The Sunday Subject – June 11, 2023
Donald Trump has been indicted for mishandling classified documents and obstructing the subsequent federal investigation.
Federal prosecutors allege that Trump arranged to move highly sensitive classified material, such as intelligence about the defense and weapons capabilities of the US and other countries, to his private Florida and New Jersey estates as he left the White House. The former president also allegedly suggested that his attorney hide or destroy documents that had been subpoenaed by a grand jury. Trump is the first former president to face federal indictment.
The Kakhovka dam in southeast Ukraine was blown up, causing massive floods.
Ukrainian officials ordered evacuations of affected regions, stating that 29 villages had been flooded. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians no longer have access to drinking water. Yury Vaskov, Ukraine’s deputy minister for infrastructure, stated, “We already know it is the most terrible catastrophe Ukraine has experienced in decades.” Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive, with troops making gains near Bakhmut, an eastern town that Russia captured in May.
Former Trump allies Mike Pence and Chris Christie announced their candidacies for president.
Both Christie, former Republican governor of New Jersey, and Pence, former vice-president, rebuked Trump in their speeches. After his first presidential bid in 2016 failed, Christie became the first candidate to endorse Trump; both Pence and Christie distanced themselves from Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Air quality throughout North America has fallen to dangerous levels due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.
Officials have warned of health risks from the smoke, which is spreading throughout the eastern US. In upstate New York, air pollution reached unprecedented levels, with residents reporting a variety of respiratory symptoms. People have been advised to stay indoors, and if they must venture out, to wear high-quality masks like N95s or KN95s.
