Sam Bankman-Fried sentencing and STI increase in older adults: Morning Rundown

Elizabeth Robinson
Updated

Details emerge about the Baltimore bridge collapse victims as the investigation continues. STI rates rise sharply for older adults. And a long-rumored moonshine cave may have been unearthed under a NASCAR track.

Here’s what to know today.

Officials say they’ve ‘exhausted all search efforts’ in Baltimore bridge collapse

The recovery mission near the site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is now a salvage operation, Maryland State Police announced yesterday, after two bodies were recovered.

The mission shifted, police said, because it is no longer safe for divers to operate around the debris and concrete in the port.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board shared more details about the vessel that crashed into the bridge. Currently, 23 people — including two pilots and 21 crew members — are aboard the Dali, though it remains stuck in place, the agency said. And there were 56 containers of hazardous materials on board at the time of the crash, some of which were breached. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said she expects an investigation to take one to two years.

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The bodies of the victims recovered yesterday were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26. Police say they were found in a red pickup truck that was trapped in 25 feet of water.

Four other people are presumed dead, including Miguel Luna and Maynor Suazo, whose loved ones described them as devoted husbands, fathers and workers who were simply trying to improve their lot in life.

“You come to this country to accomplish your dreams, and sometimes that dream doesn’t get fulfilled,” Suazo’s brother, Fredy Suazo, told Noticias Telemundo. “And for a tragedy like this to happen to us, can you imagine?”

Read about the victims here.

More on the Baltimore bridge collapse:

Sam Bankman-Fried will learn his fate

A federal judge will decide on a prison sentence for FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried today in New York, four months after a jury found him guilty of orchestrating the multibillion-dollar fraud that prompted the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange.

Prosecutors are asking for up to 50 years in prison for Bankman-Fried, arguing that the nature of the fraud, his comfortable upbringing and the scale of victims’ losses warrant an aggressive sentence. Bankman-Fried’s attorneys are asking for 6½ years or less. In their plea for leniency, his team cited his mental health struggles, his purported selflessness in his personal life and the safety risks he faces in prison.

But Bankman-Fried’s apparent lack of remorse throughout the trial is likely to weigh heavily on U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, one legal expert said. Here’s why.

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman dies at 82

Former Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a former Democratic vice presidential nominee who later became an independent, has died after suffering complications from a fall, his family announced. He was 82.

Lieberman was former Vice President Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 presidential election. In his later years, Lieberman served as the co-chairman of No Labels and referred to by the group as a “moral center” of its movement.

Shortly after Lieberman’s death was announced, Gore said on X, “It was an honor to stand side-by-side with him on the campaign trail.” Former President George W. Bush, who alongside former Vice President Dick Cheney defeated Gore and Lieberman in 2000, said Lieberman was “one of the most decent people I met during my time in Washington.” The outpouring of sorrow didn’t stop there, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle paying their respects.

Comparing Trump’s claims about crime rates to data

Surging crime levels, out-of-control Democratic cities and “migrant crime” are all familiar Donald Trump talking points as the former president campaigns for another term in office. And he’ll further signal his disapproval when he is expected to attend a wake today for New York Police Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed earlier this week in Queens. On Truth Social, the former president said Diller’s “life was taken by a murderous career criminal.”

But the picture Trump paints contrasts sharply with years of police and government data at both the local and national levels, an NBC News analysis found.

For example, Trump claims that violent crime “skyrocketed in virtually every American city” during Joe Biden’s presidency. In reality, the reported violent crime rate dropped 6% across the board when comparing the last three months of 2022 to the same period in 2023, the FBI reported. The reported drops were especially pronounced in big cities that Trump often assails. Dive further into the numbers.

More Donald Trump news:

  • The partial gag order against Trump in the New York hush money case came with a loophole, and it took less than 24 hours for him to exploit it.

Why Haitians are wary of foreign intervention

A United Nations plan drafted by the U.S. and Ecuador calls on Kenyan troops to police Haiti, where months of violence have given way to an unprecedented level of instability and a weekslong leadership void. The plan is in line with the country’s history, marked across generations by foreign intervention. But for now, it’s on hold.

Despite Haiti’s tumult, some residents believe their country will only suffer if foreign intervention is allowed. Others concede that some international support is necessary, but working with foreign partners must be on Haiti’s terms. “Yes, we need to work with different partners; yes we need help; but it is not them who will dictate what kind of help we should get and when we should get it,” said Monique Clesca, who lives in Port-au-Prince. Reporter Char Adams looks back on Haiti’s complicated history and talks to Haitians to understand how the past influences their opinions.

Moonshine cave may have been found at NASCAR speedway

Moonshine has a long history in North Carolina and NASCAR. Many early stars came to the sport after racing illegal moonshine through the rough mountain roads of Appalachia, with one legendary driver first known as a Wilkes County's most famous bootlegger. Now, there’s another potential connection to add to the list, in the form of a 700-square-foot cave discovered under the grandstands of the legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway. Track officials revealed their recent discovery, which was made after operations staff noticed cracks in the original concrete in Section N. It hasn’t been confirmed that the cave is, in fact, an old moonshine still — but if it is, it would confirm decades-old rumors of its existence.

Sexually transmitted infection rates have risen sharply among adults 55 and older, CDC data shows

Sexually transmitted infections are becoming more common in older adults, with rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in people ages 55 and up more than doubling in the U.S. over the 10-year period from 2012 to 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A presentation to be delivered today warns that both doctors and older adults are overlooking the risks of STIs in this age group. “We talk about smoking, we talk about diet, exercise, so many things, and not about sex at all,” said Justyna Kowalska, the author of the presentation and a professor of medicine at the Medical University of Warsaw.

There are a few factors that could be behind the spike in STI rates.

Politics in Brief

Trump ally in trouble: A judge recommended that John Eastman, a co-defendant of Trump in the Georgia election interference case, be disbarred in California.

Congress: A New Jersey representative is planning to propose legislation this week that would prohibit people charged with certain crimes from receiving classified information. The bill implicitly targets embattled Sen. Bob Menendez — but it could also apply to Trump.

2024 election: A rare and highly anticipated gathering of three Democratic presidents — Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden — is expected to generate millions for Biden’s re-election bid. It may also highlight a big vulnerability.

Biden impeachment inquiry: House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer is increasingly suggesting a potential off-ramp from pursuing articles of impeachment against Biden.

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Staff Pick: Guess why Earth’s rotation is slowing

I won’t hold you in suspense for long — the answer is global warming. Because of melting polar ice, the concentration of Earth’s mass is changing, and that’s causing the planet to spin less quickly than it would otherwise. Not only was I surprised to learn that humanity's impact was capable of such change; I also didn’t know that this could affect how we keep time. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor

Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

An NBC Select reporter — and an avid runner and cyclist — tested over a dozen fitness trackers. Here are his favorites, as well as some expert-recommended picks.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for exclusive reviews and shopping content from NBC Select.

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