Epstein’s List, A Capitol Hoax, & A (Very Cute) New Dog Breed
January 4, 2024
Hello, readers! Happy Thursday. Today, we’re talking about Jeffrey Epstein, a bombing in Iran, Russia and Ukraine’s prisoner swap, British doctors striking, the Capitol bomb hoax, Trump trying to get back on the Colorado ballot, and a new AKC dog breed.
Here’s some good news: Starbucks announced it will allow customers to use their own personal cups for any order – mobile orders, drive-through, and in-store – in an attempt to reduce the waste of their paper cups. No Ka ‘Oi Jewelers, a local business in Hawaii, has begun restoring items for free for those affected by the massive wildfires that tore through the island last year.
A Deposition You Definitely Don’t Want To Read
Yesterday, a series of court documents from a lawsuit connected to sex offender (and alleged sex trafficker) Jeffrey Epstein were released to the public. The hundreds of pages of documents contain parts of depositions by Ghislaine Maxwell, Virginia Giuffre, and Johanna Sjoberg. Maxwell is a convicted sex trafficker and an ex-close associate of Epstein who’s now serving a 20-year prison sentence in Florida, while Giuffre is an alleged victim of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, and Sjoberg was a former victim of Epstein.
In the unsealed documents, Sjoberg says that Epstein once told her that former President Bill Clinton “likes them young,” referring to the girls allegedly trafficked by the now-deceased sex offender. She added that Clinton was a friend of Epstein’s and had “dealings” with the disgraced financier, and that Prince Andrew had once groped her while posing for a photo – the royal settled a lawsuit leveled against him by Giuffre in 2022.
The rest of the unsealed documents were mainly legal motions and excerpts from depositions against Epstein outlining his misdeeds, which we don’t really want to write about here (and we’re sure you don’t want to read about first thing in the morning). You can read the documents in full here.
Tragedy At A Tomb
On Wednesday, a massive attack on a memorial service in Iran killed over 95 people in one of the bloodiest events in the nation’s history. The attack involved two explosive blasts at a memorial event for General Qassem Soleimani, a key figure in the Islamic Republic’s military who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.
The first blast hit about 2,300 feet from Soleimani’s tomb, and the second blast took place about 2,000 feet away. Over 210 other people were injured. So far, no group or state has claimed responsibility for the incident, and the White House claims that neither the U.S. nor Israel were responsible for the explosions. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refrained from pointing the finger at any group in his statement, but experts say the explosions didn’t seem to be the work of a nation’s military as most military attacks are designed to hit specific targets instead of mindlessly taking civilian lives.
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Trading Blows And Prisoners
- After exchanging airstrikes to start the year, Russia and Ukraine decided to trade something else on Wednesday: prisoners of war. Yesterday marked the biggest prisoner exchange since the war in Ukraine broke out, with Russia releasing over 230 Ukrainian POWs in exchange for 248 Russian servicemen. The deal was brokered with the help of the United Arab Emirates, and marks the 49th such exchange since the conflict began.
- The two sides also exchanged some rockets as the POW deal was going through, of course. Russia says it shot down 12 missiles aimed at its southern border region yesterday, with one border city losing access to power thanks to other Ukrainian shelling. Russia has also increased its airstrikes on Ukraine recently, with the U.K. Defense Ministry claiming that Russian strikes are targeting Ukraine’s defense industry.
A Big Strike Against Low Wages
- On Wednesday, thousands of British doctors walked off the job to kick off a six-day strike. Their strike, in protest of low wages, is expected to affect the appointments of tens of thousands of patients across Britain’s NHS through next Tuesday. The strikers are mainly junior doctors, or those in the first year of their careers, who earn just £15.53 ($19.37) an hour – the U.K.’s minimum wage is about £10.
- The British health sector was rocked by strikes throughout 2023 as healthcare workers fought for the right to a living wage amid a nationwide cost of living crisis. The government resolved pay raises for many workers, including ambulance drivers and nurses, but has yet to strike a deal with junior doctors. The doctors were given an 8.8% pay raise in 2023, but given the fact that their wages have been slashed by over 25% since 2008, that wasn’t exactly satisfactory.
Additional World News
- Japan coast guard plane not cleared for takeoff before crash, traffic control transcript suggests (CNN)
- Extreme cold grips the Nordics, with the coldest January night in Sweden, as floods hit to the south (AP)
- Taiwan spots Chinese balloons over island near major air base (Reuters)
- South Africa’s genocide case against Israel sets up a high-stakes legal battle at the UN’s top court (AP)
Middle East Reads
- Bernie Sanders calls on Congress to block funding to Israel (Guardian)
- U.S. condemns Israeli ultranationalist ministers’ call to push Palestinians out of Gaza (Axios)
- US intel confident militant groups used largest Gaza hospital in campaign against Israel (AP)
- After tumbling in polls, Netanyahu clings to power and aims to improve political standing during war (AP)
“To be doing good deeds is man’s most glorious task.” – Sophocles
A Capitol Offense
- On Wednesday morning, Capitol buildings in Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Montana were evacuated after bomb threats were called in. No evidence of explosives was found in any of the buildings. The closures were short in most states, and some states didn’t evacuate at all.
- The threats come on the heels of a series of swatting calls – a prank call made to emergency services that results in a large law enforcement response. The swatting has hit both sides of the aisle, from Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who supported removing former President Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot.
Calling On Colorado For Comfort
- Yesterday, former President Trump formally asked the Supreme Court to overturn Colorado’s decision to remove him from the ballot in the state and “return the right to vote for their candidate of choice to the voters.” The move comes only a couple of weeks before primary voting begins in Iowa.
- Trump was removed from the ballot under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause. Trump’s team is arguing that the “question of eligibility” for the presidency should be determined by Congress, not the states, and that Colorado was wrong to rule January 6 an insurrection at all, let alone that Trump was involved in it.
Additional USA Reads
- Major winter storm expected to hit East Coast, could bring first heavy snow to cities in years (NBC)
- U.S. reopening 4 entry points at southern border following dramatic drop in migrant crossings (CBS)
- UN experts alarmed by Alabama plan to kill prisoner using untried gas method (Guardian)
- US women are stocking up on abortion pills, especially when there is news about restrictions (AP)
- Sen. Menendez charged with receiving gifts from Qatar in new allegations in corruption scheme (CNN)
- As GOP moves to impeach Mayorkas, he urges Congress to fix a broken immigration system (NPR)
- Imam who was shot outside a New Jersey mosque has died, law enforcement source says (CNN)
Man’s Newest Best Friend
- New year, new … dog? On Wednesday, the American Kennel Club announced its recognition of a new dog breed known as the Lancashire Heeler. The small, rare herding dog is known for its high-energy nature and tendency to “smile” when happy – at least, as much as a dog can grin.
- “They’re gritty little dogs, and they’re very intelligent little dogs,” says one Lancashire heeler breeder. “It’s an enjoyable little breed to be around.” The breed’s official description says they’re “courageous, happy, affectionate to owner,” and that they can pull back their lips in a “smile” when content.
- The recognition by the American Kennel Club means that the small dogs are now able to participate in purebred dog shows, including the famous Westminster Kennel Club show. The AKC now recognizes just 201 purebred dog species for participation at its shows, though animal rights activists say that adding new breeds to the club’s registry can promote genetic issues in dog breeds and encourage inhumane puppy mills.
Additional Reads
- Second world war-era practice bomb found on California beach (Guardian)
- Things to know about Minnesota’s new, non-racist state flag and seal (ABC)
- NFL fines Panthers owner David Tepper $300,000 for tossing drink at Jaguars fans (NBC)
- NASA spacecraft makes its closest-ever approach to Jupiter’s moon Io, releases new images of the solar system’s “most volcanic world” (CBS)
- Souvenir sellers have flooded the Brooklyn Bridge. Now the city is banning them (AP)