Trump Enters Not Guilty Plea in Fulton County, GA Case

Former President Donald Trump entered a not guilty plea to 13 state felony counts, including racketeering, Thursday. Trump did not appear in court in person in Atlanta, Georgia, where the charges were filed, but rather filed a written plea which also waived a formal arraignment. Trump surrendered last week to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, where he was booked and had his mugshot taken. Trump is one of 19 defendants to be charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s office. 

Fani Willis, a Democrat, launched an investigation into Trump and his allies in February 2021 after Trump’s team challenged the results of the 2020 election and in the aftermath. Willis believes Trump and his co-defendants broke the law by their actions challenging the results.

 

Hurricane Idalia Strikes Florida and East Coast

Hurricane Idalia struck Florida as a category 3 hurricane on Wednesday after briefly peaking in strength as a category 4 storm. Idalia struck the Big Bend area of Florida, where the Florida Panhandle connects to the larger Florida peninsula.

Idalia’s storm surge flooded coastal communities and low-lying inland areas. However, Idalia’s damage was nowhere near the destruction brought by last year’s Hurricane Ian, which struck as a strong category 4 storm in Southwest Florida, devastating the cities of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel. Unlike Ian, Idalia was a fast-moving storm, leaving less time for storm surge and heavy rains to inundate populated centers. Still, insured losses from Idalia are projected to exceed $9 billion. Ian’s damages, in contrast, were $113 billion, making it the third-costliest Atlantic hurricane on record after Katrina and Harvey.

After striking Florida, Idalia moved up into Georgia, bringing rain and wind as it weakened over land. Idalia is currently hugging the North Carolina coast and moving offshore, where it is projected to move out to sea and possibly affect Bermuda in the coming days as weak hurricane.

 

Celebrated Television Host Bob Barker Dies at 99

Game show host and television personality Bob Barker died last Saturday at 99, just months before his 100th birthday. Barker was perhaps best known for his 35-year long stint as host of The Price is Right, where he ended every broadcast with a plea for pet owners to get their pets spayed or neutered.

Barker was born in 1923 in Washington and was raised in South Dakota on an Indian reservation (Barker was one-eighth Sioux). After serving in World War II, he began his broadcasting career in 1950. In 1956, he began hosting the gameshow Truth or Consequences. In the 1975, he began hosting The Price is Right, from which he retired in 2007 and was replaced as host by Drew Carey.

He also had several acting roles, including in Happy Gilmore and Spongebob Squarepants.

 

Israeli Knesset Approves Judicial Changes Amid Protests

The Israeli legislature (Knesset) has approved changes to the country’s judiciary, most notably the selection system for its highest court. The changes would remove the ability for current Supreme Court judges to block candidates to the court. In addition, it removes the ability of the court to strike down laws they deem as ‘unreasonable.’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its supporters argue the reforms are necessary to prevent activist judicial decisions. Opponents of the changes, many of whom have joined protests against them, argue that it removes critical checks and balances against the among branches of government.

 

Incandescent Lightbulb Ban Takes Effect in August

The Biden administration’s new ban on the sale of most incandescent light bulbs takes effect August 1, capping a nearly sixteen year long effort to phaseout the lighting from most consumer use. The Trump administration had delayed implementation of the rule, with the Biden administration reinstating it.

People can still own incandescent bulbs, but retailers can no longer sell them after August 1.

The market has long been shifting toward more energy efficient LED lighting, which uses a fraction of the power that traditional incandescent bulbs use. LED lighting also does not contain any toxic elements like fluorescent lighting does.

LED lighting does have its limitations: They are more difficult to dim than incandescent lights, and the spectrum of light they emit is different from incandescent light, requiring adjustments to emulate the light of incandescent bulbs.

Praise for the new rule focuses on the expected environmental benefits from using less energy. Criticism has focused on perceived government overreach and that consumers can no longer choose incandescent lighting even if they prefer it.