Author: Stephanie Gauthier

Much of the final report of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and keep himself in power has finally been made public.

The report on federal charges against Trump for election interference in 2020 offers special counsel Jack Smith a last chance to explain his decisions after dropping the case.

— NPR (@npr.org) 2025-01-14T11:50:43.942Z

In it, Jack Smith states that it is clear, in his opinion, that Trump would have been found guilty in view of the overwhelming evidence gathered in the case.

The federal charges against Trump were dropped when he won the presidential election. However, a final report, which Trump tried until the end to keep confidential, has finally been published.

According to Smith, the evidence gathered against Trump was sufficient to convict him.

Jack Smith points out that the only reason protecting Trump from certain conviction is the Justice Department’s long-standing policy against prosecuting a sitting president, which forced it to drop its case against him.

Recall that Smith has faced relentless forwards from Trump and his allies, but he claims to have remained impartial in his work. In his view, to act otherwise given the facts gathered in this case would have been a dereliction of his duties as a prosecutor and public servant.

After nearly 30 years of public service, he says it was a decision he could not accept.

The report also explains why Trump was not charged with inciting an insurrection on the now infamous day of January 6, 2021.

Investigators in the case were unable to prove that he participated in the offense, nor could they establish direct evidence that Trump intended to provoke the scale of violence that occurred that day.

Jack Smith’s final report was submitted to the Justice Department on January 7, and that Smith resigned on January 10, a few days before Donald Trump officially took office in the White House.

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, criticizes the misinformation propagated by Trump and invites him to come and see for himself the devastation and destruction caused by the fires in Los Angeles, whose death toll continues to rise.

In an interview with NBC News, he adds, “Misinformation and disinformation don’t benefit or help any of us.”

In a letter sent to President-elect Trump, California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged Trump to visit his state and see the destruction from the wildfires in person.

— NBC News (@nbcnews.com) 2025-01-11T15:45:01.796Z

Governor Gavin Newsom, regularly criticized by President-elect Donald Trump since the start of the Los Angeles fires, has been falsely accused by Trump, in multiple posts on Truth Social, of blocking a measure that would have allowed water to flow from northern to southern California.

Trump accuses Newsom of wanting to protect “a virtually worthless fish called the smelt”, justifying his refusal to sign the measure. He adds, “He’s the one responsible for this situation.”

In addition to criticizing California’s governor, Trump also takes a swipe at President Joe Biden, saying, “NO WATER IN THE FIRE DRAINS, NO MONEY FOR FEMA. THIS IS WHAT JOE BIDEN LEAVES ME. THANK YOU, JOE!”

For his part, Newsom responds that Trump is unjustifiably trying to link smelt to these fires, which he says is not only inaccurate, but also incomprehensible to anyone familiar with California’s water management policy.

Newsom fears that Trump, who threatened to suspend disaster aid to the state of California after his inauguration, will make good on his threat. He fears that this aid, essential for those in need, will be cut off purely for political gamesmanship.

During the interview, Newsom said he had received no response to the invitation sent to Trump in a written letter, encouraging him to return to California to see first-hand the devastation caused by the wildfires, as he had done during the Paradise, California, wildfires in November 2018.

He also invited him to meet Americans affected by the fires and join him in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who risk their lives on the ground.

It should be remembered that these major fires have claimed the lives of 25 people, while several others are still missing.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, eight victims have perished in the Palisades fire and 17 in the Eaton fire to date.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg used his recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s show to criticize Joe Biden’s administration, what he considers the cultural elite, including mainstream media and journalists, as well as his own company, Meta.

This unusual tirade for the introverted Zuckerberg was clearly aimed at displaying his new allegiance and loyalty to Donald Trump and his allies.

Mark Zuckerberg criticized the Biden administration for pushing for censorship around COVID-19 vaccines, the media for hounding Facebook to clamp down on misinformation after the 2016 election, and his own company for complying in an appearance on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.

— Axios (@axios.com) 2025-01-10T21:39:31.447Z

Zuckerberg has recently stepped up his efforts to demonstrate his unwavering support for the Trump administration. In particular, he has appointed people close to Trump to key positions at Meta, donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, and ended his fact-checking program on his platforms, as well as his DEI initiatives.

He also spoke about these topics on Joe Rogan’s podcast.

There, he touched on a variety of topics, expressing growing resentment towards many of them, including his own company’s policies.

Zuckerberg also sharply criticized the Biden administration for its handling of the COVID health crisis, accusing it of unfairly imposing a form of censorship on his company. Although he admits to having agreed with most of these directives at the time, he says the tipping point for him came when Biden publicly accused social networks of “killing people” by allowing misinformation to spread.

According to him, the Biden administration regularly contacted his team to “shout, hurl insults” and “threaten retaliation” if certain posts, even those Zuckerberg considered truthful, were not removed from his social networks.

Meta’s CEO goes all the way back to the 2016 election to further his thoughts, claiming that he and others within the company wrongly bought into the idea promoted by “the mainstream media” that misinformation on social networks helped elect Donald Trump.

Zuckerberg now claims that he and his company were “too biased” in their judgment at the time.

Donald Trump fought hard right up to the last minute to try and escape sentencing.

He finally received his sentence, with the judge granting him an “unconditional discharge” after he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments intended to conceal an alleged affair with Stormy Daniels.

President-elect Donald Trump is set to be sentenced Friday, as part of a case in which a New York jury convicted him on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult-film actress shortly before the 2016 electionLive updates here:

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) 2025-01-10T14:28:16.105Z

Recall that Donald Trump’s high-profile trial in this case took place from April 15 to May 30, 2024.

Trump appeared via videoconference to receive his sentence, finally handed down on the morning of January 10.

His urgent request to the Supreme Court to prevent the hearing from taking place had been rejected the day before, with the close 5-4 decision going against the former president.

At his sentencing hearing via Zoom, prosecuting attorney Joshua Steinglass sharply criticized Trump, saying he had done lasting damage to public perception of the criminal justice system and considered himself above the law.

Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche says the trial has been a terrible experience for his client.

Trump spoke out to share his experience, declaring the ruling a setback for New York’s justice system.

He also said that Alvin Bragg had not wished to pursue the case, claiming that it had been mishandled and should never have been brought to court.

Trump’s conviction in this case constitutes a Class E misdemeanor in New York, punishable by up to four years in prison.

However, most people convicted receive probation rather than jail time.

Nevertheless, it was clear that Trump would not face a harsh sentence, especially after Judge Juan Merchan’s opinion was posted last week.

He said the trial represented “a truly extraordinary case”, but that once the trial got underway, it was just another trial. Merchan also pointed out that the legal protections surrounding a president are exceptional, but the person himself is not.

Merchan ultimately granted him an “unconditional discharge”, without jail time, fines or probation, while noting that one power they don’t grant is the power to erase a jury’s verdict, making Trump’s conviction official.

Trump is doing well in this high-profile court case, escaping punishment for his actions.

However, the conviction remains on his criminal record, making him the first American president to have a criminal conviction to his credit.

This chapter is unlikely to be over for Trump, as his lawyer has announced their intention to appeal the verdict.

The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed the death of a person recently diagnosed with severe symptoms of H5N1 avian influenza, making this the first death linked to the virus.

America's first bird flu death has been reported in Louisiana. The state's Department of Health says the person was over 65 and reportedly had underlying medical conditions. cnn.it/3Pqi3i3

— CNN (@cnn.com) 2025-01-06T21:21:42.499Z

The death comes at a time when the H5N1 virus has recently undergone an unusual mutation that is causing concern to the World Health Organization. This mutation, judged to be one of the most worrying ever observed, is currently being closely monitored.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, the 65-year-old deceased was most likely exposed to H5N1 through contact with domestic birds in the backyard of his home, which in turn interacted with wild birds.

However, the investigation concluded that no other cases of human H5N1 were linked to this incident.

H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain of avian flu, emerged in 2003, primarily affecting Asia. Since then, more than 800 very severe human cases of H5N1 have been confirmed, with a mortality rate of around 50%.

Since its appearance in 2003, H5N1 has had a profound impact on the food industry, particularly poultry and dairy production, leading to the slaughter of hundreds of millions of birds to curb its spread.

This crisis has led to considerable economic losses, disrupted supply chains due to global health concerns.

The virus is being closely monitored in the USA and Canada, particularly after a 13-year-old girl in British Columbia, recently hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1, survived the infection.

The cause of her infection remains unknown, despite extensive investigation.

Authorities are reassuring that no human-to-human transmission has been identified to date.

Tesla, one of the most iconic electric car brands of recent years, has reported an unexpected drop in sales for the first time.

Tesla reported the first full-year drop in sales in its history as a public company, as increased competition and slowing demand for electric vehicles hit its results.

— CNN (@cnn.com) 2025-01-02T17:14:08.771Z

Tesla has announced an annual drop in sales, the first since its IPO, perhaps marking the start of a new phase for the company.

At 1% down on 2023, this slowdown marks a turning point for the company after years of sustained growth. According to experts, this decline can be explained by increased competition and a drop in demand for electric vehicles.

Once the undisputed benchmark for electric vehicles, Tesla is now facing fierce competition from numerous automakers who, having caught up, are now offering products that are increasingly competitive and viable against Tesla’s.

Tesla now faces a formidable competitor in one of its key markets, particularly with Chinese rivals such as BYD, whose popularity continues to grow in China.

This decline certainly marks a new chapter for the company, which will have to evolve in a changing market with diminishing demand.

Tesla shares reacted to the post with a drop of over 3%. This decline comes after a period of rise observed during the election of Donald Trump, an ally of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who had invested millions of dollars in the election campaign.

In an interview with USA Today, Joe Biden, in his final hours in the White House, emphatically reaffirms that he would have been able to beat Trump and that he considered himself best placed to do so.

President Biden insisted in a new interview out today that he could have beaten Trump in the 2024 election, even as he admitted he was unsure that he had the stamina for another term.

— Axios (@axios.com) 2025-01-08T13:49:22.361Z

When a USA Today reporter asked Joe Biden if he thought he could have won the election in November, he replied that he found it presumptuous to say so, but that he thought so, based on the polls he had before he withdrew from the race, despite the enormous pressure he was under at the time.

Asked by the reporter about his ability to serve the country for a second four-year term, Joe Biden candidly replied that he wasn’t sure.

He explained that when Trump ran for re-election, he genuinely thought he was in the best position to beat him, but said he had never considered being president at 85 or 86.

Biden also mentioned raising the idea of passing the baton, without going into detail, adding that it was impossible to predict whether he could have been president for another term.

“So far, so good,” he asserted, before concluding:

“But who knows what I’ll be like at 86?”

Despite his low popularity rating and the many questions about his physical and mental health, Biden remains confident in his abilities.

He does, however, seem to feel some regret at having given way to his vice-president, who suffered a crushing defeat to Trump in the election.

Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former lawyer and deposed ex-mayor of New York, is back in the headlines after being found in contempt of court in a defamation suit.

Rudy Giuliani was held in contempt of court for failing to cooperate in the handover of $11 million of his personal assets to Georgia poll workers he falsely accused of helping to steal the 2020 presidential election. nyti.ms/40mT4CB

— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-01-07T02:01:47.597Z

He had been convicted of repeatedly defaming two election workers after the 2020 elections.

The two Georgia election workers, a mother and daughter, repeatedly falsely accused by Rudy Giuliani of contributing to the alleged theft of the 2020 presidential election, have won a $148 million judgment in their defamation suit against Donald Trump’s former lawyer.

A battle ensued in an attempt to seize Rudy Giuliani’s assets in order to execute the verdict against him. For months, he evaded attempts to locate him, making collection difficult. He was finally spotted thanks to a live video he had broadcast for his birthday.

This marked the beginning of a new phase in the case, with several weeks of intensive efforts to seize his assets, including his residence on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, rare Yankee collectibles and a collection of 26 luxury watches.

But now, a federal judge found Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court on Monday for his refusal to cooperate in the transfer of $11 million of his personal property, including those mentioned above.

The consequences of Rudy Giuliani’s contempt of court remain uncertain and could include fines or even jail time. According to the New York Times, his Florida condo, valued at $3.5 million, could also be at risk. Giuliani, however, seems to be doing everything in his power to protect this property from the verdict.

In November, one of Rudy Giuliani’s lawyers, also a long-time friend, withdrew from the case for initially unknown reasons.

A recently posted letter reveals that Giuliani was refusing to cooperate in the disclosure process regarding his Florida condo and was blocking access to his electronic devices. These refusals to cooperate add to his multiple attempts at delay and avoidance that have been going on for months.

Giuliani will have to appear in court on January 16, a date he had tried to postpone in order to attend events related to Trump’s inauguration as president. There, he will seek to demonstrate that his Palm Beach condo, being his primary residence, should be exempt from foreclosure, a potentially valid argument under Florida law.

Rudy Giuliani could also face separate contempt of court charges on January 10, as he is accused of violating an order prohibiting him from repeating false claims against the women who won the defamation suit against him.

Meta has decided to discontinue its fact-checking program on its social networking platforms.

With this decision, the company seems to be aligning itself with the example set by X, renouncing the need to verify information disseminated and choosing to transfer this responsibility to its community, via annotations or corrections.

Breaking News: Meta said it would end its fact-checking program and rely instead on Facebook and Instagram users to add notes or corrections to posts. The move is likely to please the incoming Trump administration and its conservative allies.

— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-01-07T13:07:24.664Z

Until now, misinformation on Facebook, Instagram and Threads has been moderated by the company.

Zuckerberg tried to justify his decision by declaring that it was time to “get back to our free speech roots” and claiming that his company was making “too many mistakes and exercising too much censorship”.

This sudden change seems to be a direct response to Trump’s arrival at the presidency, especially as Meta has recently integrated several influential figures close to Trump into its ranks.

Mark Zuckerberg, through his company Meta, also recently donated $1 million to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund for his inauguration scheduled for January 20.

This initiative is part of a series of actions aimed at strengthening ties between Meta and the Trump administration. These include the appointment of Dana White, president of the UFC and close to Trump, to Meta’s board of directors, and the promotion of Joel Kaplan, an influential Republican, to director of global policy.

These decisions reflect a clear desire by Meta and Zuckerberg to align themselves more closely with the Trump administration.

Zuckerberg also acknowledged that this regulatory change would likely lead to an increase in “problematic content” on its platforms, while claiming that it would “reduce the number of innocent posts and accounts deleted by mistake”.

The move comes as Republicans, including Kaplan, recently appointed to Meta, accuse social networks and fact-checking sites of political bias.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Matthew Livelsberger, a U.S. Army Special Forces Master Sergeant, meticulously orchestrated the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas last week.

He also reportedly refined his plan and made adjustments “in real time” over several days using ChatGPT.

The active-duty US Army Green Beret who authorities say exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas last week used artificial intelligence to plan the blast, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

— CNN (@cnn.com) 2025-01-07T22:43:15.972Z

At the most recent press briefing regarding the investigation into the Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, authorities revealed disturbing details about how the suspect, who died just before the blast, meticulously developed his plan.

Investigators discovered a “six-page manifesto” on his cell phone, in which he explained every step of his project in detail.

Livelsberger allegedly carefully orchestrated the explosion, triggered by a combination of fireworks, gas tanks and a large quantity of camping fuel placed in the vehicle’s body, all activated via a device he controlled.

At the press briefing, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department showed surveillance footage where the camping fuel can clearly be seen spilling onto the ground after the vehicle involved passed.

He reportedly clarified every detail with ChatGPT, from the materials used to the exact quantities needed to achieve the desired effect.

In his manifesto, Livelsberger, who committed suicide shortly before the explosion, claimed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while admitting to regular drug use and large quantities of alcohol, revealing serious mental health problems combined with political grievances.

According to investigators, in his manifesto Livelsberger expresses his intention to be “as detailed as possible” to facilitate investigations and allow focus on “the task at hand”.

He describes this task as “eliminating Democratic Party elements in the current administration, the remaining generals in the army, as well as members of the Joint Chiefs” of Staff, whom he visibly perceived as undesirable political influences within the administration and military hierarchy.

He also claims to have believed he was being followed for most of his journey from Colorado to his final destination, outside the Trump International Hotel.

Authorities clarified, however, that the suspect had no criminal history and was not under surveillance by the FBI or the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department prior to the events.

Authorities expressed deep concern at the accuracy with which ChatGPT answered Livelsberger’s questions in planning this forward, claiming that the use of AI was a real “turning point” in this event.

For their part, OpenAI representatives told CNN they were “saddened by this incident” and reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring responsible use of AI tools, adding that their models “are designed to reject harmful instructions and minimize harmful content”.