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FBI Solves Grisly Cold Case

FBI Solves Grisly Cold Case

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
June 21, 2024

Good morning and happy Friday. June's full moon -- known as the "Strawberry Moon" -- will be at its fullest tonight. And it will be the lowest full moon in years, according to Farmer's Almanac. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

Oakland: FBI raids mayor’s house
Rwanda: Threat of war
New York: Costliest primary ever
Car dealers: Systems down
Donald Sutherland: Dies at 88

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Justice served

Federal authorities believe they have solved a high-profile double-murder that happened almost 30 years ago.

Look back: Julianne Williams and her partner, Laura Winans, were sexually assaulted and killed while hiking in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park in 1996. Park Rangers found their bodies in a remote area a week after they were reported missing. Investigators charged a man in the murders but later dropped the charges, leaving the case unsolved for well over two decades.
Suspect identified: Recent forensic testing of evidence has connected a convicted serial rapist to the crimes. Authorities say Walker Jackson Sr. was an avid visitor to the park at the time. He died in an Ohio prison in 2018; authorities said he had a lengthy criminal history.
Next steps: Authorities will continue to investigate other crimes Jackson may have been involved with. The findings in this case resulted from a special task force investigation launched in 2021.

2) Watch out

A major pharmaceutical company is warning consumers about knockoffs of its popular diabetes and weight loss drugs.

The news: Eli Lilly posted an open letter explaining the dangers posed by compounded or counterfeit versions of its Mounjaro and Zepbound medications. It also announced a series of lawsuits against medical spas and wellness centers providing the drugs. The World Health Organization echoed the company's warnings.
Need to know: While fake versions are the main concern -- similar issues to issues with cosmetic products -- Eli Lilly also voiced concerns about compounding pharmacies that make altered versions of drugs that are experiencing a shortage. These medications are legal, but there are concerns about safety and quality.
Big picture: The concerns raised by Eli Lilly are not new. Rival drugmaker Novo Nordisk has taken similar measures to fight knockoffs of its Ozempic and Wegovy medications as the extraordinary demand for the weight-loss drugs has led to robust black and gray markets where the drugs contain bacteria and significant impurities.

3) Poll swap

President Joe Biden has inched ahead of former President Donald Trump in the national polls with days to go before the first presidential debate.

The numbers: Biden has led Trump in each of the last five major polls published in June and he leads FiveThirtyEight's average national poll for the first time in months (albeit by 0.1%). Most recent polls have Biden up by 1-2%; Trump was up 2% in April, but has slipped since his New York state hush money conviction. Biden is up 2% in the latest Fox News poll, drawing Trump's ire.
That said, Trump dominated a new batch of swing state polls published by Emerson College and The Hill. The former president leads in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and is tied with Biden in Minnesota; Trump leads in that state when independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is included in the survey. No GOP presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Richard Nixon was re-elected in 1972.
Big picture: The race is a virtual dead heat with a little under five months to go before election day. FiveThirtyEight simulated 1K elections and has Trump winning 500 times, Biden 496 and four Electoral College ties. The candidates will debate for the first time this cycle on Thursday in Atlanta.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's home was searched by the FBI. The agency provided no details beyond saying the activity was court-authorized; the embattled lawmaker faces a recall vote in November and was the subject of an ethics probe in the past (More)
Some crew members on the ship that collapsed Baltimore's Key Bridge will soon return home. City officials have agreed to let the seafarers leave the MV Dali after nearly three months with conditions; their departure date is not yet set (More)
Amtrak service was temporarily paused from Philadelphia to New Haven. Commuter railways in the Northeast have been hit by disruptions all week due to electrical and heat-related issues; more delays are expected (More)

World News

Rwanda President Paul Kagame said his nation is ready for war with the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congolese forces have been fighting Rwanda-backed rebels for over two years; President Felix Tshisekedi has accused Kagame of organizing a genocide (More)
An Israeli military spokesman said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stated goal of destroying Hamas in Gaza is unrealistic. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the assertion is misleading to civilians; his comments are the latest sign of a growing rift between the IDF and Netanyahu (More)
Mark Rutte will be the next NATO Secretary General. The outgoing Dutch Prime Minister is expected to take over in October after winning the support of Eastern European holdouts in the bloc (More)

Campaign News

The Democratic primary in New York's 16th Congressional District is the most expensive ever, according to AdImpact. Pro-Israel groups have spent millions against controversial Rep. Jamaal Bowman; he faces Westchester County Executive George Latimer (More)
The National Republican Senatorial Committee plans to spend over $100M on its effort to reclaim control of the upper chamber. It will begin ad spends in Arizona, Ohio, Michigan and Nevada next week; the GOP must pick up two seats to gain the majority (More)
Melinda French Gates has endorsed President Biden. The philanthropist did not indicate whether she plans to donate to his re-election campaign; he ex-husband is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed mixed yesterday. The S&P 500's hot streak came to an end after briefly topping 5.5K points for the first time (Dow +0.77%, Nasdaq -0.79%, S&P 500 -0.25%).
Car dealerships nationwide continued to be impacted by a software failure. CDK Global's services have been down since Wednesday due to a "cyber incidents," over 15K dealerships use the company for financing and inventory tools (More)
Senate Democrats are investigating Jared Kushner's private equity firm. Former President Trump's son-in-law received $2B from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund for Affinity Partners; about 99% of its funding is foreign (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Donald Sutherland died at 88 after a long illness. The Golden Globe-winning actor starred in Animal House, M*A*S*H, The Hunger Games and myriad other films; he received an honorary Academy Award in 2017 (More)
The NCAA is considering expansion for the Division-1 men's and women's basketball tournaments. The events are expected to go from 68 teams to 72 or 76; conference commissioners will vote on the proposals (More)
Travis Scott was arrested in Miami early yesterday morning. The rapper posted a $650 bond after being charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing; the incident occurred on a yacht (More)

Quick Hitters

Real Heroes: A Texas woman was being attacked. A family of five -- all fourth-degree taekwondo black belts -- sprung into action, rescued her and subdued the attacker until police arrived.
Go Deep: If you have ever wondered what happens to the cheap earbuds available on commercial airline flights, you have come to the right place. Please take note: They would like you to keep them!
Chow Down: Almost everyone has rice in their pantry. Here are over 70 recipes to try with the grain.
Sartorial Sense: Wedding dress codes have become incredibly confusing. These tips will help you decode what terms like "desert formal" and "mountain chic" actually mean.
Life Hack: The hiccups stink. But these remedy techniques actually help end the unpleasant experience as quickly as possible.
OPTIMIZE ME: Researchers “found convincing evidence that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48% to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes.”

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Watch This

This video examines the chasm between the public perception of crime in the U.S. and law enforcement statistics.