Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 felony charges around his handling of classified documents, after surrendering to federal authorities in Miami Tuesday. The counts include violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice. Special counsel Jack Smith observed proceedings in the courtroom. Outside the federal courthouse, Trump supporters gathered in what the media largely described as a circus. Trump’s aide Walt Nauta, who was also charged, appeared before the judge but did not enter a plea because he does not have a Florida lawyer. After his arraignment, Trump stopped at a Cuban restaurant in Little Havana and took photos with fans, before flying to his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, where he railed against the charges as he hosted a fundraiser for his presidential campaign.

Donald Trump: “They want to take away my freedom, because I will never let them take away your freedom. It’s very simple. They want to silence me, because I will never let them silence you. They want you silent. And I am the only one that can save this nation, because you know they’re not coming after me. They’re coming after you.”

In other Trump news, a federal judge said writer E. Jean Carroll could amend her defamation lawsuit against Trump to include comments he made at a CNN town hall. Last month, just one day after a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in 1996, he went on to call the story “fake” and labeled Carroll a “wack job.” She is seeking $10 million in damages; she has already been awarded $5 million.

Ukraine reports Russian missile strikes killed three people in the Black Sea port city of Odesa and another three people in the Donetsk region early today.

The U.S. says it is sending more armored vehicles, as well as artillery shells and air defense missiles, to Ukraine following heavy losses as its counteroffensive gets underway. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports the Biden administration will also send depleted uranium tank shells to Ukraine. Depleted uranium, a byproduct of the nuclear enrichment process, is dangerous to human health when inhaled as dust or shrapnel and can contaminate water and soil in the surrounding environment.

Climate activists in Johannesburg, South Africa, protested at the offices of Standard Bank during its annual shareholder meeting Monday, demanding the company end its support for the proposed East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The 900-mile pipeline would carry crude oil from Uganda to Tanzania before being exported to refineries in Rotterdam. France’s TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation are behind EACOP, working with Ugandan and Tanzanian state-owned oil firms. Kumi Naidoo, the former head of Greenpeace International and Amnesty International, and Extinction Rebellion activist Malik Dasoo were forcibly removed from Standard Bank during their peaceful protest.

Climate activists in Germany also held Stop EACOP protests in Bonn, where they gathered for a COP28 preparatory conference. On Tuesday, the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who recently graduated from high school, spoke at the conference.

Greta Thunberg: “It is what we decide now that will define the rest of humanity’s future. And whether we choose to do that or not, if we don’t, it will be a death sentence to countless of people. And it is already a death sentence to countless of people living on the frontlines of the climate crisis today.”

An autopsy has revealed Olympic track star Tori Bowie was eight months pregnant and in labor when she died just over a month ago. She was alone in her home at the time and may have suffered from respiratory distress and eclampsia, a rare but life-threatening pregnancy complication. Her baby also died. Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist, was just 32. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth complications than white women. Her Olympic teammate Tianna Tashelle Bartoletta posted on Twitter, “As of June 2023…3 of the 4 members of Team USA’s 4×100m relay team…who ran the SECOND fastest time in history, and brought home THEE gold medal…have nearly died or did die in childbirth. We deserve better. #BlackMaternalHealthCrisis.”

A Black Mississippi civil rights attorney was arrested while filming a traffic stop as part of her work investigating discriminatory police practices. Jill Jefferson, who was held in jail for two nights before being released Monday, had filed a federal lawsuit against the Lexington police force alleging a “culture of corruption” and racism. The ACLU of Mississippi said her arrest by Lexington police “reeks of retaliation.”

In Arlee, Montana, community members are engaging in a series of “awareness walks” this week to demand justice for Mika Westwolf, a 22-year-old Indigenous woman who was struck and killed in March by a driver as she was walking home along a highway in the early morning hours. The driver was identified as Sunny White, a suspected white nationalist whose children are reportedly named “Aryan” and “Nation” and were in the car at the time of the crash. Sunny White has not been charged in connection with Westwolf’s death. Mika Westwolf was a member of the Blackfeet Tribe and was also Diné, Cree and Klamath. She was an avid athlete and poet.

Cornel West has switched party affiliation and is now running to be the Green Party’s 2024 presidential nominee. The author, civil rights activist and professor of philosophy announced earlier this month he would run as a candidate with the People’s Party. West confirmed the news on “The Katie Halper Show.”

Cornel West: “Which means when it comes to infrastructure and institution, it’s much broader and deeper, access to the ballot much broader. But in the end, as you know, any candidacy to run the empire in order to dismantle the empire has to be part of a movement.”

Click here to see our recent interview with Cornel West on his presidential run.

In media news, Los Angeles public radio station LAist, formerly KPCC, announced it was cutting staff by some 12% due to a budget shortfall. Members of LAist’s union noted that the station’s current CEO made around $675,000 last year, while the former CEO has been paid half a million dollars per year, three years after leaving the job.

This comes less than a week after the Los Angeles Times said it would lay off 74 staffers, representing 13% of its editorial members.

UPS has agreed to mandate air conditioning in its delivery fleet as part of ongoing negotiations with workers in the Teamsters union. A number of UPS delivery drivers have become sick from working in extreme temperatures. Last summer, a 24 year-old UPS driver in Southern California died on the job, which his family said was caused by the heat. This comes as some 330,000 union members are voting to authorize a possible August strike against UPS, in what would be the largest single-employer strike in U.S. history.

At least 59 migrants drowned earlier today after their boat capsized off the Greek coast. Over 100 people were rescued, though it’s not clear how many passengers were on the Italy-bound vessel before it sank. It’s the deadliest shipwreck off the Greek coast this year.

In related news, the International Organization for Migration says it recorded nearly 3,800 deaths in 2022 along land and sea routes in the Middle East and North Africa region, an 11% jump from the previous year.

The U.N. said the global level of forced displacement has reached a record 110 million people.

Filippo Grandi: “This is where we stand today. We have 110 million people that have fled because of conflict, persecution, discrimination, violence, often mixed with other motives — in particular, the impact of climate change.”

Conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine are causing millions to flee. Syria and Afghanistan also continue to record massive numbers of refugees and displaced people. The mounting displacement crisis comes as aid agencies face severe funding shortages. The World Food Programme says it will be forced to cut aid to Syria by about half, affecting 2.5 million people in need.

In Nigeria, a boat carrying guests returning from a wedding capsized, killing some 100 passengers. The tragedy, which also claimed the lives of children, occurred overnight Monday on the Niger River.

Israeli forces killed a 19-year-old Palestinian and injured at least eight others during a raid on the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. The soldiers were searching for another man when they started firing on people in the vicinity of his home. This is the brother of the wanted man, who said their house was surrounded by Israeli forces, who threatened to bomb it and kill everyone inside.

Suhaib Sallaj: “Suddenly, they shoot at people. A young child who was walking with groceries was shot. We knew it was the army. Then we heard them calling on megaphones for Issam to surrender: 'We know you are inside the house.'”

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is in China this week, after Beijing offered to facilitate peace talks with Israel.

In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey unveiled a new green bank that will be focused on affordable housing and environmental justice. The Massachusetts Community Climate Bank is part of the state’s effort to cut emissions by 50% by 2030, and to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is Governor Healey.

Gov. Maura Healey: “We’re going to be putting forward opportunities, tools to decarbonize buildings, which are, as I said, a major source of emissions. This climate bank is going to grow over time to address the urgent needs across this sector. We’re going to be able to innovate and finance deep energy retrofits, on-site electric vehicle charging and solar projects that will demonstrate the viability of these technologies at a community-wide scale.”