More Than 100 Dead In Texas Floods - CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
With devastation and despair in Texas, the search for answers begins. Plus, in the latest Trump-Musk clash, Elon takes his money and starts his own political party. Also, Google has a choice to either win in court or make a donation to Trump's presidential library.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has medical issue amid Epstein files scrutiny
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, citing a medical issue, abruptly canceled her appearance at an anti-trafficking event amid public outcry over her handling of the Epstein files and renewed scrutiny over President Donald Trump's relationship with the disgraced financier. Bondi was expected to speak at CPAC's Summit Against Human Trafficking on Wednesday before acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti took to the stage to reveal she could no longer attend. 'I do have a note from the attorney general, from Attorney General Pam Bondi, that I wanted to share,' he told attendees before reading her statement. 'I'm sorry to miss all of my CPAC friends today,' Bondi's statement said. 'Unfortunately, I am recovering from a recently torn cornea, which is preventing me from being with you. I truly wish I was able to join you and support all of the work being done on this critical issue.' The announcement came some 90 minutes before The Wall Street Journal published a report, alleging Bondi informed Trump during a sit-down in back May that his name repeatedly appeared in the Epstein files. That means their meeting occurred just weeks before the Justice Department released a memo declaring that, after a lengthy review of all evidence available, there is 'no incriminating client list' or proof Epstein blackmailed prominent people as part of his alleged actions. It further noted that no more files related to the case — other than a video meant to prove that Epstein died by suicide — would be made public. The subsequent backlash was fierce, with critics calling for Bondi's head. Trump has, meanwhile, repeatedly come to his attorney general's defense while trying to quell his angry base. Many of them have pointed out the president's past vows to make public the Epstein files, and his recent hesitation to do so, has sparked questions about his involvement with the financier. Further fueling the fire, The Wall Street Journal also recently published a report on a collection of letters gifted to Epstein, one of them allegedly penned by Trump. The note, contained in a bound collection given to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, apparently included a drawing of a naked woman with his signature written across her pelvis in a way that appeared to mimic pubic hair. 'A pal is a wonderful thing,' Trump wrote to Epstein, per the WSJ. 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.' Trump denied writing the birthday note and has since sued the Journal over its report. White House communications director Steven Cheung on Wednesday also denied the Journal's latest bombshell in a statement to Newsweek. 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his (Mar-a-Lago) club for being a creep,' Cheung said in the statement. 'This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about.' _____
CNN
13 minutes ago
- CNN
Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump can represent himself at trial, judge says
Donald TrumpFacebookTweetLink Follow A man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year in South Florida can represent himself during his trial, a federal judge ruled Thursday. US District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Ryan Routh's request to represent himself during his trial but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. Earlier in the week, the federal public defenders had asked to be taken off the case, saying Routh had refused repeated attempts to meet with them. Routh, 59, is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a US Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. The judge told Routh earlier this month that she doesn't intend to delay the September 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. Routh, who has described the extent of his education as two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understood and would be ready. In a June 29 letter to Cannon, Routh said that he and his attorneys were 'a million miles apart' and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also suggested in the same letter that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia. 'I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,' Routh wrote. On Wednesday, the federal public defender's office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, saying 'the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.' Attorneys said Routh refused to meet with them for a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami. They said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team. 'It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,' the motion said. The US Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on September 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said. Routh has another, unrelated hearing in Cannon's courtroom scheduled for Friday on the admissibility of certain evidence and testimony that can be used for the trial. In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
American Press
14 minutes ago
- American Press
Trump grants exemptions to Louisiana chemical facilities
(Metro Creative Serivces) President Donald Trump issued a proclamation exempting certain chemical manufacturing facilities from upcoming changes to the EPA's Hazardous Organic National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. The new rule, finalized on May 16, 2024, would impose stricter emissions control requirements on facilities in the synthetic chemical and polymer manufacturing sectors. In his proclamation, President Trump highlighted the 'substantial burdens' that these regulations would impose on chemical manufacturers who are already operating under stringent regulations. The president expressed concerns that many of the testing and monitoring requirements outlined in the HON Rule rely on technologies that are either unavailable, unproven at the required scale, or unsafe to implement under real-world conditions. 'These requirements assume uniform technological availability across facilities, despite significant variation in site conditions, equipment configurations, and permitting realities,' the proclamation reads. 'For many facilities, compliance would require shutdowns or costly capital investments without a clear path to meeting the new standards.' The new HON rule aims to reduce toxic air pollutants from equipment and processes used in synthetic chemical manufacturing. It directly affects facilities across Louisiana, Texas, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Ohio River Valley. The rule targets smog-forming volatile organic compounds and establishes new emission limits for dioxins and furans. Additionally, facilities will be required to implement fenceline monitoring if they handle any of six high-risk chemicals. The facilities in Louisiana granted an exemption from these new regulations include prominent chemical plants such as Shell Geismar, Dow Chemical Glycol Plant, Formosa Plastic, Union Carbide/Dow Chemical in Hahnville, Westlake Vinyl and several others. 'LDEQ leadership was aware that some Louisiana facilities had applied for this exemption, and we were closely monitoring the status,' said Courtney Burdette, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. 'We will continue to enforce existing HON rules for these plants, with no changes in how the agency oversees their operations.' The proclamation also stresses the importance of maintaining a robust domestic chemical industry, citing its vital role in national defense, energy, agriculture, and public health sectors. Trump emphasized that a disruption in the industry would weaken key supply chains, increase dependence on foreign producers, and impair the country's crisis response capabilities. The exemption granted to these facilities delays compliance with the HON rule for an additional two years beyond the original deadline. During this period, these facilities will continue to operate under the previous emissions standards.
