Russia launches largest air assault on Ukraine since start of war

RUSSIA HAS LAUNCHED THE LARGEST AIR ASSAULT AGAINST UKRAINE THAT WE’VE SEEN SO FAR IN THE WAR. 

THE COUNTRY’S INFRASTRUCTURE WAS THE TARGET — 

POWER GRIDS AND WATER PLANTS. 

AT ONE POINT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WAS UNDER “AIR RAID ALERTS” — RESIDENTS’ WARNING TO TAKE COVER. 

ACCORDING TO UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY — 

THERE WERE MORE THAN 200 DRONES AND MISSILES LAUNCHED AT UKRAINE’S “CRITICAL CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.” 

THE MAIN TARGET? WAS UKRAINE’S POWER GRID. 

AND WHILE ONE MISSILE HAD MISSED — ANOTHER ONE HIT A DAM THAT WAS PROVIDING ELECTRICITY TO KYIV — 

PUTTING RESIDENTS THERE IN THE DARK AS THERE ARE REPORTS OF “WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES” — 

BUT THE STRIKE ALSO PUTS MILLIONS AT RISK OF DEVASTATING FLOODING. 

CIVILIANS’ HOMES WERE ALSO HIT — 7 PEOPLE WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE ATTACK. 

RUSSIA’S ASSAULT IS SEEN AS RETALIATION FOR UKRAINE’S RECENT OFFENSIVE THAT SAW UKRAINE GOING **INTO RUSSIA’S “KURSK REGION.” 

WHILE UKRAINE SAYS ITS FORCES HAVE ADVANCED NEARLY TWO MILES INTO THE AREA — SEIZING TWO MORE VILLAGES — 

RUSSIA IS ALSO MAKING GAINS IN EASTERN UKRAINE. 

MOSCOW’S AIR ASSAULT ON UKRAINE WAS THE LARGEST SEEN IN MORE THAN 2 AND A HALF YEARS SINCE THE WAR BEGAN. 

A FEDERAL JUDGE IN TEXAS HAS TEMPORARILY BLOCKED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S NEW “PAROLE IN PLACE” POLICY — SIDING WITH 16 REPUBLICAN-LED STATES THAT CHALLENGED THE POLICY. 

PAROLE IN PLACE ALLOWS UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANTS TO APPLY FOR TEMPORARY WORK PERMITS AND DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS UNDER AN IMMIGRATION BENEFIT KNOWN AS “PAROLE” — IF THEY’RE MARRIED TO U-S CITIZENS… HAVE LIVED IN THE COUNTRY FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS… *AND* PASS BACKGROUND CHECKS. 

THE POLICY ALSO OFFERS A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP FOR UP TO HALF A MILLION UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE MARRIED TO U-S CITIZENS. 

THE JUDGE SAID THE REPUBLICAN STATES’ COMPLAINT RAISED LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUTHORITY OF THE PRESIDENT TO BYPASS CONGRESS AND SET IMMIGRATION POLICY. 

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION *CAN* KEEP ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE PROGRAM — BUT IT *CAN’T* APPROVE THEM, UNDER THE JUDGE’S ORDER. 

THAT ORDER IS SET TO REMAIN IN PLACE FOR 14 DAYS WHILE BOTH SIDES SUBMIT ARGUMENTS IN THE CASE — BUT IT COULD BE EXTENDED.

SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH IS PUSHING TO REVIVE THE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. 

THIS COMES AFTER JUDGE AILEEN CANNON DISMISSED THE CASE LAST MONTH. 

SMITH IS NOW ARGUING THAT CANNON’S DECISION WAS FLAWED AND LACKED MERIT. 

IN A NEW COURT FILING  — 

SMITH CONTENDS THAT CANNON’S RULING, WHICH CLAIMED THE PROSECUTORS’ OFFICE DIDN’T HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY TO PURSUE THE CASE, WAS INCORRECT. 

JUDGE CANNON HAD RULED THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT COULDN’T APPOINT OR FUND SPECIAL COUNSELS LIKE SMITH WITHOUT CONGRESS APPROVING IT. 

THE 11TH U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS IS NOW REVIEWING THIS DECISION. 

MEANWHILE, TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN HAS RESPONDED TO THE DOJ’S APPEAL — 

CALLING FOR ALL CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP IN DIFFERENT CASES TO ALSO BE DISMISSED.

EMERGENCY CREWS IN ALASKA ARE CONCERNED MORE LANDSLIDES COULD COME — AFTER A LARGE LANDSLIDE KILLED ONE PERSON AND FORCED DOZENS TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES IN THE TOURIST TOWN OF KETCHIKAN. 

THE SLOPE IS STILL UNSTABLE AND AUTHORITIES SAY STATE AND LOCAL GEOLOGISTS ARE ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER SLIDES. 

SO FAR, WE KNOW FOUR HOMES WERE CRITICALLY DAMAGED…. BUT HOMES NEXT TO WHERE THE LANDSLIDE WENT THROUGH ARE STILL BEING ASSESSED. 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAID KETCHIKAN GOT MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN IN ABOUT 36 HOURS OVER THE WEEKEND — BUT RAINFALL TOTALS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS RANGED FROM 5 TO 9 INCHES.

AN AIRLINE WAS ACCIDENTALLY SELLING HUNDREDS OF FIRST CLASS TICKETS FOR ABOUT 85 PERCENT CHEAPER THAN USUAL — 

AND IT WASN’T SOME SORT OF SALE — IT WAS A **CODING ERROR THAT CAUSED A GLITCH IN ITS SYSTEM — 

AND THERE WERE CUSTOMERS THAT TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT WHILE THEY COULD. 

THE FIRST CLASS SEATS WERE ON FLIGHTS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE U.S. ON THE AUSTRALIAN AIRLINE QANTAS. 

THE TICKETS NORMALLY RANGED FROM 13 TO 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS — 

BUT WERE SOLD FOR LESS THAN FOUR GRAND. 

THE COMPANY SAYS THE FLAW IN ITS ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN **FIXED. 

AND CUSTOMERS WHO THOUGHT THEY GOT A DEAL TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE — WERE RIGHT. 

THEY’RE NOW BEING CONTACTED TO EITHER RECEIVE A REFUND — OR GET A SEAT REASSIGNMENT TO BUSINESS CLASS.

FINALLY THIS MORNING — HISTORY WAS MADE ON THE BASEBALL DIAMOND AT BOSTON’S FENWAY PARK MONDAY NIGHT. 

IN UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES — WE SAW THE FIRST MLB PLAYER TO EVER PLAY FOR **BOTH TEAMS IN THE SAME GAME. 

HERE’S HOW THAT HAPPENED — ON JUNE 26-TH, DANNY JANSEN WAS ON THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS AND UP TO BAT IN THEIR GAME AGAINST THE BOSTON RED SOX WHEN THE GAME HAD TO BE SUSPENDED BECAUSE OF BAD WEATHER. 

ON JULY 27-TH — JANSEN WAS TRADED FROM THE BLUE JAYS TO THE RED SOX. 

THE UNFINISHED JUNE GAME FINALLY PICKED BACK UP MONDAY AFTER A TWO MONTH DELAY — WITH JANSEN BEHIND HOME PLATE PLAYING CATCHER FOR THE RED SOX. 

SO WHILE IT WAS MONTHS APART — IT WAS TECHNICALLY STILL THE SAME GAME… EARNING JANSEN A SPOT IN THE M-L-B HISTORY BOOKS.