List of All Articles with Tag 'ti'

Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations of President Donald Trump's retention of classified records and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election have cost more than $9m over the first several months, according to documents released Friday. The special counsel's office spent more than $5.4m on things like employees' salaries, travel and transportation, rent, supplies and materials from Mr Smith’s appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 through the end of March, Justice Department statement of expenditures show. Justice Department agencies spent another $3.8m to support the special counsel. Those expenses include the cost of the protective details for the special counsel's office as well as hours worked by agents and analysts on the probes. Mr Trump was indicted last month on 37 felony counts alleging he illegally kept classified records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and refused government demands to give them back. Mr Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta — who was charged alongside the former president — have both pleaded not guilty. Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing and slammed the prosecution as an attempt to hurt his bid to reclaim the White House in 2024. Mr Smith has also been digging into efforts by Mr Trump and his allies to undo President Joe Biden's election victory. Since Mr Smith’s appointment, he has cast a broad net in demanding interviews and testimony related to fundraising,Mr Trump’s rally that preceded the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021, and communications between Trump associates and election officials in battleground states. In December, Mr Smith subpoenaed local election officials in Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania, asking for communications with or involving Mr Trump, his 2020 campaign aides and a list of allies who were involved in his efforts to try to overturn the results of the election. Read More Trump news - live: Trump attacks DeSantis and makes awkward ‘markers’ gaffe at farmers campaign event More bad news for Trump as judge rules his son can be subpoenaed in Trump Organization case Chris Christie says Trump took secret documents so he could keep pretending he was president

Six people were charged Friday in an alleged scheme to divert tens of thousands of dollars in public funds to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign months before his election. The indictment announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg does not implicate Mr Adams or any other city employees. Rather, it describes a straw donor scheme orchestrated by individuals with business before the city who hoped to maximize their donations to the future mayor in exchange for political favors. “We allege a deliberate scheme to game the system in a blatant attempt to gain power,” Mr Bragg said in a statement. “The New York City Campaign Finance Board program is meant to support our democracy and amplify the voices of New York City voters. When the integrity of that program is corrupted, all New Yorkers suffer.” Prosecutors said the scheme was led by Dwayne Montgomery, a former NYPD inspector currently listed as the director of integrity for the Teamsters Local 237, which represents municipal workers. According to the indictment, Mr Montgomery recruited friends and relatives to take advantage of the city’s generous matching funds system, which provides an eight-to-one match for the first $250 donated by a city resident. In addition to Mr Montgomery, the indictment names as defendants Shamsuddin Riza, Millicent Redick, Ronald Peek, Yahya Mushtaq, and Shahid Mushtaq. According to prosecutors, between 2020 and 2021, those who made donations in their own name were reimbursed by Mr Montgomery, who provided more than $40,000 of his money. He worked with a string of co-defendants to help recruit donors, including Mr Riza, who indicated he was hoping to secure work from the city. “FYI ! This is the one I want , Safety , Drywall , and Security one project but we all can eat,” Mr Riza wrote in a July 2021 email to Mr Montgomery, sending along the information for a construction project called Vital Brooklyn, prosecutors allege. Mr Montgomery also worked alongside a campaign representative to organize a virtual fundraiser for Mr Adams in August, 2020, prosecutors contend. The representative is not named in the indictment. None of the defendants could immediately be reached for comment. Mr Adams' campaign released a statement denying any involvement in the alleged scheme. “There is no indication that the campaign or the mayor is involved in this case or under investigation,” a spokesperson for Mr Adams’ campaign, Evan Thies, said in a statement. “The campaign always held itself to the highest standards and we would never tolerate these actions.” The defendants each face charges of conspiracy, attempted grand larceny, and offering a false instrument. Read More NYC Mayor Eric Adams accused of doctoring photo of police officer friend killed in the line of duty Ex-NYC mayor Bill de Blasio and wife are separating – but will still live with each other New York City's Rikers Island, facing possible federal takeover, found violating safety standards NYC mayor accused of doctoring photo of murdered police officer friend Ex-NYC mayor Bill de Blasio and wife are separating – but will still live together

Today's USMNT news includes AC Milan completing a deal with Chelsea for Christian Pulisic. Yunus Musah could be on his way to Fulham and Ricardo Pepi has joined PSV Eindhoven.USMNT news: Christian Pulisic to AC MilanChristian Pulisic moving to AC Milan from Chelsea has been in the works for...

The special counsel overseeing all Department of Justice investigations related to former President Donald Trump has seemed to focus in particular on an infamous Oval Office meeting after Trump lost the 2020 election and before the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol. In that meeting, unofficial advisers presented Trump with unlikely ways to overturn the election.

The Scottish government has proposed decriminalizing possession of all drugs for personal use to tackle one of Europe’s highest overdose death rates. The suggestion was almost instantly blocked by the Conservative U.K. government in London, which said it had “no plans” to soften drug laws. The semi-autonomous Edinburgh government, led by the pro-independence Scottish National Party, said Friday that removing criminal penalties for drug possession would “allow for the provision of safe, evidence-based harm reduction services.” Scotland’s death rate from drug overdoses is three times the rate in the U.K. as a whole and the highest in Western Europe. Last year there were almost 1,100 drug-related deaths in Scotland, which has a population of 5.5 million, according to government figures. “The war on drugs has failed,” Scottish drugs minister Elena Whitham said at a news conference alongside former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and ex-Swiss President Ruth Dreifuss, both advocates of drug law reform. “Our current drug law does not stop people from using drugs, it does not stop people from experiencing the harm associated and, critically, it does not stop people from dying,” Whitham said. The Scottish government said decriminalization would free “individuals from the fear of accessing treatment and support, reducing drug-related harms and, ultimately, improving lives.” It cited the example of Portugal, which ditched criminal penalties for drug possession more than two decades ago and focused on treatment. Whitham said the government also wanted to change the law so it could create supervised drug consumption rooms and would consider introducing the regulated supply of drugs. She said the crisis would worsen without radical change. She said Scotland was “facing down the barrel of a storm in terms of synthetic opioids and new and novel street benzodiazepines that are heading to our shores.” “If we are not prepared for that arriving here, with 21st century drug laws in place, I’m terrified as to what that could look like," she said. But Russell Findlay, justice spokesman for the Scottish Conservative Party, said “essentially legalizing heroin, crack and other class-A drugs” would not solve Scotland’s drug deaths problem. Scotland already allows people caught with illegal drugs to be given a police warning rather than being prosecuted, but decriminalizing drugs would require support from the U.K. government. Max Blain, spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said that was not going to happen. “There are no plans to alter our tough stance on drugs,” he said. The Scottish government has often taken more liberal positions on social issues than the Conservative administration in London. Last year a law passed by the Scottish parliament that would make it easier for people to officially change gender was blocked by Sunak’s government. The governing SNP uses such disagreements to bolster its argument that Scotland would be better off leaving the United Kingdom and becoming an independent country.

Much was made about missing live music during the height of the pandemic.

After going up in weight to face lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, Alexander Volkanovski is back at featherweight to face interim champion Yair Rodriguez.Volkanovski has never lost at this weight class, and is the heavy favorite to stay that way on Saturday night in the UFC 290 main event. R...

July 8th's Immaculate Grid features the Oakland A's, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and stat rows/columns of 20+ win seasons pitching and an MVP.A grid featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants has most people knee-jerking for Barry Bonds, ...

The flyweight championship is on the line when Brandon Moreno defends his belt against Alexandre Pantoja.Despite entering as the challenger and the betting underdog, Pantoja has won the prior two against the Mexican born champion. After outlasting Deiveson Figueriedo in a trilogy and Kai-Kara Fr...

Major legal rulings that dismantled the use of race in college admissions, undermined protections for LGBTQ people and tossed out President Joe Biden's student debt relief program marked the end of a Supreme Court term in which the conservative supermajority continued to exert its dominance.

Caesars Sportsbook is offering the biggest MLB All-Star game bonus in the business. Following an initial deposit, your first wager of up to $1,250 will be covered by Caesars and refunded as bonus bets if you lose.That means you can bet on anything you'd like and will get a second chance if ...

With the new release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version), Taylor Swift surprised fans by bringing out her ex Taylor Lautner, Joey King and Presley Cash onstage during her latest Eras tour show in Kansas City. This wasn't a random guest appearance on Friday night (7 July) as all three also feature in Swift's new music video for her 'From The Vault' track 'I Can See You' which premiered at the concert. In the video, both Lautner and King are burglars, and with help from Cash, they break into a museum filled with dresses and props from Swift's career over the years, where they also show off their fighting skills as security tries to stop them. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The pair eventually make it to the vault, where they break free Swift (dressed in her Speak Now era look), who had been trapped inside, and she takes with her the framed picture of the cover art for her new version of her third studio album. The three of them bolt out of the museum as explosions set off but make it to the van as Cash drives them away from the scene. As Swift loves giving fans Easter eggs, fans have noted how the three actors have previous connections to Swift's Speak Now era. The two Taylors famously dated back in 2009 for a few months after they starred together in the romantic comedy Valentine's Day, where they played a couple. It is widely speculated that the breakup song 'Back to December' from the album is about Lautner, with the theme of the song about apologising and asking for forgiveness from an ex for breaking their heart. Meanwhile, King and Cash both appeared in Swift's music video for the track 'Mean'. Swift explained in an Instagram post that the music video she wrote and directed was about wanting to "play out symbolically how it’s felt for me to have the fans helping me reclaim my music." Speak Now (Taylor's Version) marks the third re-recorded album from Swift's discography after previously releasing Fearless (Taylor's Version) in April 2021 and Red (Taylor's Version) later on in November of the same year. On stage at Kansas City, Swift and Lautner shared a hug as the audience roared in excitement at the surprise. The Anti-Hero singer then praised the Twilight actor for the impact he had on her life at the time she originally made the album as well as his fighting skills in the music video. @elysemyers This is a fever dream “He was a very positive force in my life when I was making the Speak Now album, and I want to say he did every single stunt that you saw in that music video. "He and his wife have become some of my closest friends, and it’s very convenient because we all share the same first name," Swift joked. In return, Lautner was also complimentary of Swift as the two are clearly friendly exes. “I respect you so much. Not just for the singer you are, the songwriter, the performer — but truly for the human you are. You are gracious, humble, kind and I’m honoured to know you," Lautner said. Speak Now (Taylor's Version) was released on July 7. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.