July 11 top stories
It is July 11. Here are today’s top stories.
Trump attorneys ask for delay in classified files trial
Donald Trump’s attorneys asked the federal judge in Florida who is overseeing his trial on charges of mishandling classified documents to delay the trial until after the 2024 presidential election.
The judge, Aileen Cannon, previously set the trial date for August 14. Federal prosecutors asked to postpone it to December.
Attorneys for Walt Nauta, who is a longtime aide to Trump and was also charged with mishandling classified documents, joined Trump in the request for the delay of the trial until after the 2024 election.
Trump’s attorneys argued that if the trial was to take place during the presidential election cycle, it would cause “extraordinary challenges” because opposing candidates would be “adverse to one another.” Trump’s attorneys said he is being prosecuted by the administration of a sitting president (Biden) against his chief political rival, who is also a leading candidate for the presidency.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges against Trump, previously said his office would seek a speedy trial. We’ll see how Judge Cannon responds to Trump and Nauta’s request.
Missing 14-year-old girl found in Marine Corps base
On June 28, military police at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California said they found a missing 14-year-old girl in the barracks area.
The girl’s grandmother reported her missing about two weeks prior to her discovery. The grandmother said the girl had run away.
A spokesperson for the Marine Corps said a Marine was taken into custody. An image shows two military police officers escorting a handcuffed man. The suspect’s identity is unknown. He was later released and placed back to his duties.
The girl was returned to her grandmother. Police said they interviewed her and offered the family services.
So far no charges have been filed and no arrests have been made.
Vermont’s capital city hit by severe flooding
Vermont’s capital city, Montpelier, is struggling with severe flooding. Downtown streets are underwater and the area is closed. Several days of heavy rain have caused rivers to rise to record-high levels and many people in remote areas are stranded.
As of noon today, at least 117 people were rescued from flooded cars and homes. Officials said they are still working to rescue others using boats or helicopters.
Vermont Gov. Scott said this is a historic level of devastation and flooding and that they are nowhere near over.
President Biden declared a state of emergency for Vermont today, which allows federal resources to go toward the disaster response.
One major area of concern is a dam near the capital city because it is nearing capacity and could spill water into rivers that would cause even more flooding in Montpelier.
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Zelenskyy frustrated with NATO over membership
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy tweeted today that he thinks it is absurd that NATO members are unwilling to offer Ukraine a time frame on when they could become a member country.
There is a NATO summit going on right now in Vilnius.
Zelenskyy said it seems like “there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATo nor to make it a member of the Alliance.” He warned that it could give Russia motivation to continue “its terror.”
Axios said the issue of how to handle Ukraine’s future membership has divided NATO, with some countries pushing for a stronger statement. Axios said, “The unstated question before the (NATO) leaders… is whether, and under what circumstances, they would be willing to send soldiers to fight for Ukraine.”
U.S. President Biden said in an interview on Sunday that he doesn’t believe that Ukraine is ready to join the alliance and that if NATO invited Ukraine now, it would mean signing up for war with Russia.
Axios said in the meantime, NATO’s biggest military powers, France, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. are expected to commit to arming and supporting Ukraine for the longer term.
Pro surfer dies in surfing accident
A professional surfer from Hawaii, Mikala Jones, who was known for his skill in photographing himself in the barrels of waves, passed away in a surfing accident. News reports said he bled to death after cutting an artery in his upper leg. He may have been hit by the fin of his surfboard, which can be sharp.
Jones was 44 years old and a married father of three. The incident was in the Mentawai Islands near Indonesia’s mainland.
His daughter posted on Instagram that she is in disbelief and that she wishes she could give him one last hug.
California neighborhood impacted by landslide
In Southern California, about 16 residents of a gated community were forced to evacuate due to a “sliding hillside” that is causing large cracks to emerge in driveways, lawns, and homes. Some of the houses seemed to sink.
Residents in the community, called Rolling Hills Estates, had only 20 minutes to get their things and evacuate on Saturday when the land began shifting. Since then, ten of the houses have collapsed. The median value of a house in the community is about $1.5 million. Residents said they are concerned about whether insurance will cover the losses.
Officials in the community are expected to declare a state of emergency and investigate what is causing the slow-moving landslide.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-federal-trial-delay-2024-election/
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/07/11/us/flooding-vermont-ny-new-england
https://www.axios.com/2023/07/10/nato-members-divided-ukraine-summit
https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1678707674811187200
https://nypost.com/2023/07/10/surfer-mikala-jones-dies-after-suffering-severed-artery/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/residents-wealthy-gated-community-southern-145525756.html