The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has responded to a demand from House Republicans for sworn testimony on their investigation into former President Donald Trump in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, Leslie B. Dubeck, the Manhattan DA's general counsel, called the Republicans' request an "unprecedented inquiry" and noted that it came after Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested. Former White House counsel John O'Donnell called Jordan a "buffoon" for writing to the DA. It is unclear when the investigation will be concluded or if any charges will be brought against the former president.
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Key takeaways: The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has announced that the grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump will not reach a conclusion this week.…
Former President Donald Trump's upcoming rally in Waco, Texas, has been met with criticism from the Houston Chronicle's editorial board, who have suggested that the location of the rally is a symbol of anti-government extremism and conspiracism. They noted that the city has become a shrine to the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters, the Oath Keepers, and other anti-government groups, and that Trump's visit is a reminder of the 1993 Branch Davidian compound siege. The board urged the public to be aware of the symbolism of the event and its implications.
The Senate Ethics Committee has admonished Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for violating Senate rules during a Fox News appearance last November by directly soliciting campaign contributions for Herschel Walker in the Russell Senate Office building. The committee has asked Graham to respond to the letter within 30 days, and it is unclear what action, if any, the committee will take against Graham if he does not comply.
On Thursday, a US contractor was killed and five US service members and one US contractor were wounded in an attack on a coalition base in northeast Syria. In response, President Joe Biden authorized a precision airstrike against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The US Central Command forces conducted the airstrike in eastern Syria, targeting facilities used by the IRGC, and the US is closely monitoring the situation and will take appropriate action to protect US personnel and interests in the region.
The U.S. and Canada have reached an agreement to restrict certain migrants from seeking protections in Canada in response to the sharp increase of people crossing into Canada from the US. The agreement would require migrants to request asylum in the first safe country they enter, which in this case would be the United States. It is unclear how the agreement will affect the number of illegal crossings into the U.S. from Canada.
Manuel Oliver, the father of a Parkland shooting victim, was arrested on Capitol Hill while protesting gun violence during a House subcommittee hearing. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) compared Oliver to the Capitol rioters, sparking outrage among gun control advocates who argue that Oliver's actions were a peaceful protest. The incident has highlighted the need for stricter gun control legislation to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with Micki Witthoeft, the mother of Ashli Babbitt who was killed during the Jan. 6 riots, to discuss McCarthy's previous comments about Babbitt's death. Witthoeft has been organizing nightly protests outside the D.C. jail since Aug. 1, and estimates that 5,000-8,000 people have been live streaming the protests. After the meeting, Witthoeft said it went well and she was expecting good things to come from it.