On right this moment’s episode of the 5 Issues podcast: Will Giuliani testify in Georgia election probe?

A grand jury is investigating potential election interference. Plus, Trump-backed candidates do effectively in primaries, well being reporter Adrianna Rodriguez tells pet homeowners whether or not they need to be apprehensive about monkeypox, the WNBA Playoffs are right here and cash reporter Terry Collins seems to be into the housing recession.

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Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I am Taylor Wilson and that is 5 Issues you could know Wednesday, the seventeenth of August, 2022. Right now, Rudy Giuliani’s potential testimony in a Georgia election probe, plus a roundup of yesterday’s primaries and extra.

Listed here are among the high headlines:

1. Syria, earlier right this moment, denied it was holding American journalist, Austin Tice, or different Individuals, after President Joe Biden accused the federal government of detaining him. Tice went lacking in August of 2012 at a checkpoint west of Damascus. A video launched a month later confirmed him blindfolded and he has not been seen since.
2. Wolfgang Petersen has died. The blockbuster German director of flicks like Air Power One, Troy, and The NeverEnding Story was 81.
3. And a father and son fishing in Maine caught a vibrant blue lobster that Marine biologists say is a one in two million discovery. They plan on throwing it again.

Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to testify right this moment in entrance of an Atlanta space grand jury. It is investigating interference within the 2020 presidential election. Giuliani, the non-public legal professional of former President Donald Trump, has made claims that voting methods altered ballots in Georgia, regardless of ignoring a hand depend audit that confirmed President Joe Biden’s victory within the state. The previous New York Metropolis mayor has additionally stated that 1000’s of underage voters, felons, and even lifeless folks voted, claims that have been debunked by the Georgia Secretary of State. And he vaguely stated ballots have been stolen from amenities.

Rudy Guiliani:

You’ve gotten, stay from Atlanta, you have obtained voter fraud proper in entrance of individuals’s eyes, blatant, clear, apparent. It’s important to be a idiot to disregard it, or worse.

Taylor Wilson:

Giuliani is one in all a number of excessive profile Trump associates who’ve been subpoenaed for testimony this month. They embody Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, who challenged his subpoena. However a federal choose this week denied his bid to keep away from testifying. Different Trump legal professionals can even face the grand jury later this month. As for Giuliani, his legal professional stated that Fulton County prosecutors in Atlanta now think about him a goal of their investigation. That is an escalation from his preliminary standing as a cloth witness within the investigation. Based on court docket paperwork searching for Giuliani’s look, Fulton County authorities are highlighting his December, 2020 look in entrance of the Georgia State Senate, when he gave a video recording of election staff supposedly exhibiting suitcases of illegal ballots from unknown sources outdoors the view of election ballot watchers. Inside 24 hours of that listening to, although, the video was discredited by the Secretary of State’s workplace, exhibiting no voter fraud of any sort.

The push for testimony within the Atlanta inquiry is one in all a number of investigations surrounding former President Donald Trump. Final week, the FBI searched his Florida property and escalated a federal investigation into his dealing with of labeled paperwork.

Outcomes are in from primaries yesterday in Alaska and Wyoming, and it was an excellent day for candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Congresswoman Liz Cheney was one in all 10 Home Republicans who voted to question Trump in January, 2021 after the violent assault on the Capitol. She misplaced her major in Wyoming yesterday to Trump-backed Harriet Hageman badly, by greater than 30 proportion factors. Cheney blamed her blowout loss on going towards the previous president.

Liz Cheney:

Two years in the past, I received this major with 73% of the vote. I may simply have finished the identical once more, the trail was clear, however it will’ve required that I associate with President Trump’s lie concerning the 2020 election. It might’ve required that I allow his ongoing efforts to unravel our democratic system and assault the foundations of our Republic. That was a path I couldn’t and wouldn’t take.

Taylor Wilson:

Elsewhere, in Alaska, the state’s new nonpartisan ranked alternative major possible helped Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski advance in her major, although she crossed Trump. However Trump’s choose for her seat, Kelly Tshibaka, additionally moved on and so they’ll face one another on this fall’s normal election. In the meantime, Trump-backed Sarah Palin made it as one of many high 4 candidates to take over Congressman Don Younger’s seat. He died in March.

As US well being officers work to comprise the monkeypox outbreak, some pet homeowners surprise if their four-legged companions may very well be in danger. Well being Reporter Adrianna Rodriguez tells PJ Elliott that it is uncommon, however attainable.

Adrianna Rodriguez:

Pets aren’t catching monkeypox, it is simply attainable that they will catch it. It is not like there’s an epidemic of monkeypox amongst cats and canines. There was one case in Paris, France, the place two individuals who have been sharing a mattress with their pet and had monkeypox gave it to their pet, however that is up to now the one identified case that we all know of, human to pet transmission. By way of why the monkeypox virus, animals and each people, can get. It is a kind of uncommon viruses that may not solely bounce from human to human, however apparently can even bounce species, which is similar to additionally the COVID virus, as a result of it jumped from an animal to human.

Taylor Wilson:

What signs ought to pet homeowners look out for?

Adrianna Rodriguez:

The indicators and signs are similar to any sickness in case your pet is sick. So in the event that they’re wanting actually run down, in the event that they’re drained, in the event that they’re coughing, typically they will have mucus or crust of their eyes and their nostril. However clearly the telltale aspect of monkeypox virus is that rash. However as pet homeowners know, canines and cats, rashes seem on them for any purpose, and any micro organism or sickness or virus. And so, it is vital to go to your vet in the event that they do have that symptom and a identified publicity, to allow them to get an expert evaluation.

Taylor Wilson:

For extra, click on the hyperlink in right this moment’s episode description.

The WNBA playoffs are right here. First spherical match-ups start right this moment with opening video games from two of the 4 sequence. Candace Parker will attempt to lead the two seed Chicago Sky to a second consecutive title once they tackle 7 seed New York Liberty. Then the #1 seed, Las Vegas Aces, will play quantity 8, Phoenix Mercury. Phoenix is notably with out star Brittney Griner, who stays imprisoned in Russia. The Aces are in search of their first championship of their 25-year historical past unfold throughout a number of cities, as are the Connecticut Solar, the three seed who will start their sequence with the quantity 6 Dallas Wings tomorrow earlier than the quantity 4 Seattle Storm and quantity 5 Washington Mystics play one another beginning tomorrow, as effectively. All first spherical sequence are greatest two out of three. You’ll be able to tune in on ABC, ESPN, and NBA TV.

After months of elevated costs, there is a robust consensus amongst US house builders that we’re in a housing recession. Cash Reporter Terry Collins and PJ Elliott, clarify what which means and if now’s an excellent time to purchase a home.

Terry Collins:

A housing recession can happen in a time period when a lot of key metrics are exhibiting weaknesses. For instance, what is going on on at the moment, in line with US house builders, single-family permits are down about 4%, first half of this 12 months, in comparison with the primary half of final 12 months. Present house builder sentiment has fallen beneath 50 to simply to 49. Something 50 and above, we think about optimistic. So proper now, with that sentiment being low, that is one other issue that house builders think about possibly a housing recession.

PJ Elliott:

So Terry, clarify what precisely house builders’ sentiment is.

Terry Collins:

The Nationwide Affiliation of Residence Builders, every month, does a survey of its members to get a gauge of the place they’re, occupied with the market proper now. And for the eighth straight month, house builders’ sentiment has fallen. It is fairly low proper now. It is at 49, which is only a level in need of what house builders thought-about optimistic. It has been in a state of decline for some time now. And there is a risk and probability that subsequent month goes to be the identical factor. Residence builders are simply seeing a scarcity of latest homes arising out into the market. Proper now, it is like this gradual slowdown that is now, like drawing some concern. The place’s the market at proper now? For 2 years of the market simply being so pink sizzling, now it is cooling a bit of bit. Some might imagine it is stalling. We’ll know extra within the subsequent, I assume, three to 4 months, virtually as we get towards the top of the 12 months, the place the market actually stands.

PJ Elliott:

So does that imply it is a good time to purchase a home proper now?

Terry Collins:

Some say no. The best way the costs are proper now, they’re nonetheless comparatively excessive. I might say, in line with consultants, I’ve heard wherever from the following three to 4 months, the start of the 12 months may very well be an excellent time to purchase a home, in early 2023.

PJ Elliott:

So is there the rest {that a} potential house purchaser ought to know?

Terry Collins:

The house builder’s month-to-month survey continues to indicate a decline in three main elements. Present gross sales circumstances dropped seven factors to 57. Gross sales expectations for the following six months slid additionally. One other key metric is the site visitors of potential patrons, that fell 5 factors in August in comparison with 11 factors in July. So, as you stated, what we’re seeing is a gradual decline in house constructing, and I believe that is simply going to proceed for the following few months into the brand new 12 months.

Taylor Wilson:

Thanks for listening to five Issues. You’ll find us seven days every week on no matter your favourite podcast app is. Due to PJ Elliott for his nice work on the present, and I am again tomorrow with extra of 5 Issues from USA TODAY.