Former President Donald Trump has confirmed that he is the target of a federal criminal investigation regarding the events of January 6, 2021. The Department of Justice has sent Trump a letter notifying him of the ongoing investigation, which is being overseen by special counsel Jack Smith. The investigation focuses on Trump and his allies’ campaign to overturn the 2020 election results through pressure campaigns in battleground states.
This is not the only federal case that Trump is facing, as Jack Smith is also overseeing a separate case related to the misuse of classified documents after Trump left the White House. An indictment was announced in that case last month, and it is expected that an indictment in the Jan. 6 case could come soon.
Trump’s legal team is currently in a federal court in Florida for a preliminary hearing in the classified documents case. They are hoping to delay the trial until after the November 2024 presidential election, citing Trump’s busy campaign schedule.
The case is being presided over by Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump and previously ruled in his favor during the investigative phase of the same case. However, the conservative 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned those rulings and criticized Cannon’s misuse of the law. Interestingly, six of the eleven active judges in the 11th Circuit are also Trump appointees.
In other news, there is some positive economic news for the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has announced that wages are now rising faster than prices, marking the first time in two years that this has occurred. The average hourly wage has seen a 4.4% increase over the past three months. Additionally, inflation has slowed down, with the Consumer Price Index showing a decrease from 4% in May to 3% in June.
While this is encouraging for consumers, it is still higher than the Federal Reserve’s inflation target of 2%. Economists predict that it could take up to five years for inflation to return to the desired level. However, with falling unemployment and these positive economic indicators, analysts are more optimistic about the US avoiding a recession.
In a surprising turn of events, it has been discovered that priceless Israeli antiques have somehow made their way to Trump’s private residence, Mar-a-Lago. These artifacts, including ancient oil lamps, were on temporary loan for a Chanukah event at the White House in 2019. Due to concerns that the lamps may have been taken from occupied Palestinian territories, they were not used in the ceremony and were supposed to be returned to Israel. However, the pandemic delayed their transfer, and Israeli authorities have been unsuccessful in recovering them through official channels.
It remains unclear when and how the artifacts ended up at Mar-a-Lago, and it is uncertain whether Trump was aware of their presence. During an FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, boxes of highly classified material were discovered, further adding to the mystery. Israeli officials speculate that the artifacts they are searching for may also be found somewhere in the private estate.
In summary, Donald Trump is facing a federal criminal investigation related to the events of January 6, 2021. He is also involved in a separate case regarding the misuse of classified documents. Meanwhile, wages in the US are outpacing prices for the first time in two years, providing some positive economic news. Additionally, priceless Israeli artifacts have somehow ended up at Mar-a-Lago, raising questions about their origin and ownership.
