ST. LOUIS: "A special prosecutor will decide if St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner will be held in contempt of court. Judge Michael Noble decided to appoint a special prosecutor during a hearing on Thursday after saying there is sufficient evidence that the Circuit Attorney’s Office disrespected the judicial process. The hearing was connected to the case of a shooting of an 11-year-old girl. Steven Linell Vincent Jr., 28, was charged in 2021 with four counts each of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon after a gunshot went through the 11-year-old’s bedroom window and hit her in the arm. The judge in the case said an attorney in Gardner’s office, did not show up for trial on April 10 or a counsel status hearing on Monday. Noble said the evidence supports holding Gardner in contempt. Gardner was not present at the hearing Thursday.

“It does not appear she has made any reasonable efforts to prevent the resulting chaos,” Noble said. “It appears that Ms. Gardner has complete indifference and a conscious disregard for the judicial process.” In his comments, Noble also said the caseload for Desilets “creates countless, irreconcilable conflicts.” Desilets has about 104 felony cases. “The Circuit Attorney’s Office appears to be a rudderless ship of chaos,” Noble said.

A hearing has been set for May 30. Both Gardner and Desilets will be able to put up a defense in the case. Monday, a judge chose not to hold Gardner in contempt for her office missing a murder trial."

https://www.kmov.com/2023/04/27/special-prosecutor-decide-if-gardner-will-be-held-contempt-court/

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WASHINGTON: "U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, a former Michigan governor, said she envisions an all-electric military fleet by 2030. Jason Hayes, the Mackinac Center’s director of energy and environmental policy, sees cause for concern in the Granholm plan, and argues it will make America’s fighting force wholly dependent on the People’s Republic of China. China owns many of the rare minerals needed to produce EV batteries. Moving the United States armed services to an all-EV fleet is tantamount to making the military dependent on China. China occupies a bottleneck position when it comes to the minerals needed for EV batteries.

For years, EV makers have warned of a coming mineral shortage. But that didn’t factor into Granholm’s answer when she testified Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

While EVs are presented by their advocates as sustainable, there is not an unlimited supply of materials. And as the supply shrinks, prices will go up. Mineral availability is also vulnerable to global events. Add in the fragility of the EV battery, many can’t survive a scratch, and the need for minerals is greater than it first appears. The attempt to convert the military fleet into an all-EV one makes mineral procurement a matter of national security, not just a consumer concern."

https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/washington/granholm-envisions-all-ev-military-by-2030