U.S. and world news for Aug. 28

Prighozin’s DNA: Russian investigators say DNA evidence shows that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prighozin was one of the 10 victims who died in last week’s business jet plane crash about 200 miles outside of Moscow. Prighozin led his army of mercenaries in fighting for Russia inside Ukraine, then in a turnabout came out against Putin’s invasion and staged a march against Moscow in an apparent attempt to overthrow Putin. Western intelligence sources believe that a bomb had been planted on the plane that crashed, and that Putin likely ordered the assassination of Prighozin.

Storm threatens Florida: Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to intensify into a hurricane and move toward Cuba today. After crossing the western tip of Cuba, it is expected to intensify into at least a Category Two hurricane and hit Florida’s Gulf Coast by Wednesday. The National Weather Center has warned Florida residents from Fort Myers to the state’s panhandle to pay close attention to the progress of the storm.

Trump hearing: U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has set March 4 as the start date for Donald Trump’s federal trial on his attempted coup to remain in power after his term as president ended. Chutkan held a hearing on the timing of the trial in Washington, D.C., today. Special Counsel Jack Smith asked for the trial to start in January while Trump’s lawyers asked for a state date in April 2026. Judge Chutkan said she takes very seriously the government’s position that Trump should not be treated any differently than any other criminal defendant.

Georgia evidence: Fulton County Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis is expected today to reveal details of evidence her investigators gathered in their investigation of efforts by Donald Trump and his 18 indicted co-conspirators to overturn results of the 2020 Presidential Election in Georgia. This is expected to happen during a hearing into a motion by co-conspirator Marc Meadows, Trump’s White House Chief of Staff. Meadows wants his case moved out of Willis’ jurisdiction and into federal court.

Mug shot mugs: The Trump campaign has told CNN that sales of merchandise featuring Trump’s mug shot taken at the Fulton County Jail when he was arrested Thursday night has contributed substantially to the $7.1 million they’ve raised as of Monday morning since the arrest. The campaign has been selling mug shot mugs, T-shirts, posters and similar items at prices starting at $19.95. Trump’s son, Donald Jr., also is selling mug shot merchandise on his own website.

Osprey crash: Eight U.S. Marines remained hospitalized in Darwin, Australia, today after the crash of a U.S. Osprey vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in which three Marines were killed. There were 20 survivors of the crash. The aircraft was being used in military exercises involving troops from the U.S., Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.

Obama campaign critic “Joe the Plumber” dies at 49: Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, an Ohio plumbing business owner who briefly occupied the national spotlight in 2008 by publicly challenging the tax plan offered by then-candidate Barack Obama, passed away yesterday at the age of 49 from pancreatic cancer. Wurzelbacher’s criticism of Obama during a campaign stop was hailed by Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in the 2008 race, who repeatedly highlighted “Joe the Plumber” in his campaign and in his final debate with Obama as being a symbol of working-class Americans. Wurzelbacher would later mount an unsuccessful bid for the House of Representatives and was briefly engaged in political activism commentary before slipping out of public sight to become a worker at a Jeep manufacturing plant.

Cover photo by Rona Proudfoot / Wikimedia Commons