Former President Donald Trump says he could soon be indicted again by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in relation to their 2020 election probe. And the latest on the U.S. soldier detained in North Korea. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Tuesday, July 19, 2023.
Trump says he is target in DOJ election probe
Former President Trump may be facing another indictment related to the DOJ’s election probe. This one over his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to announce that he had received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith. The letter allegedly informed Trump that a DOJ grand jury was investigating whether he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
In the post, Trump called Smith “deranged” and said he was given four days to report to the grand jury, which, he said, “always means an arrest and indictment.”
Former Trump administration officials have testified that during his final months in office he pressured them to act on what Trump called “widespread voter fraud.”
There are several more developments in the various investigations into Trump. In Michigan, the state’s attorney general filed felony charges against 16 Republicans, accusing them of acting as fake electors on behalf of Trump. The group includes the head of the Republican National Committee’s Michigan chapter and the former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party.
They allegedly met in December of 2020 and signed their names to certificates stating that they were qualified electors for Trump. These false documents were eventually sent to the Senate and the National Archives.
“These defendants may have believed the now-long-debunked myths of vote tampering or ballot dumps. They may have felt compelled to follow the call to action from a president they held fealty to. They may have even genuinely believed that this was their patriotic duty,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “But none of those reasons or feelings provide legal justification to violate the law and upend our constitution and our nation’s traditions of representative government, self-determination and a government by the people.”
Then there’s Trump’s ongoing classified documents case. The judge overseeing the trial has signaled that this year may be too soon for that trial to begin. But she did not say whether she would agree to Trump’s request to put the trial off until after the 2024 election.
What is known about detained U.S. soldier in North Korea
A U.S. soldier is believed to be in North Korean custody. According to reports, he “willfully” and “without authorization” crossed into North Korea while taking a civilian tour at the border line that separates the North from the South.
According to the U.S. Army, 23-year-old Private Travis King was stationed in South Korea and faced disciplinary action for assault. According to the Army, he spent 50 days in a detention facility. King was set to fly back to a base in Texas to potentially face additional military discipline before he reportedly ran across into North Korea’s territory.
North Korea has been silent on the matter.
At a press conference at the White House, the press secretary was asked how far the administration would be willing to go to get the soldier back, if the soldier willingly crossed boundary-lines. The White House said they are focused on gathering more information on the incident.
Illinois to become first state to end cash bail
Illinois will become the first state in the nation to end cash bail. The state supreme court has upheld a law that was passed by state lawmakers back in 2021.
The elimination of cash bail was part of a criminal justice reform bill from two years ago that was immediately met with legal challenges. Prosecutors and sheriffs in 64 counties filed lawsuits claiming it was unconstitutional to end cash bail. But in a 5-2 decision, the state supreme court disagreed.
Under the new law, criminal defendants won’t have to pay a specific amount of money in order to be released from jail as they await trial. They will only have to remain in custody if a judge thinks they are a danger to the public or flight risk.
The new law will take effect on Sept. 18, 2023.
Johnson & Johnson to pay $18.8 million in baby powder lawsuit
Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay nearly $20 million to a California man who claims he developed cancer after being exposed to the company’s baby powder. This is seen as a major blow since the company is facing settlements in thousands of other similar cases, all of which are based on Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products.
The 24-year-old said he developed mesothelioma after heavy exposure to the baby powder since childhood. The vice president of Johnson & Johnson said they will appeal the verdict and stood by their defense that their baby powder has been scientifically proven to be safe.
Popular phrase “Taco Tuesday” no longer trademarked
The phrase “Taco Tuesday” has now been freed from its trademark shackles. It is now free for “fair use” after solely belonging to Wyoming-based fast food chain Taco John’s.
Two months after Taco Bell filed a petition to challenge the trademark, Taco Johns says it will no longer defend its federal trademark of the phrase.
