A federal judge put Hunter Biden's plea deal on hold. Trailblazing singer Sinéad O'Connor died at 56. And actor Kevin Spacey was acquitted of sexual assault charges in the U.K. |
👋 Hello! Laura Davis here, comin' in hot with Wednesday's news. |
🐾 But first: Sure, your pooch can sit, shake and speak – but can they mow the lawn? Meet Brewski, a TikTok-famous dog from Mississippi who's taking tricks to a whole new level. |
Hunter Biden plea deal on hold |
A federal judge refused Wednesday to accept a plea agreement with Hunter Biden after an unexpected disagreement about the terms between prosecutors and defense lawyers temporarily upended the deal. Judge Maryellen Noreika urged both sides to come to an agreement – but wanted more time to review the proposal before accepting it. "You all are telling me, 'just rubber stamp the agreement, Your Honor,'" Noreika told the lawyers. The plea deal covered tax and gun charges and aimed to resolve a five-year investigation. The case remains a flashpoint for Republican investigations into Hunter Biden and his father, President Joe Biden. 👉 Here's the latest. | Hunter Biden leaves the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware, after the hearing regarding his criminal tax case on Wednesday. Benjamin Chambers/Delaware News Journal |
Sinéad O'Connor dies at 56 |
The incomparable Irish artist Sinéad O'Connor has died, according to a statement from her family. She was 56. The trailblazing singer's 1990 version of Prince's song "Nothing Compares 2 U" spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and was nominated for three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year. O'Connor endured enormous fallout from her 1992 "Saturday Night Live" appearance, during which she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II while singing Bob Marley's "War," in protest of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Her cause of death has not yet been revealed. 🎶 Read more about her life and legacy. | Sinéad O'Connor in 1988. Andrew Catlin |
What everyone's talking about |
Fed bumps up interest rates again |
Despite a recent pullback in inflation, the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by a quarter point Wednesday and signaled another hike is at least on the table, if not likely, in coming months amid a solid economy. The move nudged the federal funds rate to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, the highest level in 22 years. Fed Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged inflation's slowdown in June but added that while it's "welcome, it's just one report, one month of data." He said the process of lowering inflation to the Fed's 2% goal "has a long way to go." 📈 What we know. |
Actor Kevin Spacey acquitted of all 9 sexual assault charges |
"House of Cards" actor Kevin Spacey was acquitted of sexual assault charges Wednesday by a London jury at the conclusion of a four-weeklong trial. The Academy Award winner was accused of sexual offenses against four men in Britain. Tears rolled down Spacey's cheeks as the final "not guilty" verdict was read. It was his 64th birthday. There were nine charges against Spacey, who pleaded not guilty to all, including multiple counts of sexual and indecent assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. He had faced 13 charges until July 19, when the judge removed four counts that duplicated the same allegations under an older statute. 🔎 A look at the allegations and trial. | Actor Kevin Spacey arrives outside Southwark Crown Court in London on Wednesday. On Thursday, Spacey was acquitted of sexual assault charges he faced in Britain. Kirsty Wigglesworth, AP | | | | The GOP leader was giving an opening statement during a press conference when he abruptly stopped speaking and stood silently for several seconds. | | | | Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani admitted he made false statements about two Georgia election workers to resolve their litigation against him. | | | | "Without that timely notification of the iPhone Crash Detection, nobody witnessed him going over, who knows if he ever would have been found." | | | | Four civilians and two firefighters were injured after a crane caught fire and partially collapsed in New York City, officials said. | | | | Wildlife experts say that whales beaching themselves could be an indicator of stress or illness within the pod. | | | | The invasive hammerhead worm species secretes a toxin also found in puffer fish that harm humans or pets, so be careful when killing hammerhead worms. | | | | The stagnant market for NFL running backs has irked stars at the position, but a significant boost in pay would be hard for teams to justify. | | | | South Florida water temperatures have reached world-record highs, scientists say, and climate change is at least partly responsible. | | | | Police said the suspects killed a parakeet and rabbit and stomped a hamster to death. A stolen Guinea pig remains missing. | | | | The Attorney General's Office has authority to access health records, but Vanderbilt University Medical Center has taken heat for not pushing back. | | | | | | | Sign up for the news you want | Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. | | | | | | |
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