April 12 top stories
Callie: Hi, today is April 12. I am Callie taking Alex’s place. Here are today’s top stories.
Updates on four Americans kidnapped by Mexico drug cartel
In broad daylight, McGee, Williams, Woodard and Brown were kidnapped on March 3 as they were driving to a medical appointment not long after they crossed the US-Mexico border. Woodard and Brown were both killed and the two survivors are McGee and Williams. Investigators believe they were likely mistaken for Haitian drug smugglers.
What happened? McGee and Willaims told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in an interview that the group was driving when they heard a car horn behind them then the shooting started. Woodard and Brown jumped to run away and they were gunned down. Williams tried to jump out of the car and got shot in both legs. McGee and others were forced into a pickup truck where Woodard subsequently died. McGee and Williams recalled they were blindfolded and taken to several different locations over the days. They took Williams to a clinic to stitch up bullet wounds in his legs. Brown was badly wounded and dying. They said they would take him to a hospital but ended up doing nothing until he died.
Eventually, McGee and Williams were dropped off at a wooden shack where they were rescued on March 7. According to Mexican officials, at least six people have been arrested in Mexico so far.
Man survived the hippo attack
Paul Templer, who survived an attack by a hippopotamus, described that he was swallowed by the animal to his waist. He was working as a tour guide on Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River in the 1990s when the hippo appeared from the water and pulled him out of his canoe.
It happened so very quickly that the first thing he knew he was deep to his waist level in the hippo’s mouth with its incredible pressure crushing down on his lower back. He managed to miraculously escape from its powerful jaws but was badly mauled where he lost an arm.
Manhattan DA Bragg sues Rep. Jim Jordan over inquiry in Trump case
DA Alvin Bragg filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Rep. Jim Jordan, House Judiciary Chairman, of a brazen and unconstitutional attack on the prosecution of former US President Donald Trump. It is intended to keep congressional Republicans from interfering in the office’s criminal case against Trump.
The suit said, “Rather than allowing the criminal process to proceed in the ordinary course, Chairman Jordan and the committee are participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation and obstruction.” Lawyers for Bragg are seeking to bar Jordan and his congressional allies from enforcing a subpoena.
Jordan responded in a statement on Twitter saying first they indict a president for no crime then they sue to block congressional oversight when we ask questions about the federal funds they say they used to indict Trump.
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Indiana recycling plant fire emits toxic smoke
Fox News reported that the recycling plant in Richmond, Indiana has a large fire with more than 13 of its 14 acres burned. The building housed plastics and recyclables. The city of Richmond is about 70 miles east of Indianapolis and near Ohio’s western border.
Crews worked overnight to contain the blaze, which forced more than 2,000 residents to evacuate the area. Smoke is the primary concern with tests concentrated on styrene, benzene and other toxins potentially in the air. Air quality monitoring will continue in the evacuation zone and keep local residents informed.
Mayor Dave Snow placed much of the blame on the property owner, saying the city has been involved in litigation regarding the site. He added, “This person has been negligent and irresponsible, and it’s led to putting a lot of people in danger.”
Two Midwestern states to host 2024 Dem and GOP conventions
Both Democratic and Republican parties chose to hold their national conventions in the Midwestern region ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Republicans will have their event in July 2024 in Milwaukee, the largest city in the swing state of Wisconsin. Democrats announced Tuesday that they would hold theirs in August 2024 in Chicago.
The selection by both parties shows that the Midwest has political importance and influence for the next presidential election on Nov 5, 2024.
That is all the top stories for today and stay with the light!
Mexico drug cartel:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/12/us/kidnapped-americans-mexico-interview/index.html
Hippo attack:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/04/i-was-swallowed-by-a-hippo
Bragg suing Jordan:
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/11/1169302613/bragg-lawsuit-jim-jordan-trump-indictment
Indiana plant fire:
Conventions:
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/07/gop-2024-convention-search-526707