Jussie Smollett Alleged Attack Investigated as Hoax, Actor Arrested

Actor Jussie Smollett, best known for his role on Fox television series Empire, has been arrested in Chicago, Illinois, after officials believe he filed a false police report relating to an alleged assault back in January. Smollett had claimed that two men had attacked him during a late-night run to Subway after identifying him. They reportedly used racial slurs, said “This is MAGA (Make America Great Again) country, put a rope around his neck, and poured an unknown substance on him.

While Smollett initially received sympathetic coverage from many media outlets and support from celebrities, others began casting doubt on his claim. Eventually, two brothers, who had been identified as persons of interest, told investigators Smollett paid them to stage an attack on the actor. Smollett denies the allegations.

Shooting at Synagogue Leaves 11 Dead

A gunman who opened fire at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania synagogue on Saturday, killing 11. The suspect was identified as Pittsburgh resident Robert Bowers, 46. Police have charged him with 29 offenses, including the 11 counts of murder. Federal investigators are also looking into adding hate crime charges against him.

Four officers were injured in the exchange, as well as two other attendees of the services.

Witnesses claim to have heard Bowers, “All Jews must die,” before opening fire. Social media accounts with his name are also reported to have had anti-Semitic content and espouse far-right views.

President Trump responded to the attack, saying, “It’s a terrible, terrible thing what’s going on with hate in our country, frankly, and all over the world. And something has to be done.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the murders. He said in a statement, "I was heartbroken and appalled by the murderous attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue today...The whole of Israel grieves with the families of the dead...We stand together with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, we stand together with the American people in the face of this horrifying anti-Semitic brutality. We all pray for their rapid recovery."

Elon Musk to Step Down as Chairman of Tesla After SEC Probe

Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk will step down as chairman of the publicly traded electric car maker after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched an investigation into Musk’s handling of the company. The SEC had alleged that Musk had misled shareholders after he had said he would take Tesla private. Musk had also claimed he had already received such funding. No concrete evidence was ever provided of this, but Musk said Saudi investors had verbally agreed to do so.

While Musk has to give up his chairman of the board position, he still remains at the helm of the company as CEO.

Musk has faced several difficulties in the past year. Tesla has been plagued by production issues this year as well as volatility in its share price. Musk also faced controversy after his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in which he appeared to take puff a marijuana joint. The US Air Force threatened an investigation into it as government contractors (as Musk is one given his leadership of SpaceX) cannot use drugs even in states where it is legal.

Trump’s Lawyer’s Confession Causes Headaches for President

The past week has seen two of Trump’s former aides finding themselves convicted of crimes. In his former campaign chair Paul Manafort’s case, he was found guilty on a number of counts related to financial fraud. However, his former lawyer Michael Cohen’s plea deal confession may prove more damaging to Trump going forward.

In his confession, Cohen acknowledged wrongdoing in arranging hush money payments to two women who claimed to have had consensual affairs with Trump shortly after he married Melania Trump. While such payments are usually not illegal, because they occurred just prior to the election, they could be considered illegal campaign contributions meant to influence the election. Cohen claims he was reimbursed by the Trump Organization and worked at the direction of Trump himself. If true, it is the first concrete case that Trump knowingly broke the law during the 2016 election.

While legal experts say Trump is unlikely to face indictment by prosecutors given his status as president, it could add fuel to Democratic efforts to impeach him, especially if Democrats take back Congress in November.

Shooting at Maryland Newspaper Leaves Five Dead

A shooting at an Annapolis-area newspaper, Capital Gazette, left five dead and two more injured. The suspect, Jarrod Ramos, is believed to have had a long-running dispute with the newspaper over their coverage of a stalking case in which he was a suspect. Ramos had sued the paper, but had lost the case. Ramos had continually threatened the newspaper since the feud began in 2011. Ramos is currently being held on five charges of first degree murder.

The five killed were Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, and Wendi Winters.

Bill Cosby Convicted on Sexual Assault Charges

Comedian and actor Bill Cosby was convicted last week of aggravated indecent assault, stemming from a 2004 case involving a woman, Andrea Constand, who went public with her allegations. She alleged that Cosby drugged her drink and proceeded to grope her. Cosby admitted to drugging women’s drinks in a 2005 deposition, but disputed the specific charges by Constand.

The jury found Cosby guilty on all three counts, which means the 80 year old, now nearly blind, could spend the rest of his life in prison if each sentence is served consecutively, with each carrying a maximum 10 year penalty. It  is still unclear if Cosby will serve the maximum and whether he will serve them consecutively or concurrently.

Former Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort Indicted

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort turned himself in on Monday to the FBI after the probe by former FBI Director Robert Mueller pushed for charges related to Manafort’s lobbying work in Ukraine. The probe, which was directed to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, led to a raid on Manafort’s home in July and charges this week related to alleged money laundering. Manafort’s longtime associate Rick Gates was also charged.

Both have pled not guilty.

Mueller has also announced that Trump campaign staffer George Papadopoulos lied to the FBI about Russian attempts to contact the Trump campaign in 2016.

Obama Administration Tries to Fend off Attacks over Bergdahl Exchange

The Obama administration has been fending off attacks over its handling of the prisoner swap for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who according to several reports, walked off base in June 2009 and was captured by the Haqqani network, a Taliban-aligned group.

When Bergdahl was released on May 31, President Obama announced the development as a great triumph, as Bergdahl was the only remaining American prisoner of war held in Afghanistan. As more details about Bergdahl came out, however, the initial joy has turned to controversy.

One of the first details to be released was the fact that five senior Taliban leaders had been exchanged for Bergdahl.

Credit: Fox News

Prior to their captures, these men were senior officials in the Taliban. One of them, Mullah Norullah Noori, was a governor of an Afghan province under the Taliban dictatorship of Mullah Mohammed Omar, the leader of the Taliban, which lasted from 1996-2001.

The men will be required to stay in the country of Qatar for one year; afterwards they will be free to leave. The general consensus among analysts is that the they will rejoin the Taliban insurgency once free.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), wrote a letter Senate Armed Service Committee, which said in part that the men "have American blood on their hands and surely as night follows day they will return to the fight.”  

Attention has new turned to Bergdahl himself. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said on two Sunday morning shows that Bergdahl served “with honor and distinction" and went so far as to suggest he was captured on the battlefield. Republicans have strongly criticized her for those remarks, saying that they are similar to remarks Rice gave in the aftermath of the Benghazi attack. In those remarks she said that the attack was the result of an escalation of protests that stemmed from the anti-Islamic video that sparked protests in Egypt. That premise was proven to be false.

Prior to his capture, Bergdahl had sent an email to his parents, which, according to a Rolling Stone article by the late Michael Hastings, said

"The future is too good to waste on lies. And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be american. The horror of the self-righteous arrogance that they thrive in. It is all revolting."

The email also said,

"In the US army you are cut down for being honest... but if you are a conceited brown nosing [expletive] bag you will be allowed to do what ever you want, and you will be handed your higher rank... The system is wrong. I am ashamed to be an american. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools...I am sorry for everything here. These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid, that they have no idea how to live. We don't even care when we hear each other talk about running their children down in the dirt streets with our armored trucks... We make fun of them in front of their faces, and laugh at them for not understanding we are insulting them...I am sorry for everything. The horror that is america is disgusting...There are a few more boxes coming to you guys. Feel free to open them, and use them."

Read the original article here.

Adding to the controversy, Bergdahl's fellow soldiers have criticized him.

Former Sgt. Matt Vierkant said, "I was pissed off then, and I am even more so now with everything going on. Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war, and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him."

Sgt. Evan Buetow, Bergdahl's team leader at the time of his disappearance, had this to say about him: "Bergdahl is a deserter, and he's not a hero. He needs to answer for what he did."

In the search for Bergdahl, six soldiers in total were killed by enemy forces.


Republicans in Congress have criticized the Obama administration for what they perceive as setting a precedent for negotiating with terrorist and not coming to Congress first to approve the prisoner swap. Democrats have countered that the nation's duty to never leave a soldier behind and Bergdahl's condition trumped those concerns.

Bergdahl's father, Bob Bergdahl, has also found himself in controversy. Bergdahl reportedly immersed himself in Afghan culture while his son was held captive, learning the native language and studying the customs.

According to the New York Daily News, he sent out a number of tweets with apparently pro-Taliban messages. One tweet read, “working to free all Guantanmo prisoners. God will repay for the death of every Afghan child, ameen!”

Bob Bergdahl's appearance has also caused some controversy. Bergdahl has grown out his beard during his son's captivity. Fox News host Bill O'Reilly commented, saying, “But it is Robert Bergdahl, the father, who is also engendering some controversy. He has learned to speak Pashto, the language of the Taliban, and looks like a Muslim. He is also somewhat sympathetic to Islam, actually thanking Allah right in front of the President.” O'Reilly has faced criticism for those remarks.
In the wake of the controversy, Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho, has canceled a rally for Bergdahl, saying that the town "will be unable to safely manage the number of people expected." Most attribute it to the rising backlash against Bergdahl and his possible desertion.

If sufficient evidence is indeed gathered, desertion charges against Bergdahl may be charged in the coming days and weeks.