Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Russian Revolt Shakes Up Country Over The Weekend
It was a chaotic weekend in Russia, with the leader of the mercenary organization the Wagner Group leading what appeared to be an insurrection, taking over a Russian military building and then heading toward Moscow. Yevgeny Prigozhin stopped his march toward the Russian capital, and a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko saw him retreat to Belarus. There will reportedly be no charges against Prigozhin from Russia, and the Wagner Group’s troops that didn’t back the revolt will reportedly be offered contracts with the Russian military. Prigozhin had refused to sign a contract with the Russian military. Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pointed out that this weekend’s actions were a huge blow to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, saying that 16 months ago Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to seize the capital of Ukraine and now has had to defend Moscow from his own troops. Rep. Mike Turner, the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on “Face the Nation” yesterday that the march on Moscow appeared to have been planned in advance.
2 Prosecutors Ask To Delay Trump's Federal Trial Until December
Prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith’s office requested in a Friday court filing that former President Donald Trump’s trail for the alleged mishandling of classified documents be delayed until December. Prosecutors said in the filing that they needed more time than the original trial date of August 14th, which was set last week by Judge Aileen Cannon, to get security clearances for the defense attorneys. The filing also said that prosecutors had already talked over the proposed delay with Trump’s lawyers and there was no objection. If there are no other delays, Trump’s trial would happen just before the first presidential primary, which is expected to happen in January. Trump’s criminal trial in New York City is currently scheduled to start in March. Speaking to supporters at the Lincoln Day Dinner last night in Michigan, Trump repeated that he’s done nothing wrong, and referenced the “Clinton socks” case as proof that he had the right to have the classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Legal experts are saying that Trump’s interpretation of the Bill Clinton decision, which related to audiotapes the former President had kept in his sock drawer, is incorrect and that the decision doesn’t apply to his case.
3 Coast Guard Opens Marine Board of Investigation Into Titan Implosion
The U.S. Coast Guard said in a press conference yesterday that they have convened a Marine Board of Investigation to find out into what happened with the OceanGate Titan submersible to cause it to implode. Capt. Jason Neubauer is the chief investigator on the case and said yesterday that salvage operations on ongoing. He also said that authorities have mapped the accident site. An MBI is the highest level of investigation conducted by the Coast Guard. Investigators are working with authorities including the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the French marine casualties investigation board, and the United Kingdom Marine Accident Investigation Branch. Capt. Neubauer made it clear during the press conference that the MBI doesn’t just determine what went wrong but can also make recommendations to prosecutors to file civil or criminal charges in connection with the implosion. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced on Saturday that they’re studying the accident and will conduct a full investigation if it appears that federal, provincial, or criminal law was broken. The Titan was carried to the Titanic wreck site by a Canadian boat, the Polar Prince, and left from a Canadian port.