Wednesday, September 7 top stories
It is Wednesday, September 7. Here are today’s top stories.
Mar-a-Lago document had info on foreign nuclear weapons
The Washington Post reported that according to anonymous sources, one of the classified documents the FBI seized from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home included information on a foreign government’s nuclear weapons and military defenses. It is not known which country it is.
News analysts said there are only nine countries in the world, including the U.S., that have nuclear weapons. They are the U.K., France, India, Pakistan, Russia, China, North Korea, and possibly Israel.
In separate but related news, former Trump attorney general William Barr criticized Trump on Friday by saying there is no reason why classified documents should be in a “country club.” Barr has also criticized the Florida federal judge who authorized Trump’s request for a special master to be brought in to review the seized documents. Barr did not agree with the judge’s decision.
Cruise passenger killed by shark while snorkeling
CBS News reported that a woman who was on a Royal Caribbean cruise trip died after being attacked by a shark while snorkeling in the Bahamas. She was hospitalized but died from her injuries.
The woman was 58 years old and from Pennsylvania. She was traveling with her family. The site was a “popular snorkeling spot near Green Cay in the northern Bahamas.”
The woman’s family said the shark was a bull shark.
Woman dies hiking in Grand Canyon amid extreme heat
Officials at the Grand Canyon National Park said a 59-year-old female backpacker was found dead along the Thunder River Trail on September 4. She was identified as Delphine Martinez. Officials said she was on a multi-day backpacking trip at a time when temperatures were between 100 to 115 degrees F and became disoriented and unconscious.
Martinez was a part of the Navajo Nation administration in Arizona.
CNN explained that another hiker died on Monday after suffering heat exhaustion while hiking at a trail about 40 miles north of Phoenix. The person was a 32-year-old doctor who got lost while hiking with his friends and ran out of water.
Grand Canyon officials said visitors should be prepared for excessively hot days in the coming weeks and do not recommend hiking in the inner canyon during the heat of the day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
———
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
———
[Advertisement from Partner Mouse: There’s no better feeling than being Deaf at Disney! Partner Mouse is a Deaf travel service specializing in planning magical Disney Vacations. Learn more on our website at https://partnermouse.com and start planning your dream vacation with a Partner Mouse travel agent!]
—------
Obamas return to White House for portrait unveiling
Barack and Michelle Obama returned to the White House today for the unveiling of their official White House portraits. It is the first time the couple has returned to the White House since they left in 2017.
Here are what the portraits look like. Artist Robert McCurdy painted the portrait of Barack while artist Sharon Sprung painted the portrait of Michelle.
It is a tradition for presidents to host a portrait unveiling ceremony for their predecessor, but former President Donald Trump didn’t host a ceremony for the Obamas. When Obama was president, he hosted a ceremony for the Bushes.
President Biden said the portraits will hang in the White House “forever.” He said Barack helped him to be prepared to be president.
Barack said in remarks on stage that the country is better off when Biden took office and that we all should be deeply grateful for that.
Russia buying weapons from North Korea
U.S. intelligence officials said Russia is purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea. The officials said the purchases shows that Russia is facing severe supply shortages in its war in Ukraine. Russia does not have many options because the country is heavily sanctioned by countries around the world.
Officials believe Russia will continue to purchase weapons from North Korea going forward.
The White House said, “We are choking off Russia’s military supply chains.”
In separate but related news, the U.S. is now watching Russia as it becomes closer to China. The two countries recently held joint military drills. Both countries’ leaders, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, plan to meet next week at a summit in Uzbekistan.
Steve Bannon expected to surrender to prosecutors in New York
News reports said Steve Bannon, adviser to former President Donald Trump, is expected to surrender to prosecutors in New York on Thursday on charges related to an online fundraising effort to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Bannon previously faced federal charges in this case, in which he was accused of defrauding donors and using the money raised for personal expenses, but Trump pardoned him on his final day in office.
This case is a state case, so the presidential pardon does not apply.
Bannon said the charges were politically motivated.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/06/trump-nuclear-documents/
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/07/us/grand-canyon-backpacker-death-delphine-martinez/index.html
https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/hiker-fatality-thunder-river-september-2022.htm
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/obama-portrait-unveiling-white-house/index.html
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/putin-xi-meet-uzbekistan-week-official-89443809