What to Know
- Omarosa Manigault Newman is drawing fire from Trump's allies and national security experts for secret recordings she made at the White House
- Researchers say an endangered killer whale that drew attention as she carried her dead calf for weeks back to frolicking with her pod
- Will Idris Elba ever be able to say, 'Bond, James Bond' on the big screen? The 45-year-old British actor is responding to the rumors
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Trump Allies, Security Experts Alarmed by Omarosa Recordings
Former presidential adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman is drawing fire from President Trump's allies and national security experts for secret recordings she made at the White House, including her firing by chief of staff John Kelly in the high-security Situation Room. Manigault Newman said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that she surreptitiously recorded a number of conversations in the White House for her own protection. Parts of her conversation with Kelly were played on the air. Critics denounced the recordings as a serious breach of ethics and security. "Who in their right mind thinks it's appropriate to secretly record the White House chief of staff in the Situation Room?" tweeted Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. In the recording, which Manigault Newman quotes extensively in her new book, "Unhinged," Kelly can be heard saying that he wants to talk with Manigault Newman about leaving the White House. The Associated Press independently listened to the recording of the conversation. Manigault Newman said she viewed the conversation as a "threat" and defended her decision to covertly record it and other White House conversations.
Counterprotesters Outnumber White Supremacists at D.C. Rally
White nationalists who came to Washington, D.C. for Unite the Right 2 rally outside the White House left the District well ahead of schedule after a brief event, vastly outnumbered by hundreds of counterprotesters. The small group of fewer than 30 Unite the Right 2 demonstrators held a short rally at Lafayette Square. In contrast, by midafternoon, more than 1,000 counterprotesters had already gathered in Freedom Plaza, also near the White House, to oppose organizer Jason Kessler's demonstration and to march to Lafayette Square. While tension brewed at times, the events were mostly peaceful and D.C. police said there were no violent confrontations. Police arrested one protester, 44-year-old John Mulligan of Pennsylvania, after he pepper sprayed someone in the face about 5 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said at a news conference Sunday night. Mulligan had a slingshot, large shards of glass, metal bolts and stones, Newsham said.
FBI Finds Data Recorder From Plane Taken for Fatal Ride
Local
He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. But the friendly tone of 29-year-old Richard Russell, an airport worker who stole a commercial plane, performing acrobatic stunts before the fatal plunge into a thick island forest, belied his desperate actions. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Russell had died in the fiery wreckage, but whether the crash was deliberate or accidental was one of several topics remaining for investigators. Others include how, nearly 17 years after the 9/11 attack, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization. The Seattle FBI office said Sunday that it had recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon plane. The NTSB is now processing the equipment. The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage.
Orca Back to Feeding, Frolicking After Carrying Dead Calf
Researchers say an endangered killer whale that drew international attention as she carried her dead calf on her head for more than two weeks is finally back to feeding and frolicking with her pod. The Center for Whale Research in Washington state says it watched the orca, known as J35, chase a school of salmon in Haro Strait west of San Juan Island. The whales have been struggling because of a lack of salmon, and J35's calf died soon after birth on July 24. The mother carried the baby on her head for at least 17 days, in an image of grief that struck an emotional chord worldwide. She finally abandoned the carcass as it decomposed. Center for Whale Research founder Ken Balcomb says he is immensely relieved to see J35 returning to typical behavior.
Idris Elba Responds to New James Bond Rumors
Will Idris Elba ever be able to say, "Bond, James Bond" on the big screen? For about seven years, there have been rumors the British 45-year-old Luther and Thor star would succeed Daniel Craig and become the first black actor to play 007. Speculation recently began again, following a U.K. tabloid report, which was later debunked. Now, Elba left fans shaken--and stirred--with a cryptic tweet that may indicate the truth, and may also just be some good old-fashioned trolling. "My name's Elba, Idris Elba," he wrote. He later tweeted, "Don't believe the HYPE..." much to fans' disappointment. Elba had said in 2014 that he would "absolutely" accept the role of Bond if it were offered to him.
