Wednesday, August 16, 2023 |
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Wednesday, August 16, 2023 |
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Good Wednesday afternoon. A new U.S. appeals court ruling has upheld some restrictions on the abortion pill, Fulton County’s district attorney has proposed a date for Donald Trump’s Georgia trial, and the death toll in the Hawaii fires has now surpassed 100. Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown. |
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U.S. appeals court upholds some restrictions on abortion pill |
A federal appeals court had upheld some restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, but it will remain on the market for the time being. The three-judge panel found the FDA did not follow proper procedure when it relaxed the rules for the use of mifepristone in 2016, making it more widely available. The decision will remain on hold until the Supreme Court decides whether to take up the case, which it is expected to do. |
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Georgia prosecutor proposes March 2024 date for Trump trial |
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has proposed a start date of March 4, 2024, for former President Donald Trump’s trial on charges that he illegally conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia, according to court documents. Trump is expected to surrender at the Fulton County jail, and so are his 18 co-defendants, according to the sheriff’s office. Willis has given Trump and his co-defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, until noon on Aug. 25 to voluntarily surrender. They can turn themselves in at any time. “The jail is open 24/7,” the sheriff’s office said. Unlike in his previous three arraignments this year, Trump will have his mug shot taken when he is booked in Fulton County, the sheriff said earlier this month. And there could be another key difference at Trump’s Georgia arraignment: the judge may allow cameras in the courtroom to allow the proceeding to play out on live television. Trump has blasted the Georgia indictment and says the investigation is politically motivated. |
| Biden to visit Hawaii as wildfire death toll surpasses 100 |
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Maui on Monday to survey the devastation from the Hawaii fires, the White House said today, as the death toll from the disaster rises to at least 106 people. The Bidens will meet with first responders, survivors and government officials, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Biden has faced criticism from Republicans after he went four days without speaking about the fires while he was on vacation in Delaware. He first spoke about the tragedy last Thursday, then addressed it again during a speech in Milwaukee Tuesday. Nearly 500 federal personnel have been deployed to Maui, and FEMA has provided “50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots and 10,000 blankets and shelter supplies to the county government for distribution,” the White House said. But some fire victims have said they are getting more help from volunteers than they are from the government, and they’ve criticized FEMA for a lack of communication. Investigators are still examining what started the fires, but video footage points to downed power lines as a possible cause. Hawaiian Electric is facing a class-action lawsuit for not cutting off the power. |
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Authorities to return items seized from Kansas newspaper |
The search warrant used in the raid at a small town Kansas newspaper last week has been withdrawn, and police have been told to return the items they seized, the prosecutor said today. Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said his review found there was “insufficient evidence” to justify the search, in a statement. “As a result, I have submitted a proposed order asking the court to release the evidence seized,” Ensey said. “I have asked local law enforcement to return the material seized to the owners of the property.” The raid may have stemmed from a dispute between the Record and a local business owner, according to the paper’s publisher. The police department faced a torrent of criticism for the search, with many press freedom advocates calling it a blatant violation of the First Amendment. |
Alec Baldwin could be charged again in deadly “Rust” shooting |
Charges could be refiled against Alec Baldwin in the deadly shooting on the set of the movie “Rust,” the special prosecutor in the case said today, after a new analysis found the gun would only fire if the trigger was pulled. “Charges against Mr. Baldwin are being considered but a final decision has not yet been made,” special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said in a statement. In April, prosecutors dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, after learning the gun may have been modified and malfunctioned. But the new analysis found the trigger had to have been pulled or depressed in order to fire the shot that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin has maintained that he did not pull the trigger. |
Bradley Cooper criticized for prosthetic nose in Leonard Bernstein biopic |
The children of legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein are defending actor Bradley Cooper’s decision to wear a prosthetic nose for his portrayal of their father in the upcoming movie “Maestro.” The trailer released by Netflix on Tuesday revealed that Cooper, who is not Jewish like Bernstein, had altered his appearance for the film, prompting some to label his use of a prosthetic nose as antisemitic. "Hollywood cast Bradley Cooper — a non Jew — to play Jewish legend Leonard Bernstein and stuck a disgusting exaggerated 'Jew nose' on him," the organization StopAntisemitism tweeted. Bernstein’s three children defended Cooper, who also directed the film. “Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that,” they said in a statement today. “We’re also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well.” |
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What else we're watching: |
A Georgia student was injured in a shooting at an Augusta high school today, and is in stable condition, authorities said. |
Heat alerts are in effect for 38 million people today across Texas, California and the Pacific Northwest. |
A campaign fundraiser for embattled New York Rep. George Santos has been indicted for allegedly impersonating a top aide to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while soliciting donations for Santos. |
The family depicted in “The Blind Side” says that Michael Oher’s claims that they never actually adopted him are part of a “shakedown effort” after he tried to get $15 million dollars from them. |
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sent a scathing letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, criticizing the city’s response to its growing migrant housing crisis. |
England is headed to its first Women’s World Cup final, after beating Australia 3-1 today. The team will face Spain on Sunday. |
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Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app. |
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