Appeals court allows release of election interference case report
Special Counsel Jack Smithâs report on President-elect Donald Trumpâs 2020 election interference case is one step closer to being made public after a federal appeals courtâs ruling Thursday, Jan. 9. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit rejected a bid to block the release but kept in place the judgeâs order for a three-day delay, giving time for additional appeals.
That means Trump could seek the Supreme Courtâs intervention in the matter.
Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the election interference case was eventually dismissed following his victory in Novemberâs presidential election due to a Justice Department policy that forbids the prosecution of a sitting president.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has said he plans to release the report to the public once he is permitted to do so. In response, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement Thursday night itâs time for Garland and President Joe Biden to âdo the right thing and put a final stop to the political weaponization of our justice system.â
At least 10 dead as major wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles area
The death toll rises as the onslaught of fires continues in Southern California, destroying complete neighborhoods. And President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced for his conviction in the New York hush money case after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid to stop the proceeding. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
Death toll rises as wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles area
Flames have destroyed entire neighborhoods, obliterating 10,000 homes and buildings between the Palisades and Eaton Fires alone. Firefighters made some progress as the Santa Ana winds weakened, but wind and dry conditions are expected to continue through the weekend. This will make it difficult for crews to battle the flames.
The biggest and most destructive fire in Pacific Palisades now spans nearly 20,000 acres, which is more than 30 square miles and is only 6% contained.
Nearly 180,000 people in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders and another 200,000 are on standby to leave their homes if necessary. The wildfires and strong winds fueling them have led to mass power outages.
Entire stretches of Pacific Ocean beachfront property along Malibu have been charred, as well as homes and neighborhoods up and down the Pacific Coast Highway.
The latest fire to break out, the Kenneth Fire, sparked Thursday afternoon, Jan. 9, in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, near Calabasas. That fire spans 1,000 acres and is 35% contained, according to CalFireâs last update. Police arrested one man on suspicion of arson in connection with that fire.
Itâs not just those in the firesâ paths in danger. Polluted air poses a threat even to those far away.
Supreme Court rejects Trump’s bid to halt sentencing in hush money case
Trump’s sentencing on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels will proceed as planned.
The judge overseeing the case, Juan Merchan, said earlier this month he would not sentence the president-elect to prison time, saying incarceration is not an option.
Instead, the judge is expected to impose a no-penalty sentence called an unconditional discharge.
Trump vowed to appeal his conviction, claiming evidence and testimony was admitted that implicated his duties as president during his first term. The Supreme Court ruled over the summer presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for some official acts.
Appeals court allows release of election interference case report
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit rejected a bid to block the release but kept in place the judgeâs order for a three-day delay, giving time for additional appeals. That means Trump could seek the Supreme Courtâs intervention in the matter.
Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the election interference case was eventually dismissed following his victory in Novemberâs presidential election due to a Justice Department policy that forbids the prosecution of a sitting president.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said he plans to release the report to the public once he is permitted to do so. In response, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said Thursday night that itâs time for Garland and President Joe Biden to âdo the right thing and put a final stop to the political weaponization of our justice system.â
Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in TikTok ban case
With less than two weeks until a ban on the social media app TikTok is slated to take effect, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments against the legislation Friday, Jan. 10. TikTok looks to show the justices that, despite claims from the federal government, it is not a national security threat to the U.S.
It is unclear when the court will deliver its ruling.
TikTok faces a nationwide ban in the U.S. that is expected to go into effect on Jan. 19, impacting roughly 115 million monthly users. That is unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance sells the platform, as required by the law signed by President Joe Biden last year, or SCOTUS rules in favor of TikTokâs position that the law is unconstitutional.
Supporters of the ban believe the app allows China to access vast amounts of data from Americans and possibly influence public opinion in the U.S.
Trump opposes the ban and has met with TikTokâs CEO in recent weeks.
Macyâs to close 66 stores
Macyâs confirmed it will close 66 stores across the U.S. The department store chain said Thursday that the move is part of its âbold new chapterâ strategy, which was announced in February of last year. The strategy will see the closure of approximately 150 underperforming stores, or about a third of its locations, over a three-year period.
Tony Spring, the retailerâs chairman and CEO, said that while âclosing any store is never easy,â this will allow the company to focus its âresources and prioritize investmentsâ in its other locations.
Macyâs told Axios clearance sales will begin this month and run for up to 12 weeks.
Friends, family remember President Jimmy Carter at state funeral in Washington
Family, friends and fellow lawmakers honored former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday, a National Day of Mourning, during a state funeral in Washington, D.C. All five surviving presidents attended the service at the National Cathedral.Â
President Joe Biden, who declared Thursday a National Day of Mourning, delivered a eulogy for his late friend.
âJimmy Carterâs friendship taught me and through his life taught me the strength of character is more than title or the power we hold. Itâs a strength to understand that everyone should be treated with dignity. Respect that everyone, and I mean everyone, deserves an even shot, not a guarantee, but just a shot. You know, we have an obligation to give hate no safe harbor. And to stand up to â my dad used to say was the greatest sin of all â the abuse of power. Thatâs not about being perfect as none of us are perfect. Weâre all fallible. But itâs about asking ourselves âAre we striving to do things, the right things? What value, what are the values that animate our spirit? Do we operate from fear or hope, ego or generosity? Do we show grace? Do we keep the faith when itâs most tested?â Or keeping the faith with the best of humankind and the best of America is a story, in my view, from my perspective, of Jimmy Carterâs life.â
Carterâs grandchildren also spoke about their late grandfather.
âThey were small-town people who never forgot who they were and where they were from no matter what happened in their lives,â Jason Carter said. âBut I recognize that we are not here because he was just a regular guy. As youâve heard from the other speakers, his political life and his presidency for me was not just ahead of its time, it was prophetic. He had the courage and strength to stick to his principles, even when they were politically unpopular.â
Following a private funeral in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, Carter was laid to rest next to his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn.
US Department of Justice to release limited final report on Trump cases
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says it will release volume one of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on President-elect Donald Trump’s election interference case. However, the department said that it will withhold volume two of the report that focuses on Trump’s possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida from the public for now.
The filing by the DOJ on Wednesday, Jan. 8, was issued to a federal appeals court that is weighing a request from Trump’s lawyers to block the release of Smith’s report.
Two of Trump’s former co-defendants face charges in the classified documents case, and requested emergency motions to block the release of the final report this week.
The DOJ said on Wednesday that it will now release just the first of two volumes focusing on Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, while only allowing chairmen and ranking members of the U.S. House and Senate Judiciary Committees to privately review the classified documents report.
The Justice Department said that volume two will not be released as long as the classified documents case against Trump’s valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira is ongoing. Filings also stated that the “limited disclosure” will protect “the defendants’ interests” while informing U.S. Congress and “the public regarding this significant matter.”
The DOJ also requested, in its filing, for the appeals court to throw out Cannon’s order blocking the release of any portion of Smith’s report. Unless vacated, the temporary injunction remains in effect until three days after the appeals court announces its decision.
If the appeals court grants the DOJ’s request, volume one may be released any time after the ruling.
Reports suggested the 29-year-old journalist’s detention was connected to an Iranian engineer facing charges from the U.S. Justice Department.
Some Italian commentators believed Tehran detained Sala as a bargaining chip to secure the release of Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini.
Three days before Sala’s arrest, Italian authorities arrested Abedini on a U.S. warrant.
The U.S. Justice Department indicted Abedini and another Iranian on charges of supplying Tehran with drone technology used to kill three American troops in Jordan in January 2024.
Biden administration asks federal appeals court to block 9/11 plea deals
The Biden administration asked a federal appeals court to block a plea agreement for accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The controversial deal would spare Mohammed from the death penalty for his role in planning the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
The deadly attack rocked the U.S. and began the war on terrorism.
In court filings Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Justice Department argued the government would be irreparably harmed if the guilty pleas were accepted for Mohammed and two co-defendants in the 9/11 attacks.
It said the government would be denied a chance for a public trial and the opportunity to âseek capital punishment against three men charged with a heinous act of mass murder that caused the death of thousands of people and shocked the nation and the world.â
However, attorneys for the defendants argued the deal was already legally in effect and that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who began the administrationâs efforts to throw it out, acted too late.
Mohammed is set to enter his guilty plea on Friday, Jan. 10, if the appeal is not granted. His co-defendants, accused of lesser roles in 9/11, are due to enter theirs next week.
Wildfires force thousands to evacuate Southern California
Three massive wildfires are burning out of control in Southern California, putting thousands of homes at risk. And President-elect Donald Trump shares his plans to acquire Greenland, the Panama Canal and bring Canada as the 51st state. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.
Southern California wildfires force thousands to evacuate
Three separate wildfires are burning in the Los Angeles, California, area, and there is no end in sight, as strong winds are fueling the flames. The most extreme of the three is the Palisades Fire, which spans nearly 3,000 acres and has already forced 30,000 residents to evacuate.
Cities surrounding Pacific Palisades, including Malibu, issued evacuation orders. Officials there told all residents to prepare to leave their homes, whether they were under evacuation orders or not since the inferno was moving so quickly.
All hands are on deck to fight the #PalisadesFire in Southern California. California is deeply grateful for the brave firefighters & first responders battling the blaze.
We will continue to mobilize resources and support local communities as they respond to this severe weather. pic.twitter.com/JZrYy85e4z
The neighboring city of Santa Monica also issued an evacuation order for the northern part of the city. It also closed the area to the public, warning of an immediate threat to life.
As thousands of firefighters continue to battle the flames, authorities work to find the fireâs cause.
A second wildfire, dubbed the Eaton Fire, burns near Pasadena. A city spokeswoman said it has âcreated its own firestormâ with flying embers igniting at least a dozen other spot fires.
So far, the Eaton Fire has consumed about 1,000 acres. It engulfed homes and forced more than 100 people to evacuate from a nursing home â some in wheelchairs and on gurneys. A federal disaster declaration is now in effect for the Eaton Fire.
Crews are also battling the Hurst Fire about 100 acres in the San Fernando Valley, which is in the northern part of Los Angeles County. The Hurst Fire also prompted evacuation orders.
The Los Angeles County canceled schools in 19 districts Wednesday, Jan. 8. Plus, more than 200,000 people are without access to power, either because of the powerful Santa Ana winds or because a utility provider turned off electricity to prevent additional fires.
The forecast called for the winds to continue for days, producing gusts that could top 100 miles per hour in the mountains and foothills.
Biden administration asks federal appeals court to block 9/11 plea deals
The Biden administration asked a federal appeals court to block a plea agreement for accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The controversial deal would spare Mohammed from the death penalty for his role in planning the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
The deadly attack rocked the U.S. and began the war on terrorism.
In court filings Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Justice Department argued the government would be irreparably harmed if the guilty pleas were accepted for Mohammed and two co-defendants in the 9/11 attacks.
It said the government would be denied a chance for a public trial and the opportunity to âseek capital punishment against three men charged with a heinous act of mass murder that caused the death of thousands of people and shocked the nation and the world.â
The Defense Department negotiated and approved the plea deal but later revoked it.
However, attorneys for the defendants argued the deal was already legally in effect and that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who began the administrationâs efforts to throw it out, acted too late.
Mohammed is set to enter his guilty plea on Friday, Jan. 10, if the appeal is not granted. His co-defendants, accused of lesser roles in 9/11, are due to enter theirs next week.
Harris, Johnson deliver eulogies for President Jimmy Carter
The 39th president died last week at the age of 100.
Carterâs body had been lying in repose since Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta before being transported Tuesday morning to Washington D.C.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson each delivered a eulogy during Tuesdayâs ceremony
âWe all know that his care for humanity didnât stop at building homes,â Johnson said. âIn the face of illness, President Jimmy Carter brought lifesaving medicine. In the face of conflict, he brokered peace. In the face of discrimination, he reminded us that we are all made in the image of God. If you were to ask him why he did it all, he would likely point to his faith.â
Harris highlighted Carterâs faith. She said, âJames Earl Carter, Jr. loved our country. He lived his faith. He served the people. And he left the world better than he found it.â
Carterâs body will lie in state through Thursday morning, Jan. 9, and then be taken to the National Cathedral for a state funeral. Biden is expected to deliver a eulogy.
Trump suggests using military, economic force to expand America
In a wide-ranging press conference from Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump touched on a bunch of topics, including a $20 billion foreign investment to build data centers in the U.S. He also talked about his plans to revoke Bidenâs recent ban on offshore oil and natural gas drilling as well as expansion strategies for the United States.
Trump reiterated his goals of acquiring the Panama Canal, which has been under Panamaâs sole control since 1999, and Greenland, a territory of Denmark.
Trumpâs son, Donald Trump Jr., is leading an American delegation currently in Greenland, though the countryâs prime minister said he is there as âa private individual.â
Greenlandic Prime Minister MĂşte Egede reiterated this point, saying âGreenland belongs to the Greenlanders. Our future and fight for independence is our business.â
A reporter asked the president-elect if he can assure that he would not use any military force to take control of either the Panama Canal or Greenland.
âI canât assure you, youâre talking about Panama and Greenland,â Trump replied. âNo, I canât assure you on either of those two but, I can say this we need them for economic security. The Panama Canal was built for a military. Iâm not going to commit to that now.â
In response to those remarks, the prime minister of Denmark called the United States its countryâs âclosest allyâ and did not believe the U.S. would use any force to secure Greenland. Panamaâs foreign minister repeated earlier comments from the countryâs president that the sovereignty of the Panama Canal is not negotiable.
â[Iâd use] economic force because Canada and the United States â that would really be something,â he said. âYou get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like. It would also be much better for national security. Donât forget, we basically protect Canada.â
Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued his response in a post on X saying, âThere isnât a snowballâs chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.âThe president-elect also spoke of one more geographical goal of his in the upcoming term: to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, saying it âhas a beautiful ring to it.â
Not long after his remarks, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she directed her staff to begin drafting legislation for the name change.
Police: Former soldier used AI to plan Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion attack
New details are emerging about the man who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day. Las Vegas police said Tuesday the attacker used generative AI, including ChatGPT to plan the attack.
An investigation into former soldier Matthew Livelsberger, 37, found his search history on ChatGPT included questions about firearms and explosives. Straight Arrow News reporter Lauren Taylor has more details on the investigation into the Cybertruck explosion.
Girl Scout cookie season begins, 2 flavors discontinued
Girl Scout cookie season has arrived. The annual tradition is meant to teach young girls about entrepreneurial skills through selling boxes of cookies.
Almost everyone has a favorite, of course, but if yours is Girl Scout Sâmores or Toast-Yay! Cookies â bad news. The Girl Scouts plan to retire those two flavors later this year.
The organization said discontinuing those two flavors may lead to something new and delicious.
Two federal inmates reject Bidenâs commutation of their death sentences
Two federal inmates who spent years on death row are rejecting President Joe Bidenâs commutation of their sentences. Both men have already filed emergency motions requesting that their commutations be blocked.
Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis, who refused to sign their paperwork after Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 inmates last month, are appealing their cases. They believe their status on death row will help them fight their convictions.
Agofsky is in jail on murder and robbery charges. He received his death sentence following the 2001 murder of a fellow inmate. NBC News reported he has opposed commutation to receive extra legal help for his appeals as a death row inmate.
Davis, meanwhile, is a former police officer in jail for the murder of a woman who filed a complaint against him after he allegedly assaulted a teenager. Davis says the court had no jurisdiction to try him for the case.
But getting their commutations reversed may be an uphill battle.
A 1927 Supreme Court case ruled that presidents do not need the consent of convicts to grant them pardons, commutations or clemency.
Judge blocks US Dept. of Justice release of final reports on Trump cases
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump asked in a letter published on Monday, Jan. 6, for Attorney General Merrick Garland to stop Special Counsel Jack Smith from releasing his final reports on the election interference and classified documents cases. Now, the federal judge who dismissed Trump’s classified documents case is temporarily blocking the release of those reports.
Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order on Tuesday, Jan. 7, that halts the release of the reports while an appeals court decides on emergency motions filed by Trump’s former co-defendants in the classified documents case.
Cannon’s ruling means the appeals court will be left to decide whether or not Smith final reports will be released.
Cannon said in her ruling that blocking the reports was necessary “to prevent irreparable harm” to Trump and his associates until the appeals court decides its next steps. Meanwhile, some legal critics are arguing Cannon does not have the authority to block the reports, and that she is seeking to delay the documents release.
The legal battle is playing out less than two weeks before Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, after which his incoming Justice Department will take over the handling of Smith’s reports.
Trump vows to pardon January 6 rioters in ‘first hour’ of 2nd term
President-elect Donald Trump promises to pardon Jan. 6 rioters in the “first hour” of his second term. The U.S. Constitution allows the president to grant pardons for federal offenses except in cases of impeachment.
On Jan. 6, 2021, a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
1,583 rioters have been convicted of various crimes. They range from trespassing to more serious offenses like assaulting law enforcement officers, destruction of government property, and conspiracy.
On the campaign trail, Trump called January 6th prisoners “patriots.” He also called what the Justice Department did to them “unfair.”
Then, for his Time Magazine “Person of the Year” interview, the magazine asked Trump if he would pardon all the Jan. 6 defendants.
“I’m going to do case-by-case and if they were non-violent, I think they’ve been greatly punished. And the answer is I will be doing that, yeah, I’m going to look if there’s some that really were out of control,” Trump said.
While Trump did not issue a formal pledge to pardon all those involved, his comments sparked controversy.
Adam Schiff, the Democratic congressman from California, opposed the idea of Trump pardoning individuals convicted in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. He appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Jan. 5.
“If the president goes forward with pardoning vast numbers of people involved in that violence,” Schiff said. “He will begin his new administration the way he ended his last administration and that is by celebrating violence against our democracy.”
The Justice Department also released new numbers on the Jan. 6 cases Monday. They say there are approximately 300 cases in which a defendant has been charged but not yet found guilty or entered a plea.
Additionally, nearly 180 of those cases involved serious charges. They include assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder. Both of those charges are felony offenses.
Trump’s swearing-in and second term in office will begin on Jan. 20.
New year, same fees: The debate over credit card swipe fees continues
Even as inflation cools, small businesses across the country are feeling the heat from credit card swipe fees as more consumers pay with plastic. âSwipe feesâ is the catchall term for businessesâ payments to banks and card companies each time customers use their credit or debit cards to pay.
While a federal rule caps debit card swipe fees at 21 cents per transaction, fees for credit card swipes can be much higher. Businesses have seen credit card transactions only go up as more and more people opt to link their card to mobile payment apps.
According to the Nilson Report, which tracks the card and mobile payment industry, in 2023 the U.S. saw $172 billion in swipe fees. Nilson Report said merchants paid Visa and Mastercard an average of 2.26% in swipe fees, accounting for more than $100 billion.
Visa accounted for 52%Â of all spending on the U.S.â four major credit card networks, which also includes Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
On top of that, some of Visaâs fees just went up on Jan. 1. That move comes amid growing pushback from critics, including some lawmakers, who say swipe fees are excessive and frequently get passed on to shoppers.
In September, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit accusing Visa of maintaining an illegal monopoly over debit card payment networks, which Attorney General Merrick Garland said has impacted the price of ânearly everything.â
Visa and Mastercard also agreed to a $30 billion settlement in March, meant to reduce their swipe fees by four basis points for three years. However, a federal judge rejected the settlement in June, saying they could afford to pay more.
Congress has taken up the fight, proposing the Credit Card Competition Act. The bipartisan bill, which has stalled, would boost competition among credit card processing companies, which advocacy group Merchants Payments Coalition says is essential.