August 4, 2023 - Your Daily Digest

Navalny sentenced, Ukraine attacks Russian ship, Trump enters another not guilty plea, and more in today's news digest

Today is August 4, 2023, and here are five 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) Navalny Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison for “extremist activities.” Navalny was already serving an 11 year sentence, and now will serve a total of 30 years in prison. In response to the latest sentence, Navalny issued the following statement: "The figure of the sentence is not for me. It is for you. You, not me, are being frightened and deprived of the will to resist. You are being forced to surrender your Russia without a fight to the gang of traitors and thieves who have seized power." Navalny then urged for folks to not to lose the will to resist: "Putin must not achieve his goal." United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued the following statement in response to this latest sentence: “The United States strongly condemns Russia’s conviction of opposition leader Aleksey Navalny on politically motivated charges. The Kremlin cannot silence the truth. Navalny should be released.”

2) Ukraine Successfully Attacks Russian Ships

Overnight, Ukrainian drones successfully attacked a major naval base in Russia, leaving a damaged Russian warship in the Black Sea. This attack was carried out on land hundreds of miles away from Ukrainian-held territory. New videos show the damaged Russian landing ship, the “Olenegorsky Gornyak,” tilting and sitting very low in water as it was towed to the base near Novorossiysk. Ukrainian sources allegedly told CNN that a sea drone carrying nearly 1,000 pounds of TNT had hit the ship, and claimed there were about 100 Russian servicemen aboard. This is the largest loss Russia has faced since the sinking of the Moskva. Stay tuned for more, especially as Russia gears up for a likely response.

3) Putin Waiting for 2024 United States Election

A chilling new CNN report shows that Vladimir Putin is banking on the 2024 election to further his pursuits in Ukraine. This report suggests that Putin is secretly hoping for President Biden to lose the 2024 election to a more sympathetic Republican nominee so that support for Ukraine in the United States wanes. If true, Putin would gain more leverage in any future negotiation, while Ukraine would likely receive less support, both financially and militarily. Learn more here.

4) Cyberattack Hits U.S. Hospitals

Today, a cyberattack hit multiple hospitals across the United States, disrupting operations in a number of states. This ransomware attack occurred at Prospect Medical Holdings of Los Angeles, which maintains hospitals in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas. The attack forced at least two hospitals in Connecticut to divert patients to other hospitals, while forcing hospitals in Pennsylvania to utilize a paper system as they could not access the electronic portals.

In response to this attack, the company issued the following statement:

“Upon learning of this, we took our systems offline to protect them and launched an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists. While our investigation continues, we are focused on addressing the pressing needs of our patients as we work diligently to return to normal operations as quickly as possible.” Learn more about this attack here.

5) Trump Pleads Not Guilty Twice in 24 Hours as Georgia Indictments Loom

Donald Trump has issued two pleas, in two separate cases, during the last 24 hours. The first plea was issued in the January 6th indictment, where Trump plead not guilty to four federal criminal charges associated with his actions on January 6, 2021. The second plea, which was entered today, was issued in response to a superseding indictment filed by Special Counsel Jack Smith in the classified documents case in South Florida, where Trump is charged with over 30 counts of mishandling highly classified documents. These latest pleas come as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is preparing to potentially indict Trump and his associates as part of her wide ranging investigation into election interference in Georgia. Barriers have been erected in front of the Fulton County courthouse in recent weeks, and indictments are expected as soon as next week. Stay tuned for more.

6) Florida Bans AP Psychology

The Florida Board of Education has notified Florida superintendents that they must drop AP psychology classes unless they exclude all topics related to gender or sexuality. This comes after the state has worked to ban African American history in the classroom and is just months after the legislature passed the Don’t Say Gay bill, targeting LGBTQ+ related curriculum in the classroom.

In response, the College Board issued the following statement: “We are sad to have learned that today the Florida Department of Education has effectively banned AP Psychology in the state by instructing Florida superintendents that teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law. The state has said districts are free to teach AP Psychology only if it excludes any mention of these essential topics."