Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we’ve got some dynamic stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
The sentencing date for former President Donald Trump’s criminal case will be postponed, the suspect in the deadly Georgia school shooting and his father face the judge, and the feds want to better understand those frequent-flyer rewards programs. Also, the FDA is taking a close look at a hygiene product used by millions of women on a daily basis, and you can now sign more items electronically when it comes to corresponding with the Social Security administration.
Judge Merchan Delays Trump Sentencing Until After November Election
Yesterday, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said he’s delaying his sentencing from Sept. 18 to Nov. 26.In a letter to Trump’s attorneys and the New York District Attorney’s office, Merchan described the court as fair, impartial, and apolitical and said the decision was made in order to avoid any appearance that the court is trying to affect the outcome of November’s presidential election.
To refresh your memory on the timeline, Trump was found guilty this past May on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Merchan had originally scheduled sentencing for July, but postponed it until this month after the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity. By the way, yesterday’s announcement was the second delay in Trump’s sentencing.
You should know, Merchan’s sentencing delay came just a day after U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan outlined a new schedule for proceeding with Trump’s federal election interference case in the District of Columbia, also due to the presidential immunity issue.
The former president and his legal team have repeatedly called for Merchan’s recusal, citing his daughter’s leadership in a Democratic political consulting firm. Merchan has rejected those calls, saying there’s no conflict of interest. The former president’s team has also challenged the verdict based on the high court’s presidential immunity ruling. Merchan has indicated that he’ll rule on that issue Nov. 12.
During a press conference earlier this week, Trump denounced the various lawsuits against him, saying they’re an abuse of the justice system. His case before Merchan is the only one of his four criminal cases to actually reach a verdict.
Apalachee High School Shooting Suspect Colt Gray and Father Appear in Court for First Time
The alleged shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, and his father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, appeared in separate court hearings yesterday morning for the first time, just two days after the tragic incident at Apalachee High School.Colt, who was shackled as he sat next to his attorney, responded, “Yes, sir,” to several of the judge’s questions in the Barrow County courtroom.
During the hearing, the judge informed him that he could face life in prison if convicted by a jury, while noting that he cannot be sentenced to death due to his age.
However, he is being charged as an adult with four counts of murder in the deaths of teachers 53-year-old Cristina Irimie, 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall, as well as 14-year-old students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn. He’s being held without bond and did not enter a plea during the hearing.
Meanwhile, the boy’s father is also charged in connection with the shootings, facing counts of involuntary manslaughter and second-degree murder, and he’s also being held without bond.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation attributes blame to the father for the shooting, for knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to have the weapon.
You should know this isn’t the first time a parent has been charged in connection with a shooting by their child. Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first parents to be held criminally liable and convicted. Their son Ethan Crumbley shot and killed four students in 2021, and they were convicted this past April of involuntary manslaughter in connection with that case.
So you know, they received 10 to 15 years each for failing to take precautions to secure a firearm in their home and for ignoring signs that their son was suffering from mental health issues.
Federal Government Probing Frequent Flyer Reward Programs From 4 Major Airlines
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) says it has ordered an investigation of the four largest U.S. airline frequent-flyer reward programs, in order to examine their fairness, transparency, predictability, and competitiveness.Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg sent letters to American, Delta, Southwest, and United Airlines, ordering them to hand over records and submit detailed reports addressing questions related to their rewards programs and practices by Dec. 4 of this year.
The request covers information such as how the airlines determine the value of reward points, as well as details regarding how much money consumers must spend solely on credit card purchases to obtain various membership levels and rewards.
Buttigieg points out that frequent-flyer miles and credit card rewards have become “such a meaningful part of our economy that many Americans view their rewards points balances as part of their savings.” However, he said, unlike a traditional savings account, these rewards are controlled by a company that can unilaterally change their value.
So the investigation aims to ensure that consumers are getting the value that was promised to them, which means making sure these programs are transparent and fair.
So you know, this investigation follows a meeting between the DOT and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this past May regarding these programs.
You should also know that prior to their meeting, they learned that the share of revenue generated by loyalty programs for the biggest U.S. airlines increased from 12 percent in 2019 to 16 percent in 2021 and that the return on investment for frequent-flyer programs was “far higher” than the profits gained from the core business of providing flights.
FDA Investigating Toxic Metals in Tampons: Senator
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is studying metals found in tampons after lawmakers recently raised safety concerns.A study published last month in the science journal Environmental International found measurable concentrations of 16 metals—such as lead and arsenic—in tampon products made by 14 common brands.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) says that the FDA commissioned an independent contractor to take a close look at the study in order to determine if there’s a link between tampon use and adverse health effects. Murray says the agency will also conduct an internal study to figure out how much of the metals are released during normal use.
By the way, you should know that more than half of women who menstruate use tampons and may use more than 7,400 tampons in their reproductive years, according to the study by researchers from UC Berkeley, Columbia, and Michigan State University.
You should also know that exposure to heavy metals can potentially lead to health issues such as diabetes and cancer.
However, the researchers say that more studies are needed to replicate their findings and determine whether metals can leach out of tampons and be absorbed into the bloodstream through the vaginal lining.
Social Security Allows Electronic Signatures in 90 Percent of Commonly Used Forms
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced this week that American citizens can now use electronic signatures instead of wet ink signatures on several forms, saying it will simplify application processes.President Joe Biden signed an executive order back in 2021 that asked the agency to implement measures aimed at removing physical signature requirements.
So you know, SSA officials say electronic signatures can now be used for more than 30 forms, which make up 90 percent of the most commonly used forms by customers in local field offices, and many of those forms can now be uploaded online.
The SSA is also considering removing signature requirements altogether for other forms, which affects roughly 1 million more transactions and, as a side benefit, it may eliminate a potential reason for some claims being denied or sent back.
Interesting to note, the SSA’s signature updates are the latest in a series of reforms the agency has launched in order to modernize and streamline operations. So you know, SSA says that it previously expanded paperless communication for millions of “my Social Security” account holders online.
Before we go, a quick check-up on the markets:
Wall Street finished the week in red territory. The Dow lost 410 points to close at 40,345. Nasdaq fell by 436 points to close at 16,690, and the S&P 500 was off by 95 points, closing at 5,408.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Saturday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
*(Don’t forget the News Brief Motto): We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Mandy Hale, who said: “You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.”
Before we go, today is National Hummingbird Day. There are over 300 species of hummingbirds and the average hummingbird is between 2 to 5 inches in length, making it the smallest bird in the world.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas. The Epoch Times News Brief is written by the extraordinary Sharon Reardon.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your Saturday and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today! Bye for now.
