The House Ethics Committee has provided new details on its three-year investigation into Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, stating that the inquiry into alleged sexual misconduct and drug use is still in progress.
“Based on its review to date, the committee has determined that certain of the allegations merit continued review,” said a statement in a rare public update by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee. “I work for Northwest Floridians who won’t be swayed by this nonsense and McCarthy and his goons know it,” Gaetz commented.
—
A potentially deadly bacterial infection known as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, or STSS, is currently spreading in Japan.
Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases issued a statement in March warning that STSS was increasing in the country. As of June 2nd, Japan’s health ministry reports 977 cases since the start of 2024, surpassing last year’s 941 cases. This figure is nearly two and a half times the number reported in the U.S. so far this year.
—
At least 323 Egyptian pilgrims died during the Hajj pilgrimage in western Saudi Arabia, with most succumbing to heat-related illnesses, according to two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries’ responses.
“All of them died because of heat” except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush, one diplomat stated, noting that the total figure came from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighborhood of Mecca. At least 60 Jordanians also died, the diplomats said.
—
New York’s highest court declined to consider a challenge to the limited gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump by the judge overseeing his criminal hush money trial.
The New York Court of Appeals rejected Trump’s appeal “upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.” Judge Juan Merchan prohibited Trump from discussing witnesses, jurors, and others involved with his criminal trial, which ended in a conviction last month.
—
The shooter who killed five and injured over a dozen more at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2022 has accepted a plea deal related to federal hate crimes charges and received 55 concurrent life sentences.
Anderson Lee Aldrich pleaded guilty to all 74 charges of violating provisions of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, as well as gun crimes in the Club Q shooting. Aldrich had initially pleaded not guilty.
—
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has temporarily halted new exports of mangoes and avocados from Michoacán, Mexico.
This decision follows an incident that reportedly raised security concerns for its safety inspectors on the ground. A spokesman for the agency stated that the inspection program will remain paused until it can ensure the safety of its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service inspectors working in Mexico.
—
Stellantis is recalling nearly 1.2 million vehicles in the U.S. and Canada to address a software glitch that can disable the rearview cameras.
The recall includes Jeep Compass, Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years. Also affected are Ram ProMaster vans from 2022 and 2023, as well as the Ram 3500 chassis cabs and Ram 1500 and 2500 pickups from 2022.
—
Massachusetts’ 911 system has been restored following a statewide outage on Tuesday afternoon, according to the state’s Executive Office of Public Safety.
Earlier in the afternoon, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox advised residents to call their local police department directly for police services. “For medical or fire-related emergencies, you can use the red light call boxes located on street corners,” Cox stated. He added that any emergency reported to one service would be seamlessly relayed to the appropriate department.