The Russia investigation memo was erroneously not preserved under the Barr court rules
The Justice Department, under Attorney General William Barr, improperly withheld parts of an internal memo Barr cited in declaring that then-President Donald Trump had not committed obstruction of justice in the Russia investigation. The department argued that the 2019 memo represented private discussions among its own lawyers before any decision was finalized and was therefore exempt from disclosure. In Friday’s ruling, a federal appeals court said a Justice Department memo noted that Mueller’s report does not accuse Trump of obstruction of justice, but neither does it excuse him. The internal memo said it could be interpreted as an indictment of Trump if it were made public.
Judge: Prosecutors can’t enforce Michigan’s abortion ban
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan judge has blocked district attorneys from enforcing a ban on abortions that was passed before Roe v. Wade, which would have allowed providers to be charged with a felony. Friday’s preliminary injunction follows a state Court of Appeals ruling this month that a May preliminary injunction applies only to the attorney general’s office and not to district attorneys who handle most criminal cases. The ruling, handed down on Friday, followed two days of witness testimony. Prosecutors in some of the state’s most populous counties said they would not charge providers regardless of the ruling, but Republican prosecutors in Kent, Jackson and Macomb counties said they should be able to enforce the 1931 law. David Kallman, a lawyer for two Republican district attorneys, says an appeal is planned.
Islamic State “Beatle” received a life sentence for the death of hostages in the United States
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A British man nicknamed one of the Beatles by his captors because of his English accent has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the deaths of four American hostages taken by the Islamic State. Prosecutors say El-Shafi El-Sheikh is the most prominent Islamic State member ever to be convicted in a US court. A jury found him guilty of the hostage-taking that killed Americans James Foley, Stephen Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller. All but Mueller were executed in beheading videos that circulated online. Elsheikh’s lawyer said at Friday’s sentencing hearing that he would appeal the sentence.
Testimony on R.Kelly: I didn’t want to ‘carry his lies’
CHICAGO (AP) — A woman who claims she was sexually assaulted hundreds of times by R. Kelly before she turned 18 has revealed she had doubts several years ago about cooperating with federal investigators looking into allegations of child abuse involving the singer. The woman, now 37 and speaking under the pseudonym “Jane” at Kelly’s trial in Chicago, said in court Friday that she ultimately cooperated with investigators because she did not want to “bear his lies.” On cross-examination, she admitted she lied at one point when she told federal agents she wasn’t sure if Kelly had treated minors other than her. She said she lied because she didn’t want to get others into trouble.
Pence says he did not leave office with classified material
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence says he didn’t take any classified information with him when he left office. The disclosure — which would normally be uncharacteristic of a former vice president — is notable given that FBI agents seized classified and top-secret information from his former boss’s estate on Aug. 8 while investigating possible violations of three different federal laws. Former President Donald Trump said the documents seized by agents were “declassified.” Pence also told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that he didn’t want to “predict” the content seized by the government “until we know all the facts.”
Russia and Ukraine are arguing over the fighting near the nuclear facility
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A fire at a Russian ammunition depot forced the evacuation of two villages near the border with Ukraine, and two civilians were wounded by Russian shelling near the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant as the two sides exchanged accusations of fighting near the facility in the south. of Ukraine. On Thursday evening, a fire broke out in an ammunition storage building near the village of Timanova in the Belgorod region of Russia on the northeastern border of Ukraine. About 1,100 people live in Timonov and Soloty, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) from the border. No one was injured, the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Friday.
Graham’s attempt to delay his testimony in the election investigation is denied
ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge says Sen. Lindsey Graham’s appearance before a special grand jury should not be delayed while he continues to challenge it in court. A grand jury is investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others tried to illegally influence Georgia’s 2020 election. Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Lee Martin May ordered the South Carolina Republican to comply with his grand jury subpoena. Graham’s attorneys appealed the order to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and asked May to stay her decision pending the appeal. May rejected the request on Friday. Graham is currently scheduled to appear before a special grand jury on Tuesday. Representatives for Graham did not immediately respond Friday to messages seeking comment on May’s ruling.
Mexico arrests former attorney general over missing students
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican prosecutors say they have arrested a former attorney general and issued warrants for 83 soldiers and officers, police officers and gang members in the 2014 disappearance of 43 students. On Friday, prosecutors announced changes to Jesus Murillo’s abuse in the mass kidnapping investigation. Similar accusations were made against 20 soldiers and officers. Murillo Caram was Attorney General from 2012 to 2015 under then-President Enrique Peña Nieto. Murillo Karam announced in 2014 that the students were killed and burned in a dumpster by a drug gang. But the investigation allegedly used torture, improper arrest and improper handling of evidence, which allowed most of the suspects to go free.
‘I lost everything’: Algeria engulfed in deadly forest fires
Algerian firefighters have put out all but one of the more than 50 forest fires that have ravaged the country this week. As a result of fires in the North African country, at least 37 people died, crops and cork forests were destroyed. The state news agency reported on Friday that four people were arrested on suspicion of setting fire to crops in the El-Tarf region, the epicenter of the fires. Algeria’s prime minister says the more serious problem was the extreme heat and wind that fanned the flames across the region. Similar extreme weather conditions and fires have hit European countries this summer.
Skepticism and hope as USA Gymnastics enters the post-Nassar era
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — USA Gymnastics is trying to take a major step forward as it enters the post-Larry Nassar era. The embattled organization unveiled a new logo this week. The logo consists of red and blue flames, symbolizing his rebirth. USA Gymnastics has settled its legal problems with hundreds of athletes who were abused by a former national team doctor, a settlement that ensured the organization’s survival. USA Gymnastics has come up with a new mission statement, but president Lee Lee Leung says it will take actions, not words, to make the changes needed to create a healthier, athlete-centered culture.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied or distributed.
https://www.gettysburgtimes.com/news/national/article_1bb07791-2eb1-5d01-9c48-59c55f1ffc0b.html
