Wednesday, March 27

5 things to know Thursday


Prosecutors charge Highland Park shooting suspect, seek to hold him in jail

Illinois authorities on Tuesday evening announced they charged Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, 21, with seven counts of first-degree murder after he allegedly opened fire during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, a Chicago suburb, on Monday. “We have not developed a motive from him,” said Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, adding there were no apparent signs the attack was motivated by race or religion. “By all indications, it appears Crimo was acting by himself.” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric F. Rinehart said the first-degree murder counts are just the first of many charges Crimo will face, an announcement cheered loudly by community members. Dozens of other lesser charges are expected. Rinehart called the attack “a well-orchestrated and carefully planned crime” but declined to elaborate. He said he would ask a judge on Wednesday morning to hold Crime in jail without the possibility of bail.

Jan. 6 committee remains hopeful Pat Cipollone will appear for a deposition

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol remain hopeful former White House counsel Pat Cipollone will appear Wednesday for a deposition, and said it would also welcome follow-up details from Secret Service members who were with former President Donald Trump that day. The committee set the date for the deposition last Wednesday when it subpoenaed Cipollone to appear. “Any concerns Mr. Cipollone has about the institutional prerogatives of the office he previously held are clearly outweighed by the need for his testimony from him,” Reps. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the committee’s chair and vice chair, said. In riveting and “combustible” testimony last week, Cassidy Hutchinsona former assistant to ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadowsrevealed, among other things, that Cipollone was concerned that Trump would be exposed to a number of criminal charges for inciting a riot on the Capitol.

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Biden to spotlight rescued pensions for millions in trip to Cleveland

Seeking to boost his standing with frustrated blue-collar voters, President Joe Biden on Wednesday will, at a union training center in Cleveland, tell workers his policies will shore up troubled pension funding for millions now on the job or retired. Hurt politically by inflation at a 40-year high and damages wrought by the pandemic, the president is anchoring his message to workers in Ohio. Biden’s speech is timed to the announcement of a final administrative rule that is tied to his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package from last year. The rule allows troubled multi-company pensions to be made financially whole, ensuring full benefits for 2-3 million workers and retirees. Details about Biden’s remarks were revealed by Associated Press sources. The president’s trip comes on the heels of the White House noting Tuesday that bringing home WNBA star Brittney Grinerwho’s being detained in Russia, is a top priority, adding Biden has read a letter from the basketball player that was delivered Monday.

Ex-‘Cheer’ star Jerry Harris to be sentenced in child porn case

Cheerleader Jerry Harris is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday for pressing young boys to send him nude photos and videos and soliciting sex from minors, a stunning fall for the former star who captivated fans when he appeared in the Netflix docuseries “Cheer.” Prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence 22-year-old Harris to 15 years in prison, but Harris’s attorneys seek a six-year sentence and asked the judge to take into consideration Harris’s difficult childhood and the sexual assault he suffered as a young athlete in the world of competitive cheerleading. Harris pleaded guilty in February to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of traveling with the attempt to engage in a sex act with a minor.

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Sydney struggles amid days of severe flooding

Floodwaters had inundated or were threatening the homes of tens of thousands of people around Sydney on Wednesday as rivers started to recede and the heavy rains tracked north. It’s the fourth flood emergency in 16 months for Australia’s largest city. Evacuation orders and official warnings to prepare to abandon homes were given to 85,000 people by Wednesday, up from 50,000 on Tuesday, New South Wales state Premier Dominic Perrottet said. Parts of southern Sydney had been lashed by nearly 8 inches of rain in 24 hours, more than 17% of the city’s annual average, Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jonathan How said Tuesday.

Contributing: The Associated Press




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