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Pentagon Pushes Back On Viral RFK Jr. Claim

Your unbiased daily news brief

Author

James Kratch
October 25, 2024

Good Friday morning. We've all heard of lawsuits involving insanely hot coffee. Now there is one alleging a "dangerously cold" ice cream sandwich. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

  • Baltimore: Bridge settlement

  • Bulgaria: Snap election

  • Election violence: Voter concern

  • Morgan Stanley: New chairman

  • Game shows: Discrimination claims

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Fact check

The Department of Defense spoke out against "rumors and rhetoric" following a viral social media post by former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

  • Catch up: Kennedy accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of "giving the Pentagon power — for the first time in history — to use lethal force to kill Americans on U.S. soil who protest government policies." He made the comment on X, citing DOD Directive 5240.01, which became effective in late September. Kennedy's claim was amplified by fellow supporters of former President Donald Trump, many of whom suggested it was an effort to interfere with the upcoming election.

  • Key context: The Posse Comitatus Act limits the powers of the federal government to use federal military personnel to enforce domestic policies within the nation.

  • Pentagon response: "The policies concerning the use of force by DOD addressed in DoDD 5240.01 are not new, and do not authorize the DOD to use lethal force against U.S. citizens or people located inside the United States, contrary to rumors and rhetoric circulating on social media," DOD told The Associated Press.

  • The intent: Pentagon officials revised the directive to align with use of force language in other policies, according to the AP. The directive addresses when and how defense intelligence personnel can assist civilian law enforcement in situations where lethal use of force is likely.

2) Path to freedom

Erik and Lyle Menendez may soon be released from prison after serving 34 years following the infamous 1989 murder of their parents.

  • The news: Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon will recommend the brothers be re-sentenced. Prosecutors will ask a judge to downgrade their life sentence without parole to 50 years to life; they will then become immediately eligible for parole under California state law due to their age (under 26) at the time of the crimes.

  • Catch up: The Menendez brothers shot their parents, Kitty and Jose, in their Beverly Hills home. Prosecutors at the time alleged financial motive; the brothers claimed they acted in self-defense following years of sexual abuse by their father. They were convicted in their second trials after initial mistrials; a judge barred much of the sexual abuse evidence in the second trials.

  • Recent revival: A Netflix documentary and drama series about the case sparked renewed interest, as has support from celebrity advocates like Kim Kardashian. New evidence corroborating the sexual abuse claims has also emerged. Mark Geragos, the brothers' high-profile attorney, said he hopes they will be released by Thanksgiving.

  • Also of note: Polls indicate Gascon, a progressive Democrat, is headed toward a blowout re-election loss. His opponent, former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, a Republican-turned-independent, accused him of a last-ditch attempt to change his electoral fortunes and questioned the impartiality; Gascon countered by saying the ultimate decision lies with the courts.

3) Play ball

The World Series will begin tonight.

  • Game 1: The Los Angeles Dodgers will host the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium to open the best-of-seven series. First pitch is set for 8:08 p.m. ET on Fox. Gerrit Cole will be the starting pitcher for the Yankees; the Dodgers will counter with Jack Flaherty.

  • Long history: This is the 12th time the franchises have met in the Fall Classic dating back to the Dodgers' time in Brooklyn, but the first since 1981. The Yankees have won eight of the meetings. The franchises are also Nos. 1 and 2 in all-time World Series appearances -- 41 for the Yankees and 22 for the Dodgers.

  • Star power: Shohei Ohtani, who became the first man in big league history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases this year, will appear in his first World Series for the Dodgers. So too will Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, the American League home run king. Both men are expected to be their respective leagues' Most Valuable Players this season.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • The operator of the vessel that destroyed Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge will pay a $102M settlement. The payment will resolve civil claims by the Department of Justice; a criminal investigation is still underway (More)

  • The McDonald's E. coli outbreak was traced to onions from Taylor Farms in California. Several retail products have been recalled and several fast-food chains have pulled supplies; health officials expect more illness cases to emerge (More)

  • President Joe Biden will issue a formal apology for atrocities at federal Indian boarding schools. He will do so at Gila Crossing Community School in Arizona, his first visit to an Indigenous community in office; the schools operated for over 100 years and only closed in the 1970s (More)

World News

  • Bulgaria will hold its seventh election in three years on Sunday. A series of coalition governments have failed following anti-corruption protests in 2020; the country is considered the poorest member of the European Union and is being rankled by the surging pro-Russia, far-right Revival Party (More)

  • Sri Lankan police thwarted an alleged terrorist attack on tourist spots frequented by Israeli citizens, arresting two suspects. The U.S. and Israel warned of potential terrorist attacks in the majority Buddhist nation in South Asia earlier this week (More) 

  • Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi announced a commission to explore constitutional revisions. Critics are accusing him of trying to end term limits so he can stand for a third term after dodging a coup attempt earlier this year; Tshisekedi's 2023 re-election was contest by opposition leaders (More)

Campaign News

  • Over 60% of Americans anticipate some form of post-Election Day violence, according to a Scripps News/Ipsos poll. But over 60% also expect votes will be accurately counted nationwide; 51% of respondents said they would be in favor of the U.S. military preventing unrest (More)

  • Vice President Harris and former President Barack Obama campaigned together for the first time at an Atlanta campaign event concert featuring Bruce Springsteen. Beyonce is expected to appear with Harris at a rally in Houston next week (More | More)

  • Former President Trump said he is open to pardoning Hunter Biden if re-elected. He said he believes the First Son's legal woes are "very bad for the country" and claimed he ensured former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not face prosecution after his 2016 victory (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed mixed yesterday. The S&P 500 bounced back after a three-day losing skid; Tesla's share price was up 22% following a rousing Q3 report (Dow -0.33%, Nasdaq +0.76%, S&P 500 +0.21% | More).

  • Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick will become the bank's Chairman, consolidating the roles. He will replace the outgoing James Gorman, who will take over as Disney's board chair next year (More)

  • A federal judge sided with the Federal Trade Commission and effectively blocked an $8.5M merger of luxury goods companies on competitive grounds. Tapestry, which controls Coach and Kate Spade, was trying to acquire Michael Kors parent company Capri (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • Two former employees have filed a federal civil rights complaint against Sony Pictures Entertainment. They allege Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune executives discriminated against and fired them; the complaints also accuse the execs of disparaging Black contestants on the game shows (More)

  • Jack Jones died at 86. The Grammy Award-winning singer performed The Love Boat's theme song and also made guest acting appearances on the television show; he also had roles on McMillan & Wife and in Airplane II: The Sequel (More)

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning will have new lead owners. Current owner Jeff Vinik will remain in control of the NHL team through 2027 after selling a majority share at a $2B valuation to an investment group helmed by Wall Street investors (More)

Quick Hitters

  • Heart Warming: Stuffed animals are beloved by many. These before-and-after photos of the beloved companions prove it.

  • Empty Nest: Ghost towns are not just in movies. There are dozens of American cities with zero or just a handful of residents, according to U.S. Census records.

  • Go Deep: Pennsylvania gets most of the publicity, but North Carolina may be the most fascinating battleground state at stake during this presidential election -- and the toughest one to forecast.

  • Take Note: Grapes are an underrated fruit. Get some this weekend and follow these tips to keep them fresh for longer.

  • Life Hack: Want to breeze through customs at the airport for an unbeatable price? Check out this free app.

There is a national loneliness problem.

Looking Ahead …

A Texas lawmaker is partnering with the Bike Texas fundraising group to build a 1,500-mile trail that covers the entire Lone Star State from El Paso to the border with Louisiana. The Cross Texas Trail should be completed next year.

Question of the Day

The New York Yankees have won the most World Series at 27. What MLB team is second all-time?

Take your pick!

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Yesterday’s results:

Will you stay away from McDonald's over the E. coli outbreak?

  • I already do not eat there (80%)

  • No, I am confident it is safe (11%)

  • Yes, I will not eat there for a period (9%)