Geoff Bennett:
Meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in court today taking the stand in his corruption trials. He’s the first sitting Israeli leader to ever stand trial as a criminal defendant. The prime minister has been charged with fraud, taking bribes, and breaching the public trust. He’s called the charges against him idiotic.
A British teenager charged in a stabbing rampage this summer remained silent during his court appearance today as the clerk entered not guilty pleas on his behalf; 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana was charged earlier this year with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. He received additional charges when poison and an al-Qaida training manual were found at his home.
The July attack happened in the town north of Liverpool at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. All of those killed were young girls under the age of 10. His trial is scheduled for January 20.
The U.S. military has repatriated three prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba back to their home countries. Two of them are from Malaysia. They pleaded guilty to charges related to the 2002 bombings in Bali and will serve out additional five-year sentences in their home country. The third returned to Kenya after being held for 17 years. He was accused of belonging to a branch of al-Qaida, though he was never charged.
Their departure leaves 27 prisoners at Guantanamo; 15 are currently waiting for release after being cleared of wrongdoing years ago.
The EPA approved two requests from California today aimed at banning sales of new gasoline-powered cars by the year 2035. The first would require that 80 percent of new cars sold in the state by that time be electric; 20 percent must be plug-in hybrid models. The second rule would cut pollution from diesel-powered trucks in the state by 90 percent in the coming years.
The decision has national implications, with at least 11 other states following California’s lead on stricter emissions, but it also sets up a clash with the incoming Trump administration, which has sought to reduce auto emission standards.
And the Top Gun of the silver screen is now a military hero in real life. The U.S. Navy has presented Tom Cruise with the Distinguished Public Service Award, the branch’s highest civilian honor. His action-packed role as Maverick in the original “Top Gun” and its sequel made — quote — “outstanding contributions to the Navy and the Marine Corps.”
The 1986 hit drove a spike in enlistment, so much so that the Navy set up recruitment tables outside some theaters. Cruise said he was proud to receive what he called the extraordinary acknowledgement of his work.