3 Things To Know Today

Vintage movie countdown, illustration

Photo: Science Photo Library RF

1 U.S. Agrees To Deal With Iran For Prisoner Release

Congress was informed yesterday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on sanction waivers last week as part of a deal with the Iranian government to release five American prisoners. The waiver releases international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds from South Korea, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and Qatar with no fear of U.S. sanctions. While the release of the money was expected, the official deal outlined to Congress also included the release of five Iranian prisoners. Four of the five American prisoners were transferred from jails to house arrest last month as the deal was being finalized. The fifth prisoner had already been under house arrest. The terms of the deal are expected to draw criticism from Republicans, with former Vice President Mike Pence telling reporters at a campaign stop yesterday that the deal was concerning to him. Pence said he welcomed the release of American prisoners, but “When we pay ransom payments to terrorist regimes like Iran, we only encourage them.”

2 Pennsylvania Police Say They're Entering "The Long Game" In Search For Escaped Killer

The search for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania is getting closer to having lasted for two weeks, and despite numerous sightings, authorities have yet to catch up with the killer. At yesterday’s press conference, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark used the term “long game” several times to describe the new phase of the search. Cavalcante slipped past the perimeter law enforcement had set up around a botanical park where he was first suspected to be and was last seen in the area of East Nantmeal Township, which is about 45 minutes away. Video from doorbell cameras has helped officers track Cavalcante’s movements, and also shown that he’s changed his appearance, changing clothes multiple times and shaving off his beard and mustache. Clark said yesterday that it’s a new type of search now that the killer is in a more urban setting, saying that “it’s advantage law enforcement.” The reward for information leading to Cavalcante’s arrest has been increased to $25,000. Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens says that Cavalcante’s sister was uncooperative with investigators, and is now in federal custody after it was determined that she was in the United States illegally.

3 Trump’s Lawyers Ask Federal Judge To Recuse Herself From Election Subversion Case

The legal team for former President Donald Trump asked the federal judge presiding over his election subversion case to recuse herself yesterday. The recusal motion against U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, a former assistant public defender and a President Barack Obama judicial nominee, says her past public statements about Trump and his connection to the Jan. 6th riot at the Capitol called into question if she could be fair to Trump in the case. Chutkan has handed out some of the toughest sentences to Jan. 6th defendants, but experts say the request is a long shot because of the high threshold for recusal…and also because the only person who can decide that Chutkan should be accused is Chutkan herself, a decision she’s not expected to make. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team has called public statements made by Trump into question, saying they could taint a jury pool Chutkan ordered Smith’s team to file any opposition to the recusal request by Thursday.


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