of an exciting new era, but here’s me, like a monkey at a typewriter chucking random words into the algorithm for an instant hit of this-shouldn’t-be-as-good- as-it-is art.

For those who don’t know, Midjourney is one of a number of image-generating AI algorithms that can turn written prompts into unworldly pictures, It, along with OpenAI’s DALL-E 2, have been having something of a moment in the last month as people get their hands on them and try to push them to their limits. Craiyon – formerly DALL-E mini – is an older, less refined and very much wobblier platform to try too. It’s worth having a go just to get a feel for what these algorithms can and can’t do – though be warned, the dopamine hit of seeing some silly words turn into something strange, beautiful, terrifying or cool within seconds is quite addictive. A confused dragon playing chess. A happy apple. A rat transcends and perceives the oneness of the universe, pulsing with life. Yes Sir, I can boogie.

Within the LBB editorial team, we’ve been having lots of discussions about the implications of these art-generating algorithms. What are the legal and IP ramifications for those artists whose works are mined and drawn into the data set (on my Midjourney server, Klimt and HR Giger seem to be the most popular artists to replicate but what of more contemporary artists?). Will the industry use this to find unexpected new looks that go beyond the human creative habits and rules – or will we see content pulled directly from the algorithm? How long will it take for the algorithms to iron out the wonky weirdness that can sometimes take the human face way beyond the uncanny valley to a nightmarish, distorted abyss? What are the keys to writing prompts when you are after something very specific? Why does the algorithm seem to struggle when two different objects are requested in the same image?

Unlike other technologies that have shaken up the advertising industry, these image-generating algorithms are relatively accessible and easy to use (DALL-E 2’s waitlist aside). The results are almost instant – and the possibilities, for now, seem limitless. We’ve already seen a couple of brands have a go with campaigns that are definitely playing on the novelty and PR-angle of this new technology – and also a few really intriguing art projects too…

Heinz – ‘AI Ketchup’

Agency: Rethink

The highest profile commercial campaign of the bunch is Rethink’s new Heinz campaign. It’s a follow up to a previous campaign, in which humans were asked to draw a bottle of ketchup and ended up all drawing a bottle of Heinz. This time around, the team asked Dall-E 2 – and the algorithm, like its human predecessors, couldn’t help but create images that looked like Heinz branded bottles (albeit with a funky AI spin). In this case, the AI ​​is used to reinforce and revisit the original idea – but how long will it take before we’re using AIs to generate ideas for boards or pitch images?

10 Iconic Brands

Agency: 10 Days

Creative agency 10 Days decided to get experimental with a project that was all about letting their team get their heads around the possibilities and limitations of the technology. They used Midjourney to create ads for ten iconic brands – and for each brand they created 24 images. As well as being a very timely PR opportunity for the agency, it was a chance to test, produce and consider. Florence Burge spoke to LBB here.

Short Film – ’31 Days’

Animation: Jeremy Higgins

This artsy animated short by art director and designer Jeremy Higgins is a delight and shows how a sequence of similar AI-generated images can serve as frames in a film. The flickering effect ironically gives the animation a very hand-made stop motion style, reminding me of films that use individual oil paintings as frames. It’s a really vivid encapsulation of what it feels like to be sucked into a Midjourney rabbit hole too… I also have to tip my hat to Stefan Sagmeister who shared this film on his Instagram account.

Cosmopolitan – ‘The AI ​​Issue’

For the latest issue of Cosmopolitan, creative Karen X Cheng used Dall-E 2 to create a dramatic and imposing cover – using the prompt: ‘a strong female president astronaut warrior walking on the planet Mars, digital art synthwave’. There’s a deep dive into the creative process that also examines some of the potential ramifications of the technology on the Cosmopolitan website that’s well worth a read.

Video Game – ‘Daydreams’

Studio: T&DA

Why stick to one viral trend when you can combine two? Sydney-based studio T&DA has created a Wordl-inspired game called ‘Daydreams’ in which players are served up with a Midjourney-generated image and challenged to guess the writing prompts. This reverse engineering process might well prove to be handy for copywriters trying to figure out how to write for the algorithms. You can access an invite to the Discord server here.

BT Sport – ‘Believe It’

Here’s a cheeky sixth entry to High Five. This execution is part of a wider summer platform for BT Sport, centered around belief – in this case football pundit Robbie Savage is served up a Dall-E 2 image of striker Aleksander Mitrović lifting the golden boot. Fulham have just been promoted to the Premier League – but though Robbie can see it, he can’t quite believe it.

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US

Two ‘Squad’ members survive primary challenges

Two 'Squad' members survive primary challenges

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), two progressive lawmakers who are members of the “Squad,” fended off primary challengers on Tuesday, making them favorites to win their third and second terms, respectively.

Bush earned 69.5 percent of the vote in her primary, easily beating out Missouri state Sen. Steve Roberts, who garnered 26.6 percent of the vote.

Roberts had run a more moderate campaign, saying Bush put “publicity” ahead of her constituents in the district, which includes St. Louis and nearby suburbs, and noting her votes against legislation like the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

“For anyone who wondered if you can go to Congress as a single mom, nurse, pastor, politivist, & survivor, be your full self, vote your conscience, deliver for your community and get re-elected—St. Louis and I have our answer,” Bush tweeted on Tuesday evening shortly after The Associated Press called the race in her favor.

In Michigan, Tlaib also easily won her primary against three major challengers, garnering 66.5 percent of the vote. The AP called the race early Wednesday morning.

She beat out Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, who earned 18.4 percent of the vote; Lathrup Village Mayor Kelly Garrett, who earned 10.2 percent; and former state Rep. Shanelle Jackson, who earned 4.9 percent.

The two races were recent bright spots for progressives, who had a mixed track record in 2022.

But in other elections held on Tuesday, progressives largely fell short.

In a member-on-member primary in Michigan’s 11th District, moderate Rep. Haley Stevens defeated Rep. Andy Levin, who was backed by progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

And in Missouri’s Democratic Senate primary, Lucas Kunce, who was also backed by Sanders, lost the race to philanthropist Trudy Busch Valentine.

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Categories
Technology

Sources: Houston Outlaws seek to offload Overwatch trio

Sources: Houston Outlaws seek to offload Overwatch trio

Another Houston Outlaws rebuild may be on its way as the organization has been actively offering three players, including 2021 Overwatch League Rookie of the Year Se-Hyun ‘Pelican’ Oh, to other teams, multiple sources have told Dexerto.

Sources said that the Outlaws management has held talks with multiple teams around the Overwatch League with a view to offloading DPS Pelican, support Seung-Hyun ‘Ir1s’ Kim and Tank Min-Jun ‘PIGGY’ Shin.

Despite their best efforts, the Outlaws have not yet managed to find suitors interested in these players. The same sources also stated that the Outlaws have been looking to move Pelican and PIGGY as a package deal.

Houston Outlaws

2021 Rookie of the Year Pelican is one of the players the Outlaws have been offering to other teams

A key reason for the Outlaws looking to ship three players, the sources noted, is Dante ‘Danteh’ Cruz’s wish to revert to his main DPS role. The North American player, who joined the Outlaws in 2018, has mainly played on Doomfist since Pelican’s arrival from Atlanta Reign at the end of last year.

The news will come as a surprise to many Overwatch League fans as the Outlaws currently sit fourth in the West standings with a 9-3 regular season record and made both the Kickoff Clash and the Midseason Madness playoffs. The team will take on the New York Excelsior on August 11 in their first Summer Showdown qualifying match.

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US

5 things to know for August 3: Primaries, Taiwan, Monkeypox, January 6, Kentucky

What the Kansas abortion result means for the country

Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed ​​and On with Your Day.

(You can get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

1. Primary

Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington held primary elections yesterday, with several key votes on their ballots. Kansas voters rejected an amendment that would have removed the right to an abortion from the state’s constitution. This is the first time citizens have been able to weigh in on the issue at the polls since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the high turnout in Kansas could be a sign that voters will continue to show up to make their disagreement known. In Missouri, disgraced former Gov. Eric Greitens lost his Republican primary after a controversial attempt to reenter politics. Several election deniers backed by former President Donald Trump were on the ballot in Arizona, Michigan and Washington. Some of these races are still too close to call, but Trump-backed Tudor Dixon is projected to become Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s challenger in November.

2.Taiwan

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wants to make it “unequivocally clear” that the US will not abandon Taiwan after meeting Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen today. Pelosi’s trip to the self-governing island during a congressional tour of Asia has stirred up controversy at home and abroad. Biden administration officials warned the trip would potentially damage relations between the US and China, and indeed, Beijing has already voiced displeasure. The country has planned provocative military drills close to Taiwan later this week in response to Pelosi’s visit from her. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi also called the visit a “complete farce” and warned that “those who play with fire will perish.” China has now suspended some trade with Taiwan in apparent retribution.

3. Monkeypox

Public health leaders want the Biden administration to declare a public health emergency to better tackle rising monkeypox cases. The limited supply of monkeypox vaccines in the US has led to hours-long waits and created dangerous situations where infected people don’t have access to tests or treatment. A drug is available for monkeypox patients who have or who are at risk of severe disease, but doctors say they continue to face challenges getting access to it. Organizations responding to the crisis say they are frustrated by the Biden administration’s lack of urgency. California, Illinois and New York state have declared public health emergencies, as has the World Health Organization.

4. January 6

The Defense Department wiped the phones of top departing DOD and Army officials at the end of the Trump administration, deleting any texts from key witnesses to events surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, according to court filings. The revelation further obscures attempts to bring more transparency to the context and events of the insurrection. The Department of Homeland Security is also under fire for the apparent loss of messages from the Secret Service that day. American Oversight, the watchdog agency that filed the lawsuit that unearthed the deletions, is now calling for a “cross-agency investigation” by the Justice Department to look into the destruction of the materials.

5.Kentucky

At least 37 people are dead following massive flooding in Kentucky last week, and storm damage is complicating efforts to locate those still missing. Heavily damaged infrastructure has made some communities nearly impossible to access, and Gov. Andy Beshear said the process of accounting for everyone could take weeks. The areas hit hardest by the floods are now facing scorching heat, and some communities are concerned about access to clean water. Among those who died in the floods is a father of five who disappeared after his truck was swept away by flood waters.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

The Mexican Pizza returns to Taco Bell after a three-month shortage

Come, let us prepare a feast. The lavish pizza is back!

Six tasks you’ve been putting off that you need to do now

This article immediately shamed me. Time to schedule an oil change and a closet clean-out.

Tito’s vodka is making fun of canned cocktails by selling an empty can for $20

Get it? It’s so you can make your own canned cocktail. (The proceeds go to charity, so it’s all good.)

Stretching and range of motion exercises can slow cognitive decline as much as aerobic exercises

They also keep your joints from sounding like a bowl of Rice Krispies in the morning.

Parts of the moon may provide stable temperatures for humans, researchers find

Say no more. I’m putting my moon boots on as we speak and blowing this popsicle stand once and for all.

IN MEMORY

legendary broadcaster vin scully, the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than six decades, has died at the age of 94, the team announced Tuesday. Scully was known for his deft, engaging commentary, weaving stories between pitches with an artist’s skill. “Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian,” said Stan Kasten, the President and CEO of the Dodgers.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$16 trillion

US household debt surpassed this massive number for the first time in history during the second quarter of 2022. The New York Federal Reserve says credit card debt is skyrocketing as people try to keep up with inflation and higher costs of living.

TODAY’S QUOTE

‘It seems so incredible to me that we have to do this. That we have to implore you — not just implore you, punish you — to get you to stop lying.

–Scarlett Lewis, to Alex Jones during the far-right personality’s defamation trial in Texas. Lewis’ son, Jesse Lewis, was murdered in the 2012 Sandy Hook Massacre. His parents of him are one of several Sandy Hook families who have taken legal action against Jones for his part of him in spreading false conspiracy theories about the tragedy.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

‘Black & Blues’

If this jaw-dropping, goosebump-raising, completely masterful trombone solo doesn’t get you ready and rocking, nothing will. (Click here to view)

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Categories
Technology

Pokemon Scarlet/Violet’s Legendary Pokemon Are Rideable Mounts And Unlocked From The Start Of The Game

Pokemon Scarlet Violet

We got our latest look at Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet tonight and a bunch of new information was revealed.

The biggest piece of information was definitely the fact that the Legendary Pokemon Koraidon and Miraidon will be available from the get go and they’ll act as mounts to get through the open world which is the brand new Paldea region. This includes driving, flying and getting through the sea on your trust Pokemon mount.

Pokemon Scarlet/Violet Mounts

There are three modes of transportation:

    • Spring/Drive: Traveling through Paldea on foot can be quite the hassle. If you learn how to ride Sprinting Build Koraidon or Drive Mode Miraidon, you’ll be able to traverse the expansive Paldea region more freely and at full speed.
    • Swimming/Aquatics: On your adventure, you’ll be able to jump into rivers, lakes, and vibrant oceans to approach the Pokémon that live there or cross perilous waters in a snap by riding Swimming Build Koraidon or Aquatic Mode Miraidon.
    • Gliding/Glide: You can jump from mountains, towering cliffs or tall buildings and glide toward your destination. Not only does this offer you more options when choosing what to do, but you can also freely glide around and enjoy a view that you can see only from the Paldean skies.

We got another look at multiplayer which also includes the ability to get around the open world with friends on your legendary mounts alongside three friends.

There will be 8 gyms in the game which is one of the three stories that the game will feature. The other two haven’t been spoken about yet, but it was said that you’ll be able to go through the three grand stories as you see fit.

New Pokemon Violet/Scarlet Pokemon

There will also be a greatly expanded Pokedex. We got a new look at new Pokemon including Wooper (Paldean Form), Fidough, Cetitan, as well as Tera form Pokemon (basically big crystal Pokemon) which are able to change types and enhance moves in Tera Raids (which seem to by like Dynamax raid).

tera pikachu

THE CHEAPEST POKEMON SCARLET/VIOLET COPIES

Those that pre-order the game will be able to get a special Pikachu that cannot be caught in game. It knows the move fly and its Tera Type is flying.

Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet release on November 18th.

Categories
US

Michael E. Langley confirmed as first Black four-star Marine general

Michael E. Langley confirmed as first Black four-star Marine general

Comment

Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley will become the first Black four-star general in the Marines’ 246-year history, after the Senate confirmed his promotion this week, the Marine Corps said Tuesday.

Langley will formally attain his new rank at a ceremony in DC this weekend, the Marines said. He will then become the new head of US Africa Command at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. There, he will oversee about 6,000 troops. President Biden nominated him in June.

In his confirmation hearing last month, Langley thanked his father — who had served in the Air Force for 25 years — as well as his stepmother and two sisters. “As many nominees have said in testimony before me, military families form the bedrock upon which our Joint Force readiness stands,” he said. “Without their support, I would not be here today.”

Marines set for their first Black four-star general

The Marine Corps has had a handful of Black three-star generals, including Langley, who was promoted to that rank last year. Other African Americans have also earned four-star ranks in other branches, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general.

A native of Shreveport, La., Langley has served for 37 years, with tours of duty in Japan, Afghanistan and Somalia. He was commissioned as a Marine artillery officer in 1985 and has commanded at every level — from platoons, which can have a few dozen members, to regiments, which can have several thousand troops. His intellectual and physical prowess of him, combined with his mediation skills of him, has impressed his superiors over the years.

Retired Gen. Robert Neller, the former Marine commandant from 2015 to 2019, summed up Langley’s reputation in the Marines in an interview with The Washington Post before his confirmation: “He gets stuff done, and people tend to like working for him.”

At his new duty station, Langley will come up against conventional and unconventional military challenges.

In Africa, the US military is in a supporting role, helping African countries build up their forces and monitor Russian and Chinese activities. Direct combat is uncommon. But resurgent terrorist groups such as al-Shabab are national security threats to the United States, while American troops have also suffered deadly attacks in recent years in Niger and Kenya.

Russia’s moves in Africa problematic for US interests, general agrees

Langley will also be tasked with helping African partners combat climate change, population growth and political instability.

Langley acknowledged the hybrid nature of his mission in his confirmation hearing, telling senators that “military power alone” would not be enough. “They require an integration of diplomatic efforts from the Department of State, development endeavors from USAID, and comprehensive strategies from other allies and partners operating in Africa,” he said.

Categories
Technology

Higround Unveils Sonic the Hedgehog Themed Keyboard Collection

Higround Unveils Sonic the Hedgehog Themed Keyboard Collection

Photo of a Sonic the Hedgehog Keyboard

the sonic the hedgehog video games are more or less about one thing: blasting through a level with as much speed as possible. So as lovely as this Sonic-themed keyboard from Higround is, it seems almost antithetical to the spirit of the games, at least if you don’t have all your key positions perfectly memorized.

The keyboard is part of a new ‘capsule collection’ (yes, we’re just as upset about writing those words as you are about reading them) from Higround, who partnered with Sega to help pay tribute to the company’s most recognizable characters and one of its most beloved consoles.

Image for article titled These Sonic the Hedgehog Themed Keyboards Could Ironically Slow Your Typing Speed

The collection includes t-shirts, pants, bags, keycap sets, and even mouse pads, but the highlight definitely has to be the three heavily-themed keyboards. The most flamboyant of the bunch features elaborately decorated keys (with TTC Speed ​​Silver switches underneath) recreating the iconic Green Hill Zone from the first sonic the hedgehogwhile a slightly more subtle alternative mirrors the key art for sonic adventure 2.

The last keyboard of the bunch pays homage to the Dreamcast, with the console’s logo on the space bar and the arrow keys matching the colors and labels from its controller’s action buttons. Each keyboard appears to be completely free from labels to prioritize the artwork on the keycaps, but in reality, the alphanumeric labels have been moved onto the side of each key for aesthetic reasons, prioritizing form over function. At least there’s some form of safety net.

G/O Media may get a commission

Amazon Fire 65" 4K SmartTV

40% Off

Amazon Fire 65″ 4K Smart TV

looks good
Aside from being 65″ in size, this TV offers UHD 4K visuals which are a constant feast for the eyes, features HDR to make sure you can appreciate the full range of colors and contrasts, and it also allows you to use it as a hub for all of your streaming services.

Higround’s Sega collection officially becomes available starting at noon, PST, on August 5, through the company’s website. Wthread pricing hasn’t been revealed for any of the items yet, other keyboard releases from the company have ranged in price from $135 to $145.

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Categories
US

Adam Kinzinger: Subpoena of ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone ‘probably bad’ for Trump

Adam Kinzinger: Subpoena of ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone 'probably bad' for Trump

Kinzinger told CNN’s Brianna Keilar on “New Day” that the subpoena likely signals that the Justice Department’s investigation has a “very deep interest” in what Trump did.

First on CNN: Jan. 6 text messages wiped from phones of key Trump Pentagon officials

“I hope Pat Cipollone actually just tells the truth. I have no doubt that he hasn’t. But there is no reason to protect particularly criminal behavior, what could potentially be criminal behavior behind executive privilege,” the Illinois Republican said. “So we’ll see where this goes. But there is no doubt that this investigation has developed further along than where we even knew it was or thought it was a few months ago.”

CNN reported Tuesday that the former White House counsel had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to a source familiar with the matter. The revelation marks a significant escalation in the department’s probe into the plots to subvert the 2020 election.

Cipollone and his attorneys are in discussions about an appearance before the grand jury, including how to deal with executive privilege issues, the source said.

“I think in terms of their negotiations, obviously the Justice Department knows better what they can go around when it comes to saying executive privilege. And so I hope they, you know, go at that judiciously,” Kinzinger said.

Cipollone testified last month in a closed-door interview with the January 6 committee, and in its seventh public hearing, the panel played clips where he agreed with other Trump officials that there was insufficient evidence of election fraud and said that he believed Trump should have grant the election.

Kinzinger declined to get into details Wednesday of whether the January 6 committee and the Justice Department are cooperating related to Cipollone’s testimony to the panel.

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Categories
Business

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin: Broome airport hit with massive flight delay record

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin: Broome airport hit with massive flight delay record

Flights leaving one Australian airport have had the largest delays in the entire country, with almost 70 per cent of planes delayed.

Figures, released by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics report, found less than 30 per cent of flights headed from Broome to Perth left on time, the worst route in the entire country.

The report looked at delays and cancellations across all major Australian airport in the month of June.

Airlines included in the report were Virgin Australia, Qantas, Jetstar, QantasLink and Rex Airlines.

The figures for on time arrivals in June reached all time lows for all 58 travel routes looked at.

Qantas recorded the highest percentage of cancellations at 8.1 per cent during the month, followed by QantasLink, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and Rex Airlines.

Australia’s signature airline company Qantas recorded just over half of their airlines arrived on time in June, at 59 per cent, while Virgin achieved the highest level of on time departures among the major domestic airlines at 60 per cent.

A Qantas spokesperson told NCA NewsWire these flight delays and cancellations are not the kind of performance that they were delivering pre-Covid.

“A rise in COVID and other illnesses among airline crew as well as the tight labor market led to flight disruptions for all domestic airlines in June.” they said.

“We had rostered additional crew on standby which helped lessen the impact of COVID-related crew absences and meant 85 per cent of our domestic flights for the month departed within an hour of schedule.”

“Flight cancellations in July were lower than they were in June, call center wait times are now better than they were pre-COVID and our mishandled bag rates are close to what they were before the pandemic.”

Mildura Airport, which is located in northwest Victoria, recorded the lowest percentage of on time arrivals sitting at more than 47 per cent, while Alice Springs Airport recorded the highest rate of on time arrivals at 87 per cent.

Cancellations were highest on the Sydney-Melbourne route at 15.3 per cent, followed by the Melbourne-Sydney route at 14.9 per cent, and the Sydney-Canberra route at 11.1 per cent.

The report follows after more than 21 flights were canceled in Sydney across the Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex networks on Tuesday.

Virgin dumped 10 flights, Qantas nixed eight, with two pulled from Jetstar and one from Rex, combined with an additional 20 flights scrapped at Melbourne Airport as of 8.30am on Tuesday.

Both domestic and international flights with major aussie airlines alongside Emirates, British Airways and American Airlines were also dumped on Monday between 6.30am-7am.

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