Evening summary
That’s it for me tonight. Thanks for reading along! Here’s some of what we covered:
- New details uncovered by the New York Times suggest that the US military mistakenly killed civilians and children with a drone officials claimed had taken out Islamic State militants. The target, now identified as Zemari Ahmadi, was a US aid group worker and reportedly was distributing water to neighbors, not transporting weaponry or explosives.
- The Biden administration appealed a ruling from a US district court judge who put the Daca program on pause in July.
- The US Department of Education is investigating Florida’s ban on mask mandates in schools, citing its potential for discrimination against students with disabilities. The agency is also investigating five other states with similar rules.
- Jacob Chansley — the so-called QAnon Shaman — will have to await sentencing for his part in the Capitol Riot after a federal judge denied his request for pre-trial release. Chansley, who was pictured wearing horns on his head as he stormed the building, pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding last week.
- A federal appeals court struck down Tennessee’s controversial abortion law, ruling that the ban on the procedure after a fetal heartbeat can be detected — near the six-week mark — was “constitutionally unsound”.
See you next time! Until then:
— ladies and gentlemen, the weekend 😌 (@CraigWeekend) September 10, 2021
Updated
Tennessee’s controversial abortion law was blocked by a federal appeals court today, ruling that the measure was “constitutionally unsound”.
The law banned abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically occurs around 6 weeks into the pregnancy — often before many women know they are pregnant.
“Although this circuit’s recent—and alarming—decisions have broadened the extent to which the government may impede a person’s constitutional right to choose whether to carry a pregnancy to term, the law remains clear that if a regulation is a substantial obstacle to a woman seeking an abortion, it is invalid,” the court said in the ruling.
Appeals court strikes down Tennessee abortion restrictions, with Judge Thapar (a Trump appointee) writing lengthy partial dissent taking aim at Roe v. Wade: https://t.co/bZqizndvtJ pic.twitter.com/J1kcQRDBMn
— Lawrence Hurley (@lawrencehurley) September 10, 2021
“Today is a huge win for pregnant people in Tennessee,” said Rabia Muqaddam, staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, in a statement. “While we are relieved that the court has reinstated a full block on these abortion bans, we must remain vigilant,” she added, noting that a case that makes it before the conservative-majority supreme court could overturn Roe v. Wade. “Congress must act swiftly to protect abortion access and declare abortion bans like these illegal by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act,” she said.
The decision follows last week’s controversial ruling from the US supreme court over a similar law in Texas, that granted victory to anti-abortion advocates and allowed the law to be enforced.
Updated
The man known as the “QAnon Shaman” — who was pictured during the Capitol riot with his face painted underneath a fur hat adorned with horns — has been denied temporary release.
Jacob Chansley pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding last week and asked to be freed from prison while he awaits sentencing. Today, a federal judge denied that request in a 9-page order, saying that “no condition or combination of conditions would ensure that he would not flee”.
"there is no doubt that he is a mascot for thee QAnon movement. Hundreds of attendees joined Chansley's September 3, 2021 plea-agreement hearing on the public access line, and at least once this Court's proceedings where interrupted with shouts of 'Freedom!’" pic.twitter.com/1iAfHIldKa
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) September 10, 2021
Chansley was diagnosed with transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety during his pretrial detention, Reuters reports. He faces between 41 and 51 months in prison.
Updated
US Department of Education to investigate Florida mask mandate
Florida’s ban on mask mandates in schools —which penalizes school systems that require students to mask-up to stop the spread of Covid — is now under investigation by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
The order, which was issued by Governor Ron DeSantis and is currently being challenged in court, will be evaluated by the federal agency for whether it fails to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
BREAKING: The civil rights arm of the U.S. Department of Education opens investigation into Florida’s mask mandate ban in schools.
— Ana Ceballos (@anaceballos_) September 10, 2021
More on that announcement here: pic.twitter.com/gBhhxjHxoi
At the end of August, the agency announced it was launching directed investigations into whether 5 states — Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah — were discriminating against students with disabilities with their anti-mask-mandate orders.
“The Department has heard from parents from across the country – particularly parents of students with disabilities and with underlying medical conditions – about how state bans on universal indoor masking are putting their children at risk and preventing them from accessing in-person learning equally,” said US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a statement. “It’s simply unacceptable that state leaders are putting politics over the health and education of the students they took an oath to serve.”
Florida was initially left off the list because its order wasn’t being enforced, the result of a ruling from Circuit Judge John C. Cooper last month, that the state couldn’t continue penalizing schools. Earlier today however, Florida was granted approval to start enforcing the order again while the appeals process continues. The investigation announcement from the Department of Education came just hours after the appeals court decision was issued.
In a letter sent to the Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran today, the agency wrote that it “is concerned that Florida’s policy requiring public schools and school districts to allow parents to opt their children out of mask mandates may be preventing schools in Florida from meeting their legal obligations not to discriminate based on disability and from providing an equal educational opportunity to students with disabilities who are at heightened risk of severe illness from COVID-19”.
Updated
Zebras may still on the loose in the suburbs of Washington DC, but at least one thing is now clear — Democratic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton did not set them free.
“My alibi is solid” she said in a statement, according to the Huffington Post, noting that she was home enjoying time with family last weekend when the striped equines began their adventure.
Five zebras are on the loose in Prince George’s Co. right now!
— Tom Roussey (@tomroussey7news) September 8, 2021
Nearby resident Paul Curling shared this video of a zebra seen from his backyard.
Animal services says they escaped from a farm last week near Duley Station Road in Upper Marlboro.
The farm has a permit for them. 🦓 pic.twitter.com/dY7XDx6vfx
The DC delegate was accused by a member of the public as commentary about her battle to make DC a state.
From HuffPost:
Norton said a member of the public accused her of letting the zebras free by pointing out that she has historically valued the principle of “consent of the governed,” or the philosophy that a government’s right to use state power is justified only when consented to by the people or society over which that political power is exercised.
Norton said it’s true that she values that philosophy, particularly in her fight for D.C. statehood. She added that she opposes unnecessary fences, too.
For those reasons, Norton said, she can see why someone would accuse her of setting the zebras free. But it’s not true.
“I can understand why the charge was made,” said the D.C. delegate. “I hope the owners find the zebras and that all involved live long, full lives.”
The Justice Department has challenged the ruling by a US District judge in Texas, who found the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (or DACA) to be unlawful.
In July, Judge Andrew Hanen ruled against the Obama-era program and barred the government from approving new applications. Current participants were allowed to continue as litigation progressed.
Today the Biden Administration’s filed a notice to appeal, according to CNN, moving on previous comments from the president that he was “not letting this go”.
“They come here with really no choice and they’re good, good people,” Biden said during a CNN townhall of the hundreds of thousands of people participating in the program, referred to as Dreamers.
Gabrielle Canon here, taking you through the news for the rest of the afternoon from the west coast.
A New York Times investigation has shed light on an American drone strike in Afghanistan — one of the last fired in the war that stretched over 20 years — and raised new questions about whether it was justified.
The missile launched at a vehicle by the US military killed 10 people in Kabul on August 29, including 7 children, according to the report. Reporters also discovered that officials did not identify who the driver before firing, even though they later alleged the target taken out was ISIS affiliated.
Now revealed to be Zemari Ahmadi, a US aid group worker, interviews and surveillance footage reviewed by the NYT suggests he may have been taking colleagues to and from work when he died in the blast, and that the large containers identified in his car were filled with water to be distributed to neighbors.
From the NYT:
According to one of Mr. Ahmadi’s passengers, a colleague who regularly commuted with him, the ride home was filled with their usual laughing and banter, but with one difference: Mr. Ahmadi kept the radio silent, as he was afraid of getting in trouble with the Taliban. “He liked happy music,” the colleague said. “That day, we couldn’t play any in the car.”
Mr. Ahmadi dropped off his three passengers, and then headed for his home near the airport. “I asked him to come in for a bit, but he said he was tired,” the last passenger said.
Although U.S. officials said that at that point they still knew little about Mr. Ahmadi’s identity, they had become convinced that the white sedan he was driving posed an imminent threat to troops at the airport.
When Mr. Ahmadi pulled into the courtyard of his home — which officials said was different than the alleged ISIS safe house — the tactical commander made the decision to strike his vehicle, launching a Hellfire missile at around 4:50 p.m.
Although the target was now inside a densely populated residential area, the drone operator quickly scanned and saw only a single adult male greeting the vehicle, and therefore assessed with “reasonable certainty” that no women, children or noncombatants would be killed, U.S. officials said.
You can read the full story here.
Updated
Today so far
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Gabrielle Canon, will take over for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Republican leaders are threatening lawsuits over Joe Biden’s plan to order employers with 100 or more workers to establish vaccine mandates or require regular coronavirus testing. The proposal is part of Biden’s new six-pronged strategy to boost vaccinations and limit the spread of the Delta variant. “Joe Biden told Americans when he was elected that he would not impose vaccine mandates. He lied,” said Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “When his decree goes into effect, the RNC will sue the administration to protect Americans and their liberties.”
-
Biden responded to Republicans’ threats of lawsuits with this message: “Have at it.” While visiting a middle school in Washington this morning, the president said, “I am so disappointed that, particularly some Republican governors, have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities.”
- A Florida appeals court handed Republican governor Ron DeSantis a victory in his battle to ban mask mandates in schools. After a county court judge blocked the controversial policy from going into effect earlier this week, the appeals court ruled that the ban could be implemented as the case makes its way through the legal system.
- Another 21 US citizens left Afghanistan today, as the Biden administration continues its efforts to evacuate Americans even after the military mission in Kabul formally ended last week. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said the Americans left Afghanistan “both on a chartered Qatar Airways flight from Kabul and via overland passage to a neighboring country”.
- US-bound flights carrying Afghan refugees were temporarily paused after four cases of measles were detected among the passengers. The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said the flights were paused “out of an abundance of caution,” and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now contact-tracing the cases.
Gabrielle will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
The thorn in Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s side has been Leon county court judge John Cooper, who first ruled for a group of parents on 2 September that the governor’s order banning school mask mandates overstepped his constitutional authority.
On Wednesday, Cooper lifted the automatic stay on his own ruling that came into effect when DeSantis appealed.
“Upon our review of the trial court’s final judgment and the operative pleadings, we have serious doubts about standing, jurisdiction and other threshold matters,” today’s appeals court ruling stated.
“These doubts significantly militate against the likelihood of the appellees’ [parents’] ultimate success in this appeal.”
In plain English, it means DeSantis has the authority to at least try to ban mask mandates in schools while the case works its way further through the court system, although the districts are unlikely to comply.
And in a further twist on Friday, Joe Biden promised to pick up the tab for any financial penalties DeSantis imposes on the defiant districts through a federal grant program by the department of education.
“We should be thanking districts for using proven strategies that will keep schools open and safe, not punishing them,” education secretary Miguel Cardona said.
Florida appeals court gives DeSantis a win in effort to ban school mask mandates
A Florida appeals court on Friday tilted the pendulum back towards the state’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis in his crusade to permanently ban school districts from imposing mask mandates on students and staff.
The panel of three judges - two of them appointed by the previous Republican governor Rick Scott, and the other by DeSantis himself - overturned a district court judge’s ruling from two days earlier that prevented the state from penalizing districts with such mandates.
Their decision effectively clears the way for the Florida department of education to resume its withholding of state funds from districts that continue to defy the governor.
So far 13 districts, covering more than half of Florida’s 2.8m school-age students, have mask mandates, with only a medical opt-out, and are not expected to change course despite today’s ruling.
The see-saw legal battle centers on DeSantis’s 30 July executive order that sought to make mask mandates illegal, and a subsequent lawsuit filed by a group of concerned parents claiming their children would suffer “irreparable harm” as a result.
Joe Biden has not yet gotten his third coronavirus vaccine shot, even though he received his second dose in January, according to Jen Psaki.
Health experts are recommending Americans seek a vaccine booster eight months after their second shot, meaning the president should be getting his third dose soon.
Asked if and when Biden might get his booster shot, Psaki said, “He will. He has not yet gotten it yet. We’ll wait until it’s widely available, which we expect to be soon.”
Psaki says President Biden will get a COVID vaccine booster shot, but "we'll wait until it's widely available, which we expect to be soon" pic.twitter.com/8Dkty38jZD
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 10, 2021
One reporter asked Jen Psaki whether Joe Biden is considering requiring coronavirus vaccinations for domestic flights in the US.
The White House press secretary did not rule out the possibility, saying, “We are always looking at more we can do to protect and save lives.”
The Biden administration has already mandated mask usage for flights, trains and public transportation to limit the spread of the virus from traveling.
Jen Psaki confirmed that Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke for more than 90 minutes yesterday.
Asked whether the two leaders had discussed coronavirus and its origins, the press secretary confirmed they had, but she did not offer any details on their comments.
The White House released a readout of the conversation yesterday, saying, “The two leaders had a broad, strategic discussion in which they discussed areas where our interests converge, and areas where our interests, values, and perspectives diverge. They agreed to engage on both sets of issues openly and straightforwardly.”
The Biden administration has previously accused the Chinese government of withholding vital information on the origins of coronavirus, which was first detected in Wuhan.
One reporter asked Jen Psaki whether the White House was concerned that Joe Biden’s new vaccination policies could drive the country further apart, particularly considering Republican governors have threatened to sue over the president’s proposals.
“Yes, we do see some loud, vocal opponents of what the president announced yesterday,” the White House press secretary said.
“That’s not a surprise. It’s unfortunate. It’s disappointing. It’s sad, because ultimately these steps will save lives.”
Asked why Biden changed his mind on vaccine mandates from earlier this year, Psaki said the administration did not anticipate the high level of vaccine opposition once the treatments were deemed safe and made easily available.
Updated
US-bound flights for Afghan refugees 'temporarily paused' due to measles cases
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is now holding her (twice-delayed) daily briefing with reporters, and she was asked about a report that health concerns have stalled US-bound flights for Afghan refugees.
Psaki confirmed that some Afghan refugees’ planes have been “temporarily paused” because of four diagnosed cases of measles among the passengers.
The press secretary noted that refugees coming to the US are required to have their measles vaccination, and she said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already started contact-tracing the cases.
The Taliban’s violent crackdown on protests against their hardline rule has already led to four documented deaths, according to a UN human rights official who said the group had used live ammunition, whips and batons to break up demonstrations.
Ravina Shamdasani, the UN’s rights spokesperson, told a briefing in Geneva that it had also received reports of house-to-house searches for those who participated in the protests.
The protests against the Taliban’s return to power, many of which have been led by women fearful of their status under the Islamist group, have been the target of violence in a number of locations and were formally banned this week without prior authorisation by the Taliban’s new interior ministry.
Describing the crackdown on dissent as “severe”, Shamdasani also described how journalists covering the demonstrations had faced intimidation, including in one case the threat of “beheading”, apparently a reference to an incident in which two Afghan journalists were detained, flogged and threatened earlier this week.
White House says 21 US citizens left Afghanistan today
Another 21 US citizens left Afghanistan today as evacuation efforts continue, according to a new statement from the National Security Council.
“Today the United States government facilitated the additional departures of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents both on a chartered Qatar Airways flight from Kabul and via overland passage to a neighboring country,” NSC spokesperson Emily Horne said.
“The Qatar Airways flight held 19 U.S. citizens and the party traveling overland included two U.S. citizens and 11 lawful permanent residents.”
The news comes as the Biden administration has continued to coordinate the evacuation of Americans out of Afghanistan, even though the US military formally ended its mission in Kabul last week.
Another chartered Qatar Airways plane carrying American citizens left Kabul yesterday, which marked the first US-facilitated evacuation flight since the mission concluded.
“Today’s departures demonstrate how we are giving Americans clear and safe options to leave Afghanistan from different locations,” Horne said.
“We will continue to provide proven options for leaving. It is up to Americans who remain whether they choose to take them.”
The sombre ceremonies that take place in New York, Pennsylvania and on the outskirts of Washington every September 11 to mark the 2001 terrorist attacks will take on an extra significance on Saturday morning, as America commemorates the 20th anniversary of the al-Qaida hijackings.
Many family members of the nearly 3,000 victims killed on that day are expected to gather in downtown Manhattan, in a field in Shanksville, and at the Pentagon, where the terrorists crashed the passenger jets they had seized that morning.
Joe Biden will visit all three sites, and will be joined at Ground Zero in New York by Barack Obama, whom he served for two terms as vice-president.
Small memorial ceremonies will be held across the US, and millions are expected to tune in to coverage that will blanket the TV networks throughout the day.
Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who previously served as Donald Trump’s press secretary, has released her first television ad, which is entitled “Who We Are”.
“I’ll never forget being a student at Little Rock Central High and watching my dad - a Republican governor - and Bill Clinton - a Democrat president - hold open the doors for the Little Rock Nine, doors that forty years earlier had been closed to them because they’re Black,” Sanders says in the ad.
The Little Rock Nine were a group of Black children who integrated Central high school in 1957. The governor of Arkansas at the time, Orval Faubus, brought in national guard members to block their enrollment.
The nine Black students were eventually allowed into the high school with the assistance of US Army troops, as a violent white mob hurled threats and racist slurs at the children.
“Good triumphed over evil,” Sanders says of the Little Rock Nine in her ad. “That is who we are. The radical left wants to teach our kids America is a racist and evil country, but Arkansans are generous, hard-working people.”
The ad concludes with Sanders vowing to “defend our freedom and champion good schools, higher paying jobs, and a better life for all”. It will debut tomorrow during the Arkansas vs. Texas college football game.
To learn more about the Little Rock Nine, read this 2017 piece from the Guardian’s David Smith:
Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who was once one of Donald Trump’s most vocal cheerleaders, urged Republicans to move past the former president’s lies about winning the 2020 election during a stinging speech on Thursday night in California.
Using the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley as a symbolic backdrop, Christie slammed Trump’s ongoing insistence that the election was stolen from him, and told the in-person gathering of party donors: “We deserve much better than to be misled by those trying to acquire or hold on to power.”
The speech was one of the most damning to date by former allies of Trump, though Christie refrained from mentioning him by name. Instead, he attacked the cult of conspiracy that Trump has fueled with his false election claims.
“We need to renounce the conspiracy theorists and the truth deniers. The ones who know better and the ones who are just plain nuts,” said Christie, who was a Trump advisor in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
“We need to give our supporters facts that will help them put all those fantasies to rest. We need to quit wasting our time, our energy and our credibility on claims that won’t ever convince anyone of anything. Pretending we won when we lost is a waste of time and energy and credibility.”
Trump, who is widely expected to announce he will be running for the White House again in 2024, has embarked on a nationwide tour of sporadic rallies at which he regularly repeats the debunked claims that Joe Biden’s victory was fraudulent.
Appearing to address Republican supporters who attend Trump’s events, Christie added: “No man, no woman, no matter what office they’ve held or wealth they’ve acquired, are worthy of blind faith or obedience,” Christie said. “We deserve much better than to be misled by those trying to acquire or hold on to power.”
House Democrats held a conference call today to discuss the $3.5tn spending package, as committees work through their components of the legislation.
“This is the first time women have had so much leverage in this debate,” speaker Nancy Pelosi said on the call, according to a source familiar with the conversation. “This is the first time children have had so much leverage in this debate.”
The Democratic speaker thanked the committee chairs for “all of their great work getting us to this place,” and she expressed confidence that the committees would conclude their work by September 15.
However, disagreements remain over the topline cost of the legislation. Moderate Democrats, including senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, have insisted on a less expensive bill, while progressives are adamant that $3.5tn is the floor for the cost of the legislation.
Students age 12 and older in the Los Angeles public school system soon must be vaccinated to attend classes on campus under one of the toughest anti-Covid mandates enacted in the nation.
The Associated Press reports:
The board of the Los Angeles Unified School District voted Thursday to require students age 12 and up to be fully vaccinated with those who take part in sports and other extracurricular activities receiving both of two shots by the end of October and all others by Dec. 19.
Students who can’t show proof of vaccination won’t be permitted to have in-person learning following the end of winter break on Jan. 11 unless they have a medical or other exemption.
“This action is not about violating anybody’s rights,” school board member Monica Garcia said. “This action is about doing our job to be able to offer public schools that children can come to school and be safe.”
The nation’s second-largest school district was the largest in the U.S. to issue such a mandate. Nearby Culver City Unified School District imposed a similar policy last month for the 7,000-student district.
New York City’s school system, the nation’s largest, has only mandated vaccinations for 20,000 student athletes in certain sports considered at high risk of spreading the virus, including wrestling.
Los Angeles Unified, which has 630,000 students, has moved more aggressively than most districts in enacting COVID-19 safety measures. It tests all students and employees every week, requires masking indoors and outdoors and has ordered employees to be vaccinated.
The district was among the last of the nation’s largest school districts to reopen to classroom instruction last spring. The teachers union opposed the move for months, citing health concerns.
The union applauded the new mandate, which it sought after teachers were ordered to get the shots.
FDA may authorize Covid-19 vaccine for kids based on two months of safety data
Parents and educators eager for health regulators to get a shift on with the process of approving Covid-19 vaccinations for children of various ages may be encouraged by news this afternoon that the FDA may authorize Covid-19 vaccine for kids based on two months of safety data.
Reuters reports that:
U.S. heath regulators said children in clinical trials testing COVID-19 vaccines should be monitored for at least two months for side effects, suggesting that the agency is considering a quicker path to authorize the shot for emergency use than full approval.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it was looking to complete the data review as quickly as possible, likely in a matter of weeks rather than months.
The FDA granted full approval last month for the use of Pfizer Inc’s vaccine in people over the age of 16 based on a six-month follow-up from the trial. The shot was authorized in December for emergency use based on a shorter, two-month follow up.
The agency is under pressure to approve a vaccine for children below 12 years of age amid a surge in infections fueled by the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant, which has disrupted the reopening of schools.
Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE as well as Moderna Inc are racing to submit clinical data seeking regulatory approval for their vaccines in children below 12 years of age.
Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine has been currently authorized for children aged 12 to 15 in the United States.
Pfizer said it expects to report data needed for approval in five and 11 year olds sometime this month and could potentially submit an application for emergency use shortly after. The drugmaker said data for kids aged two and under five could arrive soon after.
For children between six months and two years, Pfizer has said it could have a safety and immunogenicity data as early as October or November.Moderna on Thursday said it has fully enrolled participants in a trial testing its shot in children between six and 11 years and that it was still conducting dose selection studies for younger age groups.
Igor Fruman, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani, told a New York court hearing today that he will plead guilty to one criminal count in a campaign finance case.
Fruman is a former associate of Rudy Giuliani, the Republican most recently known as a lawyer for Donald Trump, a 2020 election quasi-conspiracy theorist and the subject of a federal investigation and better known previously a legitimate presidential candidate and mayor of New York City.
The Reuters news agency reports that Fruman worked to collect damaging information about Joe Biden before he became US president.
Giuliani has not been charged or accused of criminal wrongdoing, the wire service notes.
CNBC reported that Fruman pleaded guilty Friday to soliciting campaign contributions from a foreign national nearly two years after being charged with crimes that included making illegal donations to a pro-Trump political action campaign.
CNBC further reported that:
Fruman and his business partner Lev Parnas, a co-defendant in the same case, had worked with Giuliani in an effort to dig up damaging information about President Joe Biden in Ukraine when Biden had emerged as a leading challenger to then-President Donald Trump.
The change-of-plea hearing in Manhattan federal court came as Giuliani, who has acted as Trump’s personal attorney, faces an ongoing criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Giuliani, who denies any wrongdoing, served two terms as mayor of New York after heading that same prosecutors’ office for years.
The Ukraine-born Fruman was originally charged with 10 crimes.
But in court Friday, he agreed to plead guilty only to a single count related to soliciting U.S. campaign contributions from a foreign national as part of what prosecutors said was a bid to get state-issued recreational marijuana business licenses for a cannabis venture that ultimately never got off the ground.
Fruman said the money was solicited from a foreign businessman who was interested in investing in the cannabis company that Fruman and others were pursuing.
The campaign donations were earmarked for government officials, both Republican and Democrat, in states moving to legalize marijuana.
“I deeply regret my actions and apologize to the court and the United States government for this conduct,” Fruman told Judge J. Paul Oetken, after admitting that he had known such campaign donations from foreigners were illegal under American law.
Fruman’s plea came in an agreement with prosecutors that led to the other charges being dropped, but he has not agreed to a deal that would compel him to cooperate with federal prosecutors in any ongoing investigation.
His sentencing was scheduled for Jan. 21, and he remains free on bond. The plea agreement stipulates that federal sentencing guidelines suggest that Fruman receive a prison term of between three years and three years and 10 months.
But Oetken is not bound by those guidelines.
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Republican leaders are threatening lawsuits over Joe Biden’s plan to order employers with 100 or more workers to establish vaccine mandates or require regular coronavirus testing. The proposal is part of Biden’s new six-pronged strategy to boost vaccinations and limit the spread of the Delta variant. “Joe Biden told Americans when he was elected that he would not impose vaccine mandates. He lied,” said Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “When his decree goes into effect, the RNC will sue the administration to protect Americans and their liberties.”
- Biden responded to Republicans’ threats of lawsuits with this message: “Have at it.” While visiting a middle school in Washington this morning, the president said, “I am so disappointed that, particularly some Republican governors, have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities.”
- Biden also offered reassurance to parents who are worried about the safety of schools as the Delta variant continues to spread. “I want folks to know that we’re going to be okay. We’re going to be okay,” the president said at Brookland middle school in DC. “We know what it takes to keep our children safe and our schools open. And we have the tools to do it.”
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Democratic congressman Jared Golden of Maine has expressed concern about Joe Biden’s plan to order employers with 100 of more workers to establish vaccine mandates or require regular coronavirus testing.
“After stating this summer that it is not the role of the federal government to institute vaccine mandates, I am frustrated that the Biden Administration has abruptly announced a vaccine and testing mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees,” Golden said in a statement, per the Portland Press Herald.
“While I personally think getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a good thing to do, I am generally skeptical of blanket mandates from the federal government and I am particularly concerned about the negative pressure the president’s mandate may put on an already challenging labor market in Maine.”
Golden represents a district that Donald Trump won in 2020, and he has occasionally broken with his party on some major proposals, including Biden’s $1.9tn coronavirus relief bill.
Melody Schreiber reports for the Guardian:
As universities and colleges in the United States open for the fall semester, even those institutions requiring masks and vaccinations are grappling with unexpectedly high rates of Covid.
In one high-profile example, the University of Delaware sent a message to faculty this week, instructing them not to let students know if their classmates test positive for Covid-19 even though cases are rising on campus.
If a student notifies an instructor that they have Covid-19, the instructor is now not allowed to notify the rest of the class they came in contact with a positive case.
Instead, instructors should tell students that “given the current incidence of Covid-19 on campus, we should assume that we may have contact with individuals who are shedding Covid-19, perhaps unknowingly,” the email said.
One professor, who asked to withhold her name to protect her job, told the Guardian that she understood the policy as she didn’t want to reveal sensitive health information about some students to others. However, she said, she was concerned that current contact-tracing strategies would not be enough to control the spread of Covid on campus.
Biden responds to Republicans threatening lawsuits over vaccine policies: 'Have at it'
Joe Biden took a couple questions from reporters after concluding his prepared remarks at Brookland Middle School in Washington.
A reporter asked the president how he responds to Republican governors who have threatened to file lawsuits over his new vaccination policies, including his plan to order employers with 100 or more workers to establish vaccine mandates or require regular coronavirus testing.
“Have at it,” Biden replied.
"I am so disappointed that, particularly some of the Republican governors, have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities. We're playing for real here, this isn't a game," President Biden says. pic.twitter.com/EW7LfGtyJa
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 10, 2021
“I am so disappointed that, particularly some Republican governors, have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities,” the president added.
“We’re playing for real here, this isn’t a game. And I don’t know of any scientist out there in this field that doesn’t think it makes considerable sense to do the six things I’ve suggested.”
Several Republican governors and the Republican National Committee have indicated they will file lawsuits to prevent Biden’s policies from going into effect, arguing that his plan is an overreach of federal authority.
Joe Biden offered reassurance to parents who are nervous that their children’s schools will be repeatedly closed because of the spread of coronavirus.
“I want folks to know that we’re going to be okay. We’re going to be OK,” the president said at Brookland middle school in Washington.
“We know what it takes to keep our children safe and our schools open. And we have the tools to do it.”
"I want folks to know we're going to be ok," President Biden says. "We know what it takes to keep our children safe and our schools open. And we have the tools to do it." pic.twitter.com/EclFprHNrv
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 10, 2021
Biden noted he laid out a new strategy yesterday to boost vaccinations and limit the spread of coronavirus, which will help keep schools open in a safe manner.
The president encouraged parents to vaccinate children who are eligible to get the vaccine, meaning those who are at least 12 years old.
Biden then invited the students of Brookland Middle School to “a special visit at the White House” once they get vaccinated.
“I’m going to get in trouble with the Secret Service and everybody else,” Biden said.
“I’m not sure how we’re going to mechanically do it, but I assume the buses can get you to the White House. And if we can’t get you all in one room, we’ll be out in the Rose Garden or out in the back there and maybe let you fly the helicopters.”
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Joe Biden was introduced by one of Brookland Middle School’s students, a young boy named Elijah Poole who discussed the difficulties of trying to get educated amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Once the president started speaking, he thanked Elijah for his kind introduction, and he noted that he could not have delivered such a speech when he was in eighth grade because he spoke with a stutter at the time.
“And I am amazed when I see young women and men like you, who stand up and speak with such grace and ease,” Biden said. “It’s really impressive.”
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Jill Biden is speaking at Brookland Middle School about the need to protect children from coronavirus in the classroom.
The first lady, who is an educator herself, talked about how thrilled she is to be back in the classroom with her students. (Tuesday marked Biden’s first day back at Northern Virginia Community College.)
Biden addressed how difficult the past year and a half have been for parents whose children could not go to school because of the pandemic.
“Parents, this is hard, but you’re doing your best,” Biden said.
The first lady also expressed her thanks to teachers who have continued to share lessons with their students over the past year and a half, under extremely trying circumstances.
“With all my heart, thank you for being the heroes that we needed,” Biden said.
Bidens visit DC school to discuss Covid safety for students
Joe and Jill Biden have just arrived at Brookland Middle School in Washington, where they will discuss safety protocols to protect students from coronavirus.
President Biden and the First Lady visit with 6th grade students. pic.twitter.com/0dlixF1AnX
— Rachel Scott (@rachelvscott) September 10, 2021
The president and the first lady were greeted at the school by education secretary Miguel Cardona, DC mayor Muriel Bowser, DC public schools chancellor Lewis Ferebee and principal Kerry Richardson.
Biden is expected to “deliver remarks about how the Administration is helping to keep students safe in classrooms,” according to his official schedule.
Stay tuned.
Despite the threat of lawsuits from a number of Republican leaders, it’s worth noting that at least one Republican governor is actually welcoming Joe Biden’s new vaccination policies.
I appreciate the President’s continued prioritization of vaccination and the country’s recovery as we move forward. As Vermont’s experience shows, vaccines work and save lives. They are the best and fastest way to move past this pandemic. https://t.co/xqNC0GXELq
— Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) September 9, 2021
“I appreciate the President’s continued prioritization of vaccination and the country’s recovery as we move forward,” Phil Scott, the Republican governor of Vermont, said on Twitter.
“As Vermont’s experience shows, vaccines work and save lives. They are the best and fastest way to move past this pandemic.”
Vermont has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, with 87.5% of adults already having received at least one vaccine dose.
Joe Biden, striving to restore public confidence in his handling of the pandemic, announced new vaccination mandates on Thursday for 100 million workers, about two-thirds of the American labour force.
Channeling national frustration as the virus surges back, the US president adopted his sternest tone yet in reprimanding the tens of millions of Americans who are still not vaccinated against the coronavirus.
“We can and we will turn the tide of Covid-19,” he said firmly.
“It’ll take a lot of hard work and it’s going to take some time. Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated even though the vaccine is safe, effective and free.”
Biden’s speech in the state dining room of the White House, against a backdrop of Abraham Lincoln’s portrait and with watching reporters crammed tightly, was seen as a high-profile attempt to claw back momentum and offer reassurance to Americans feeling despair about whether the pandemic will ever end.
The Republican National Committee has also said it plans to file a lawsuit over Joe Biden’s new vaccine policy for private-sector employers.
Joe Biden told Americans when he was elected that he would not impose vaccine mandates. He lied.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) September 10, 2021
When his decree goes into effect, the RNC will sue the administration to protect Americans and their liberties. pic.twitter.com/XinwFw4bam
“Joe Biden told Americans when he was elected that he would not impose vaccine mandates. He lied. Now small businesses, workers, and families across the country will pay the price,” RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement released yesterday.
“Like many Americans, I am pro-vaccine and anti-mandate. Many small businesses and workers do not have the money or legal resources to fight Biden’s unconstitutional actions and authoritarian decrees, but when his decree goes into effect, the RNC will sue the administration to protect Americans and their liberties.”
When he announced his new pandemic response strategy yesterday, Biden indicated he was ready for a fight over his proposals.
“The bottom line: We’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers,” the president said.
Republican governors threaten lawsuits over Biden's vaccine mandate
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Yesterday, Joe Biden outlined his new strategy to boost coronavirus vaccinations and limit the spread of the Delta variant, which has caused an increase in case numbers across the country.
One of Biden’s initiatives involves ordering the Labor Department to direct businesses with more 100 workers to establish vaccine mandates or require employees to undergo regular coronavirus testing.
And some Republican governors are already pushing back against the president’s policy.
Rest assured, we will fight them to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian.
— Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) September 9, 2021
“The American Dream has turned into a nightmare under President Biden and the radical Democrats,” South Carolina governor Henry McMaster said on Twitter.
“Rest assured, we will fight them to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian.”
Arizona governor Doug Ducey threatened to fight the policy in court, saying, “This is exactly the kind of big government overreach we have tried so hard to prevent in Arizona – now the Biden-Harris administration is hammering down on private businesses and individual freedoms in an unprecedented and dangerous way. This will never stand up in court.”
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
