Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, July 27, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some big stories to share with you today, and here’s what’s going on.
A former White House doctor says it was most definitely a bullet that struck the former president, Nebraska’s high court rules in a case that combines two hot-button issues, and the Navy is settling with individuals who refused the COVID-19 vaccine. Also, it’s going to be easier for parents to get a passport for their kids, and a high-speed rail in France is disrupted for the weekend as the Olympic Games get underway.
Trump Rebuffs Claims About Shooting
Former President Trump took issue with FBI Director Christopher Wray’s statement that glass or shrapnel hitting the former president’s ear during the attempted assassination earlier this month could not be ruled out.During his congressional testimony on Wednesday, the FBI director provided details from the investigation into the shooting that targeted the former president in Butler County, Pennsylvania, as well as details about the suspected shooter, Thomas Crooks.
However, a letter from former White House physician and current Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) published yesterday disputed Mr. Wray’s comments. Mr. Jackson referred to the former president’s medical records, which said that Butler Memorial Hospital treated the former president for a “gunshot wound to the right ear.”
The congressman, citing his work as an emergency room physician for more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy, said he agreed with the hospital’s initial assessment.
You should know that Mr. Jackson, who previously served as physician to the president for both former President Barack Obama and former President Trump, said he has provided treatment and daily evaluation of former President Trump’s wound since the shooting, saying that the “bullet track produced a 2 [centimeter] wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear.”
Interesting to note that former President Trump recounted the assassination attempt on his life at the Republican National Convention last week, saying that he’s only alive “by the grace of Almighty God.”
Nebraska Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Bill Restricting Abortion, Gender-Altering Procedures
The Nebraska Supreme Court has just ruled that a law combining abortion restrictions along with limits to gender-altering procedures for minors does not violate the state’s constitution, which requires that bills be confined to a single subject.The state’s high court acknowledged in their split decision yesterday that abortion and gender-altering procedures are “distinct types of medical care” but that the law, LB574, does not violate Nebraska’s single-subject rule because both abortion and transgender procedures fall under the subject of medical care.
You should know that the law bans abortions beyond 12 weeks’ gestation. It also bans gender-altering surgeries for minors, and it regulates puberty blockers for minors. The bill was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represented Planned Parenthood in Nebraska.
Initially, Nebraska lawmakers proposed separate bills, one banning abortion at about six weeks of pregnancy and another restricting transgender procedures for minors.
However, the GOP-dominated Legislature added the abortion ban bill to the existing gender-altering procedure bill after the abortion ban failed to defeat a filibuster.
Nebraska’s governor issued a statement praising the ruling, while the ACLU of Nebraska called the state Supreme Court’s decision devastating.
You should know that at least 25 states have adopted laws restricting or banning gender-altering procedures for minors, with most of those states facing lawsuits.
Navy to Expunge Records for SEALs, Sailors Who Refused COVID Vaccines
The Navy says it will expunge the records of naval members who declined to take the COVID-19 vaccines due to their religious beliefs under a settlement approved in federal court earlier this week.The agreement states that naval officials will review the personnel records of those who opposed the vaccine mandates on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs. The settlement requires that the Navy permanently remove records indicating administrative separation, counseling, or nonjudicial punishment for failing to comply with the vaccine mandate.
The Navy has also agreed to erase the records of class members who were discharged over their refusal to get jabbed and make sure the discharged members are listed as eligible for reenlistment.
According to the legal agreement, the review must be finished within nine months, and the expungement of records must be completed within one year.
You should also know that all Navy members who filed a religious request for an exemption from the vaccine mandate and were actively serving as of March 28, 2022, are covered by the settlement.
The lawsuit, which was filed by First Liberty Institute in 2021, affects more than 4,300 naval personnel, and for now, the Navy has declined to comment on the settlement.
Passport Applications Rules Change for Minors, Easing Requirements on Parents
The Department of State has just finalized a rule change aimed at simplifying the passport application process for minors under 16 years old as well as providing more flexibility for their parents.So, under current regulations, both parents or legal guardians must appear in person to complete a minor’s passport application, unless one parent can legally prove that they have sole authority. If a parent cannot appear, he or she must provide a notarized statement of consent.
However, this new policy, which goes into effect at the end of next month, will allow a non-applying parent or legal guardian to sign the required statement of consent in the presence of a passport specialist. This would need to be done at a public passport center or agency within the United States.
The State Department says the change is aimed at improving the customer’s experience by reducing time, costs, and potential errors associated with notarized documents.
This new rule will also allow agencies to immediately issue passports in case of emergencies since the original completed consent forms will be directly accessible by the department.
French High-Speed Rail Paralyzed in Massive Attack Ahead of Olympics
France’s high-speed TGV rail network was disrupted by nefarious attacks just hours before the Olympic Games in Paris opened. According to the French tourism site Sortiraparis, more than 15 million visitors are expected at the games.A spokesman for train operator SNCF told The Epoch Times that it was the victim of several simultaneous “malicious acts” affecting the Atlantique, Northern, and Eastern high-speed lines. He also stated that the devastating attack—which included deliberate fires aimed at damaging their facilities—will “paralyze high-speed lines.”
SNCF put out a statement asking passengers to postpone their journeys and not to go to railway stations, and that they will be notified when their train is running. They were also told not to worry since all tickets are exchangeable and refundable.
By the way, this disruption is expected to last at least the entire weekend.
You should also know that several trains on the Eurostar service—which connect France, the UK, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands—have also been canceled, and French police say investigations are ongoing.
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, the weekend edition, of The Epoch Times News Brief.
When you’re out and about today, it would sure mean a great deal to us if you could tell some folks you know about our program—and that’s because we’re always trying to grow the News Brief family, and in our family, there’s always room for one more.
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And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote.
This one comes to us from the late, great George Burns who said: “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”
George Burns did it all. He was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and lived to the ripe old age of 100.
By the way, just in case you follow the markets, on Friday the DOW closed up 654 points at 40,589, NASDAQ closed up 176 at 17,357, and the S&P 500 closed up 59 at 5,459.
One last note: today is National Crème Brûlée Day. If you can pull it off, find somewhere to go to enjoy a crème brûlée—a decadent dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The News Brief program is written by Sharon Reardon with production assistance from Faye, Clare, and a variety of behind-the-scenes professionals working diligently to bring you this daily program.
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. Think positive thoughts today, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and as always, have a superb day. Bye for now.
