Judge orders Mar-a-Lago special master, deadly earthquake in China: 5 Things podcast

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Judge orders Mar-a-Lago special master and pause in probe

The move marks a legal victory for former President Donald Trump in the aftermath of a document seizure last month. Plus, one suspect is dead while the other remains on the run after Canadian mass stabbings, President Joe Biden dismisses criticism that he's villifying Republicans, 65 people are dead after an earthquake in China and the U.S. Open rolls on with a wide open men's singles field.

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Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Tuesday, the 6th of September, 2022. Today, a legal victory for former President Donald Trump. Plus the latest from Canada's stabbing massacre, and more.

Here are some of the top headlines:

1. Liz Truss will become the new prime minister of Britain today. She takes over after Boris Johnson announced in July his intention to step down.

2. The most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in years slammed the country's south earlier today. At least two people are dead and others missing after some three feet of rain.

3. The UN Refugee Agency brought more aid to Pakistan yesterday. More than 1,300 people have been killed and millions have lost their homes in flooding this year. Many experts have blamed heavy monsoon rains on climate change.

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Former President Donald Trump was handed a legal victory yesterday when a federal judge granted his request for a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from his Florida home. The judge also temporarily put a hold on the Justice Department's use of the records for investigative purposes. The decision from US District Judge Aileen Cannon gives permission to an outside legal expert to review the records and separate any from the rest of the investigation that might be protected by attorney/client privilege or executive privilege. The ruling went against strong objections from the Justice Department which said a special master was not necessary. The AP's Eric Tucker reports.

Eric Tucker:

This ruling from Judge Aileen Cannon is very significant because, in addition to granting the request for the special master, she also said that she was going to temporarily block the Justice Department from doing its own review of the seized materials. That means that DOJ can do certain investigative work, but it can no longer inspect or review the documents until basically the judge says so.

The decision to name a special master is an early win for Donald Trump because it means that there will be an independent set of eyes, independent special master to review the documents and weed out any that are covered by attorney/client privilege and also executive privilege, and potentially ensure that those documents and records are returned to Donald Trump. So that's a big win. In addition, while this order is pending, there's going to be a temporary halt on the Justice Department from doing its own review.

It is unclear to what extent this decision is going to last because it is safe to believe that the Justice Department is likely to appeal to a federal appeals court to seek an immediate review or overturn of this judge's decision because this decision could have significant implications or ramifications for the Justice Department's work, so it's safe to believe that they're going to want another set of eyes on this decision before it really takes hold.

Taylor Wilson:

A separate assessment by the US intelligence community of the risk posed by the apparent mishandling of classified records will continue under the judge's order.

FBI agents last month seized around 11,000 documents and 1,800 other items from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. That was part of a criminal investigation into the holding of national defense information there as well as into efforts to obstruct the investigation. About a hundred of the documents had classification markings. Trump's lawyers had argued that a special master was necessary to be sure of an independent review of records taken during the search and so that any personal information or documents could be filtered out and returned to Trump.

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One suspect has been found dead in the wake of Canada's mass stabbing attacks on Sunday that left at least 10 people dead and 18 injured in Saskatchewan. But his brother and fellow suspect remains at large. Regina, Saskatchewan, police chief, Evan Bray, identified the deceased suspect as 31-year-old Damien Sanderson. Authorities said he was found near where the violence took place. The stabbings were carried out in 13 locations in and around the James Smith Cree Nation, an Indigenous community in the Western Canadian province. Assistant Commissioner of the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Rhonda Blackmore.

Rhonda Blackmore:

At 11:30 a.m., a deceased male was located on the James Smith Cree Nation. At 1:17 p.m. today, it was confirmed by Saskatchewan RCMP forensic investigation section that the deceased is Damien Sanderson. His body was located outdoors in a heavily grassed area in proximity to a house that was being examined. We can confirm he has visible injuries. These injuries are not believed to be self-inflicted at this point. The exact cause of death will be determined in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Coroner's Office, but the date and time for that examination to be determined.

Myles Sanderson, Damien's brother, may have sustained injuries. This has not been confirmed, but we do want the public to know this because there is a possibility he may seek medical attention. Even if he is injured, it does not mean he is not still dangerous. Myles has a lengthy criminal record involving both persons and property crimes. Myles is facing three counts of first-degree murder and is wanted. We consider him armed and dangerous. Do not approach him. If you know of his whereabouts, immediately call 911.

Taylor Wilson:

The suspects had been seen driving in Regina some 200 miles south of where the attacks happened. That's only a hundred miles from the US border, and US border officials had been notified. During the attacks, emergency calls began arriving to dispatchers at about 5:40 a.m. on Sunday. An alert was then issued around 7:00 a.m. that authorities were looking for suspects. That alert was extended later in the day to neighbor provinces, Alberta and Manitoba. James Smith Cree Nation resident, Darryl Burns, said his sister, Gloria Lydia Burns, was a first responder who was killed in the attacks.

Darryl Burns:

She was there to help people, and that's what she was. She was a helper, and she did her best to help people, and she paid the ultimate price. Her and I were both working in the same office. We both were part of that crisis response team, and it was her turn to be on call. So when she got the call, she went.

We had a murder-suicide here, three years ago, my granddaughter and her boyfriend. Last year, we had a double homicide. Now this year we have 10 more that have passed away, all because of drugs and alcohol. I want the world to know, and I want the world to know that in every Native community across Canada, there are good people in there. This is a random act of violence by people who were not in their right mind. There are a lot of good people in our community. There are a lot of good elders in our community. We need to get back into, we keep stressing it, walking in our traditional way, walking with the Seven Traditional teachings and start the healing process.

Taylor Wilson:

Saskatoon police say they've been searching for Myles Sanderson, the remaining suspect since May when he stopped meeting with his parole officer and was classified as unlawfully at-large. Police told CBC News he served almost five years in prison for assault, robbery, and other charges, then disappeared shortly after being paroled. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have not revealed a motive for the attacks, but Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said, they're, quote, "the destruction we face when harmful, illegal drugs invade our communities."

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President Joe Biden dismissed criticisms yesterday that he is vilifying Republicans by calling former President Donald Trump's supporters extremists and threats to democracy. Republicans, and even some Democrats, had accused him of fueling divisions with comments last week.

President Joe Biden:

Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic. Now, I want to be very clear, very clear up front, not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans are MAGA Republicans. Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology. MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards.

Taylor Wilson:

Republican former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who served as UN ambassador under Trump, was critical of Biden's speech in tweets. She wrote, "He's done nothing to unite the nation, nothing to bring healing, nothing to alleviate the pain millions of Americans feel every day. He's been a divider-in-chief and come November, he must hear from all of us." In his remarks yesterday at a labor event in Milwaukee, Biden again went after former President Donald Trump's wing of the Republican Party.

President Joe Biden:

The extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress have chosen to go backwards, full of anger, violence, hate and division, but together we can and we must choose a different path.

Taylor Wilson:

Biden is increasingly hitting the road ahead of November's midterms. He, again, visited Pennsylvania yesterday, making a stop in Pittsburgh. It was the third time in a week that he made the state a backdrop for campaign-style events. Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman is competing for an open seat in the US Senate against Republican candidate, Mehmet Oz. Fetterman met with Biden in Pittsburgh. Trump also rallied in the state over the weekend. Biden beat him in Pennsylvania by fewer than 100,000 votes.

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At least 65 people are dead and hundreds more injured after a powerful earthquake in southwestern China. The 6.8 magnitude quake hit a mountainous area in Sichuan Province. The region sits on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau where tectonic plates meet. Along with the deaths, authorities reported landslides, including one that blocked a highway. Buildings even shook in Chengdu, the provincial capital, some 125 miles from the epicenter. The quake comes on top of the latest COVID-19 lockdown there and a heat wave and drought that have led to power cuts due to Sichuan's reliance on hydropower. China's deadliest earthquake in recent years was a 7.9 magnitude quake in 2008 that killed nearly 90,000 people in Sichuan.

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The US Open rolls on today after a major Labor Day upset. American Frances Tiafoe beat No. 2 seed, and one of the greatest players of all time, Rafael Nadal, in four sets to advance to the quarterfinals. It's just his second quarter's appearance ever at a major tournament. The Open's top seed in men's singles, Daniil Medvedev, lost on Sunday to Nick Kyrgios, and the tournament is now wide open with no major winners remaining. Quarterfinal action begins today.

On the women's single side, quarterfinals will also begin today that includes American 18-year-old Coco Gauff's matchup with French player Caroline Garcia. Top seed Polish star, Iga Swiatek, remains in the field and will play tomorrow versus American Jessica Pegula.

Thanks for listening to 5 Things. You can find us every morning on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a rating and review if you have a chance. Thanks to PJ Elliott for his great work on the show. I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mar-a-Lago special master ordered, Canada's mass stabbings: 5 Things podcast