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New York AG Says Gov. Cuomo Sexually Harassed Multiple Women, Broke Laws A five-month investigation has found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and violated federal and state laws while creating a “climate of fear” in the workplace, New York state Attorney General Letitia James said on Tuesday. The inquiry showed that Cuomo engaged in unwanted groping, kissing and hugging, and made inappropriate comments, James told a news briefing, adding that the Democratic governor’s office had become a “toxic” workplace that enabled “harassment to occur.” https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-ag-says-probe-found-gov-cuomo-sexually-harrassed-multiple-women-broke-2021-08-03/

Hundreds Missing and at Least 69 Are Dead in Western Europe Flooding Following a day of frantic rescue efforts and orders to evacuate towns rapidly filling with water unloosed by violent storms, the German authorities said late Thursday that after confirming dozens of deaths, they were unable to account for at least 1,300 other people. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/15/world/europe/flooding-germany-belgium-switzerland-netherlands.amp.html

‘Overdue’: Biden Sets Aug. 31 for US Exit from Afghanistan President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan will end on Aug. 31, delivering an impassioned argument for exiting the nearly 20-year war without sacrificing more American lives even as he bluntly acknowledged there will be no “mission accomplished” moment to celebrate. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-afghanistan-government-and-politics-86f939c746c7bc56bb9f11f095a95366

Official: Haiti President Jovenel Moïse Assassinated at Home Gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in their home early Wednesday, inflicting more chaos on the unstable Caribbean country that was already enduring an escalation of gang violence, anti-government protests and a recent surge in coronavirus infections. https://apnews.com/article/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-killed-b56a0f8fec0832028bdc51e8d59c6af2

Trump Organization Is Charged in 15-Year Tax Scheme The Trump Organization, the real estate business that catapulted Donald J. Trump to tabloid fame, television riches and ultimately the White House, was charged Thursday with fraud and tax crimes in connection with what prosecutors said was a 15-year-long scheme to compensate a top executive off the books. The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has been conducting the investigation, also accused the executive, Allen H. Weisselberg, Mr. Trump’s long-serving and trusted chief financial officer, of avoiding taxes on $1.7 million in income. He faced grand larceny, tax fraud and other charges. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/nyregion/allen-weisselberg-charged-trump-organization.html

Donald Rumsfeld, Defense Secretary During Iraq War, Is Dead at 88 Donald H. Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense for Presidents Gerald R. Ford and George W. Bush, who presided over America’s Cold War strategies in the 1970s and, in the new world of terrorism decades later, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, died on Tuesday at his home in Taos, N.M. He was 88. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/us/politics/donald-rumsfeld-dead.html

Bill Cosby Found Guilty of Sexual Assault After Years of Accusations https://nyti.ms/2HtzAoZ

Many Feared Dead After Florida Beachfront Condo Collapses A wing of a 12-story beachfront condo building collapsed with a roar in a town outside Miami early Thursday, killing at least one person and trapping residents in rubble and twisted metal. Rescuers pulled out dozens of survivors and continued to look for more. Nearly 100 people were still unaccounted for at midday, authorities said, raising fears that the death toll could climb sharply. But officials did not know how many were in the tower when it fell around 1:30 a.m. https://apnews.com/article/miami-building-collapses-25ee9ff94dd07d2a0ae3da742a6cb8dd

Iranian Hard-Liner Ebrahim Raisi Wins Presidential Vote Iran’s ultraconservative judiciary chief, Ebrahim Raisi, has been elected president after a vote that many Iranians skipped, seeing it as rigged in his favor. The Interior Ministry announced the final results on Saturday, saying Mr. Raisi had won with nearly 18 million of 28.9 million ballots cast in the voting a day earlier. Turnout was 48.8 percent — a significant decline from the last presidential election, in 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/19/world/middleeast/iran-election-president-raisi.html

Biden Signs Bill Making Juneteenth a Federal Holiday President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, saying he believes it will go down as one of the greatest honors he has as president. https://apnews.com/article/biden-juneteenth-federal-holiday-9bb62a3448376e05d87ac79cf27970d2

New Israeli Government Wins Majority Vote, Ending Netanyahu Tenure Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as Israel's prime minister ended on Sunday with parliament approving a new "government of change" led by nationalist Naftali Bennett. Heading into opposition, Netanyahu, 71, the most dominant Israeli politician of his generation, pledged he would soon return to power. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-knesset-vote-new-government-end-netanyahus-record-reign-2021-06-13/

Netanyahu Opponents Reach Coalition Deal to Oust Israeli PM Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents announced Wednesday that they have reached a deal to form a new governing coalition, paving the way for the ouster of the longtime Israeli leader. The dramatic announcement by opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, came shortly before a midnight deadline and prevented what could have been Israel’s fifth consecutive election in just over two years. https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-062e6baf13e774f30c4e697cb9f2d1f1