Good morning.
Joe Biden was facing fresh scrutiny over his handling of government secrets after a second batch of classified materials was reportedly found at a location linked to him.
The White House was already on the defensive after revelations that classified documents were discovered last November in an office used by Biden after he served as US vice-president. On Tuesday he said he was “surprised to learn” of their existence.
Then came a report from the NBC News network, followed by other media outlets, that said the president’s aides had found another set of classified documents at a separate location. The classification level, number and precise location of the material was not immediately clear, NBC News added.
The allegation handed fresh ammunition to Republicans seeking to draw a false equivalence with a justice department investigation into former president Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
The situation contrasts sharply with that of Trump, who had about 300 documents with classification markings, including some that were recovered in an FBI search after his lawyers provided a sworn certification that all government records had been returned. But such distinctions are likely to be lost for many voters, especially as Republicans and rightwing media capitalise on the apparent misstep and accuse the justice department of double standards.
How were the documents discovered? Richard Sauber, special counsel to the president, has said “a small number of documents with classified markings” were discovered on 2 November 2022 in a locked closet at the centre as Biden’s personal lawyers were clearing out the offices. According to Sauber, the lawyers immediately alerted the White House counsel’s office, which notified the National Archives, which took custody of the documents the next day.
What has Biden said? At a press conference in Mexico on Tuesday, Biden said he takes classified documents “seriously” and his team acted appropriately by quickly turning the documents over. “They did what they should have done. They immediately called the Archives.”
Storm-ravaged California scrambles as fresh atmospheric river rolls in
California is facing a new round of brutal storms that will bring torrential downpours and gale force winds in the north as the state scrambles to clean up and repair widespread damage amid a break in the weather.
The state has been ravaged by a relentless string of storms that have killed at least 17 people – a number the governor warned was likely to grow. The bout of extreme weather has closed highways, knocked out trees and infrastructure and cut power to thousands of people. More than half of California’s 58 counties have been declared disaster areas.
The newest round of storms is forecast to hit the northern coast, where the threat of flooding will persist until Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. A wind advisory is in effect in some areas, which could mean gusts of up to 60mph (96.5km/h). The plume of moisture lurking off the coast stretched all the way over the Pacific to Hawaii, making it “a true Pineapple Express”, the NWS said.
Meanwhile, southern California will get a break in rains until the weekend, when more wet weather is forecast.
Will the California storms ease the state’s drought? Experts say the precipitation will help relieve the drought somewhat. Exactly how much isn’t clear yet and some areas of the state will benefit more than others. It will take more than a few storms to fill the biggest reservoirs. Plus, the climate crisis is making California drier and hotter. Officials see less water in the state’s future, and these storms won’t fix that long-term problem.
Teacher and cousin of Black Lives Matter founder ‘Tased to death’ by LAPD
A cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors was killed by Los Angeles police after he got in a traffic accident and officers who showed up repeatedly used stun guns and restrained him in the middle of the street, according to body-camera footage and his family’s account.
Footage from the 3 January encounter released on Wednesday showed that Keenan Anderson, a 31-year-old high school teacher and father, was begging for help as multiple officers held him down, and at one point said: “They’re trying to George Floyd me.” One officer had his elbow on Anderson’s neck while he was lying down before another used a stun gun him for roughly 30 seconds straight before pausing and starting again for five more seconds, writes Sam Levin.
“My cousin was asking for help, and he didn’t receive it. He was killed,” Cullors said after watching LAPD’s footage. “Nobody deserves to die in fear, panicking and scared for their life. My cousin was scared for his life. He spent the last 10 years witnessing a movement challenging the killing of Black people. He knew what was at stake and he was trying to protect himself. Nobody was willing to protect him.”
An officer who first arrived to the car collision at about 3.30pm at Venice and Lincoln boulevards found Anderson in the middle of the road, saying: “Please help me.” The officer told him to go on the sidewalk, and issued commands, saying: “Get up against the wall.” Anderson held his hands up, responding: “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”
Why was a stun gun used? Although Anderson compiled with the officer’s commands at first, he appeared to be concerned with the officer’s behavior. Eventually, Anderson started to flee, at which point the officer chased him on his motorcycle, shouting “get down to the ground, now”, and “turn over on your stomach”. Anderson repeatedly responded: “Please help me” and “they’re trying to kill me”, as multiple officers arrived and held him down.
In other news …
The Republican-led House yesterday pressed ahead with a pair of anti-abortion measures, despite warning signs that the issue had galvanized the opposition in the wake of the supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade last year. While the bills are not expected to advance in Senate, they underscore the Republican majority’s legislative priorities ahead of 2024 election.
Jeff Beck, the celebrated guitarist who played with the Yardbirds and led the Jeff Beck Group, has died aged 78, his representative has confirmed. Beck died on Tuesday after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis”, the representative confirmed.
Cracks in the armour of authoritarian states in the past year should give the world hope that brutal regimes can be called to account, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its annual analysis of the state of human rights globally. The report cites the mass protests for women’s rights in Iran and street protests in China against “zero Covid”.
Forces from Russia’s Wagner Group have claimed to have found the body of one of two British voluntary aid workers reported missing in eastern Ukraine, the private military firm reportedly said in a statement. The Guardian has been unable to verify the reports.
Stat of the day: Elon Musk breaks world record for largest loss of personal fortune in history
Elon Musk has broken the world record for the largest loss of personal fortune in history, according to a Guinness World Records report. The tech billionaire has lost approximately $182bn (£150bn) since November 2021, although other sources suggest that it could actually be closer to $200bn, the report said. “Musk’s net worth dropped from a peak of $320bn in 2021 to $138bn as of January 2023, largely due to the poor performance of Tesla’s stock,” the global records database said, citing figures obtained from Forbes. The decline accelerated in October after Musk bought Twitter for roughly $44bn (£36bn), it said.
Don’t miss this: Latex, severed legs and fake erections: why is a whole new generation obsessed with DVD menus?
At just 25 years old, DVDs are antiquated – but that also makes them ripe for reminiscing. In the summer of 2022, 3.3 million people watched a TikTok video about the elaborate interactive menu on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The hashtag #DVDmenu has 15m views, writes Amelia Tait. Is this just pointless nostalgia or is it right to mourn the lost art of the DVD menu? Some turn-of-the-century landing pages were so imaginative they cut through into popular consciousness: 2003’s House of 1,000 Corpses featured a murderous clown directly addressing (and mocking) the viewer. What was it like to work in the golden age of DVD menu design? What has been lost now that we scroll on streaming apps?
Climate check: Fossil fuel producers must be forced to ‘take back’ carbon, say scientist
Fossil fuel companies should be forced to “take back” the carbon dioxide emitted from their products, handing them direct responsibility for cleaning up the climate, a group of scientists has argued. The principle that the producer of pollution should pay for its clean-up is established around the world, but has never been applied to the climate crisis. Yet technology to capture and store carbon dioxide underground is advancing, and is now technically feasible, according to Myles Allen, a professor at the University of Oxford. Allen is a co-author, along with four other scientists from Oxford, the US and the Netherlands, of a paper published on Thursday in the journal Environmental Research Letters that sets out how such an “extended producer responsibility” could work.
Last Thing: Rare snowy owl’s ‘thrilling’ migration enchants California suburb
Orange county has long served as a warm winter getaway for those escaping chillier climates, and since last month it has hosted an unusual visitor from the Arctic: a snowy winter owl. The bird of prey, which typically calls the Arctic Circle and northern Canada home, has migrated to a residential neighborhood in Cypress. Its presence in the suburban community east of Los Angeles is highly unusual, experts say, and has drawn regular crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the majestic creature featured in the Harry Potter series. Bird enthusiasts, news vans and ornithologists have flocked to the neighborhood with crowds of up to 60 people quietly lining up to view the bird.
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