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Overnight News Digest May 2, 2023 [1]
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Date: 2023-05-02
Chicago Sun-Times: Madigan associate, 3 other defendants in ComEd bribery trial found guilty on all counts by Jon Seidel and Tina Sfondeles
Four former political power players have been found guilty of conspiring over nearly a decade to bribe then-Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, a once powerful Democrat who is facing his own corruption trial next year. Word came late in the afternoon Tuesday, a week after the jury began deliberations. Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual was among attorneys who gathered in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber for the verdict to be announced. Two of the defendants — ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty — arrived by around 4:45 p.m. They were joined 10 minutes later by Madigan confidant Michael McClain and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore. The jurors began filing in soon afterward. The judge then announced they had found all four guilty on all counts. Leinenweber complimented the jurors for their service. ”You folks have been front and center, and it’s been a delight.”
The New York Times: Is the Debt Limit Constitutional? Biden Aides Are Debating It. By Jim Tankersley
A standoff between House Republicans and President Biden over raising the nation’s borrowing limit has administration officials debating what to do if the government runs out of cash to pay its bills, including one option that previous administrations had deemed unthinkable. That option is effectively a constitutional challenge to the debt limit. Under the theory, the government would be required by the 14th Amendment to continue issuing new debt to pay bondholders, Social Security recipients, government employees and others, even if Congress fails to lift the limit before the so-called X-date. That theory rests on the 14th Amendment clause stating that “the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.” Some legal scholars contend that language overrides the statutory borrowing limit, which currently caps federal debt at $31.4 trillion and requires congressional approval to raise or lift.
NBC News: DA will not charge ex-Memphis police officer involved in Tyre Nichols stop by Marlene Lenthang
No criminal charges will be brought against a Memphis police officer who was fired for his involvement in the traffic stop that led to the death of Tyre Nichols, the Shelby County, Tennessee, district attorney said Tuesday. Nichols, 29, who was Black, was brutally assaulted after he was pulled over Jan. 7 for alleged reckless driving, and he died three days later. Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy explained in an update Tuesday why criminal charges against former Officer Preston Hemphill were not warranted. Hemphill was at the scene of the traffic stop but was never present at the later scene where Nichols was seen on video being punched and struck with a baton, Mulroy said. “By no means do we endorse the conduct of Officer Hemphill at that first traffic stop,” Mulroy said. “But we do not believe that criminal charges are appropriate.”
Time: Private Security Guards Are Replacing Police Across America by Alana Semuels
Andre Boyer enters the gas station like a soldier—back straight, boots shined, AR-15 pointed towards the floor. He’s late to meet me, he says, because his employee caught a shoplifter and he needed to sort through red tape. He seems unaware of the flutter of anxiety spreading through the store as customers see his weapon, handcuffs, and bulletproof vest. But if anyone asked, which they don’t, he’d assure them that he’s there for their own good, even though it’s hard to be relaxed in the presence of a loaded gun. “We’re not here to beat people up,” says Boyer, who heads S.I.T.E, a private protection agency that is patrolling gas stations and hotels in Philadelphia at the behest of store owners. “We’re here to let the public know that they can feel safe.” Boyer’s armed guard service has boomed over the last year as Philadelphia police staffing issues led to longer response times. Neil Patel, the owner of this Karco gas station, says he hired Boyer in December after thieves stole an ATM from his gas station and the police didn’t respond for six hours. Patel is not the only business owner shelling out money for private security as police departments across the U.S. lose staff. Already struggling to recruit new applicants in 2019, police departments saw a spike of retirements and a drop-off in new recruits after the 2020 murder of George Floyd and subsequent backlash against police, says Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. In Philadelphia alone, police staffing levels dropped nearly 10% from the end of 2019 to the end of 2022, a recent government audit found. Nationally, the number of sworn officers dropped 7% between 2019 and 2021, according to FBI data.
The Washington Post: Zelensky says White House told him nothing about Discord intelligence leaks by Isabelle Khurshudyan
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not had any conversations with the White House about a massive leak of top-secret U.S. intelligence documents, he said in a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post on Monday, calling the disclosures damaging to both Washington and Kyiv. Zelensky learned about the disclosures like everybody else — in the news. “I did not receive information from the White House or the Pentagon beforehand,” Zelensky said. “We did not have that information. I personally did not. It’s definitely a bad story.” “It is unprofitable for us,” Zelensky added. “It is not beneficial to the reputation of the White House, and I believe it is not beneficial to the reputation of the United States.”
Guardian: Roads reopened after controlled explosion outside Buckingham Palace by Nadeem Badshah and Vikram Dodd
A man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace on Tuesday after allegedly throwing items – suspected to be shotgun cartridges – into the palace grounds. Officers detained the man at about 7pm after he approached the gates of the palace in central London. He was held on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after he was searched and a knife was found, but he was not carrying a gun, the Metropolitan police said. Cordons were put in place after the man was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag, the force added. Roads have now reopened and most of the cordons have been lifted. Specialists attended and after an assessment a controlled explosion was conducted as a precaution.
AlJazeera: Brazil’s ‘fake news’ bill sparks outcry from tech giants
Brazil’s Congress is weighing a regulatory bill that would shift the burden onto internet companies to report illegal content on their sites, a controversial initiative that has pitted the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against major tech companies such as Google. On Tuesday, Google was forced to remove a link on its home page in Brazil that advocated against Bill 2630, also known as the Fake News Law. The link alleged that the bill would stir public confusion and called on users to contact their congressional representatives to speak out against the legislation. The Brazilian proposal, which would create penalties for tech companies that fail to crack down on fake news and other illegal materials on their platforms, would be among the strictest legislation governing social media and other content-hosting websites. It has been compared to the European Union’s Digital Services Act, adopted last year to regulate major tech companies and create standards for transparency and content moderation.
The Hollywood Reporter: Writers Strike Picket Line Takes Over Entire New York City Block by Alex Weprin and Abbey White
The first picket line of the 2023 writers strike took over an entire New York City block Tuesday afternoon, with the WGA work stoppage official, and union strike plans in full effect. Hundreds of writers representing all parts of the WGA East’s membership marched on 5th Avenue, between 37th and 38th streets, blocking the entrance to the Newfront presentation for Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service. “This is viewed as an existential moment for writers,” writer, actor, producer and director Danny Strong told The Hollywood Reporter on the picket line. “I think that we are very dug in, and I think that what we’re asking for is fundamentally right and it is a basic sort of fairness. There’s more content than ever and yet writer salaries have gone significantly down because all these revenue streams have been eliminated.” “We feel like the current financial model towards streaming in particular is unfair, that it needs to be adjusted,” Strong added. “It needed to be adjusted three years ago, but the writers very graciously because of the pandemic chose not to address the issues at that time, because it was such an unprecedented, disturbing time for the entire world. But these issues have only gotten worse for writers since then. Streaming has only gotten bigger. It’s only taking up a bigger portion of the market share, and it’s going to be dominating the industry for decades to come. So now is the moment that we need to get a fair share of income from that.”
Have the best possible evening everyone!
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