
Travis Scott will not face criminal charges over Astroworld crowd crush
Travis Scott -- the rapper and producer who organized the ill-fated 2021 Astroworld Festival -- will not be indicted in connection with the crowd crush that left 10 people dead and injured hundreds at the event, District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Thursday.
2023-06-30 06:15

Trump demanded to get ‘my boxes’ back from feds as indictment loomed
As Donald Trump’s lawyers began preparing for a federal indictment, the ex-president was allegedly still hoping to get the documents and boxes seized from Mar-a-Lago back, according to a report. Mr Trump referred to the classified material as “my boxes” and “my documents” and asked his lawyers to retrieve the material, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Rolling Stone. The Independent has reached out to Mr Trump for comment. Throughout special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Mr Trump’s alleged mishandling of the material and after his indictment, the ex-president has maintained his innocence and claimed ownership over the documents under the Presidential Records Act. “Under the Presidential Records Act — which is civil, not criminal — I had every right to have these documents,” Mr Trump said in a speech at his New Jersey golf club following his arraignment on federal charges. Last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized multiple boxes of documents, of which 21 were labelled “Top Secret” and some contained information related to nuclear weaponry of the United States Mr Trump was indicted on 37 counts related to willful retention of national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal and making false statements and representations. The FBI forcibly seized the classified material after discovering Mr Trump had allegedly not turned over documents from his time in office. “In addition to having every right under the Presidential Records Act, is that these boxes were containing all types of personal belongings — many, many things, shirts and shoes, everything,” Mr Trump added. Under the Presidential Records Act, Mr Trump was required to turn over all records to the National Archives or go through the proper steps to dispose of records that no longer held administrative, historical, informational or evidentiary value. To do so, Mr Trump would have had to seek the views of the Archivist of the United States. Over and over again on Truth Social and in speeches, Mr Trump has cited this law, incorrectly, to assert his ownership. Even in the indictment, which was unsealed earlier this month, one of Mr Trump’s attorneys testified to federal investigators that the former president did not want to hand over the classified material when the federal government requested it. The attorney alleged that Mr Trump told him “I don’t want anybody looking through my boxes” and allegedly suggested they “just don’t respond at all” to investigators requesting Mr Trump return the boxes. Mr Trump was arraigned on his indictment earlier this month in Miami, Florida. Read More Prosecutors are prepared to hit Trump and his allies with new charges, sources say Top Trump aide revealed as individual he allegedly showed classified map, report says Trump news - live: DoJ prepared for more charges as insider trading scheme uncovered at Trump Media SPAC New ad mocks Trump’s excuse that he was too ‘busy’ to hand back boxes of secret government intel Is Donald Trump going to prison? Trump fumes about ‘illegally leaked’ CNN tape of him boasting about classified documents
2023-06-30 05:59

Accused Jan 6 rioter arrested near Obama’s home after making threats towards ‘public figure’
A shocking scene played out in the wealthy Washington DC neighborhood of Kalorama on Thursday as a man was chased by police and Secret Service while he ran towards the home of former President Barack Obama — and as the man warned authorities that he had an explosive device. According to the DC Metropolitan Police Department, 37-year-old Taylor Taranto was arrested near Mr Obama’s home on Thursday. CBS News reported that he fled after being spotted by Secret Service, who had apparently been alerted to his intentions after Mr Taranto made “threats during recent livestreams on social media”. Mr Taranto had an active arrest warrant related to the attack on the Capitol when he was captured near the former president’s home, according to CBS. DC police confirmed to The Independent that Mr Taranto had been charged with being a fugitive from justice pursuant to another arrest warrant, and that officers had conducted an explosives sweep of his vehicle. “This afternoon, MPD and our federal law enforcement partners arrested 37-year-old Taylor Taranto, of no fixed address, in the 2400 block of Kalorama Road, Northwest. He has been charged with Fugitive from Justice, pursuant to an arrest warrant. Arresting officers requested MPD's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual's van near the location of the arrest. There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation,” wrote an MPD spokesperson. It wasn’t immediately clear if Mr Obama or any members of his family were home at the time of the incident. The former president was in DC just two days ago for lunch with his former VP, incumbent President Joe Biden, as the latter begins the long work of running for re-election. The Independent has reached out to US Secret Service for further details. Read More Biden’s economy pitch: Campaign like Reagan while refuting Reagan’s policies Affirmative action is out in higher education. What comes next for college admissions? DeSantis accused of breaking the law with Texas border trip
2023-06-30 05:57

Rapper Travis Scott will not face criminal charges in Astroworld crowd surge, his lawyer says
An attorney for rapper Travis Scott says a grand jury has declined to indict him in a criminal investigation into a massive crowd surge that killed 10 people at the 2021 Astroworld music festival in Houston
2023-06-30 05:19

At least 100,000 could have had data exposed after US health department was hit by global cyberattack
At least 100,000 people could have had their data compromised by a hack of contractors at the Department of Health and Human Services, a department official said Thursday, making it the latest US government agency to be caught up in a sweeping cyberattack connected to Russian cybercriminals.
2023-06-30 05:18

US conservative group led by billionaire Koch to spend big to beat Trump
By Alexandra Ulmer (Reuters) -The conservative U.S. political network led by billionaire Charles Koch has raised over $70 million to
2023-06-30 04:56

Judge denies Trump motion to dismiss Carroll defamation lawsuit
A federal judge denied Donald Trump's motion to dismiss E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit, finding the former president's legal arguments are "without merit."
2023-06-30 04:56

Judge rejects Trump bid to dismiss E. Jean Carroll's first defamation lawsuit
By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -A federal judge on Thursday rejected Donald Trump's bid to dismiss the first of
2023-06-30 04:55

Top Trump campaign aide Susie Wiles met numerous times with special counsel investigators in documents probe
A senior campaign official for Donald Trump was allegedly shown a classified map by the former president during a meeting at his New Jersey golf club after Trump left office, according to a source familiar with the matter.
2023-06-30 04:53

US FDA approves BioMarin's gene therapy for hemophilia A
By Nathan Gomes (Reuters) -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved BioMarin Pharmaceutical's gene therapy for hemophilia A,
2023-06-30 04:28

Parkland school police officer who failed to intervene in mass shooting cleared of child neglect charges
The former sheriff’s deputy who failed to act during the Parkland high school shooting in 2018 when 17 people were killed has been found not guilty of child neglect and other charges. Scot Peterson moved away from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as children and teachers were inside with the gunman. The ex-Broward County sheriff’s deputy was found not guilty on seven counts of child neglect, three counts of culpable negligence in connection to the deaths and injuries of 10 people on the third floor of the school where the massacre took place, The New York Times noted. Mr Peterson was also acquitted on a perjury charge after telling police that he only heard a few gunshots and that he didn’t see any students fleeing the area. A father of one of the victims has told the former deputy to “rot in hell” and he was branded as the “coward in Broward” after facing criticism from some fellow officers for supposedly being too scared to take action. The gunman, Nicholas Cruz, was sentenced last year to life in prison several years after the shooting that killed 17 people and injured another 17 on 14 February 2018 – Mr Peterson was the only armed resource officer at the school on that day. Mr Peterson, 60, became emotional on Thursday as the Broward County Judge read the verdict at the Fort Lauderdale court. A few family members of the victims were in the courtroom as the verdict was announced. More follows...
2023-06-30 04:17

Jury acquits former Florida deputy of failing to protect students in Parkland school shooting
(Reuters) -A Florida jury on Thursday acquitted a former sheriff's deputy accused of failing to protect students during the 2018
2023-06-30 03:52