Former President Donald Trump’s mug shot was released after he turned himself into a Georgia jail. And the Department of Justice sues Elon Musk’s SpaceX. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Aug. 25, 2023.
Donald Trump responds after mug shot released
Donald Trump’s mug shot was released by Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24, soon after the former president turned himself in on charges he attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the state of Georgia. It is the first mug shot taken of a former president in American history.
Trump said the process only took about 30 minutes and that he was “treated very nicely” by jail staff. After being released on a $200,000 bond, Trump posted to the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, for the first time since January 2021. He posted his mug shot with the caption “election interference” and “never surrender” along with the web address to his website.
The Fulton County prosecution is the fourth criminal case against Trump, who remains the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 presidential campaign. The former president spoke out before heading back home to New Jersey.
“There’s never been anything like it in our country before. This is their way of campaigning, and this is one instance, but you’ve got three other instances, it is election interference. So I want to thank you for being here. We did nothing wrong at all and we have every right to challenge an election that we think is dishonest, that we think is very dishonest,” Trump said.
The House Judiciary Committee has opened an investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis who has led the prosecution of the former president in Georgia.
Maui County sues electric company over fires
Maui County is suing the island’s electric company over the wildfires that claimed over 100 lives. The lawsuit alleges Hawaiian Electric’s neglect led to the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century.
Early on in the search for answers, videos posted on social media appeared to show sparks from power lines igniting fires as a hurricane passed near the island. This created strong winds that picked up those sparks and turned them into fast-moving flames.
According to the suit, Maui County says the utility failed to shut off power despite exceptionally high winds and dry, hazardous conditions. The utility company says it is disappointed in Maui County’s decision.
The exact cause of the fires is still being investigated by federal officials.
US: Explosion likely caused Prigozhin plane crash
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reacting for the first time to reports of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death after his plane crashed with no survivors. Putin sent his condolences to the mercenary leader’s family, although the Russian president has known mixed feelings over the man who led a mutiny against his forces two months ago.
A preliminary assessment by U.S. intelligence officials has found an intentional explosion likely caused the plane allegedly carrying Prigozhin to crash, although U.S. officials say his death could take time to confirm.
A Pentagon spokesperson has declined to say whether the U.S. believes the crash was an assassination.
75 officers placed on leave after hourslong standoff, shootout
At least 75 officers from various departments in Pennsylvania are on leave after a standoff and shootout that lasted more than six hours and ended with the suspect dead.
Police went to the Pittsburgh home of William Hardison Sr. on Wednesday, Aug. 23, to serve an eviction notice when authorities say Hardison “turned violent and began shooting” at deputies.
Gunfire was exchanged for the next six and half hours between police and the suspect. Afterwards, Hardison was found dead inside the home.
The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office says 16 deputies have been placed on administrative leave. A dozen Allegheny County police officers – all of whom authorities confirm fired their weapons during the standoff – have also been placed on leave, as well as 47 Pittsburgh police officers involved in the incident, as per protocol in police-involved shootings.
It’s unclear how many shots were fired during the hourslong exchange.
DOJ sues SpaceX for alleged hiring discrimination
The Department of Justice is suing SpaceX over alleged discriminatory hiring practices against refugees and people living in the U.S. under asylum.
According to the complaint filed Aug. 24, the DOJ says Elon Musk’s rocket company wrongly claimed that federal export laws barred SpaceX from hiring anyone who wasn’t a U.S. citizen or a green card holder. The DOJ says the laws do not enforce such restrictions.
The complaint says SpaceX also failed to fairly consider applications submitted to the company by refugees. The Department opened its investigation into SpaceX’s hiring practices in 2020.
The U.S. is seeking “fair consideration and back pay” for those who were deterred or denied employment by SpaceX due to the alleged discrimination. SpaceX has not commented on the lawsuit.
Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte celebrates 20 years
Even though many across the country are still experiencing triple-digit temperatures, it’s that time of the year again to talk pumpkin spice.
The famous to some – infamous to others – Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is back for the season – marking its 20th anniversary. Its popularity continues to rise. Starbucks says last year’s sales of its pumpkin-spice drinks were up 17%.
But the fall staple can be rather divisive. In fact, there’s a Facebook group called “I hate pumpkin spice.”
But the good outweighs the bad with one study by Montclair State University saying 92 percent of social media posts mentioning pumpkin spice in its survey were positive.
It’s not a flavor exclusive to the coffee chain. In the past year, Nielsen says U.S. sales of pumpkin-flavored products have surpassed $800 million.
