Blinken’s unannounced Ukraine visit: The Morning Rundown Sept. 6, 2023

COMING UP —

A TOP U.S. DIPLOMAT MAKES AN UNANNOUNCED VISIT TO UKRAINE’S CAPITAL.

WHAT’S EXPECTED TO COME FROM ANTONY BLINKEN’S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY.

“People just don’t know how it feels to be accused of something you didn’t do.” 

AND THE LONGEST WRONGFUL CONVICTION CASE IN AMERICAN HISTORY TO EVER BE OVERTURNED BASED ON D-N-A EVIDENCE.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER SIXTH.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.I’M KARAH RUCKER.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN HAS ARRIVED IN KYIV TO MEET WITH TOP OFFICIALS INCLUDING UKRAINE’S PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY.

DURING HIS UNANNOUNCED TWO-DAY TRIP — THE TOP U.S. DIPLOMAT IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE AN ADDITIONAL ONE BILLION DOLLAR AID PACKAGE FROM THE U.S. IN A SIGNAL OF CONTINUED SUPPORT.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS.

BLINKEN IS EXPECTED TO LEARN MORE ON UKRAINE’S COUNTEROFFENSIVE AGAINST RUSSIA — WHICH IS NOW IN ITS FOURTH MONTH.

THIS WILL BE BLINKEN’S FOURTH TRIP TO UKRAINE’S CAPITAL SINCE THE START OF THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR.

“I’m here, first and foremost, to demonstrate our ongoing and determined support for Ukraine as it deals with this aggression.” 

THERE’S A NEW LARGEST PUNISHMENT FOR ACTIONS TAKEN SURROUNDING JANUARY 6TH.

FORMER PROUD BOYS LEADER ENRIQUE TARRIO WAS SENTENCED TUESDAY TO 22 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY.

THAT FIGURE — TOPPING THE 18 YEARS GIVEN TO FELLOW FORMER PROUD BOYS LEADER ETHAN NORDEAN AND OATH KEEPERS FOUNDER STEWART RHODES.

THE D-O-J IS APPEALING THE LATTER’S SENTENCE — AS IT WAS UNDER THE 25 YEARS PROSECUTORS HAD REQUESTED.

BEFORE THE SENTENCE CAME DOWN — TARRIO CALLED JAN. 6 A “NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT.”

HE APOLOGIZED TO CAPITOL POLICE — AS WELL AS THE LAWMAKERS WHO WERE IN THE CAPITOL AT THE TIME.

HIS LAWYERS — WHO HAD ASKED FOR NO MORE THAN 15 YEARS — SAID THEY PLAN TO APPEAL.

“While we respect the judge’s sentence, we respectfully disagree. But- Yet we respect it. There will be a day and a time where an appeal will come and we expect appeals to come soon. And whoever handles the issues that transpired it will- And we will be filing it in due course.”

TARRIO IS THE FINAL PROUD BOYS LEADER CONVICTED OF SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY TO RECEIVE HIS SENTENCE.

61 PROTESTERS OF A PLANNED POLICE AND FIREFIGHTER TRAINING FACILITY IN ATLANTA DUBBED “COP CITY” HAVE BEEN INDICTED ON RACKETEERING CHARGES.

THE “STOP COP CITY” MOVEMENT HAS GONE ON FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS.

THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE TRAINING FACILITY FEAR IT WILL LEAD TO GREATER MILITARIZATION OF POLICE IN ATLANTA — AND THAT ITS CONSTRUCTION IN AN URBAN FOREST WILL CAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.

HOWEVER — ONGOING PROTESTS HAVE AT TIMES VEERED INTO VANDALISM AND VIOLENCE.

IN THE INDICTMENT — THE STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL DESCRIBED THE PROTESTERS AS “MILITANT ANARCHISTS” WHO SUPPORTED A VIOLENT MOVEMENT THAT PROSECUTORS HAVE TRACED BACK TO THE RACIAL JUSTICES PROTESTS OF 20-20.

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants are members of Defend the Atlanta Forest, an anarchist, anti-police and anti-business, extremist organization. We contend the 61 defendants together have conspired to prevent the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center by conducting, coordinating and organizing acts of violence, intimidation and property destruction.”

THE INDICTMENT IS THE LATEST APPLICATION OF THE STATE’S ANTI-RACKETEERING OR RICO LAW.

IT COMES JUST WEEKS AFTER THE SAME LAW WAS USED TO INDICT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND 18 OTHERS OVER AN ALLEGED CONSPIRACY TO OVERTURN THE 20-20 ELECTION RESULTS IN THE STATE.

IN THIS CASE — MANY OF THE 61 INDICTED WERE ALREADY FACING SEPARATE CHARGES RELATED TO THE PROTESTS.

THIS INCLUDES MORE THAN THREE DOZEN PEOPLE ALREADY FACING DOMESTIC TERRORISM CHARGES IN CONNECTION TO VIOLENT PROTESTS —

— THREE LEADERS OF A BAIL FUND PREVIOUSLY ACCUSED OF MONEY LAUNDERING —

— AND THREE ACTIVISTS PREVIOUSLY CHARGED WITH FELONY INTIMIDATION AFTER AUTHORITIES SAID THEY DISTRIBUTED FLYERS CALLING A STATE TROOPER A “MURDERER” FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE FATAL SHOOTING OF A PROTESTER.

GAS PRICES ARE NOW AT THE HIGHEST SEASONAL LEVEL IN MORE THAN A DECADE —

THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR REGULAR GASOLINE IS AT 3 DOLLARS 81 CENTS A GALLON —

AND LIKELY TO REMAIN HIGH AFTER NEWS OF SAUDI ARABIA AND RUSSIA EXTENDING VOLUNTARY OIL PRODUCTION CUTS THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR.

THAT MEANS 1.3 MILLION BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL A DAY WILL BE TRIMMED FROM THE GLOBAL MARKET THROUGH DECEMBER.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ADDS NEW PRESSURE ON SAUDI ARABIA’S STRAINED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S. AFTER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WARNED LAST YEAR THERE WOULD BE “CONSEQUENCES” OVER ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH RUSSIA.

A MAN WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OF RAPE NEARLY 5 DECADES AGO — HAS BEEN EXONERATED AFTER THE INTERVENTION OF THE INNOCENCE PROJECT —

IN WHAT THE ORGANIZATION SAYS IS THE “LONGEST WRONGFUL CONVICTION CASE IN AMERICAN HISTORY TO EVER BE OVERTURNED BASED ON D-N-A EVIDENCE.”

“Now I can truly say that I am free.”

IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL DAY INSIDE A WESTCHESTER NEW YORK COURTROOM.

72-YEAR OLD LEONARD MACK — A VIETNAM VETERAN — SPENT SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS IN A STATE PRISON ON CHARGES OF RAPING A TEENAGE GIRL BACK IN 19-76.

NOW — LEONARD MACK HAS CLEARED HIS NAME — AND DNA EVIDENCE LINKED A CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER CURRENTLY BEHIND BARS TO THE CRIME.

THE JUDGE WHO VACATED MACK’S CONVICTION ON TUESDAY EMBRACED HIM WITH A HUG —

WHICH ALSO HAPPENED TO BE ON MACK’S 72ND BIRTHDAY.

“Mr. Mack! Free man, how does it feel? Great, great, happy birthday, thank you.” 

FINALLY THIS MORNING —

FLAMINGOS — ARE FLOCKING TO — UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY.

MORE THAN 150 FLAMINGOS HAVE SHOWED UP IN STATES THEY USUALLY DON’T CALL HOME.

THE RECENT OBSERVATIONS BY BIRD WATCHERS COME JUST AFTER HURRICANE IDALIA ARRIVED ON THE U.S. COAST.

BIRD RESEARCHERS BELIEVE THE FLAMINGOS ORIGINATE FROM MEXICO AND WERE BLOWN IN BY THE HURRICANE AND “DROPPED OUT ALONG THE COAST”.

THE MAJOR STORM SYSTEM — BLAMED FOR THE BIZARRE RELOCATION AND FLOCKING OF FLAMINGOS IN STATES LIKE FLORIDA, TEXAS, ALABAMA, THE CAROLINAS, OHIO, TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA — SOMETHING BIRD WATCHERS ARE CALLING “UNPRECEDENTED”.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES.

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE MORNING RUNDOWN.

WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY SERVING ONLY YOU — NOT AN AGENDA.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

AND YOU CAN ALSO FIND THE LATEST RUNDOWN EPISODES AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!