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CNN — The Justice Department on Tuesday announced charges against 47 people accused of stealing $250 million from a federal program designed to provide meals for needy children during the pandemic. According to the department, the scheme is the largest Covid-19-related fraud uncovered by investigators to date. The defendants are facing a range of charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and paying and receiving illegal kickbacks. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/20/politics/doj-minnesota-covid-fraud-scheme-feeding-our-future/index.html

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WASHINGTON — Rep. Liz Cheney launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump and his allies Monday, accusing Republican leaders of treating the former president like a “king” by defending him at every turn in a federal investigation into classified documents stored at his Florida estate. “Those who are protecting Donald Trump — elected leaders of my party — are now willing to condemn FBI agents, Department of Justice officials, and pretend that taking top-secret SCI documents and keeping them in a desk drawer in an office in Mar-a-Lago, or in an unsecured location anywhere, was somehow not a problem. They are attempting to excuse this behavior,” Cheney, R-Wyo., said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. (SCI is short for “sensitive compartmented information.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/cheney-says-gop-leaders-treating-032752666.html

A bus with migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard, the upscale vacation island off Massachusetts, by Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Sept. 16, 2022. (Matt Cosby/The New York Times) When Lever Alejos of Venezuela arrived at the southern border penniless in July, he gladly accepted a free bus ride to Washington, D.C., courtesy of the state of Texas. He had no family or friends to receive him, and spent one night in the plaza across from Union Station. He soon settled into a homeless shelter. “I have nothing,” Alejos, 29, said on his third day in the city, “but I have the will to work and succeed.” Two months later, Alejos is making between $600 to $700 a week, saving up to buy a used car and planning to move out of the shelter. https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-sent-him-washington-one-183737372.html

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said U.S forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most explicit statement on the issue, drawing an angry response from China that said it sent the wrong signal to those seeking an independent Taiwan. Asked in a CBS 60 Minutes interview broadcast on Sunday whether U.S. forces would defend the democratically governed island claimed by China, he replied: "Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack." Asked to clarify if he meant that unlike in Ukraine, U.S. forces - American men and women - would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied: "Yes." https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-says-us-forces-would-defend-taiwan-event-chinese-invasion-2022-09-18/

US Customs and Border Protection encounters along the US-Mexico border have already topped 2 million so far this fiscal year, according to newly released agency data, with migration from countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba driving numbers up. In August, migrant encounters jumped to 203,598 along the US southern border, data shows. Of those, 22% involved people who crossed more than once. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/19/politics/border-encounters-top-2-million-fiscal-year/index.html

File photo A killer who fatally shot three people in a high school prayer circle in Paducah, Kentucky, a quarter-century ago will make his case for freedom Tuesday. Michael Carneal’s public defender is asking the Kentucky Parole Board to keep in mind that Carneal was only 14 years old at the time, and that he was suffering from undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia as he was grappling with bullying and the transition from middle to high school. Carneal, now 39, “has committed himself to his mental health treatment, to participating in available educational and vocational programs, and to being a helpful and positive person within the prison,” attorney Alana Meyer wrote this month. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/19/us/paducah-kentucky-michael-carneal-parole/index.html

Calls are growing in South Africa for Britain's royal family to return the world's largest known clear-cut diamond in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death. Known as the Great Star of Africa or Cullinan I, the diamond is cut from a larger gem that was mined in South Africa in 1905 and handed over to the British royal family by South Africa's colonial authorities. It is currently mounted on a royal scepter belonging to the Queen. Demands for the return of the Great Star of Africa and other diamonds -- along with calls for repatriations -- have intensified since the Queen's death. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/great-star-of-africa-diamond-intl-lgs/index.html

Hungary can “no longer be considered a full democracy,” the European Parliament said in a statement following its adoption of a report on Thursday. The Parliament said the situation has “deteriorated such that Hungary has become an ‘electoral autocracy.’” “Overall, [The European Parliament] expresses regrets that the lack of decisive EU action has contributed to a breakdown of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, and turning one of its member states into hybrid regime of electoral autocracy,” the report read. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/16/world/hungary-democracy-eu-parliament-intl/index.html

Republican governors are in a cynical competition to outdo each other and send migrants from the US border by bus to New York, Washington, DC, Chicago and, now, by plane to Martha’s Vineyard. Two unannounced planes carrying an estimated 50 migrants landed in the wealthy seaside enclave of Massachusetts on Wednesday night, surprising locals. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed credit for the stunt, which took the migrants from Texas, not Florida, and left them without planning on the street. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/15/politics/migrant-buses-desantis-abbott-what-matters/index.html

A truck displaying pro-Trump flags is driven past Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, the home of former President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Saul Martinez/The New York Times/Redux CNN — A Brooklyn-based federal judge was selected on Thursday to serve as an independent arbiter to review the materials seized in the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home. The special master will be Senior Judge Raymond Dearie, who was put forward as a possible candidate for the special master role by Trump, who had sued in court to obtain the review. The Justice Department also endorsed Dearie’s appointment. US District Judge Aileen Cannon also rejected the Justice Department’s bid to revive its criminal investigation into classified documents seized at Mar-a-Lago last month. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/15/politics/mar-a-lago-search-special-master/index.html

Katie Benner, Adam Goldman and Charlie Savage Wed, September 14, 2022 at 5:21 AM WASHINGTON — When John Durham was assigned by the Justice Department in 2019 to examine the origins of the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, President Donald Trump and his supporters expressed a belief that the inquiry would prove that a “deep state” conspiracy including top Obama-era officials had worked to sabotage him. Now Durham appears to be winding down his three-year inquiry without anything close to the results Trump was seeking. The grand jury that Durham has recently used to hear evidence has expired, and while he could convene another, there are currently no plans to do so, three people familiar with the matter said. https://www.yahoo.com/news/durham-inquiry-appears-wind-down-122137208.html

A new survey shows that most Americans are worried about President Biden’s mental health following a fresh spate of public gaffes and awkward antics, leaving many to wonder if the 79-year-old should run for reelection two years from now. According to the Issues & Insights/TIPP poll released Monday, 59% of respondents were “concerned” about the president’s mental health, with 36% saying they were “very concerned” and 23% “somewhat concerned.” Just 39% said they were either “not very concerned” (18%) or “not concerned at all” (21%) about Biden’s faculties. https://nypost.com/2022/08/11/majority-of-americans-concerned-about-bidens-mental-health-poll/

London CNN Business — Royal wills are never made public. That means what happens to much of the Queen’s personal wealth following her death last week will remain a family secret. Forbes estimated last year that the late monarch’s personal fortune was worth $500 million, made up of her jewels, art collection, investments and two residences, Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in Norfolk. The Queen inherited both properties from her father, King George VI. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/13/business/prince-william-1-billion-inheritance/index.html

Ukrainska Pravda Fri, September 9, 2022 at 11:30 AM ALONA MAZURENKO – FRIDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 2022, 18:30 Ukrainian Intelligence reports that due to successful counteroffensive of Ukrainian forces on several fronts, Russian occupiers are looking for a way to escape, calling their wives and asking the Russian Ministry of Defence to get them out of Ukraine. Source: Ukrainian Chief Intelligence Directorate Quote: "The 237th Guards Airborne Assault Regiment of the Russian Federation no longer exists due to either death or injury of all soldiers. A large part of those who survived are in extremely serious condition." Details: It is noted that the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian troops forces the occupiers to ask the Red Cross for help and flee on stolen bicycles. https://www.yahoo.com/news/russias-237th-guards-airborne-assault-153000384.html

Queen "died peacefully" at Balmoral Castle The Queen died peacefully this afternoon, the Royal Family announced on its social media accounts. Her son Charles, who is now King, will return to London on Friday.

(CNN) A federal judge threw a wrench Monday in the Justice Department investigation into potential mishandling of documents from former President Donald Trump's White House by granting his request for a special master to review evidence seized from his Florida home last month. The win for Trump temporarily prevents the Justice Department's investigative team from accessing the thousands of documents -- some of which are marked as classified -- taken from Mar-a-Lago. US District Judge Aileen Cannon cleared the way for a third-party attorney to review all the seized materials, not just for documents covered by attorney-client privilege -- the circumstance in which special masters are usually used -- but also for potential executive privilege concerns, a move the Justice Department has said would be "unprecedented." https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/05/politics/takeaways-trump-cannon-mar-a-lago-special-master/index.html

(CNN)Jessica Flores stepped out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal with her husband and their 6-year-old daughter into the unfamiliar heart of Manhattan, where giant billboards sparkled under a sweltering late summer sun. The sidewalks and traffic lanes along bustling Eighth Avenue were packed when the family emerged carrying plastic bags with all their belongings. Visitors, homeless people and commuters clutching cups of iced coffee crammed the street. Nearby, pedestrians dodged yellow cabs, double-decker tour buses and electric bicycles. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/02/us/migrants-new-york-texas-buses/index.html

According to a report from the Washington Post, prospects that Donald Trump's Truth Social will survive are growing bleak with the company that had planned to take the social media platform public now suggesting that a probable bankruptcy is on the horizon. As the report points out, Truth Social has not been paying for web-hosting fees to the point where attorneys are now involved, traffic is collapsing, the value of stock in the company is plunging and money is running out. With the Post reporting, "Former president Donald Trump's Truth Social website is facing financial challenges as its traffic remains puny and the company that is scheduled to acquire it expresses fear that his legal troubles could lead to a decline in his popularity," WaPo's Drew Harwell wrote that the former president's legal problems have added another cloud of Truth Social's future. https://www.salon.com/2022/08/28/truth-social-is-headed-for-bankruptcy_partner/?fbclid=IwAR2VRwLfbkzCM30y66NPKxU3tKVDJ1fQlPnPLTJcwm42EpmYMGPm3KRBrDI https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/08/27/trump-truth-social-mar-a-lago-fbi/

Section 377A of Singapore's Penal Code was promulgated in 1938 by the British colonial government when Singapore was a British colony. (CNN)Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday said the country will repeal the colonial-era Section 377A of Singapore's Penal Code, thereby decriminalizing gay sex in Singapore, but added that same-sex marriage will continue to be illegal in the city-state. "Sex between consenting men should not be criminalized. There is no justification to prosecute people for it, nor to make it a crime," he said at his annual policy address, the National Day Rally, carried live on television. "I believe (repeal) is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will now accept. https://us.cnn.com/2022/08/21/asia/singapore-gay-sex-law-section-377a-intl/index.html

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., appears at an Election Day gathering in Jackson, Wyo., to concede defeat in a GOP primary to Harriet Hageman, who was backed by former President Trump. Cheney vows that she will carry on her work to make sure Trump doesn't return to the presidency. Jae C. Hong/AP Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney is laying out her future political plans, including a possible run against Donald Trump in 2024, after conceding defeat in the primary election for her House seat. Her loss on Tuesday followed unyielding criticism since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol of the former president and his efforts to subvert the 2020 election. "This primary election is over, but now the real work begins," Cheney said in her concession speech Tuesday night, noting that she had called opponent Harriet Hageman to congratulate her. Cheney acknowledged in a Wednesday interview on NBC's Today she was "thinking" about running for president in 2024. https://www.npr.org/sections/2022-live-primary-election-race-results/2022/08/16/1117705185/liz-cheney-concedes-primary-defeat-but-her-fight-against-trump-continues

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban on Monday marked a year since they seized the Afghan capital in a rapid takeover that triggered a hasty escape of the nation's Western-backed leaders, sent the economy into a tailspin and fundamentally transformed the country. Bearded Taliban fighters, some hoisting rifles or the white banners of their movement, staged victory parades on foot, bicycles and motorcycles in the streets of Kabul. One group marched past the former U.S. Embassy, chanting “Long live Islam” and “Death to America.” https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghanistan-marks-year-taliban-seizure-woes-mount-88391318

A search warrant newly unsealed on Friday reveals that the FBI is investigating Donald Trump for a potential violation of the Espionage Act and removed classified documents from the former president’s Florida estate earlier this week. A receipt accompanying the search warrant, viewed by POLITICO in advance of its unsealing, shows that Trump possessed documents including a handwritten note; documents marked with “TS/SCI,” which indicates one of the highest levels of government classification; and another item labeled “Info re: President of France.” Also among the items taken from Mar-a-Lago this week: An item labeled “Executive grant of clemency re: Roger Jason Stone, Jr.,” a reference to one of Trump’s closest confidants who received a pardon in late 2020. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/12/search-warrant-shows-trump-under-investigation-for-potential-obstruction-of-justice-espionage-act-violations-00051507

Brittney Griner, an American basketball superstar and Olympic gold medalist, learned her fate in a Russian court after she pleaded guilty to a drug charge last month. A Russian judge convicted Griner of drug possession and drug smuggling and sentenced her to 9 years in prison. She was also fined one million rubles, the equivalent of about $16,400. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/brittney-griner-trial-russian-court-hands-down-verdict-wnba-stars-case

Infowars founder and conspiracist jack-of-all-trades Alex Jones is finally on trial to determine how much he must pay the families of ten victims of the Sandy Hook shooting after a judge last year found him liable for defamation for calling the attack a hoax. The consequences could be serious. The parents of the children killed in the 2012 massacre are seeking as much as $150 million in damages from Jones, whose business filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/08/alex-jones-testified-in-sandy-hook-lawsuit-and-it-was-a-mess.html