Live from the NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor, Johnston.
The Wijie Magione is set to appear in federal court in Manhattan at the Sauer.
He's expected to plead guilty to charges connected to the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a murder trial in state court is set for next month. President Trump is asking the Supreme Court to lift a block on construction for the White House Ballroom, and PR's Kerry Johnson reports the administration says a lower court order to stop the work is unlawful.
"So, listener, General John Sauer says the ongoing construction is vital for national security. In a new filing with the Supreme Court, Sauer says a single district judge should not be able to decide what's necessary to protect the president and staff at the White House. President Trump's taken a special interest in the renovations, which he says will include
“a highly secure ballroom and crucial national security features.”
His lawyers say the national trust for historic preservation has not suffered any real injury. A divided federal appeals court panel ruled the issue is for Congress to decide and that the president is a temporary tenant, not the owner of the White House. Kerry Johnson and PR News. Retail spending, which is a key economic measure, declined in July for the first time in
months. Spending is down six tons of a percent compared to June, according to the latest report from the Commerce Department, and PR's Alina Celieu Casmore." In July, compared to June, people spent a bit less on autos and autoparts, on electronics, and at gas stations as gas prices had dipped a bit. But the big reason why Retail sales fell in July compared to June seems to do with prime
day. It's a big sales event that was previously in July, but this year was moved to June.
So online sales fell to 0.2 percent month to month.
“Now, comparing the spending to last year, sales grew almost across the board, with people”
buying more clothes and gardening supplies, spending at restaurants and bars was up 5 percent. And higher gas prices had people spending more at gas stations by 16 percent from a year ago. Alina Celieu and PR News. Ukraine is stepping up drone attacks on Russian occupied Crimea. PR's Greg Migri reports, the strikes have disrupted power, fuel supplies, and cell phone
service across the peninsula. Early Thursday, Ukrainian drones knocked out electricity in Sevastopol, the biggest and most important city in Crimea. Now, power was restored after several hours, but these are now everyday events. Electricity and cell phone service is going out for days at a time.
Water also gets cut off, fuel is scarce, and has been rationed. People say shops are often closed. That's NPR's Greg Migri reporting from Kiev. On Wall Street, the Dow was down 62 points. This is NPR News in Washington.
The U.S. Park police are investigating vandalism at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., soap was poured into its fountain, filling it with bubbles, red and green graffiti was also spray painted across parts of it. The interior department called the damage in utter disgrace, authorities have not announced any arrests.
The Kennedy Center Board has voted to put President Trump's name back on the building, a new inscription would say the center was restored and renovated by Trump. A federal judge previously ruled that only Congress can change the facility's name. The judge also cited a law prohibiting new memorials or commemorative plaques at the center.
Britain's right-wing anti-immigration leader Nigel Faraj is returning to part of it after winning one of the strangest elections in recent British history. His opponent campaigned with a giant trash can on his head. As NPR's Fat Malta saw reports.
Faraj received more than 63 percent of the vote in the special bi-election, which he triggered
after coming under scrutiny over his campaign finances, and which all of Britain's mainstream parties decided to boycott Faraj's closest rival, Joe Candidate, Count Bintface, who has ran in multiple elections, got more than a quarter of the vote. Faraj didn't attend the count, earlier saying he didn't want to be demeaned and humiliated by nobody's.
Count Bintface for his part said he was gratified after what was his best electoral performance yet. Fat Malta's had NPR news London. Time wins or Johnston NPR news in Washington. This week on Consider This Stories About the Trump Administration, here how a former Olympian
was targeted by the Justice Department over damage to the reflecting bull.
“Plus inside Trump's secret decoy flight out of Turkey that left press and cabinet officials”
on Air Force One without him. Listen for those stories and more of the week's biggest news.
