Daily Briefing: What is a target letter?
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Former President Donald Trump revealed he was sent a letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith that says he is a target of an investigation related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Also in the news: Record heat grips parts of the U.S. and what "Barbenheimer" means.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Ketchup and mustard! Happy National Hot Dog Day!
Now, here we go with Wednesday's news.
Donald Trump predicts arrest and indictment
In a written statement, Trump said Tuesday Special Counsel Jack Smith sent a letter "giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment."
The special counsel probe centers on whether Trump incited supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and also includes Trump's efforts to overturn Biden's wins in several states.
What's a target letter? This is a document that prosecutors send to people under investigation, inviting them to testify about their actions and warning them that they could be subject to arrest and indictment.
Trump did not say whether he would appear before the grand jury. He also did not detail what specific charges may be pending and said his attorneys spoke to him about Smith's letter.
Trump complained of "evil prosecutors” and a “weaponized” Department of Justice Tuesday night as he made an unannounced stop through a local county party meeting in Iowa.
More: Trump's fake electors charged by Michigan AG in alleged 2020 election scheme.
US soldier detained in North Korea got there on a tour bus
Army Col. Isaac Taylor confirmed Tuesday that a U.S. service member "willfully and without authorization" crossed into North Korea, sparking the latest diplomatic incident between the Cold War foes. The Army identified the American soldier as Pvt. Travis King, who is believed to have gotten to North Korea on a tour bus. King had prior contact with local law enforcement before he spent time at his Army base in South Korea where he was processed before his scheduled flight to the United States, the official said. King was last seen entering a van and being whisked away by North Korean officials. North Korea has been silent about the highly unusual entry. Read more
More news to know now
A judge will hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit opposing President Joe Biden's asylum rules.
Nine Democrats voted against a resolution saying Israel isn't a ''racist and apartheid state.''
Big news for cash bail critics: Illinois just became first state to abolish it.
Tupac Shakur's long-unsolved killing is again under the spotlight as Las Vegas police conduct a search.
On today's 5 Things podcast, the latest on continued tensions in Israel over judicial reforms. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Biden's new student loan forgiveness plan is underway
Dozens of people, most of them student loan borrowers and many holding back tears, on Tuesday implored the federal Education Department to finally do something about their debt. The four hour-long, livestreamed hearing was the first step in a process that President Joe Biden is tapping as part of his revamped effort to provide broad relief. The administration’s hope is that this process will result in changes to the country’s primary higher education law that enable widespread student loan debt forgiveness. But it’s expected to take months, if not longer, and a resulting rule may also face legal challenges. Read more
Why Biden's new student loan forgiveness solution could be excruciatingly long.
Little heat relief in sight as Phoenix reaches record highs
The southern tier of the U.S. continued to swelter Tuesday as temperatures and heat indexes soared above 100 degrees over a large chunk of the nation from Southern California to Florida. In Phoenix, the "Valley of the Sun" is accustomed to extreme summer conditions, but the city set a new record Tuesday: it has now endured 19 straight days with high temperatures of at least 110 degrees, breaking a 1974 record. Meanwhile, heat warnings and advisories were in effect for more than 90 million Americans as record-breaking temperatures swept across the South with little relief in sight. Read more
Heat stories: How people are coping with heat waves across the country.
Just for subscribers:
An old-tech solution may protect high-tech cars in new ways from auto-hacking and theft.
Poll: Ohio voters are backing Donald Trump; Sen. Sherrod Brown in tight race in 2024.
What's behind the growing trend of a person, most often a man, killing their own family?
The Alex Murdaugh trial left the South Carolina Lowcountry world with heroes and villains.
These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here.
The 'Barbenheimer’ phenomenon, explained
The “Barbenheimer” meme was born early last year when it was announced that Warner Bros.' “Barbie” would be released in theaters the same day as Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer.” Twitter instantly latched onto the dichotomy of the two films, cracking jokes about the light and dark nature of the respective movies, and their tongue-in-cheek battle for the soul of America. But the internet running gag has become a real-world sensation in recent weeks, with AMC reporting that 40,000 of its movie club members have already purchased tickets to see both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” on the same day. Read more
''Barbie'' review: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling dazzle in a hilariously heady toy story.
Christopher Nolan made ''Oppenheimer'' because he thought he'd die in a nuclear Armageddon.
Quick hits
Former Northwestern University quarterback Lloyd Yates opened up about alleged hazing amid a lawsuit.
Fast fashion in court: Shein faces RICO and anti-trust lawsuits.
Paul Rudd's cameo in a fan's music video involves Taylor Swift and a song named after him.
The ''Love Island USA'' season premiere brings new twists, new flames — and an early elimination.
USWNT finally reflects the country it represents with its most diverse World Cup team yet.
Photo of the day: Lionel Messi's first Inter Miami practice
With David Beckam watching on the pitch, Messi’s first practice with Major League Socecer was open to at least 200 media members for 15 minutes, and closed to the public. But it didn’t stop several fans from lining the streets leading up to the practice field and stadium, hoping to get a glimpse of him. Or a helicopter from hovering above the pitch to get a bird's eye view of the historic moment. Read more
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump indictment, North Korea, student loan, heat, weather, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Messi: Daily Briefing
