New Biden Special Counsel Draws GOP Fire

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden case, naming Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss to the job, a surprise choice that drew immediate criticism from Republicans.

Weiss oversaw the controversial plea deal that would have spared Hunter Biden from jail time until it fell apart under questioning from a federal judge. Now Weiss says Hunter Biden seems headed for a criminal trial.

House leaders say Weiss’ new role won’t stop their own investigation into the Biden family. New emails emerged indicating that Hunter Biden’s financial gains paid some of his father Joe’s bills, the first sign of a direct connection to President Biden.

Maui Death Toll at 93

The death toll from the devastating Maui fires is up to 93 and still growing, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

The four-day blaze leveled the 300-year-old town of Lahaina, destroying over 2,200 structures across 2,100 acres. The cost to repair and rebuild is estimated to be $5.5 billion, officials said.

Safety experts have criticized Maui’s preparedness and emergency procedures. Maui officials failed to activate island-wide sirens to warn people when the fire hit, relying instead on social media posts.

Monthly Living Costs Up $700 Since 2021

Americans spend an average of $709 more per month on living costs than they did two years ago because of inflation and $200 more this July than a year ago, according to Moody’s Analytics. 

The most recent inflation report shows that prices rose .02% from June to July but were up 3.3% from a year ago. The Federal Reserve has targeted 2% as its goal for annual inflation.

The primary driver of price increases is housing, up 7.7% over last year. The Labor Department said shelter costs made up 90% of last month’s inflation spike.

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➤ Greg Steube, a little-known GOP congressman from Florida, introduced articles of impeachment against President Biden, side-stepping Republican leaders who have debated the issue for weeks. (More)

➤ Congressional Democrats plan to hold a series of events around the country to promote efforts to curb “junk fees” tacked on to plane and concert tickets, hotel rooms, hospital bills, and more, hoping it will resonate with voters. (More)

➤ A new poll late last week showed a surprise: Vivek Ramaswamy edged out Ron DeSantis for second place. Both trailed Donald Trump by a wide margin, but it was the first time Ramaswamy polled ahead of DeSantis. (More)

➤ Europe is cracking down on environmental protestors who deface art, block traffic, and glue themselves to buildings. France banned one such group, and German police are using wiretaps to stop protesters before they can act. (More)

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➤ Lionel Messi continued his streak of scoring in every game since he joined Inter Miami, lifting the once-failing team to the semi-finals of the League Cup with his eighth goal in five games. (More)

➤ Alabama high school basketball star Caleb White, 17, died following a medical emergency during a workout. The exact cause of death hasn’t been reported. (More)

➤ The Elon Musk/Mark Zuckerberg charity cage match still has no date, but Musk now says it will be set in “ancient Rome.” Italian officials say they’d welcome the match — but not in Rome, ancient or not. (More)

Market Report   Previous Week

➤ FTX cryptocurrency founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been sent to jail for violating his bail agreement. Bankman-Fried is charged with fraud and conspiracy for allegedly stealing billions of dollars from FTX customers. (More)

➤ Music companies, including Universal and Sony, sued the nonprofit Internet Archive for $400 million for copyright infringement over the Archive’s digital collection of old 78-rpm records dating back to the early 20th century. (More)

➤ Hollywood writers are weighing a counter-proposal from producers, a sign of progress in the longest writers’ strike in history. Actors remain on strike as well, with little movement in negotiations. (More)

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➤  An Austrian supermarket had to shut down because of a sighting of a spider with a deadly bite whose venom has been studied because it can also cause an hours-long erection. The spider was spotted in a box of bananas. (More)

➤ Antarctic scientists discovered a new species of feather star, a sea creature related to starfish, with 20 bumpy, feathery “arms,” and named it for a fruit. The “Antarctic strawberry feather star” can be up to eight inches long. (Photo)

➤ New research shows that light can be transmitted through optic cables so thin they’re virtually two-dimensional. The 2D photonic circuits, just a few atoms thick, were surprisingly efficient at guiding light waves. (More)

➤ A Florida-bound American Airlines flight dropped 15,000 feet in three minutes, terrifying passengers. The American Eagle regional flight made an emergency landing in Gainesville, Fla., due to a pressurization problem. (More)

➤ “Wheel of Fortune” letter-turner Vanna White will be absent from the show for the first time in nearly 30 years as her contract negotiations continue. White, 66, is recovering from Covid in late July. (More)

➤ A Scottish photographer turned to macro-photography during the 2020 lockdown and produced a series of strange, alien-looking photos of “wee beasties” found in a local park. (See Images)

Today’s Trivia

What was the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history?