August 2, 2023 - Your Daily Digest

Trump Arraignment, Synagogue shooter sentenced, stocks sink, and more

Today is August 2, 2023, and here are four stories that you need to know about. If you enjoy my newsletter, please consider a monthly subscription to support my work, get access to exclusive content, and more.

1) Donald Trump’s Arraignment

After being indicted for a third time, Donald Trump will appear at a Washington, D.C. federal courthouse tomorrow afternoon at 4 PM EDT for his arraignment. Yesterday, Donald Trump was indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith relating to Trump’s actions on January 6, 2021. Trump faces four criminal charges with a maximum penalty of 55 years in federal prison (although if convicted, he would be sentenced to much less per the sentencing guidelines).

At this arraignment, Trump will plead not guilty to the charges in the indictment, at which point Judge Tanya Chutkan will proceed with issuing a scheduling order for the case. The Special Counsel has indicted that he will seek a speedy trial in this case to ensure it is resolved prior to the 2024 election. Unlike the indictment in Florida, this one does not deal with highly classified documents, and therefore, it is likely we will see Trump go to trial at some point in early 2024. Stay tuned for more.

2) Tree of Life Shooter Sentenced to Death

In 2018, 11 Jewish Americans were senselessly murdered while worshipping at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Today, a federal jury sentenced the murder to death after ten hours of deliberation. The jury unanimously rejected the defense’s pleas for a life sentence and rejected many of the defense’s attempts at mitigation. Tomorrow, the judge will formally sentence the shooter to death at a short hearing. This is the first death sentence issued during the Biden Administration, and it remains to be seen whether the execution will be carried out.

3) Russia Targets Grain Infrastructure Again

Russia struck critical grain infrastructure in Odesa again in an effort to disrupt the global food supply. This latest strike occurred near the Danube River, and is the closest Moscow has come to striking NATO territory. In response, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said the strikes are completely unacceptable given the close proximity to Romania. Meanwhile, Turkish President Erdogan held a phone call with Vladimir Putin where he stressed the importance of the Black Sea grain deal on the global economy. Russia’s strikes also come as Ukraine has increased its attacks directly on Moscow, with multiple drones hitting high-rise buildings in the Russian Capital during the past several weeks. It remains to be seen how all of this impacts the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

4) Junta Leader in Niger Requests Wagner Support

As the situation in Niger continues to worsen following the recent coup in Russia, the deputy leader of the Junta in Niger was spotted in Mali, where reports suggest he will be requesting the deployment of Wagner forces to Niger to help with the new regime. This latest reporting comes as the U.S. State Department is working closely with defense officials to prepare for the evacuation of U.S. embassy staff and nationals who remain in Niger.

As a result of the coup, the ECOWAS Standby Force, which includes a military rapid-reaction force used by the economic community of West African states, has reportedly been placed into an “Combat-Alert Status.” Multiple African countries have drawn lines in the sand with Mali, Ghana, and Burkina Faso announcing they will not intervene in Niger if asked, while Nigeria asserting the country will intervene if asked to protect democracy in Niger. This situation is worsening with each passing day, and I will provide you updates as we learn more.