IT'S A KCIA KULT

EXPLAINER: The Unification Church’s ties to Japan’s politics

By MARI YAMAGUCHI

yesterday

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laughs while speaking at the Center for Strategic International Studies in Washington on Feb. 22, 2013. The assassination of former Japanese Prime Shinzo Abe has unearthed long-suspected, little-talked-of links between him and a religious group that started in South Korea but has spread its influence around the world. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

TOKYO (AP) — The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has unearthed long-suspected, little-talked-of links between him and a religious group that started in South Korea but has spread its influence around the world.

Police and Japanese media have suggested that the alleged attacker, Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested on the spot, was furious about Abe’s reported ties to the Unification Church, which has pursued relationships with politically conservative groups and leaders in the United States, Japan and Europe. The suspect reportedly was upset because his mother’s massive donations to the church bankrupted the family.

Many Japanese have been surprised as revelations emerged this week of the ties between the church and Japan’s top leaders, which have their roots in shared anti-communism efforts during the Cold War. Analysts say it could lead people to examine more closely how powerfully the ruling party’s conservative worldviews have steered the policies of modern Japan


A look at the church and its deep ties to Japan’s governing party and Abe’s own family:

WHAT’S THE UNIFICATION CHURCH?

The church was founded in Seoul in 1954, a year after the end of the Korean War, by the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the self-proclaimed messiah who preached new interpretations of the Bible and conservative, family-oriented value systems.

The church championed anti-communism and the unification of the Korean Peninsula, which has been split between the totalitarian North and democratic South.

The church is perhaps best known for mass weddings where it paired off couples, often from different countries, and renewed the vows of those already married, at big, open places such as stadiums and gymnasiums. The group is said to have a global membership of millions, including hundreds of thousands in Japan.

The church faced accusations in the 1970s and ’80s of using devious recruitment tactics and brainwashing adherents into turning over huge portions of their salaries to Moon. The church has denied such allegations, saying many new religious movements faced similar accusations in their early years.

In Japan, the group has faced lawsuits for offering “spiritual merchandise” that allegedly caused members to buy expensive art and jewelry or sell their real estate to raise donations for the church.
___

WHAT’S THE CHURCH’S LINK TO WORLD LEADERS?

Throughout his life, Moon worked to transform his church into a worldwide religious movement and expand its business and charitable activities. Moon was convicted of tax evasion in 1982 and served a prison term in New York. He died in 2012.

The church has developed relations with conservative world leaders including U.S. presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and more recently Donald Trump.

Moon also had ties with North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung, the late grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un.

Moon said in his autobiography that he asked Kim to give up his nuclear ambitions, and that Kim responded that his atomic program was for peaceful purposes and he had no intention to use it to “kill (Korean) compatriots.”
___

WHAT WAS ABE’S LINK TO THE CHURCH?

Abe was known for his arch-conservative views on security and history issues and also was backed by powerful lobbies such as the Nippon Kaigi. He appeared in events organized by church affiliates, including one in September 2021.

In a video shown on a big screen at the meeting of church-related Universal Peace Federation, or UPF, Abe praised its work toward peace on the Korean Peninsula and the group’s focus on family values. An emphasis on traditional, paternalistic family systems was one of Abe’s key positions.

“I appreciate UPF’s focus on family values,” he said in the video. “Let’s be aware of so-called social revolutionary movements with narrow-minded values.”

Reports of his appearance in the 2021 event drew criticisms from the Japanese Communist Party and cult watchers, including a group of lawyers who have watched the Unification Church activities and supported its alleged victims.

In a news conference Monday after the church’s connection to Abe’s assassination was revealed, the church’s leader in Japan, Tomohiro Tanaka, said Abe supported UPF’s peace movement but that he was not a member.
ADVERTISEMENT



Police still have not publicly identified the group cited by the suspect, presumably to avoid inciting violence.

___

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR JAPAN’S GOVERNING PARTY?

The ties between the church and Japan’s governing party go back to Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who served as prime minister and shared worries with Washington over the spread of communism in Japan in the 1960s as labor union activists gained strength.

Kishi, who was arrested as a war criminal but never charged, was known for his right-wing political views, and the Unification Church’s anti-communist stance matched his views of Japan’s national interests, experts say.

Kishi’s close relationship with the church was publicly known. The church headquarters at one point was housed in a building next to Kishi’s Tokyo residence, and he was seen with Moon in photos taken at the church and published in group publications. Media reports say the suspect believed that Kishi brought the church to Japan.

“Japanese leaders at the time saw the church as a tool to promote anti-communist views in Japan,” said Masaki Kito, a lawyer and expert on religious businesses. For the group, showcasing close ties with prominent politicians was a way to get endorsement for its activity.
ADVERTISEMENT



Ties between church-affiliated organizations and LDP lawmakers developed over decades since the church expanded, providing solid political support and votes for the governing party, experts say, though the group denied it.

A survey of 128 lawmakers obtained from police and published in the Weekly Gendai magazine in 1999 showed most attended events organized by the Unification Church’s anti-communism affiliate, the International Federation for Victory Over Communism, also funded by Moon, and more than 20 LDP lawmakers had at least one church member in their offices as a volunteer.

___

WHAT IS BEING SAID BY THE CHURCH AND ITS CRITICS?

The church denied any favorable treatment by Kishi when it opened a Japan branch. Tanaka said Abe supported current leader Hak Ja Han Moon’s peace movement, but denied any movement of money between the group and the LDP.

The church said Monday it had no records showing that Yamagami was a member. The church said it had had no direct relationship with Abe, although it interacted with other lawmakers through an affiliated organization.

Members of the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, who watch the church, say they have repeatedly asked Abe and other LDP lawmakers to stop appearing or sending messages to the events organized by the Unification Church or affiliates while ignoring the long-standing church-related problems.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE PARTY?

“The assassination is shedding a light on the Unification Church,” said Koichi Nakano, an international politics professor at Sophia University in Tokyo. “The church’s relationship with the LDP’s right-wing factions and its ultra-right-wing policies could come under close scrutiny,” and lead to a reevaluation of Abe’s legacy.

It could lead to revelations of how the party’s views have distorted postwar Japanese society, while stalling progress of gender equality and sexual diversity issues, Nakano said.

___

Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed.

Emmett Till accuser, in memoir, denies wanting teen killed

By JAY REEVES and ALLEN G. BREED

1 of 7

 In this Sept. 23, 1955, file photo, J.W. Milam, left, his wife, second from left, Roy Bryant, far right, and his wife, Carolyn Bryant, sit together in a courtroom in Sumner, Miss. Bryant and his half-brother Milam were charged with murder but acquitted in the kidnapping and torture slaying of 14-year-old black teen Emmett Till in 1955 after he allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. A team searching the basement of a Mississippi courthouse for evidence about the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till has found the unserved warrant in June 2022 charging a white woman in his kidnapping in 1955, and relatives of the victim want authorities to finally arrest her nearly 70 years later. (AP Photo, File)


DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — The white woman who accused Black teenager Emmett Till of making improper advances before he was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 says she neither identified him to the killers nor wanted him murdered.

In an unpublished memoir obtained by The Associated Press, Carolyn Bryant Donham says she was unaware of what would happen to the 14-year-old Till, who lived in Chicago and was visiting relatives in Mississippi when he was abducted, killed and tossed in a river. Now 87, Donham was only 21 at the time. Her then-husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam were acquitted of murder charges but later confessed in a magazine interview.

The contents of the 99-page manuscript, titled “I am More Than A Wolf Whistle,” were first reported by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. Historian and author Timothy Tyson of Durham, who said he obtained a copy from Donham while interviewing her in 2008, provided a copy to the AP on Thursday.

Tyson had placed the manuscript in an archive at the University of North Carolina with the agreement that it not be made public for decades, though he said he gave it to the FBI during an investigation the agency concluded last year. He said he decided to make it public now following the recent discovery of an arrest warrant on kidnapping charges that was issued for Donham in 1955 but never served.

“The potential for an investigation was more important than the archival agreements, though those are important things,” Tyson said. “But this is probably the last chance for an indictment in this case.”

A cousin of Till who leads the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, Deborah Watts, said the memoir is new evidence that shows Donham’s involvement in the case and is particularly important when combined with the arrest warrant.

“I truly believe these developments cannot be ignored by the authorities in Mississippi,” she said.

In the memoir, Donham says she attempted to help Till once he’d been located by her husband and brother-in-law and brought to her in the middle of the night for identification.

“I did not wish Emmett any harm and could not stop harm from coming to him, since I didn’t know what was planned for him,” Donham says in the manuscript compiled by her daughter-in-law. “I tried to protect him by telling Roy that ‘He’s not the one. That’s not him. Please take him home.’” She claims in the manuscript that Till, who had been dragged from a family home at gunpoint in the middle of the night, spoke up and identified himself.





Donham adds that she “always felt like a victim as well as Emmett” and “paid dearly with an altered life” for what happened to him.

“I have always prayed that God would bless Emmett’s family. I am truly sorry for the pain his family was caused,” she says at the end of the manuscript, which is signed “Carolyn” but indicates that it was written by her daughter-in-law Marsha Bryant.

The memoir is remarkable not only because it’s the most extensive account of the sensational episode ever recorded by Donham, but also because it contains contradictions that raise questions about her truthfulness through the years, said Dale Killinger, a retired FBI agent who investigated the case more than 15 years ago.

For instance, Donham claims in the memoir to have yelled for help after being confronted by Till inside the family grocery store in Money, Mississippi, yet no one ever reported hearing her screams, Killinger said. Also, Donham never previously mentioned that she and Roy Bryant chatted about the abduction. Inthe manuscript, she says they did.

“That seems ludicrous,” Killinger said. “How would you have a major event in your life and not talk about it?”

The Justice Department closed its most recent investigation into the case in December and Mississippi authorities haven’t given any indication they plan to pursue the kidnapping warrant or other charges against Donham. But the Till family is pushing authorities to act.

Keith Beauchamp, a filmmaker whose documentary preceded the Justice Department probe in which Killinger was involved and that ended without charges in 2007, said the memoir shows that Donham “is culpable in the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Louis Till and to not hold her accountable for her actions, is an injustice to us all.”

“Our fight will continue until justice is finally served,” Beauchamp said.

It was Beauchamp, along with two of Till’s relatives, who discovered the arrest warrant with Donham’s name on it earlier this month in the basement of a Mississippi courthouse.

Tyson, the historian who provided the roughly 35,000-word manuscript to the AP, helped spur the government’s most recent investigation into the killing by publishing a book in 2017 in which he quoted Donham as saying she lied when she claimed Till grabbed her, whistled and made sexual advances. In the memoir, however, she claims Till did do those things. During the most recent investigation, Donham told the FBI she had never recanted, the Justice Department said.

Tyson said Donham’s statements in the memoir exonerating herself of wrongdoing need to be taken with “a good-sized shovel full of salt,” particularly her claim that Till identified himself to the men who took him from the family home and later admitted killing him.

“Two big white men with guns came and dragged him out of his aunt and great-uncle’s house at 2 o’clock in the morning in the Mississippi Delta in 1955. I do not believe for one minute that he identified himself,” Tyson said.

Neither Donham nor any of her relatives have responded to messages and phone calls from the AP seeking comment. It is unclear where Donham currently lives or if she has an attorney. Her last known address was in Raleigh, North Carolina.

___

This story has been edited to clarify that Tyson provided a copy of the manuscript to the FBI for an investigation that ended last year, not in 2007.

___

Reeves reported from Birmingham, Alabama. He is a member of AP’s Race and Ethnicity Team.

WIKILEAKS

Ex-CIA programmer convicted of 'brazen' theft of agency secrets


July 13 (UPI) -- A former Central Intelligence Agency software engineer was convicted Wednesday on federal charges stemming from the theft of classified national defensive information that was published by Wikileaks in 2017.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement that the theft by Joshua Adam Schulte, 33, was "one of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history."

As a CIA programmer, Schulte had access to valuable intelligence-gathering tools used to confront terrorist organizations and others, which he stole and leaked to Wikileaks once he started harboring resentment toward his employer, Williams said, adding the publication of the information made it available to adversaries of the United States.

"Schulte was aware that the collateral damage of his retribution could pose an extraordinary threat to this nation if made public, rendering them essentially useless, having a devastating effect on our intelligence community by providing critical intelligence to those who wish to do us harm," he said.

The New York resident was arrested in August of 2017 on child pornography charges but was later indicted in June the next year on 13 counts in connection to the theft of a trove of classified national defense information.

Wikileaks released the thousands of documents in March of 2017 detailing the CIA's methods to bypass encryption on electronic devices, including cellphones and smart TVs, to access users' personal messages and information.

The controversial anti-secrecy non-profit founded by Julian Assange said publishing the documents meant the CIA had "lost control of the majority of its hacking arsenal."

On Wednesday, Schulte was convicted on nine counts stemming from the national security allegations during a trial in which he defended himself.

The trial was held after a previous jury found him guilty of making false statements and criminal contempt of court but were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the charges concerning the leak of documents.

Schulte is still facing a slew of charges accusing him of receiving, possessing and transporting some 10,000 images and videos of child pornography.

The conviction against Schulte was handed down as Assange, 51, faces extradition to the United States from Britain.

The controversial Australian has been in a London jail for three years after being arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy where he sought refugee from the U.S. legal system.

He has been charged in an 18-count indictment for his alleged involvement in what prosecutors have said is one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States.

U.S. signs off on American Airlines flights to Cuba

The U.S. Transportation Department has approved American Airlines request to resume flights to five Cuban cities. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo


July 14 (UPI) -- The United States has approved a request from American Airlines to resume passenger flights to Cuba, the latest measure by the Biden administration to improve relations with Cuban citizens.

The Transportation Department announced the decision to grant the approval from American Airlines on Wednesday, stating the flights will fly from Miami to Camaguey, Holguin, Matanzas/Varadero, Santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba.

Under terms of the approval, American Airlines is required to begin its service within 90 days, the department said, adding that all flights will have daily service to four of the cities with Santa Clara's service being twice daily.

"This change will make it easier for families to visit their relatives in Cuba and for authorized U.S. travelers to engage with Cuban people, attend meetings and conduct research," the department said in a statement.

The approval comes two months after the Biden administration said it would allow flights to Cuban cities to resume and more than 2 1/2 years after the Trump administration suspended commercial flights to the island nation in 2019.

The Biden administration has sought to soften the United States' stance toward Cuba in contrast to the strict Trump administration, which saw relations between the two nations sour.

Along with axing the flights, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Cuba, returned it to the State Department's state sponsor of terrorism list and suspended a family reunification program.

Among the changes made under the Biden administration was its decision in May to reinstate the family reunification program.

Solar cells printed on steel for buildings generate clean energy, researchers say

Swansea University and Tata Steel U.K. are collaborating on a study of new solar panel technology that can be printed on steel in buildings rather than attached later, like the solar panels pictured, and researchers say the new printed panels are more efficient. File Photo by Craig Russell/Shutterstock

July 14 (UPI) -- Solar roofing panels that can be printed on steel used in building construction are being studied in a new three-year collaboration between Swansea University researchers and Tata Steel U.K.

The technology, called "Active Buildings," is being researched to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and to ease demand on the British national power grid, according to Swansea University.

"This technology will help us tackle the energy crisis and the climate crisis at the same time," Dave Worsley, professor and head of materials science and engineering at Swansea, said in a statement.

"The future is about solar energy technology being built in, not added on afterwards. These printable solar cells can be built into the fabric of our homes, shops and offices, allowing them to generate the power they need, and more besides," Worsley said.

Worsley said the concept works and has been demonstrated in "Active Buildings" in the southwestern Wales city of Swansea.

"We are buoyant with the possibilities that the perovskite technology brings to the table -- especially in integration to the building and construction solutions - across different value streams in Tata Steel," said Sumitesh Das, Tata U.K.'s director of research and development.

Perovskite is a new kind of solar cell.

According to Swansea researchers, enough solar energy falls on Earth in just one hour to meet the energy needs of the entire world for a year.

Traditional solar cells are made from silicon, which is expensive and requires a lot of energy to produce. But a perovskite solar cell is a cheaper and lighter, highly efficient alternative to the silicon-based cells.

Swansea University said manufacturing these new solar cells emits less than half the carbon compared to a silicon cell.

RELATED Solar power getting cheaper in the United States

The non-partisan group Environment America said in January of this year that installing solar panels on the roofs of U.S. superstores could generate enough energy to power 8 million homes.


RELATED U.S. big box store roofs could generate major solar power, research shows

Rare orange lobster found in shipment at Florida Red Lobster

An orange lobster, dubbed Cheddar, was found in a shipment of crustaceans that arrived at a Red Lobster restaurant in Hollywood, Fla. Photo courtesy of Ripley's Aquarium

July 14 (UPI) -- An extremely rare orange lobster was spared the dinner plate at a Red Lobster restaurant in Florida and will have a new permanent home at an aquarium.

Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, S.C., said it was contacted by managers at the Red Lobster in Hollywood, Fla., after workers discovered the orange lobster in a shipment.

The lobster's orange coloring is believed to be from a mutation that occurs only in one out of 30 million lobsters.

The unusual crustacean was named Cheddar in honor of Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits.

"Sometimes ordinary miracles happen, and Cheddar is one of them," Red Lobster manager Mario Roque said in a news release from Ripley's. "A group of incredible people helped us make this possible. We are so honored to have been able to save Cheddar and find her a good home."

Nicole Bott, senior director of communications at Red Lobster, said Cheddar will soon be on display at the Myrtle Beach aquarium.

"We are incredibly proud of Mario and the team for recognizing what a special and rare creature Cheddar is and for working relentlessly to find someone to rescue her," Bott said. "It is an honor to be able to share the story of Cheddar and provide her a new home where she can be enjoyed by many for years to come, all from the safety of her tank."

Brain injuries continue to rise among girls, especially high schoolers, study says

By Judy Packer-Tursman

A new study cites a steep rise since 2000 in traumatic brain injuries among children using sports and recreational equipment. 

Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo


July 14 (UPI) -- Traumatic brain injuries in children involving sports and recreational equipment have increased significantly since 2000, a new study reports.

And while the incidence of this type of injury peaked in 2012 and then declined in boys, it increased substantially among girls, especially high-schoolers.

That's the bottom line from a study published Thursday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The investigators analyzed what they term "consumer product-related" traumatic brain injuries, meaning injuries involving sports and recreational equipment, among school-aged children over a 20-year period, evaluating trends by breaking data down by age groups, levels of education, and gender.

RELATED Study links college football with cognitive impairment, other health issues

Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children up to age 4 and between 15 and 19 years old, according to a news release.

"With 308,000 average annual cases in the United States, such accidents have become frequent among school-aged children participating in sports and playground activities that involve equipment," such as bicycling, football, basketball, and soccer, the release said.

While the overall incidence of this type of injury was higher among boys than girls, the researchers found that "annual percentage increases since 2013 were most elevated in girls, especially those of high-school age," the study's news release said.

"While it appears that efforts to decrease TBI in children's sports have been effective, our findings suggest that more focused efforts are needed among girls," Dr. Tuan D. Le, the study's lead investigator, said in the news release.

Le said it turns into a balancing act finding ways to heighten awareness of how to avoid high risk activities without discouraging children from taking part in exercise.

Le is an adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Community and Rural Health, at the University of Texas Tyler Health Science Center.

BIKE HELMETS ARE MANDATORY FOR KIDS NOT ADULTS

RELATED Bike-linked head injuries plummet for kids, but not adults

The study used data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program for initial emergency department visits for this type of brain injury from January 2000 to December 2019, involving 6.2 million children ages 5 to 18.

The researchers found a significant increase in consumer product-related traumatic brain injuries incidents over time, accounting for more than 12% of all U.S. hospital emergency department visits by school-aged children in 2019, up from 4.5% in 2000.

The rate of increase stabilized after peaking in 2012, to a 3.6% annual level over the entire study period.

The researchers said in a news release the stabilized injury rate may be partly due to greater public awareness of the risks that children may face from contact sports, along with increased incident reporting and more effective prevention and treatment.

Read More New tool may help detect concussion, head injury in young children

$$$ 4 WARMONGERS NO $$$ 4 DAYCARE

House passes $840 million military spending, policy bill



The House voted 329-101 to approve an $840 billion bill including funding for the Defense Department and directing policy at the agency. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

July 14 (UPI) -- The House on Thursday approved an $840 billion measure to increase military spending and direct Defense Department policy in the coming year.

House lawmakers voted 329-101 in a bipartisan show of support for the bill that increases President Joe Biden's Pentagon budget by $37 billion while also placing a focus on funding to assist Ukraine's military, competing with China, addressing issues during the military withdrawal from Afghanistan and rooting out extremism from among the ranks of the armed forces.



"We have a complex threat environment, when you look at Russia and China and Iran," Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the armed services committee said. "The war in Ukraine is a devastating threat to peace, stability and democracy, not just in Eastern Europe, but across the globe that we are working with partners to try to address. So we have to make sure that we have a strong bill."

The bill authorizes $100 million in assistance for Ukrainian military pilots while calling for a study of what resources NATO requires to stamp out Russian aggression.

Lawmakers also approved a series of measures regarding China's efforts to expand its global footprint in addition to shoring up U.S. relations with Taiwan, including conducting feasibility studies to enhance military cooperation.

In response to the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which saw 13 U.S. service members killed in an attack on an airport in Kabul, the bill called for improvements on the visa processing system that left thousands of American allies stuck in Afghanistan after U.S. personnel withdrew.

The bill also includes a provision requiring top national security agencies to report on and take efforts to prevent white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity in federal law enforcement and armed forces, which drew unanimous opposition from Republicans.

"Every member of the military who showed an interest or actual participation in a white supremacist or white nationalist group has faced discipline," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said in defense of his opposition. "The relevant branch either demoted the individual, discharged them or otherwise disciplined the sympathizer."

Other provisions include granting a 4.6% pay raise to military personnel, while prohibiting the Biden administration from selling F-16s to Turkey without providing guarantees on how they will be used.

An effort by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., to reduce the Pentagon's budget by $100 billion this year was defeated by a 350-78 vote.

The version of the bill passed Thursday has not yet been reconciled with a Senate version, which has not yet been made public but is expected to alter how much money is directed toward the Defense Department.

Russian basketball colleagues testify to Brittney Griner's character in court


1/4

WNBA and Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner faces as many as 10 years in Russian prison on the drug charges to which she pleaded guilty last week. File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo

July 14 (UPI) -- WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner's former teammate and the director of her team in Russia testified to her character Thursday during a court hearing in Moscow.

Evgeniya Belyakova, the captain of team UMMC Ekaterinburg, told the court the team misses Griner and "her energy."

"Brittney has always been a good teammate, which is why my role here is to support her and be there for her," said Belyakova, who was also the one-time captain of the Russian national team.

Team director Maksim Ryabkov said Griner played a "big role" in the team and Russian women's basketball in general, according to CNN.

The trial is expected to resume Friday morning, The New York Times reported.

Thursday was Griner's first court appearance after her surprise decision to plead guilty to drug charges last week.

Russian authorities took the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist into custody in February after they said they found vaping cartridges in her luggage containing less than a gram of hashish oil, which is against the law in Russia.

RELATED Biden, Harris speak to Brittney Griner's wife about efforts to release her from Russia

After she was detained for weeks and her family appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden to work to secure her release, Griner pleaded guilty to the charges last week, hoping for leniency from the court.

Griner could face as many as 10 years in prison on the charges.

Griner, who has played in Russia during the WNBA off-season, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist for the Team USA women's basketball team.

 File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI

Some U.S. officials have argued that Russia is using the women's basketball star, who played in Russia during the WNBA off-season, as a political pawn.

RELATED Trial starts in Russia for WNBA star Brittney Griner

In May, the U.S. State Department reclassified Griner's case as a "wrongful detention" and the White House has not yet said whether it's considering a possible prisoner exchange to secure her release.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would not be pressured into making a deal.

"We urge the U.S. authorities not to exploit this sensitive matter affecting the fates of certain individuals, and we advise them to abandon futile attempts to pressure us," Zakharova said according to The Washington Post.

Griner's lawyers show medical cannabis prescription to Russian court

CBSNews - 

WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in a Moscow courtroom for the second day in a row Friday, and her legal team said it had presented new evidence to help explain why she entered Russia with a cannabis product that led to her arrest.

Griner's lawyers defend possession of vape cartridges with U.S. prescription for medical cannabis

View on Watch

Her trial resumed Thursday, about a week after Griner entered a guilty plea before the court, which analysts believe may have been her best chance at securing an eventual pardon, or at least leniency, given the Russian court system's near-perfect conviction rate.

Maria Blagovolina, one of the lawyers representing Griner, said her legal team had presented evidence Friday including "characterization materials, medical records and tax returns." Among the medical documentation was a doctor's prescription for the substance that Griner has admitted bringing into Russia mistakenly as she packed her bags in a rush.

Friday's was the fourth hearing in the Phoenix Mercury player's trial. She's facing up to 10 years in prison on drug possession and smuggling charges. Griner has already spent about five months in custody after being detained at a Moscow airport with what prosecutors say were vape cartridges containing cannabis-derived oil.

WNBA players honor Brittney Griner at All-Star game

Her admission of guilt was seen largely as a bid by her legal team to get a verdict as quickly as possible and prevent the trial from dragging out, as Moscow is unlikely to respond to any attempts by Washington to secure her release until the court process has played out.


© Provided by CBS NewsBrittney Griner back in court after pleading guilty to drug charges 02:59

The Biden administration considers the basketball star "wrongfully detained," and legal experts believe Griner's best chance of walking free is if Russia and the U.S. can agree to a prisoner swap.

As she appeared for Thursday's hearing, Moscow warned the U.S. against exerting any pressure, especially in public, to secure Griner's release.

"We urge the U.S. government not to speculate on such sensitive matters which affect the fates of specific people, and we advise to refrain from futile attempts to pressure us and focus on practical work through established channels," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing on Thursday.

"Griner's legal proceedings are ongoing, and until they conclude, it is premature to discuss any options of her return home," Zakharova added.


© Provided by CBS News

WNBA star Brittney Griner pleads guilty to drug charges in Russia 02:51

Russian media have speculated that the Kremlin will seek to exchange Griner for Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death," who has been in U.S. custody since 2008. Another name floated by Russian officials is that of Roman Seleznev, who's serving a 27-year prison sentence in the U.S. on cyber fraud charges.


At the Thursday hearing, the court heard witnesses for the defense who testified to Griner's character. Maxim Ryabkov, the head of the Russian basketball club UMMC Ekaterinburg, where Griner plays during the U.S. off-season, said he had never "seen or heard" Griner using drugs in the seven years he's worked with her.

The captain of the team, Evgenia Belyakova, testified in the hearing that Griner is a "responsible person," and said she believes it would have been impossible for Griner to use drugs and perform on the team given their demanding game schedule.

On Friday, the judge scheduled the next hearing for July 26. The defense had asked for a week to meet with Griner to help her prepare to give testimony.

Historic heat wave could be worst in Europe in over 200 years

By Brian Lada, Accuweather.com

When temperatures reached this territory during a heat wave in 2019, officials allowed Parisians to cool off in the Trocadero Fountain near the Eiffel Tower. This measure could be taken again in the coming days. File Photo by Ian Langsdon/EPA-EFE

AccuWeather meteorologists are warning of one of the most significant heat waves in western Europe in over 200 years, or a few decades before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The long-duration, extreme weather event could turn deadly across the continent.

The heat is on in Portugal and Spain with temperatures topping out near 100 degrees F in Madrid and Lisbon, Portugal, nearly every day since Friday. Sevilla, Spain, has been one of the hottest spots with the mercury soaring above 105 degrees F for seven consecutive days, including a temperature of 112 degrees F on Wednesday.

This heat wave is expected to expand across Europe throughout the week and potentially through the end of the month for some areas.

"There is concern that this heat could become a long-duration heat wave (20 or more days) for many locations from Portugal to central France and interior southeastern Europe, as it could last for the rest of July and continue into August," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys said. This includes the valleys of Hungary, eastern Croatia, eastern Bosnia, Serbia, southern Romania and northern Bulgaria.

The severity of the impending heat could rival the 2003 heat wave when over 30,000 people died, both directly and indirectly, due to the heat, Roys said. He added that this could be one of the worst heat waves in Europe since 1757.

The source of the exceptionally warm air is Africa's Sahara Desert with heat projected to expand farther north and east each day, reaching Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom by the weekend. "July all-time records are at risk of being approached, tied or even broken across Ireland and the United Kingdom," Roys said. "This includes individual cities such as Birmingham, Dublin, Manchester and York."

A new all-time record high could be set in the United Kingdom during the peak of the hot spell. The current record in the country is 102 degrees F, which was set in Cambridge Botanica Garden on July 25, 2019. Londoners likely won't experience temperatures this extreme, but temperatures are predicted to top 86 degrees F for at least three consecutive days, potentially approaching 95 degrees F during the height of the heat.

Britain has issued an "amber" alert due to the impacts expected from the extreme heat. England's government is also mulling over the declaration of the first-ever national heat wave emergency, Sky News reported. In this never-before-used emergency, officials say that "illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy -- and not just in high-risk groups."

In Paris, temperatures over the weekend and into early next week could come within a degree or two of 104. When temperatures reached this territory during a heat wave in 2019, officials allowed Parisians to cool off in the Trocadero Fountain near the Eiffel Tower. This measure could be taken again in the coming days.

Riders and spectators of the Tour de France should also break for the abnormally high temperatures as the tour weaves its way across southern France after leaving the Alps. Spectators lining the roads should take the proper precautions to avoid heat-related illness, especially when roads are closed for cyclists as the temporary closures could limit access to some healthcare facilities, experts say.

The most extreme heat will focus on Portugal and Spain, countries that are battling wildfires.

Temperatures more common for Death Valley, Calif. -- touted as one of the hottest places on Earth -- will be possible in eastern Portugal and western and southern Spain during the height of the hot spell.

The AccuWeather LocalMax Temperature is 120 degrees F in southwestern Spain. For comparison, temperatures typically top out near 118 degrees in Death Valley in July. That temperature in Spain could occur on Thursday and Friday.

People planning to travel to Europe for vacation through the end of July should prepare for the heat and be ready to change plans if events or buildings are canceled or closed due to the extreme weather.

"Tourist destinations across Portugal are being closed for the safety of the public and, in some cases, due to nearby fires," Roys said. More closures are possible across Portugal, Spain and France due to wildfires and heat.

Additionally, air conditioning is not used as widely in Europe as it is in the United States. Even where there are air conditioners, they may not cool down buildings as much as those in the United States.

An initiative in Italy dubbed "operation thermostat" states that air conditioners cannot be set lower than 81 degrees F in an effort to conserve energy, according to Politico. Residents or businesses that do not comply with this new law could be fined roughly the equivalent of $500 to $3,000.

Meteorologists say travelers should also be mindful of wildfire activity, especially those with poor respiratory health, as the smoke from the wildfires could be dangerous. As of Thursday, air quality was "fair" to "poor" across most of Europe, according to Plume Labs, an environmental technology company acquired by AccuWeather earlier this year.

Air quality across Europe on Thursday. Image courtesy of AccuWeather/Plume Labs

The widespread heat wave is not predicted to let up anytime soon with temperatures remaining well above average through next week across much of Europe. All-time records could continue to be challenged next week, according to AccuWeather forecasters.

Long-term heat waves are uncommon in Europe, but they are not unheard of.

"Over the last 25 years, there have only been three long-duration heat waves to impact parts of Europe: 2003 (western and central Europe, 32 days), 2006 (western and north-central Europe, 35 days) and 2021 (Italy and southeast Europe, 21 days)," Roys explained. Last summer was also the hottest on record for Europe.

The extended hot spell could also impact local economies, including agriculture.

"The soil across Portugal to Germany is in the process of quickly losing whatever moisture it contained," Roys said. "This drying is not expected to let up but only intensify during the duration of the heat wave as little to no precipitation is expected across much of the region."

The ramifications of this may not be fully realized until the autumn harvest.