Prosecutors in South Carolina are pushing back hard against Alex Murdaugh’s request to relocate his trial to Charleston, labeling the defense’s stance of “Charleston or nothing” as both logistically complex and unnecessarily costly.

In a court filing submitted on Wednesday, state officials implored the court to dismiss Murdaugh’s pursuit to designate the revered “Holy City” as the sole appropriate alternative venue for his trial.

They argue that despite Charleston’s prominence in industry, arts, and tourism, it poses the greatest logistical challenges in South Carolina for managing a case of such prominence.

The trial for Murdaugh is provisionally slated to commence in April 2027.

Prosecutors filed a laundry list of logistical hurdles, pointing out that downtown traffic and parking are already difficult on a standard business day without an influx of jurors, witnesses, media and onlookers.

The filing also noted that spring tourist season, coupled with Masters week traffic, would drive local hotel costs to more than double or triple those of comparable areas. Additionally, prosecutors warned that heavy spring storms and king tides regularly paralyze the downtown area with flooding.

The defense originally sought a venue change, citing the widespread attention surrounding the first trial, but prosecutors contend that the county immediately bordering Colleton County undermines the very rationale behind the request.

While the state remains open to reasonable alternatives like Spartanburg, York or Florence, it said Murdaugh is not entitled to a change of venue simply due to the heavy news coverage.

The state’s response came after Murdaugh’s defense team filed its bid to move the trial to Charleston County, citing extensive local publicity, deep-seated local family ties and tainted courthouse integrity regarding the Colleton County Clerk of Court misconduct.

Murdaugh is expected to appear for a pretrial hearing Friday at 10 a.m. in the Lexington County Courthouse.

In an astonishing revelation, researchers have identified a new species known as the “demon cavefish,” found lurking in the depths of an extensively studied cave beneath a U.S. Army base in Alabama.

Scientists at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) have brought to light this fascinating discovery: a genus of eyeless, colorless cavefish with a distinct pale blue hue. UAH issued a press release in July detailing the find.

Dubbed Demogorgonichthys arcanus — or more memorably, the “demon cavefish” — this new genus was unearthed in Bobcat Cave, located beneath the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

The name Demogorgonichthys draws inspiration from the legendary Demogorgon figure associated with “Dungeons & Dragons” and the popular Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Meanwhile, the term arcanus signifies something “hidden” or “secret,” as explained by UAH.

This intricate naming encapsulates the elusive nature of the species, highlighting its hidden existence within the underground labyrinth for decades.

“This is one of the last places we’d have bet on it,” the study’s lead author Dr. Matthew L. Niemiller said. 

“Finding an entirely unknown, new genus of freshwater fish in eastern North America today is a little like finding a new kind of big cat,” he quipped. 

“The group is so well known, we thought the big surprises were behind us.”

The UAH researchers, as part of the University of Alabama System, published their findings in Scientific Reports in July in collaboration with researchers from three other regional universities.

Shockingly, the pool in which the “demon cavefish” was discovered, is home to “Southern Cavefish” — yet the two species are not close relatives. 

“This is the part I find most remarkable,” Niemiller says, adding that the two species “found its own separate way into the underground world and lost its eyes and pigment independently, millions of years apart.”

“It’s a vivid case of convergent evolution,” he said.

The Bobcat Cave system has been monitored “at least quarterly” for over 30 years.

“To have one turn up in a cave we’ve watched for three decades is a real reminder to stay curious. It was genuinely surprising,” Niemiller added. 

Redstone-Arsenal has been likened to Alabama’s own “Area 51” due to the secretive and highly secure nature of the Army base that handles critical defense and missile programs as well as classified aerospace projects.

As the new “demon cavefish” was only found in a single cave and its connected aquifer beneath the US Army base, researchers believe it is highly vulnerable to changes in hydrology and ground water quality.

While the restricted-access military base protects the cave system from “direct disturbance,” the cryptic species remains vulnerable to “threats originating at the surface, including contaminants, sediment and changing water conditions,” according to UAH.

Researchers determined the fish’s underground habitat has been contaminated, likely from residue from chemical weapons from the military base. 

“Trace metals, including cadmium, chromium, and lead, have been detected at elevated concentrations in water samples from Bobcat Cave over the past two decades,” Niemiller’s team wrote in their scientific report.

Despite the miraculous yet cryptic discovery, Niemiller said his team’s work is far from over.

“The ‘Demon Cavefish’ is a reminder that our inventories are far from finished, even in well-explored places,” he said. 

Intelligence experts in the United States expressed ‘skepticism’ regarding claims of an Iranian threat that prompted former President Donald Trump to discreetly change aircraft on his way back from the NATO summit last month.

In a secretive maneuver, Trump was moved from Air Force One to a smaller C-32A aircraft, using a catering truck for concealment, due to intelligence concerns about a potential assassination plot.

Both active and former US officials shared with The Washington Post that this alleged assassination threat was brought to the CIA’s attention by Israeli sources. 

Nevertheless, the intelligence analysts did not find the information sufficiently convincing and communicated their doubts to officials within the Trump administration, according to someone with direct knowledge of the matter. 

Another informant portrayed the threats against Trump’s life as originating from Israel rather than from US sources, and described the intelligence as carrying a ‘low-confidence’ label.

The revelation that some US officials doubted the threat adds a new layer to the White House’s decision to conceal Trump’s whereabouts as he left the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8. 

It comes after reporting from The Post earlier this week revealed that Trump was originally expected to leave Turkey aboard the new Boeing 747-8 gifted to the US by Qatar. 

But concerns emerged that the new aircraft lacked the same security protections and communications capabilities as the regular Air Force One, prompting the president to instead board the older jet.

In a highly unusual and secretive move, Trump then slipped off the legacy Air Force One without the public’s knowledge and was shuttled in an airport catering truck to a third aircraft – an Air Force C-32A that flew him and a handful of key aides to the United Kingdom. 

The elaborate ruse fooled those on board the old Air Force One, leaving unsuspecting journalists and even some senior White House staffers none the wiser as they flew aboard the ‘decoy’ Air Force One. 

‘As the President has said, he has faced numerous threats on his life, including ones from Iran, and every measure is taken to ensure his safety,’ a US official said in a statement to The Post.

The official, like the other sources cited in the outlet’s report, spoke on condition of anonymity.

‘The United States Secret Service’s core mission is protecting the President, which they achieved,’ the source added. 

But some US officials believe this was not an isolated incident.

They pointed to what they described as Israel sharing the warning not only to protect Trump, but also to influence his political decisions. 

Officials suggested that such efforts could ultimately shape how the US approaches Iran, Turkey and other countries across the Middle East.

While Israel sees Iran as its most immediate threat, it also considers Turkey a medium- to long-term danger and is increasingly uneasy about the growing closeness between Washington and Ankara, according to the current official. 

That relationship has been strengthened by Trump’s personal rapport with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

The former official told The Post that the warning ‘fit a broader pattern’ of Israeli intelligence reporting that some US officials believe is designed as much to shape presidential decision-making as to inform it. 

Despite being briefed on the Israeli threat intelligence and the Secret Service’s elaborate deception plan, Rubio still boarded the legacy Air Force One, which the source said presumably would have been an Iranian target.

Another US official familiar with security talks questioned how serious the threat really was, pointing to the tens of thousands of Turkish security personnel deployed for last month’s NATO summit.

Democrats have meanwhile pressed the administration to provide more details about the extraordinary deception operation. 

‘I am very curious about the extent to which the Israeli-provided intelligence was not only credible but independently verifiable,’ Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) told The Post. 

‘I have no doubt that Iran would like to see the president gone, but this all seems a little fantastical,’ he added.

The president initially flew to the summit in Turkey aboard a new Qatari-gifted 747-8 jet before announcing he would return via the UK on an older Air Force One model ‘for old times’ sake.’ 

On Tuesday, Trump said he consented to the switch following a request from the Secret Service.

‘I just follow what they’d like me to do,’ he said when asked about the plot as he was on his way back from the 2026 Patriot Games in Ohio. ‘They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, so I do it. I do what they say.’ 

He also minimized the significance of the intel which prompted the secret flight. 

‘I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,’ Trump added.

The president also said he felt the C-32A he was aboard was more dangerous than the Air Force One jet which took off with unsuspecting journalists and White House staffers on board as a decoy.

‘I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk! I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane, I think that they would be more likely to go for it,’ he said.

Meanwhile, after the bizarre switch, Trump spoke to journalists for about 15 minutes highlighting the threat that Iran poses.

When asked why reporters were ordered to lower their window shades on the plane in Turkey, Trump said it was ‘because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with.’

He then added that he has a ‘threat all the time’ on his life and that he is ‘number one’ on Iran’s ‘list.’

In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern workplaces, artificial intelligence is touted as a powerful tool for boosting productivity. By streamlining daily routines, it promises to free up valuable time for employees. But the pressing question remains: just how much more productive can AI-powered workers become?

Recent statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau reveal intriguing insights: approximately 55% of employees report using AI in their professional roles. Interestingly, about a third of these workers claim that AI assistance trims one to two hours off their task completion times.

How are workers using AI on the job?

Employees cite several key areas where AI enhances their work experience. From drafting documents and sparking fresh ideas to conducting in-depth research and handling administrative duties, AI is transforming how tasks are approached.

So, what are the most prevalent ways professionals are integrating AI into their work routines? Here’s a breakdown of the most common uses:

A smaller share of workers use it to write code, for medical care and to manage logistics or supply chains, according to the Census data. 

The findings are based on a weekly national Census Bureau survey of individuals and households on topics including employment, food and nutrition, and transportation. 

How much time does AI save workers?

One-quarter of employees who reported using AI at work say the tools shaved less than an hour off the time it would otherwise have taken them to complete a task, according to the Census data.

A smaller share, at 15%, of workers saw even greater efficiency gains, saying that AI cut their workloads by three hours per task. An additional 15% said it saved them four hours. 

To be sure, it can take time for employees to learn to use new technology like AI, which can initially add hours to the time required to complete a task. Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that AI adoption in manufacturing initially decreases productivity before ultimately helping workers achieve long-term gains. 

Economists use the “J-curve” model to explain the phenomenon. The productivity trajectory, in the shape of the letter J, reflects the period when considerable resources are committed to learning and investing in new technologies, with productivity initially dipping before rising exponentially. 

Edited by

Aimee Picchi