
Trump shares threatening video as midnight deadline to appear before Jan 6 grand jury closes in - live
Donald Trump could be indicted by a grand jury investigating his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot by Friday. The Independent learned that a possible indictment could be handed down as soon as this week, charging the former president in his third criminal case. Mr Trump announced on Tuesday that he had been sent a letter by special prosecutor Jack Smith informing him that he is the “target” of a grand jury investigation. The target letter cites three statutes under which he could be charged including conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law and tampering with a witness, victim or informant, multiple outlets reported. William Russell, a former White House aide who now works for the Trump presidential campaign and spent much of January 6 with the then-president, is scheduled to testify before the grand jury when it meets today. The former president was given until today to report to the Washington, DC, federal courthouse but with a midnight deadline is not expected to appear. Instead, he shared a fan video on Truth Social with a threatening mob boss feel using audio featuring an expletive and lifted from comments he made in 2020 on Iran. Read More Donald Trump brands US a ‘third-world hellhole’ run by ‘perverts’ and ‘thugs’ Ron DeSantis campaign fires staff as Florida governor trails Trump in the polls Fundraising takeaways: Trump and DeSantis in their own tier as Pence and other Republicans struggle RFK Jr revives antisemitic conspiracy theory that Covid-19 was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jewish people
1970-01-01 08:00

Trump defends Jason Aldean amid music video backlash
Former President Donald Trump spoke out in favor of country singer Jason Aldean amid controversy around one of his new music videos. “Jason Aldean is a fantastic guy who just came out with a great new song. Support Jason all the way. MAGA!!!” the former president wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. Online critics blasted the “Try That In A Small Town” music video after discovering it was filmed outside the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where 18-year-old Black teenager Henry Choate was lynched in 1927, as well as where the Columbia race riot was held in 1946. As of Wednesday, Country Music Television said it refused to air the music video, USA Today reported. His music video was released Friday. Critics have accused the song of “promoting violence” and lynchings. Mr Aldean responded to the criticism in a lengthy tweet on Tuesday. He said for him, the song “refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences.” He added, “while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music – this one goes too far.” The country singer is a mass shooting survivor. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, reacted to the song’s lyrics: Mr Aldean “who was on-stage during the mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert in 2017 that killed 60 people and wounded over 400 more - has recorded a song called “Try That In A Small Town” about how he and his friends will shoot you if you try to take their guns.” Fellow 2024 presidential candidate and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis also chimed in with support for the country singer in an interview on “Fox & Friends”: “We need to restore sanity to this country. I mean, what is going on that that would be something that would be censored? I mean, give me a break. We’re off the rocker here.” South Dakota Republican Gov Kristi Noem posted a video on Wednesday with her reaction to the music video’s backlash: “I’m shocked by what I’m seeing with people attempting to cancel the song, cancel Jason.” She added, “Thank you for writing a song that America can get behind.” Read More ‘A modern lynching song’?: Jason Aldean and the most controversial song in country Jason Aldean responds as row continues over ‘Try That in a Small Town’ The Jason Aldean video is just the tip of the country music iceberg
1970-01-01 08:00

New York to pay $13 million to protesters arrested during George Floyd protests
By Rachel Nostrant NEW YORK The city of New York has agreed to pay $13 million to hundreds
1970-01-01 08:00

US Army secretary emphasizes that service is 'not going to lower our standards' despite recruiting challenges
The US Army Secretary emphasized Thursday that the service is "not going to lower our standards" despite ongoing challenges with recruiting.
1970-01-01 08:00

Billionaire Jeff Yass Gives $10 Million to Group Seeking Trump Alternative
Billionaire Jeff Yass donated $10 million to the super PAC arm of Club for Growth, a pro-business, anti-tax
1970-01-01 08:00

Mexican president's fiery barbs fuel maverick rival's campaign
By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's verbal attacks on a charismatic opposition rival
1970-01-01 08:00

Medicaid disenrollments paused in a dozen states after failure to comply with federal rules
A dozen states have had to pause terminating certain residents from Medicaid and to restore coverage -- at least temporarily -- for tens of thousands of people, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
1970-01-01 08:00

Sunak Eyes November 2024 as Preferred General Election Timing
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is eyeing holding the UK’s next general election in November 2024 in order to
1970-01-01 08:00

Sao Paulo governor turns heads on Brazil's right after Bolsonaro election ban
By Ricardo Brito BRASILIA The governor of Brazil's wealthiest and most populous state, Tarcisio de Freitas, has emerged
1970-01-01 08:00

White House and administration officials increasingly concerned about Texas governor's border actions
Biden administration officials have grown increasingly concerned over recent months about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's measures along the Texas-Mexico border, which have disrupted US Border Patrol operations in the region and put migrants at risk.
1970-01-01 08:00

OpenAI Backs Idea of Requiring Licenses for Advanced AI Systems
An internal policy memo drafted by OpenAI shows the company supports the idea of requiring government licenses from
1970-01-01 08:00

We can't air-condition our way out of America's heat crisis
Extreme heat in the summer has become America's brutal new reality. But local, state and federal aid programs and infrastructure to help people cool down haven't kept up with the country's record-shattering temperatures.
1970-01-01 08:00