Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to make his first court appearance related to the latest federal charges he faces, and a famous YouTuber files a lawsuit over hamburgers. These stories and more highlight The Rundown for Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.
Trump to make first court appearance in D.C.
Former President Trump will appear in a Washington federal court on Aug. 3. He faces four felony charges and is accused of using “dishonesty, fraud and deceit” in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
The former president is expected to fly into Washington and arrive at the heavily guarded courthouse just a couple blocks away from the Capitol. Security has been increased for the courthouse and for the judges assigned to the case.
The four charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts related to obstructing an official proceeding of Congress and conspiracy to violate rights. During Trump’s appearance in district court, a magistrate judge is expected to set a schedule for discovery and pre-trial motions.
Trump’s defense attorney John Lauro said this latest indictment is an attempt to censor and criminalize free speech. Trump is expected to plead not guilty.
Body discovered near Texas’ floating barrier
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a body was found in the border buoys that Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) had installed in the Rio Grande River. Law enforcement was working to recover the body.
The person’s cause of death and nationality were not known as of the morning of Aug 3. An investigation is ongoing.
The buoys are part of Gov. Abbott’s multi-billion-dollar effort to secure his state’s southern border. Abbott says the buoys are designed to deter people from crossing in between ports of entry. As per their legality, Abbott has argued Texas’ constitutional right to defend its border supersedes any other statutes.
Mexico has sent two diplomatic notes to the U.S. stating the buoys violate sovereignty. The country also expressed safety and humanitarian concerns.
The discovery of the body comes after it was reported that the Pentagon was planning to pull 1,100 troops from the U.S-Mexico border later in August.
China encourages its citizens to spy on each other
China’s Ministry of State Security said the country should establish a system that makes it “normal” for regular people to participate in counter-espionage. They even want to create a channel for people to report suspicious activity and give them a reward.
The U.S State Department said it is closely monitoring the implementation of China’s new counter-espionage law. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the law greatly expands the scope of activities that are considered espionage.
“We do have concerns over it, certainly encouraging citizens to spy on each other is something that’s of great concern,” Miller said at his daily briefing on Wednesday, Aug. 2.
China’s expansion of its counter-espionage law took effect in July 2023. It bans the transfer of information that’s considered to be related to national security. China has arrested dozens of Chinese and foreign nationals on suspicion of espionage in recent years.
China looks to limit phone usage for kids
China has announced its newest measure to curb the threat of internet addiction in children. On Wednesday, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said all children should be limited to a maximum of two hours a day on their smartphones, with children under the age of 8 limited to just eight minutes a day.
The CAC also wanted providers of smart devices to introduce what they call “minor mode programs” that would ban young users from accessing the internet on their phones from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Investors were not happy with this news. Shares for Chinese tech firms were sent tumbling after the announcement.
Mr. Beast suing company over quality of burgers
Social media superstar Jimmy Donaldson is known by his 172 million YouTube subscribers as MrBeast. The influencer has made a reputation for making viral videos, a reputation he said is being damaged by a ghost kitchen company he partnered with.
Donaldson sued Virtual Dining Concepts over what he alleges to be subpar quality of burgers the business created in a deal with the YouTuber.
According to court documents, Donaldson teamed with Virtual Dining to launch MrBeast Burger in 2020. 1,000 ghost kitchen locations were created the following year.
The complaint said Virtual Dining Concept was more interested in expanding the business in order to attract other celebrities to the virtual restaurant model than focusing on the quality of the burgers. Virtual Dining Concept has dismissed the allegations, calling the lawsuit “riddled with false statements and inaccuracies.”
Zuckerberg builds octagon for possible fight
While the agreed-upon charity cage match between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk was first believed to be a joke, it’s looking more and more serious as time goes on. Zuckerberg posted a screen grab of a WhatsApp conservation with his wife on his Instagram page.
The Meta CEO asked if she saw the octagon he put in the backyard. She said “yes” and added “I’ve been working on that grass for two years.”
He asked people to vote on whether he should keep the octagon or save the grass. So far, 62% have voted to keep the octagon.
There has been no photo evidence yet to prove the octagon actually is there or if it was just a joke between the couple. While there is still no guarantee the fight between the billionaires will take place, reports indicate they have been actively talking about how to make it happen.
