June 13 top stories
It is June 13. Here are today’s top stories.
Donald Trump pleads not guilty to all federal charges
Former president Donald Trump appeared in a federal courthouse in Miami today and pleaded not guilty on all of his 37 charges related to his handling of classified documents after he left the White House and obstructing the government’s efforts to retrieve the documents.
Trump’s aide and co-defendant in the classified documents case, Walt Nauta, sat at the same table as Trump in the courtroom and also pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, making false statements and withholding documents.
The judge in the case said Trump is not allowed to talk with Nauta about the case.
Trump will be traveling back to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey and plans to deliver a statement tonight.
News analysts said now the court process begins with the government revealing its evidence through the discovery process with pretrial motions being filed and argued. The process may take several months.
Trump’s attorney is Todd W. Blanche, who is also representing him in his Manhattan case on hush money charges.
Tour boat capsizes inside Erie Canal tunnel
On Monday, a tour boat in an underground cavern system in Lockport, New York capsized, throwing all 29 people onboard into cold water that was 5 to 6 feet deep. Tragically, one person died after being trapped underneath the boat.
AP News explained that the tour operator is Lockport Cave Tours and that boats typically take visitors through a dim tunnel that is about 300 feet long. The tunnel was created in the 19th century to transport canal water to factories.
AP said the passengers were hospitality workers and that some of them were able to get to safety on their own while about 16 others were rescued by crews using an inflatable boat. Nobody on the boat had a life vest.
U.S. Olympian dies from complications of childbirth
Tori Bowie, who was a three-time U.S. Olympic medalist in track and field, was found dead at her home in Florida last month by police who conducted a welfare check after others said they haven’t seen or heard from her for several days.
An autopsy report said Bowie was about eight months pregnant and was undergoing labor when she died. She may have had respiratory distress and eclampsia, which is a serious health condition that can cause high blood pressure and organ damage in those who are pregnant. Her obituary said her baby, Ariana, also died.
The CDC said black women are three times more likely than white women to suffer a pregnancy-related death.
There are many tributes to Bowie on social media. She was 32 years old.
Major battle in Ukraine
ABC News said Ukraine has begun its counteroffensive against Russia and that there is a major battle in southeastern Ukraine, near the city of Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian forces have forced Russian forces to pull back from several villages. Ukrainian troops used American-made Bradley fighting vehicles and German-made Leopard-2 tanks in the battles. Russian forces were able to capture some of these military vehicles.
In separate news, 11 civilians were killed by Russian missile strikes that hit an apartment in the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s hometown.
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Denver Nuggets win first NBA title
On Monday night, the Denver Nuggets won the NBA championship for the first time in team history by defeating Miami Heat in Game 5.
Nuggets’ star player Nikola Jokic won the NBA Finals MVP award.
Actor Treat Williams dies in motorcycle accident
Actor Treat Williams, who is best known for his role in the TV series “Everwood,” died in a motorcycle accident on Monday afternoon in Vermont. He was 71.
A news report said Williams was riding on a motorcycle and collided with a car whose driver did not see Williams.
He leaves behind a wife and two children. His family said they are shocked and are beyond devastated.
Bear spotted swimming in Destin Beach
On Sunday, dozens of people on the beach in Destin Beach, Florida spotted and filmed a young black bear swimming in the ocean. The bear got on the sand and scampered through beach chairs and umbrellas to get away from the crowds.
Florida wildlife officials said it is typical for young bears, during this time of the year, to leave their mother’s homes to explore new and unexpected areas. Sometimes black bears swim to islands in search of food. There are about 4,000 black bears in Florida.
People on the shore said there was confusion when people shouted, “bear” because they expected to hear something like “shark” or “dolphin.”
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/06/13/us/trump-indictment-arraignment-court
https://apnews.com/article/boat-capsizes-lockport-cave-4f7cf60f33ed04f9dbdd512cac18b00a
https://people.com/tori-bowie-died-from-childbirth-complications-rep-confirms-7503116
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/sports/olympics/tori-bowie-death-childbirth-pregnant.html
https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/russia-ukraine-war/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65873831
https://www.axios.com/2023/06/13/denver-nuggets-first-title-nba-champions-beat-miami-heat-finals
https://deadline.com/2023/06/treat-williams-dies-actor-everwood-hair-1235415225/