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The Morning Rundown™

Florida passes 6-week abortion ban, DeSantis signs into law: April 14 rundown


Florida passes a six-week abortion ban, and lawmakers in one state are getting closer to outright banning the app TikTok. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Friday, April 14, 2023. 

Florida passes 6-week abortion ban

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R, signed “The Heartbeat Protection Act” into law after the state House took a late vote Thursday, April 13, to pass the bill banning abortions after six-weeks of pregnancy.

After signing the bill, DeSantis said Florida is proud to support life and family. The bill not only enacts a six-week ban on abortion, which is often before many women know they are pregnant, it also includes $25 million in funding for clinics and organizations that provide counseling and resources for pregnant women.

It’s the latest state to make a decision on abortion rights since the overturning of Roe v. Wade last summer. 

Pentagon leak suspect in court today

A Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, charged in connection with the recent leak of sensitive intelligence documents online, is expected to make his first court appearance Friday in Boston. The suspect was taken into custody by the FBI Thursday as remnants of the leaked material continue to circulate online.

Jack Teixiera, 21, had the highest level of security clearance for top secret information according to an internal Department of Defense email.

The arrest came one week after the Pentagon first discovered some of its most highly classified documents posted on social media. The leak began last fall when the documents first started showing up on the gaming platform Discord.

Our Ryan Robertson spoke with a criminal defense lawyer for reaction to the arrest and discussed further repercussions Teixiera possibly faces over the leaked information.

City pays $9 million to settle Chauvin cases

The city of Minneapolis has agreed to pay nearly $9 million to settle lawsuits filed by two people who said former police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into their necks years before he used the same move on George Floyd in 2020.

Both of the lawsuits stem from arrests made in 2017, in which body camera footage shows Chauvin kneeling on both suspect’s necks. The mayor of Minneapolis said Chauvin should have been held accountable then.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of Floyd. The city also paid $27 million to Floyd’s family.

Montana closer to outright TikTok  ban

While the app TikTok has been banned on government phones and devices in the U.S. Montana lawmakers are looking to go a step further. They are moving closer to passing a bill that would out-right ban TikTok from operating in the state.

The bill has already passed the state Senate chamber and the state House endorsed the bill in a 60-39 vote on Thursday. House lawmakers are likely to put it up for a final vote Friday before the bill goes to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte.

Though signs point to it passing,  there are also early indications of legal challenges to follow. But it will serve as a testing ground for a “TikTok-free America” that many lawmakers have signaled support for, citing security concerns over the Chinese-based app.

Commanders to sell for record amount

The longtime owner of the Washington Commanders, Dan Snyder, has reached an agreement in principle to sell the team for $6 billion. The buyers group includes businessman Josh Harris and NBA legend Magic Johnson.    

If the deal is approved, it would be the highest price ever paid for an NFL franchise, far surpassing the $4.6 billion the Denver Broncos sold for last year.

$100k worth of dimes stolen from truck

Police in Philadelphia are searching for a suspect who broke into a truck in a Walmart parking lot and stol more than $100,000 worth of dimes. That is more than one million dimes the suspects got away with. Police said at the time the truck was carrying $750,000 thousand worth of the coin.

The suspects left a path of thousands of dimes scattered across the parking lot and onto a nearby road during its escape. The truck driver said he had picked the coins up from the Philadelphia Mint, and parked the trailer in the parking lot overnight.

KARAH RUCKER: COMING UP – FLORIDA PASSES A SIX-WEEK ABORTION BAN – THE BILL GETTING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE OVERNIGHT.

AND – LAWMAKERS IN ONE STATE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO **OUTRIGHT BANNING THE APP TIK-TOK — WHICH WOULD BE A FIRST IN THE U.S. THE DAILY RUNDOWN STARTS NOW. 

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS. I’M KARAH RUCKER.

FLORIDA PASSES SIX-WEEK ABORTION BAN

“THE HEARTBEAT PROTECTION ACT” IN FLORIDA HAS BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS AFTER THE STATE-HOUSE TOOK A LATE VOTE THURSDAY TO PASS THE SENATE BILL BANNING ABORTIONS AFTER SIX-WEEKS OF PREGNANCY.

Jenna Persons-Mulicka | (R) 78th District: “For the past 50 years, we’ve had a culture grow in this nation, a culture of abortion for any reason at any time. A culture that was created by seven men on the Roe versus Wade court who’ve got it wrong.”

Christine Hunschofsky | (D) 95th District: “To the women who are watching this, who in the future will have maybe this decision to make, I apologize to you that we’re even here today doing this.”

AFTER SIGNING THE BILL INTO LAW DESANTIS SAID FLORIDA IS “PROUD TO SUPPORT LIFE AND FAMILY”.

THE BILL NOT ONLY ENACTS A SIX-WEEK BAN ON ABORTION WHICH IS OFTEN TIMES BEFORE MANY WOMEN KNOW THEY ARE PREGNANT.

THE BILL ALSO INCLUDES 25 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR CLINICS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE COUNSELING AND RESOURCES FOR PREGNANT WOMEN.

IT’S THE LATEST STATE TO MAKE A DECISION ON ABORTION RIGHTS SINCE THE OVERTURNING OF ROE VERSUS WADE LAST SUMMER. THAT RULING TRIGGERED 13 STATES TO OUT-RIGHT BAN ABORTIONS. FLORIDA NOW JOINS GEORGIA WITH A SIX-WEEK BAN.

PENTAGON LEAK SUSPECT IN COURT TODAY

Merrick Garland | Attorney General: “Today, the Justice Department arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information, to share it as an employee of the United States Air Force National Guard.”

A MASSACHUSETTS AIR NATIONAL GUARDSMAN, CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE RECENT LEAK OF SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE DOCUMENTS ONLINE, IS EXPECTED TO MAKE HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE LATER TODAY IN BOSTON. THE SUSPECT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY THE FBI YESTERDAY AS REMNANTS OF THE LEAKED MATERIAL CONTINUE TO CIRCULATE ONLINE.

21 YEAR OLD JACK TEIXIERA HAD THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SECURITY CLEARANCE FOR TOP SECRET INFORMATION ACCORDING TO AN INTERNAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EMAIL.

THE ARREST CAME ONE WEEK AFTER THE PENTAGON FIRST DISCOVERED SOME OF ITS MOST HIGHLY CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ALTHOUGH THE LEAK BEGAN LAST FALL WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED SHOWING UP ON THE GAMING PLATFORM DISCORD.

OUR RYAN ROBERTSON SPOKE WITH A CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER FOR REACTION TO THE ARREST AND DISCUSSED FURTHER REPERCUSSIONS THE U.S. POSSIBLY FACES OVER THE LEAKED INFORMATION.

YOU CAN FIND THE COVERAGE ON OUR WEBSITE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

CITY PAYS $9M TO SETTLE CHAUVIN CASES

THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS HAS AGREED TO PAY NEARLY $9 MILLION TO SETTLE LAWSUITS FILED BY TWO PEOPLE WHO SAID FORMER POLICE OFFICER DEREK CHAUVIN PRESSED HIS KNEE INTO THEIR NECKS YEARS BEFORE HE USED THE SAME MOVE ON GEORGE FLOYD IN 2020.

BOTH OF THE LAWSUITS STEM FROM ARRESTS MADE IN 2017 – WHICH BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE SHOWS CHAUVIN KNEELING ON BOTH SUSPECT’S NECKS.

THE MAYOR OF MINNEAPOLIS SAID CHAUVIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE THEN.

CHAUVIN WAS SENTENCED TO 22 1/2 YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE MURDER OF FLOYD. THE CITY ALSO PAID 27 MILLION DOLLARS TO FLOYD’S FAMILY.

MONTANA CLOSER TO OUTRIGHT TIKTOK BAN

WHILE THE APP TIK TOK HAS BEEN BANNED ON GOVERNMENT PHONES AND DEVICES IN THE U.S. – MONTANA LAWMAKERS ARE LOOKING TO GO A STEP FURTHER – MOVING CLOSER TO PASSING A BILL THAT WOULD OUT-RIGHT BAN TIKTOK FROM OPERATING IN THE STATE.

THE BILL HAS ALREADY PASSED THE SENATE CHAMBER IN THE STATE AND THE HOUSE ENDORSED THE BILL IN A 60-39 VOTE ON THURSDAY —

HOUSE LAWMAKERS LIKELY TO PUT IT UP FOR A FINAL VOTE TODAY BEFORE THE BILL GOES TO THE DESK OF REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR “GREG GIANFORTE.”

THOUGH SIGNS POINT TO IT PASSING – THERE ARE ALSO EARLY INDICATIONS OF LEGAL CHALLENGES TO FOLLOW. BUT IT WILL SERVE AS A TESTING GROUND FOR A “TIK-TOK-FREE AMERICA” THAT MANY LAWMAKERS HAVE SIGNALED SUPPORT FOR – CITING SECURITY CONCERNS OVER THE CHINESE-BASED APP.

COMMANDERS TO SELL FOR RECORD AMOUNT

 THE LONGTIME OWNER OF THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS, DAN SNYDER, HAS REACHED AN AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE TO SELL THE TEAM FOR 6 BILLION DOLLARS. 

THE BUYERS GROUP INCLUDES BUSINESSMAN JOSH HARRIS AND NBA LEGEND MAGIC JOHNSON.    

IF THE DEAL IS APPROVED, IT WOULD BE THE HIGHEST PRICE EVER PAID FOR AN NFL FRANCHISE – FAR SURPASSING THE 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS THE DENVER BRONCOS SOLD FOR LAST YEAR.

$100K WORTH OF DIMES STOLEN FROM TRUCK

POLICE IN PHILADELPHIA ARE SEARCHING FOR A SUSPECT WHO BROKE INTO A TRUCK IN A WALMART PARKING LOT — STEALING A SUBSTANTIAL CHUNK OF CHANGE.

MORE THAN 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DIMES WERE STOLEN FROM THE VEHICLE – WHICH IS MORE THAN ONE MILLION DIMES THE SUSPECTS GOT AWAY WITH. POLICE SAID AT THE TIME THE TRUCK WAS CARRYING 750 THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF THE COIN.

THE SUSPECTS LEFT A PATH OF THOUSANDS OF DIMES SCATTER ACROSS THE PARKING LOT AND ONTO A NEARBY ROAD DURING ITS ESCAPE.

THE TRUCK DRIVER SAID HE HAD PICKED THE COINS UP FROM THE PHILADELPHIA MINT — AND PARKED THE TRAILER IN THE PARKING LOT OVERNIGHT.

NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE DAILY RUNDOWN. WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY SERVING ONLY YOU – NOT AN AGENDA. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE NEXT WEEK. UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!