Month: August 2023

On Wednesday, a federal judge awarded a default judgment to two Georgia election workers as part of their civil defamation suit against former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.  U.S. Judge Beryl Howell found Giuliani liable for his defamatory remarks, leveling harsh sanctions against him (including the default judgment), and ordering a trial to determine the complete scope of damages.

The election workers, mother-daughter Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, sued the former New York City mayor for defamation over erroneous remarks he made accusing the pair of fraudulently manipulating ballots on Election Day 2020 in Georgia. Freeman and Moss became the subjects of a Trump-backed conspiracy theory that was later found to be “false and unsubstantiated,” according to an investigation by the Georgia Elections Board. In an appearance before a committee of the Georgia state legislature, Giuliani told lawmakers that a video circulating online showed “Ruby Freeman and Shaye Freeman Moss … quite obviously surreptitiously passing around USB ports, as if they’re vials of heroin or cocaine.”

U.S. Judge Beryl Howell said in a 57-page opinion in the case: “The bottom line is that Giuliani has refused to comply with his discovery obligations and thwarted plaintiffs Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss’ procedural rights to obtain any meaningful discovery in this case … Rather than simply play by the rules designed to promote a discovery process necessary to reach a fair decision on the merits of plaintiffs’ claims, Giuliani has bemoaned plaintiffs’ efforts to secure his compliance as ‘punishment by process’ … Donning a cloak of victimization may play well on a public stage to certain audiences, but in a court of law, this performance has served only to subvert the normal process of discovery in a straightforward defamation case.”

In a statement, Freeman and Moss lauded the ruling: “Rudy Giuliani helped unleash a wave of hatred and threats we never could have imagined. It cost us our sense of security and our freedom to go about our lives. Nothing can restore all we lost, but today’s ruling is yet another neutral finding that has confirmed what we have known all along: that there was never any truth to any of the accusations about us and that we did nothing wrong. We were smeared for purely political reasons, and the people responsible can and should be held accountable.”

Judge Howell wrote that a trial to determine the full scope of damages will take place later this year or early next, adding that “the jury will be instructed that they must, when determining an appropriate sum of punitive damages, infer that Giuliani is intentionally trying to hide relevant discovery about his financial assets for the purpose of artificially deflating his net worth.”

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze again during an exchange with reporters on Wednesday during an event in his home state of Kentucky.

Video footage showed McConnell, 81, trailing off and remaining silent after he was asked if he would seek re-election in 2026. While the Republican leader acknowledged the question, he froze and began to stare ahead; after roughly 10 seconds, an aide stepped in and asked whether he heard the question. McConnell replied, “yes,” but continued to look off into the distance, prompting the aide to say, “we’re going to need a minute.” The aide then asked for assistance from what appeared to be a member of McConnell’s security detail. The senator appeared to regain his composure after roughly 30 seconds of silence, clearing his throat and stating, “OK.” McConnell answered two more questions from reporters, though his aide relayed the topics to him. He then left the gathering.

A spokesperson for McConnell said he felt “momentarily lightheaded and paused” during the press conference, adding that while he said he feels fine, “as a prudential measure, the leader will be consulting a physician prior to his next event.” President Biden told reporters after delivering remarks on the federal response to Hurricane Idalia and the wildfires on Maui that McConnell is a “good friend,” and said he is going to try to get in contact with him.

The incident marked the second time McConnell appeared to have a medical episode at a public event. The first instance of McConnell freezing occurred during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol on July 26, when he stopped speaking mid-sentence while delivering opening comments and appeared unable to continue with his remarks for roughly 15 seconds. An aide to McConnell later said he “felt lightheaded and stepped away for a moment.”

The freezing incidents come after McConnell tripped at a dinner event in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington in March, suffering a concussion. He was hospitalized for several days and received additional treatment at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. McConnell returned to the Senate more than a month after the fall.

McConnell has served as the top Senate Republican since 2007, and he became the longest-serving Senate leader in history when the new Congress began in January. The lawmaker is among the oldest politicians in office and is the 13th longest-serving senator in history with 38 years in office.

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Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced Tuesday that he is suspending his campaign for president after failing to qualify for the first Republican primary debate last week in Milwaukee. The 45-year-old Suarez is the first Republican to drop out of the 2024 race.

Suarez said: “Running for President of the United States has been one of the greatest honors of my life. This country has given so much to my family and me. The prospect of giving back at the highest levels of public service is a motivator if not a calling. Throughout this process, I have met so many freedom-loving Americans who care deeply about our nation, her people, and its future. It was a privilege to come so close to appearing on stage with the other candidates at last week’s first debate. While I have decided to suspend my campaign for President, my commitment to making this a better nation for every American remains.”

Suarez added: “The Left has taken Hispanics for granted for far too long, and it is no surprise that so many are finding a home in America’s conservative movement. Our party must continue doing more to include and attract this vibrant community that believes in our country’s foundational values: faith, family, hard work and freedom. Younger voters, Independents, urban voters and suburban women- all of whom I’ve carried in previous elections – among others, should find a comfortable home in the GOP and its policies.”

Ahead of the debate, Suarez announced that he had qualified for it by meeting the polling requirements and the donor threshold, claiming to have received donations from “nearly 50,000” (well above the party’s requirement of 40,000). However after his announcement, an RNC staffer familiar with the debate planning said Suarez had not been certified as a debate participant, which Suarez later conceded, saying he was behind on “one national poll or one state poll.”

The Cuban-American Suarez announced his candidacy in June, and made a pitch for his candidacy based on his track record as Miami mayor, a part-time position he’s held since 2017, when he was working as a lawyer in a Miami firm. Suarez, a real estate attorney, also served in the Miami City Commission from 2009-2017.

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Hurricane Idalia strengthened to a Category 1 with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph on Tuesday, and is expected to “rapidly intensify” to a potential Category 3 hurricane before it makes landfall in Florida on Wednesday.  According to the National Hurricane Center, Idalia threatens to bring high-risk storm surge along parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, with hurricane warnings and watches in effect for parts of the Gulf Coast of Florida, with flooding is also likely in the region.

Models of Idalia published by the National Hurricane Center project it will make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area, which is where the panhandle meets the peninsula, and which includes Tampa Bay. The storm is anticipated to arrive on Wednesday morning anywhere between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency covering 46 counties, and has activated the National Guard, with mandatory orders of evacuation in effect for some people in eight of those counties. DeSantis said: “This is going to be a major impact, and Floridians should expect that this storm will be a major Cat 3+ hurricane, so please prepare accordingly.  You still have time this morning to make your final preparations .. but you gotta do that now. You do not have to leave the state. You don’t have to drive hundreds of miles. You have to get to higher ground in a safe structure. You can ride the storm out there, then go back to your home.”

DeSantis’ office also said that tolls were suspended early Tuesday morning along Florida’s west coast, and schools across more than three dozen Florida counties have closed. His office also said the Florida National Guard was mobilizing 1,100 personnel to support areas of the state that are impacted, and 12 aircrafts and 2,400 high wheel vehicles were also being mobilized.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper also declared states of emergency ahead of Hurricane Idalia. Gov. Kemp said Tuesday in a statement: “We are taking every precaution ahead of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall tomorrow, and I am taking this additional executive action to ensure state assets are ready to respond.”

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A suspect is in custody after shots were fired near the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Monday, prompting the university to go on lockdown. One faculty member was killed in the shooting, while officials searched for an “armed and dangerous person.” The suspect was captured about an hour and a half after the shooting at Caudill Laboratories, and an all-clear was issued for the campus about two hours after that. Tuesday’s classes have been canceled.

UNC students were first alerted to an armed and dangerous person on or near campus shortly after 1 p.m;  and the university issued an alert to remain sheltered in place because a suspect was at large by 2:24 p.m. Campus police released a photo of an unnamed person of interest at 2:35 p.m. with the warning: “If you see this person, keep your distance, put your safety first and call 911.”

School officials said at a briefing Monday afternoon that no other injuries were reported. UNC Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz said in a letter to the university community: “I am devastated and saddened by today’s shooting in one of our campus buildings, a place where we conduct our important work of teaching, mentoring and research every day.  This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus. We will work to rebuild that trust and safety.”

UNC Police Chief Brian James said the FBI has joined the investigation into the shooting: “We certainly want the opportunity to interview the suspect. To actually have the suspect in custody gives us an opportunity to figure out the why. And even the how, and also helps us to uncover a motive and … really just why this happened today.”  North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement that officials “are taking precautions to protect campus safety following today’s shooting. This is a tragic way to start a new semester and the state will provide any assistance necessary to support the UNC community.”

As of press time, the faculty member was not publicly identified, and officials did not name the suspect. University police have not determined the relationship between the victim and gunman or indicated any kind of possible motive.

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Two people were killed and at least four others were injured on Monday when an emergency response helicopter lost control, crashing into a Pompano Beach, Florida apartment building. The accident happened shortly before 9 a.m. EDT when a sheriff’s department Airbus fire and rescue helicopter went down just south of the Pompano Beach Airpark, home of the Goodyear Blimp.

There were three people aboard the Eurocopter EC135 helicopter, according to initial FAA reports. Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony told reporters that one person who was on the ground, as well as Capt. Terryson Jackson of the Sheriff’s Department, were killed in the crash. The sheriff said the two injured crew members were able to crawl out of the helicopter’s wreckage and did not appear to suffer life-threatening injuries. The two surviving members of the helicopter crew, as well as two civilians on the ground, were transported to North Broward Medical Center. Capt. Jackson, 49, was an experienced and valued member of sheriff’s department, Sheriff Tony said, adding: “He was one of my firefighters. We lost one of our captains today who was onboard serving his community, hoping that he would get a chance to do what he does best which is to land and extract somebody else. Unfortunately, in the crash he was trapped, could not get out, and we lost him.”

The rescue chopper was answering an emergency call from North Lauderdale when it developed “mechanical issues” and crashed, according to preliminary assessments. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, Veda Coleman-Wright, said during a news conference at the scene that the helicopter was en route to a scene in North Lauderdale to pick up a woman who had been involved in a crash, and that a fire broke out onboard and then other mechanical issues occurred.

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