Reeves declares Jackson’s water safe again… but would he drink it? – National & International News – FRI 16Sep2022

Reeves declares Jackson’s water safe again… but would he drink it? Mar-a-Lago case: Judge rejects DOJ request to access docs. Ukraine: hundreds of graves, evidence of torture in recaptured areas.

NATIONAL NEWS

Reeves declares Jackson’s water safe to drink again… but would he drink it?

In a news conference yesterday, Gov. Tate Reeves declared that, “We have restored clean water to the city of Jackson”. Many Jackson residents are relieved after a 7-week long boil water notice. For all that time, they’ve had to hunt down bottled water from various distribution sites or buy it themselves.

With the boil water notice listed, those free distribution sites will close over the coming days. However, some residents say the water coming out of their pipes remains discolored or smelly. Their understandable distrust of the water means they’ll now either have to buy their drinking water, or rely on local charities.

In addition to continuing concerns about pollution at the source, much of the city’s aging infrastructure still relies on lead pipes. Unlike other waterborne contaminants, boiling does nothing to diminish lead content. Jim Craig, a state public health official, says Jackson residents should refrain from using the city’s water to prepare baby formula. Instead they should use either bottled or filtered water. The Health Department also recommends that pregnant women and young children use bottled water, and that children under 5 undergo regular lead screenings and blood tests.

The EPA has a set standard for how much lead in a water is “acceptable”. However, no amount of lead is safe for human consumption. Even in low levels, lead accumulates in the body over time and can lead to neurological impairment and organ damage.

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Mar-a-Lago case: Judge approves special master, rejects DOJ request to access docs

Judge Aileen Cannon has approved Judge Raymond Dearie as special master to review the documents seized by the FBI from former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. Dearie was proposed by Trump’s team but the Department of Justice has accepted his qualifications. Cannon has given Dearie until November 30 to complete his review.

In her ruling, Cannon has rejected DOJ’s request to be allowed to continue to review the documents themselves as part of their ongoing criminal investigation into Trump’s mishandling of classified material.

Cannon’s ruling seemingly rejects DOJ’s assertion that the classified documents are, in fact, classified. She claims that that fact is in dispute. While Trump has claimed publicly that he declassified the documents, it’s important to note his attorneys have not made that claim in court, where they could be sanctioned for lying.

Experts have again panned Cannon’s ruling in this case, some even called it “silly”. Especially troubling is Cannon’s decision to allow Trump’s attorneys to review these documents while DOJ cannot. Some of these documents bear classifications that even high-ranking White House and defense officials wouldn’t have access to. DOJ is expected to appeal at least this part of the ruling to a higher federal court.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Ukraine discovers hundreds of graves, evidence of torture in areas liberated from Russia

Ukrainian soldiers have discovered hundreds of graves following a massive eastern offensive that liberated an area until recently occupied by Russian troops. Some of the graves were found in a wooded area, marked by makeshift wooden crosses. At least some of these were mass graves containing the bodies of dozens of Ukrainian soldiers.

Near the city of Izium in the Kharkiv region, investigators are conducting a mass exhumation. Officials there say they are uncovering evidence of likely war crimes, including torture. Many of the people buried in the graveyard bore signs of a violent death, but also severed ears and other signs of torture. Ukraine’s national police chief says torture chambers have been found in the Kharkiv region.

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