The last man who plotted to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer is sentenced; the former Pope is “very sick” and Southwest could be compensating its inconvenienced travelers. These stories and more highlight the midday rundown, aimed straight down the middle, for Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022.
Sentencing in Whitmer kidnapping plot
Barry Croft Jr., who helped plan a kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, will spend 19 and a half years in prison. He received the longest prison sentence out of his four co-conspirators. The ringleader, Adam Fox, was given 16 years in prison yesterday.
They not only planned to kidnap the governor, but also to blow up a bridge in hopes of inciting a civil war during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Former Pope Benedict “very sick”
“I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict. Who, in silence, is sustaining the church. Let us remember him. He is very sick, asking the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the church, until the end,” said Pope Francis.
Former Pope Benedict is reportedly “very sick”. According to the Vatican, Benedict’s health took a turn for the worse on Wednesday. The 95-year-old is receiving constant medical attention and his condition is reportedly under control.
Pope Francis has asked the church to pray for Benedict during this time of uncertainty surrounding his health.
Pope Benedict resigned nine years ago, citing his age.
DOT asks Southwest to compensate travelers
After the Southwest debacle of mass-cancelations, the Department of Transportation is now asking the airline to compensate the travelers its abandoned in airports nationwide.
The request coming in on Wednesady from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg goes as far as to include compensation for airline travel, meal expenses and even hotel stays for all passengers inconvenienced over canceled flights.
“Southwest is going to have to not only make them financially whole, but find a way to really rebuild trust and confidence. Again, they pledged to me that they’re going to do that. I want to see exactly what that means,” said Buttigieg.
Buttigieg described the scene inside airports as a “meltdown.” Buttigieg acknowledged the severe weather’s impact last weekend, but also said we’re past that point now as Southwest again canceled half of its scheduled departures today.
“So, what this indicates is a system failure and they need to make sure that these stranded passengers get to where they need to go. And that they are provided adequate compensation,” said Buttigieg.
North Korea to boost military in 2023
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is coming out with his goals for the new year and unveiling plans to bolster up North Korea’s military in 2023.
North Korea is prioritizing military gains in the new year after a year with a record amount of ballistic missile tests fired.
The new goals could be related to expanding its nuclear arsenal and high-tech, long-range weapons.
Walmart mass shooting lawsuits
Three employees are suing Walmart after the November mass shooting at one of its Virginia locations. Walmart is asking the court to throw out the lawsuits.
In Chesapeake, Virginia, on Nov. 22, a store employee shot and killed six other workers before killing himself.
Three employees who survived are each suing Walmart for $50 million in damages and accusing the company of “negligence” for hiring the shooter.
The complaints allege Walmart knew he was “mentally unstable” and “violent” toward coworkers.
Attorneys for Walmart say the lawsuits should be dismissed and claim negligent hiring isn’t cause to sue.
Donald Trump’s taxes to be publicly released
The tax returns at the center of many news cycles over the years will be made available to the public on Friday. Former President Donald Trump’s redacted tax returns, from 2015 to 2021, will be released this week.
The tax returns have been in legal limbo for years. The documents only being sent to a special House committee last month, which the committee intends to make public on Friday.
The House committee already released a report detailing what they found in their review of Trump’s taxes.
The biggest takeaway was the IRS failing to audit the former president during his time in office.
