Storm Team 4 meteorologist Chris Cimino has your forecast for Thursday, Aug. 2.
What to Know
- Urban Meyer's Ohio State football coaching job appears to be in jeopardy
- Congo's health ministry says four new cases of Ebola have emerged in the east, just a week after an outbreak in the north was declared over
- CBS Corp. appointed two of the nation's most powerful law firms to conduct an independent investigation into allegations against Les Moonves
Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Do Trump Tweets Cross Legal Line for Obstruction of Justice?
President Trump's tweet calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the Russia investigation raises difficult questions about whether Trump's frequent use of Twitter might be used to build a case of obstruction of justice against him. The latest round of presidential tweets bashing special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation fueled criticism that Trump is illegally interfering with the investigation. Just as quickly, the White House defended the tweets as expressing Trump's opinion. Amid a series of morning tweets, Trump wrote, "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!" Mueller already is interested in some of Trump's tweets to the extent they raise obstruction of justice concerns. The difficulty in trying to use Trump's tweet to prove obstruction is that he may have posted it for several reasons.
Ohio State's Football Coach Put on Leave, Investigation Opened
Urban Meyer's job appears to be in jeopardy. Ohio State placed Meyer, one of the most successful coaches in college football history, on paid administrative leave while it investigates claims his wife knew about allegations of domestic violence against an assistant coach years before the staff member was fired last week. Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of fired Buckeyes assistant Zach Smith, gave an interview to Stadium and provided text messages to former ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy between her and Shelley Meyer in 2015 about Zach Smith' behavior. Courtney Smith also provided threatening texts she said came from her ex-husband, and text messages between her and other wives of Buckeyes assistant coaches, discussing Zach Smith. Meyer is heading into his seventh season at Ohio State, where he is 73-8 with a national title in 2014 and two Big Ten Conference championships.
Congo Announces 4 New Ebola Cases
Local
Congo's health ministry says at least four new cases of Ebola have emerged in the country's east, just a week after an outbreak in the northwest was declared over. The ministry says there is no indication the two epidemics separated by more than 1,553 miles are related. The North Kivu health division notified the ministry on Saturday of 26 cases of hemorrhagic fever, including 20 deaths in North Kivu province. The ministry says four of six samples sent to the capital for analysis came back positive for Ebola. The new cases are in eastern Mabalako health zone within the Beni region. Congo on July 24 declared the end of an Ebola outbreak that began in May in northwest Equateur province. Those 54 Ebola cases included 33 deaths.
CBS Names Big-Time Law Firms to Probe Les Moonves Allegations
CBS Corp. appointed two of the nation's most powerful law firms to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against President and Chief Executive Les Moonves, to be led by a pair of heavy-hitting ex-prosecutors, NBC News reported. NBC reported prosecutors declined to pursue charges against Moonves, 68, one of the most prominent figures in the world of entertainment, after they concluded that the statute of limitations has expired on a Los Angeles woman's complaint to police that Moonves sexually abused her in the 1980s. CBS said Wednesday night that it had hired Covington & Burling and Debevoise & Plimpton, two of the most respected law firms in the world, to conduct the investigation.
“Hell's Kitchen” Contestant Jessica Vogel Dies at 34, Her Fiance Says
Jessica Vogel, a chef who competed on season 12 of "Hell's Kitchen," has died. She was 34. Vogel's fiance, John Michael Keyser, confirmed her death to NorthJersey.com, stating she was being treated for colitis when "her heart gave out." An obituary for Vogel has also been published, which states she "was fearless when it came to work, never backing down from a challenge." "She competed on Hell's Kitchen and Cutthroat Kitchen, becoming a local legend for foodies in Bergen County, N.J. In these difficult times, there is immense pressure on young people to stand out in a world where the intimate details of our lives are made public in blogs and on Facebook," the obit continues. "This took a toll on Jessica and over the years; she would escape to drugs and alcohol. She recently committed to living a better life and had graduated from an in-patient rehabilitation program with hopes of regaining control of her life." Vogel was a native of Westwood, N.J.
