U.S. and world news for June 21

Cannon’s hearing: In Fort Pierce, Florida, Federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Donald Trump has a hearing expected to last three days in the Trump classified documents case. She’ll be considering Trump’s contention that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith to investigate the documents case was illegal because Attorney General Merrick Garland did not have the authority to make the appointment. Legal experts point out that the authority of the attorney general to appoint special prosecutors has been clearly established.

Trump’s admission: CNN reports that Donald Trump admitted that he lost the 2020 election and played an audio tape of Trump making the admission. Trump made the admission while being interviewed by the co-editor of the show business newspaper Variety, Ramin Setoodeh. Setoodeh interviewed Trump six times for a book called “Apprentice in Wonderland,” which explores Trump’s TV series “The Apprentice.” In the book, Setoodeh tells how Trump’s activity in politics was shaped by the character he portrayed on the TV show.  

Low approach: The FAA is investigating the premature descent of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 airliner during an approach to Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City yesterday. Flight 4069 was about nine miles out from the end of the runway during the approach when it had descended to only 525 feet above the ground, much lower than normal. A low altitude alert was triggered and the air traffic controller alerted the pilots. The descent was stopped and the approach continued with a safe landing being made.

Donald Sutherland: Actor Donald Sutherland, father of actor Kiefer Sutherland, has died at age 88 in Miami. Donald Sutherland had been ill for a long time, but the nature of the illness was not immediately disclosed. Sutherland appeared in a wide variety of films, ranging from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” to “The Dirty Dozen,” “Kelly’s Heroes” and director Robert Altman’s runaway hit “M*A*S*H.”

Israel-Hamas: A spokesman for Israeli’s military says that Hamas cannot be destroyed. This contradicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has repeatedly said that Israel’s mission is to destroy Hamas. Daniel Hagari said in an interview on Israeli TV that to say that Hamas can be made to vanish is throwing sand in the eyes of the public. Israeli’s military later issued a statement that the military is committed to the goals of Israel’s government in the fight against Hamas.

Heat: As the heat wave continues in the Northeast and Midwest of the U.S., high temperature records are expected to be broken again today in many locations. The FBI has opened an investigation into the cause of the two wildfires that have been raging in New Mexico, with more than 1,200 buildings now reported destroyed. In Western Saudi Arabia, the reported death toll from the heat during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca has passed 1,000.