Thursday, August 11 top stories
It is Thursday, August 11. Here are today’s top stories.
National average gas prices now under $4
The national average cost of a gallon of gasoline is now $3.99 according to the AAA. It is the first time since March that gas prices were below $4.
Axios said, “Both crude oil and wholesale gasoline prices have rolled over since June, signaling that the worst of the recently elevated energy costs may have passed.”
Three people killed by massive home explosion
There was a massive explosion that destroyed a house and damaged many others on Wednesday afternoon in Evansville, Indiana. At least three people were killed.
It is not yet known what caused the explosion. A fire department official said the explosion had a 100-foot blast radius and damaged 40 homes.
A local gas utility company said there was no evidence of a natural gas explosion. There is an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Trump said “same answer” for four hours during questioning
During Donald Trump’s deposition before New York AG Letitia James and her team on Wednesday, Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not answer questions over 400 times in response to about four hours’ worth of questioning about his business and finances.
Trump only answered one question — about his name. He then read out a statement that he was advised by his attorneys to use his Constitutional right to not answer questions. He then said, “same answer” to every question after that. The deposition lasted from about 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with several breaks throughout.
The New York Times said what happens next is a decision from AG James on whether she wants to sue Trump for civil violations or seek a settlement with a large financial penalty. If this case goes to trial, the fact that Trump declined to answer questions can be used against him in court with the idea that if Trump didn’t answer questions, he “knows” that he is guilty.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and said this is a witch hunt.
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Updates on Mar-a-Lago search and presidential records
Here are updates on the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday evening. News reports said an informant notified federal authorities that there may be classified presidential documents that were still stored at Mar-a-Lago. Federal agents removed about 12 boxes.
We do not know the exact reason why the FBI went into Mar-a-Lago,
but news reports say it probably has to do with the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which mandates all presidential records to be preserved. The la w was enacted after former President Richard Nixon tried to destroy presidential records after he resigned in 1974.
In 2017, when Trump was president, he signed a law that made it a felony for any officer, employee, contractor, o r consultant of the United States to knowingly remove documents with classified information and relocate them to an unauthorized location. The penalties for violations of this law are fines and/or up to five years in prison.
Fox News provided a timeline of Trump’s situation.
In late 2021, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) contacted Trump about missing records that were potentially classified.
In January of this year, Trump returned 15 missing boxes. In February, federal officials went to Mar-a-Lago to remove about 15 boxes of presidential documents and asked the Department of Justice to investigate.
About two months ago — in June — federal law enforcement agents came to Mar-a-Lago to ask questions about additional boxes of records. Trump was at the resort at the time and talked with federal officials.
Fox News said there was a breakdown in negotiations between federal investigators and Trump’s representatives due to an apparent lack of cooperation from Trump.
Then finally we have the FBI raid on Monday.
The Department of Justice has not provided information about why they felt the need to conduct a search of Mar-a-Lago.
Armed man attacks FBI office in Ohio
About 9 a.m. this morning an armed man tried to break into an FBI office building in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The FBI office said the man tried to break in through the visitor screening center which set off an alarm.
News reports said he fired a nail gun at staffers and then held up an AR-15 rifle. Special agents immediately responded and the suspect fled in his vehicle and drove north on Interstate 71.
There was a police chase with gunfire exchanged between the suspect and police officers. The suspect had body armor on.
The FBI Cincinnati office this afternoon — at the time of signing — that they and other police officers are at the scene and working to resolve the incident. News reports said it was an “active standoff” and that the suspect was wounded.
We do not yet know the identity of the suspect nor his motive. Just yesterday the FBI Director Wray issued a warning about violent threats circulating online after the FBI searched Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.axios.com/2022/08/11/gas-price-4-gallon
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/nyregion/trump-letitia-james-deposition.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/nyregion/trump-attorney-general-ny-investigation.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/08/10/trump-fbi-search-surveillance-law/
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-vs-national-archives-timeline-leading-mar-a-lago-raid
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/armed-suspect-attempts-breach-fbi-cincinnati-ohio/
https://www.wlwt.com/article/fbi-office-cincinnati-armed-suspect-shot-fire-clinton-county/40871234#
https://www.axios.com/2022/08/05/fbi-christopher-wray-rise-us-politically-driven-violence