Trump to Surrender at Fulton County Jail Today
Former President Donald Trump will turn himself in at the Fulton County jail today. He agreed to a $200,000 bond and specific release conditions. Trump and 18 others face charges for trying to interfere with Georgia’s 2020 election results. All co-defendants must surrender before a Friday noon deadline. District Attorney Fani Willis set this deadline after unveiling a broad indictment last week. When asked if Trump would have his mugshot taken, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat confirmed that Trump would be treated like any local inmate with no special treatment during booking.
GOP Debate: Candidates Clash Without Trump
Eight Republican candidates took the stage Wednesday night in Milwaukee for the first primary debate of the 2024 campaign. Each candidate aimed to present themselves as the best alternative to frontrunner Donald Trump, who skipped the debate to prepare for his surrender in Georgia. Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke the most during the debate, with over 12 minutes of airtime. However, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy became the focal point of the night. He sparred with Pence on experience, Nikki Haley on foreign policy, and Chris Christie on Trump. Despite the heated exchanges, experts believe the debate won’t significantly impact Trump’s strong lead in the polls.
Wagner Leader Prigozhin Dies in Plane Crash
Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash northwest of Moscow, according to Russian authorities. Prigozhin, who led a failed rebellion against Russia’s military leadership, was among ten passengers aboard the plane. All died in the crash. President Joe Biden suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin might have been involved. “I’m not surprised,” Biden remarked, though he admitted no concrete evidence links Putin to the incident. This comes as Ukraine marks its Independence Day, 18 months after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Extreme Heat Grips Large Parts of the US
Triple-digit temperatures are scorching much of the United States today and Friday. At least 22 states, from the Gulf Coast up to central Minnesota, are under heat alerts. A heat dome, which traps and intensifies hot air, is driving these high temperatures. This week, record heat caused nearly two dozen cattle deaths in Nebraska, forced evacuations in Missouri nursing homes, and closed some businesses in Iowa. By Friday, over 65 million Americans will experience temperatures exceeding 100 degrees.
China Bans Japanese Seafood Over Fukushima Water Release
China announced a ban on all seafood imports from Japan. The decision responds to Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. Japanese officials argue that the water meets international safety standards, but China insists the ban is necessary to protect consumers from potential radioactive contamination. The seafood ban escalates tensions between the two countries, already strained by the water release decision.