Building fire: At least 73 people are known dead and dozens more injured in a fire that gutted a five-story building in Johannesburg, South Africa, that was being used as a temporary shelter. The fire broke out at about 1:30 this morning, when the people inside the building were asleep. Some survivors who broke windows and jumped to escape said exit doors were blocked. The building had been declared unsafe by its owners but was being used despite the danger.
McConnell’s health: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was reported to have been in good spirits and socializing normally last night when he attended a fundraiser for Rep. Jim Banks. McConnell did not discuss the incident yesterday during a news conference in which he had another so-called freeze, when he stopped talking and moving for about 20 to 30 seconds. Some physicians, who have not treated McConnell, have suggested that he suffered transient mini-strokes. McConnell is 81. His office has not released any medical reports on the freeze incidents or McConnell’s health in general.
Trump civil case: New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron has set Sept. 22 for a hearing on a motion filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James seeking a partial directed verdict against Donald Trump and his companies. James has sued claiming that Trump committed fraud against banks, insurance companies and the state in connection with financial filings and the valuation of Trump real estate. James claims Trump inflated his net worth by up to 39% or $2 billion in some years. In a deposition that Trump’s lawyers released yesterday, Trump claimed that James did not have a case, his company had plenty of cash and he saved millions of lives while he was president.
Idalia moves offshore: Tropical Storm Idalia was moving out to sea today after slamming parts of Florida, Georgia and The Carolinas. In Charleston, South Carolina, a storm surge topped the seawall protecting the downtown and caused flooding. When the storm came ashore on Florida’s Gulf Coast it was packing winds of 125 miles per hour. An estimated half-million customers were without power as of this morning because of the storm.
Government funding: The White House today suggested that Congress should pass short-term funding for the federal government to prevent a government shutdown that could occur at the end of September. Budget talks have not been moving as swiftly as the White House had hoped and government programs could run out of funding by the end of September. Conservative Republicans have made it clear that they’d prefer a government shutdown to compromising on their fiscal principles.
Time capsule contents: Laboratory study has determined that a time capsule opened at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point this week contained six coins dating from as early as 1795 and a commemorative medal from the early 1800s. The lead box was recovered from the base of a statue at West Point that had been taken down for repairs. When first opened in front of hundreds of people in a ceremony on Monday lumps of initially unidentified material were found.
