July 24, 2023 - Your Evening Digest

Media trucks line up outside of the D.C. courthouse, DOJ sues Greg Abbott, Ukraine fires back, and more

1) Special Counsel Ramps Up January 6th Investigation

Amid reports of a potential third indictment for Donald Trump, Special Counsel Jack Smith is ramping up his investigation into the January 6th insurrection. Today, I walked past the D.C. federal courthouse where the grand jury is meeting and saw media trucks line up. The grand jury will meet tomorrow at 1 PM, and an indictment, although not guaranteed, could come as soon as then.

Moreover, according to new reporting, Jack Smith received thousands of documents from Rudy Giuliani’s close ally, Bernie Kerik, detailing efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Many of these documents have not been previously disclosed to prosecutors.

Prior to giving these documents to the Special Counsel, Kerik allowed the Trump team to review the documents for privilege-related issues. Regarding timing for the indictment, it is unclear whether the Special Counsel will indict Trump before or after any potential testimony from Kerik which will likely come sometime in August. Stay tuned for more updates as we get them.

2) Greg Abbott Doubles Down & DOJ sues

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is doubling down on his cruel and inhuman actions at the Texas/Mexico border. For background, this week a bombshell reports was released detailed multiple incidences of cruelty at the border including a pregnant woman found having a miscarriage, between barbed wire, and a four year old who passed out from heat exhaustion after trying to go through the barbed wire and being pushed back by Texas National Guard members.

In response, the Department of Justice called on the Abbott administration to immediately seize using buoys in the Rio Grande river. These buoys were one of the prime reasons migrants were suffering injuries along the border. Today, Abbott issued this tweet:

In response, the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Governor Abbott and Texas in an effort to remove these floating structures along the border. A copy of the cover page for the lawsuit can be seen here:

It is highly likely this dispute will now head to the courts and potentially all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. Stay tuned for more.

3) Ukraine Fires Back

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, an arm of the Ministry of Defense, announced that it carried out a drone attack on Moscow. Ukrainian drones hit two non-residential buildings, including the building housing the Cyber Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces. Many experts estimate that Ukraine used a Ukrainian “Beaver” Long-Range Attack Drone. In response, Russian authorities described the incident as a “thwarted” attack. It is highly likely that Russia will launch an attack in response to this incident. Stay tuned for more.

4) Israel Passes First Step in Judicial Overhaul

Israeli lawmakers have passed the first judicial reform bill to come up for a final vote. 64 lawmakers voted in favor of this measure. The entire opposition walked out in protest. The first prong of this plan, the reasonableness bill, would strip the Supreme Court of the power to declare government decisions unreasonable. Protests are continuing today, and it remains to be seen whether they will have an effect on the rest of the plan’s passage. The United States has already denounced this vote and Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to address the nation this evening. Stay tuned for more.

5) Putin Signs Anti-LGBTQ Law

Today, Russia continued its systematic attack on the LGBTQ+ communities. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation banning gender reassignment surgery and prohibiting the adoption of children by transgender individuals. Because of Putin’s decision, thousands of transgender Russians will no longer be permitted to adopt.

6) Record Temperatures in Italy

Parts of Italy continue to experience record breaking temperatures amid a heat wave that is impacting many countries around the world. Today, Jerzu in Sardinia, Italy reported a temperature of 48°C (118.4°F), which ties the record temperature in Europe for July.