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Published by Reuters DUBAI (Reuters) – Gulf Arab states have demanded that U.S. streaming giant Netflix remove content deemed offensive to “Islamic and societal values” in the region, Saudi Arabia’s media regulator said on Tuesday. It did not specify the content, but mentioned that it included content aimed at children. Saudi state-run Al Ekhbariya TV, in a programme discussing the issue, showed blurred out animation clips that appeared to show two girls embracing. The Riyadh-based General Commission for Audiovisual Media statement said the content violated media regulations in the Gulf Cooperation Council, which groups Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. If Netflix continued to broadcast the content then “necessary legal measures will be taken”, it said, without elaborating. Netflix did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The UAE issued a similarly worded statement regarding Netflix content on Tuesday, saying it would follow up on what the platform broadcasts in coming days and “assess its commitment to broadcasting controls” in the country. Same-sex relationships are criminalised in many Muslim-majority nations and films featuring such relationships have in the past been banned by regulators in those countries, while others with profanity or illicit drug use are sometimes censored. The UAE and other Muslim states earlier this year banned Walt Disney-Pixar’s animated feature film “Lightyear” from screening in cinemas because it features characters in a same-sex relationship. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh and Alexander Cornwell in Dubai; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) -Steve Bannon, a prominent associate of former U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to face a new criminal indictment and surrender to state prosecutors on Thursday, the Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Bannon’s prosecution will likely mirror aspects of a federal case in which Bannon was pardoned, the paper reported on Tuesday. https://wapo.st/3qi9xFg In 2021, Trump granted clemency to Bannon as part of a wave of pardons and commutations issued in his final hours in office. Bannon was charged with swindling the president’s supporters in connection with an effort to raise private funds to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. He pleaded not guilty. The details of the new indictment could not be confirmed, the Washington Post said. A spokesperson for Bannon dismissed it as a political ploy. “This is nothing more than a partisan political weaponization of the criminal justice system,” the spokesperson said in an email to Reuters. The state case will be handled in the New York Supreme Court by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the Washington Post said. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney declined to comment on the report. “The SDNY (Southern District of New York) did the exact same thing in August 2020 to try to take me out of the election. It didn’t work then, it certainly won’t work now,” Bannon said in a statement issued by his spokesperson. In July, Bannon was convicted of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, a verdict the committee called a “victory for the rule of law.” Bannon was a main adviser to the Republican Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, then served as his chief White House strategist during 2017 before a falling out between them that was later patched up. Bannon also has played an instrumental role in right-wing media. (Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan and Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A document describing a foreign government’s military defenses, including its nuclear capabilities, was found in the FBI’s search last month of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The Post report, which cited people familiar with the matter, did not identify the foreign government discussed in the document, nor did it indicate whether the foreign government was friendly or hostile to the United States. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the report. Trump representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI recovered more than 11,000 government documents and photographs during its Aug. 8 search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, according to court records. According to the Post report, some of the seized documents detail top-secret U.S. operations that require special clearances, not just top-secret clearance. Some of the documents are so restricted that even some of the Biden administration’s senior-most national security officials were not authorized to review them, the Post said. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Trump for removing government records from the White House after he departed in January 2021 and storing them at Mar-a-Lago. On Monday, a federal judge agreed to Trump’s request to appoint a special master to review records seized in the FBI search, a move that is likely to delay the Justice Department’s criminal investigation. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Sandra Maler) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Oprah Winfrey has inspired Jennifer Hudson’s new talk show. The 40-year-old singer is launching her eponymous TV talk show on September 12, and Jennifer has admitted to looking to Oprah for inspiration. She shared: “You know, Oprah’s it. Those shows are embedded in all of us. They’re there and they’re the blueprint.” Jennifer has already enjoyed huge success during her career, including winning an Oscar for her starring role in the 2006 musical ‘Dreamgirls’. But the ‘Spotlight’ hitmaker insists she won’t be resting on her laurels. She told E! News’ ‘Daily Pop’: “It’s all there from the heart. I’m following my heart. “I love people, I love talking, and so, y’all gonna give me a couch and a camera to talk to, where’s it at? Who you want me to talk to?” Jennifer previously announced the launch of her talk show on social media. The chart-topping star wrote on Twitter: “I can’t believe I get to say this, but welcome to my show !!! “Let’s light up daytime beginning September 12th! Wait a minute that’s my birthday !!! (sic)” Jennifer – who has son David Jr, 13, with former fiance David Otunga – is excited to “connect” with new people and to let viewers see who she really is. She said: “I have experienced so much in my life; I’ve seen the highest of the highs, the lowest of the lows, and just about everything in between but as my mother always told me, ‘Once you think you’ve seen it all, just keep on living.’ “People from around the world have been a part of my journey from the beginning – twenty years ago – and I’m so ready to join their journey as we sit down and talk about the things that inspire and move us all. “I have always loved people and I cannot wait to connect on a deeper level and let audiences see the different sides of who I am, the human being, in return.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Barack Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, return to the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of their official portraits, hosted by fellow Democrat Joe Biden some five years after the former president left office. Large, formal portraits of U.S. presidents and first ladies adorn walls, hallways and rooms throughout the White House, and customarily a former president returns for the unveiling during his successor’s tenure. But the Obamas, who have remained popular since leaving the political limelight, did not have their ceremony while Republican President Donald Trump held power. Trump, before winning election in 2016 and succeeding Obama in 2017, was a longtime proponent of the “birther” movement that falsely suggested Obama was not born in the United States. A spokesperson for Obama declined to comment on the timing of the Obamas’ portrait unveilings. White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin said there was no prescribed process for presidential portraits. “It’s really up to the current president in the White House and the former president that is portrayed in the portrait to determine the right moment, but there is no set timeline,” he said. Obama hosted former president George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, for their portrait unveilings in 2012 during Obama’s first term. Now Obama will be hosted by his former vice president, current President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill. The Obamas and Bidens became close during Obama’s presidency, going through the ups and downs of their political and personal lives, including the death of Biden’s son, Beau, from cancer. “Over the course of their eight years together in office, a close partnership between the two men grew through the highs and lows of the job and life,” Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters on Tuesday. The current president and first lady were honored to host the unveiling of the portraits, “which will hang on the walls of the White House forever as reminders of the power of hope and change,” she said. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at 1:30 p.m. ET in the White House East Room. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Bradley Perrett) View the full article

Published by Fort Worth Star-Telegram A Watauga, Texas, church where the pastor called for gay people to be executed is facing the possibility of its second eviction in a year. Stedfast Baptist Church lost its Hurst location in a strip shopping center at strip center at 700 W. Bedford Euless Road in February, after a Tarrant County judge ruled that the church violated its lease by making threats and creating dangerous nuisance. According to filings in the Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Court No. 1, a nonjury trial is scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday via Zoom. Details outlining why Stedfast faces eviction weren’t available as co… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -A U.S. federal appeals court on Tuesday unanimously upheld Washington state’s ban on conversion therapy for children, rejecting a therapist’s claim that it undermined his free speech and targeted him because he is Christian. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Washington’s legislature acted rationally and did not violate the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment by imposing the ban to protect the “physical and psychological well-being” of children. Enacted in 2018, the ban subjects licensed health care providers to discipline, including possible fines and license suspensions or revocations, for trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of people under age 18. More than 20 U.S. states have laws against conversion therapy. “Washington, like other states, has concluded that health care providers should not be able to treat a child by such means as telling him that he is ‘the abomination we had heard about in Sunday school,'” Circuit Judge Ronald Gould wrote for a three-judge panel. “States do not lose the power to regulate the safety of medical treatments performed under the authority of a state license merely because those treatments are implemented through speech rather than through scalpel,” he added. The therapist, Brian Tingley, who lives in Tacoma and practices in nearby Fircrest, Washington, said the ban amounted to censorship. The state countered that the ban targeted conduct and protected children from a harmful practice. Roger Brooks, a lawyer for Tingley, said his client plans to appeal. “The government has no business censoring conversations between clients and counselors,” Brooks said. In his 58-page decision, which upheld a lower court ruling, Gould noted that the appeals court had in 2014 upheld a similar conversion therapy ban from California. He also said that ruling was not undermined by a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-abortion/u-s-top-court-blocks-california-law-on-anti-abortion-centers-idUSKBN1JM1SH that California could not require Christian-based “crisis pregnancy centers” that opposed abortion to give women information about how to end their pregnancies. The American Psychological Association has called conversion therapy harmful to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who defended the state ban, welcomed Tuesday’s decision. “Conversion therapy does not work, and can be particularly harmful to minors,” he said in a statement. The case is Tingley v Ferguson et al, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 21-35815. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New YorkEditing by Marguerita Choy) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Harry Styles and Nick Kroll kissed on the lips at the ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ premiere. The two actors – who both star in Olivia Wilde’s upcoming thriller – locked lips in the crowd after the movie’s premiere at Venice Film Festival this week. The star duo – who play Jack Chambers and Bill in the film – looked dapper in blue as they kissed each other and hugged during the standing ovation. In a video shared by Variety reporter Ramin Setoodeh, the crowd can be heard cheering after the celebratory moment. The show of solidarity comes after a difficult time for ‘Don’t Worry Darling’, with rumours of a rift between the director Wilde and leading lady Florence Pugh. The actress missed the press conference this week due to her filming commitments for ‘Dune’, and she was later arrived in Venice after the media event before walking the red carpet with the rest of the cast. Asked to “clear the air”, Wilde – appearing alongside Styles, Chris Pine and Gemma Chan – insisted she felt “honoured” to have her as her lead. She said: “Florence is a force, and we are so grateful that she’s able to make it tonight despite being in production on ‘Dune’. “I know, as a director, how disruptive it is to lose an actor even for a day, so I’m very grateful to her, to Denis Villeneuve for helping us. “And we’re really thrilled we’ll get to celebrate her work tonight. I can’t say enough how honored I am to have her as our lead. She’s amazing in the film.” However, she refused to comment on reports of a “falling out”. She added: “As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. “I don’t feel the need to contribute. It’s sufficiently well nourished.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jason Momoa has shaved off his long hair to raise awareness of the single-use plastics crisis. The 43-year-old actor – known for his roles in the likes of ‘Aquaman’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ – has ditched his trademark locks in favour of a much shorter buzz cut and he gave fans a peek at his new look in an Instagram video. And the start of the clip, he laughed: “Aloha, everyone. Hand me those braids.” Someone off camera gave him a pair of short braids which had already been cut off, and he explained the reason behind the drastic image overhaul. He said: “I’m tired of these plastics bottles. We got to stop [using] plastic forks, all that s***. It goes into our land, into our ocean. Momoa also urged people to start using reusable water bottles instead of plastic ones. He added: “It’s just so sad, so please anything you can do to eliminate single-use plastic in your lives, help me.” In the caption, he encouraged his followers to focus on “protecting our land and oceans”. he wrote: “Heres to new beginnings let’s spread the aloha. be better at protecting our land and oceans. we need to cut single use plastics out of our lives and out of our seas. plastic bottles, plastic bags ,packaging, utensils all of it. let’s aloha our ‘āina together aloha j. (sic)” In the comments, he received plenty of support from his fans and fellow stars, with Marisa Tomei sharing a red love heart and simply writing: “What!! (sic)” A follower wrote: “Hair grows back and it’s for a great cause! I’m sure it will look amazing” Another admirder added: “I never thought I’d see the day… Somehow he’s still smoking hot – the man’s got a gift”. And a different fan quipped: “You could have a fundraiser for the ocean selling those braids lol”. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Brendan Fraser believes severely obese people are “incredibly strong physically and mentally” after he played an overweight character in ‘The Whale’. The actor, 53, stars as reclusive English teacher Charlie in the film, who tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter while he battles his obesity. The Guardian reported he said at a press conference after it premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Suday (04.09.22): “It gave me an appreciation for those whose bodies are similar. I learned that you need to be an incredibly strong person, physically, mentally, to inhabit that being. “Charlie’s physical mobility is limited to his home space, which is his couch. “His story is told behind closed doors. He’s a light in a dark space. I think it’s poetic that the trauma he carries is manifest in the physical weight of his body. “I needed to learn to absolutely move in a new way. I developed muscles I did not know I had. I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed, as you’d feel stepping off a boat on to the dock here in Venice.” The film, directed by ‘Requiem for a Dream’ filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, is said to alredy be generating an Oscars buzz. It marks Brendan’s first lead role in a movie since his straight-to-DVD 2013 thriller ‘Breakout’, with reports it prompted an eight-minute standing ovation at its premiere when the actor’s name appeared in the credits. Brendan’s character weighs around 600 pounds in the movie, and the actor had to wear a huge fat suit and prosthetics for the part. The actor, who shares three sons with his actress wife of 23 years Afton Smith, 54, told Vanity Fair about taking the part as he liked a challenge: “If there’s no risk, then why bother? I want to learn from the people I’m working with at this point in my career. “I’ve had such variety, a lot of high highs and low lows, so what I’m keen for, in the second half of my time doing this, is to feel like I’m contributing to the craft, and I’m learning from it. “This is a prime opportunity. I wanted to disappear into it. My hope was that I would become unrecognisable.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Julia Harte (Reuters) – U.S. states have enacted more than 30 new voting restrictions since 2020, from voter ID requirements to limits on mail-in voting, fueling tensions between Republicans and Democrats ahead of November’s general election. Republicans, who have largely embraced former President Donald Trump’s false claims of fraud in the 2020 election, say the measures are necessary to ensure election integrity. Democrats say they are aimed at making it harder for voters who traditionally back the Democratic Party to cast their votes. Most of the measures were backed by Republican state legislators and opposed by Democrats, but the divide is not purely red and blue. And the debate over each law sometimes comes down to the fine print of the details. VOTER ID Ten U.S. states have imposed stricter voter identification requirements since 2020, according to the Brennan Center for Justice and the Voting Rights Lab, which track voting legislation across the country. Opponents of voter ID measures do not object to the requirement that voters verify their identity when voting – which is already standard in every state – but rather the means used to verify them. Unlike many European democracies, where government-issued IDs are more ubiquitous, studies have found that millions of U.S. voters lack photo ID. Two of the most controversial 2021 laws changed the ID rules for absentee or mail-in ballots. Georgia now requires voters who lack driver’s licenses or state ID cards to include in their absentee ballot application a photocopy of another government-issued ID, which many voters may not be able to easily produce. Previously, absentee voters’ identities were verified by signature-matching. Texas’ law permits voters to use a broader set of IDs when applying for and casting mail-in ballots. But it automatically rejects them if the voter uses a different ID number than what they provided when registering to vote. In Texas’ March primary, election officials rejected one out of every eight mail-in ballots, according to data from the secretary of state’s office. That rate – 12.4% – vastly exceeded Texas’ 0.8% mail ballot rejection rate during the 2020 presidential election. Officials blamed most of the increase on the new law, according to local news reports. Advocates of the Georgia and Texas measures say they are necessary to ensure that voters are who they claim to be, and cite studies that show some voter ID laws have not depressed turnout. Opponents say there is no need for stricter ID rules because voter fraud is already vanishingly rare, and point to studies showing that voter ID laws in states such as North Carolina reduced turnout by voters of color. MAIL-IN VOTING Mail-in voting laws are especially complex in the United States. Only 11 countries in the world do not require voters to provide an excuse to vote by mail, according to the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). Two-thirds of U.S. states are in this category. But since 2020, 18 states have passed laws making it harder for voters to apply for, receive, or cast mail-in ballots, according to the Brennan Center and the Voting Rights Lab. Some states’ laws restricted mail-in voting one way while easing it other ways. Kentucky’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a law that allowed voters to fix absentee ballots if they made errors, but also limited the application period for absentee ballots. Proponents of limiting mail-in voting say it adds to the cost of running elections and creates more opportunities for ballots to be intercepted by unintended recipients who might fraudulently cast them. Advocates of expanding mail-in voting say limiting it hinders voters who cannot go to a polling place. VOTER LIST MAINTENANCE Unlike many democratic countries, the United States does not have compulsory voter registration through a centralized system. As a result, states must periodically review their lists of registered voters to ensure they are up to date. Since 2020, seven states have enacted laws that facilitated the de-listing of voters. Advocates of the laws say they are necessary for ensuring only eligible voters are kept on the list. But opponents say the laws make it harder for voters to know they have been removed or remedy wrongful removals. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in April enacted a law he said would improve election security by requiring election supervisors to clean up voter rolls every year rather than every two years, and establishing a statewide Office of Election Crimes and Security to investigate election “irregularities.” Voter advocates criticized the law, saying it created more opportunities for voters to be wrongly purged from the rolls and intimidated by investigators from the new office. PARTISAN V. NONPARTISAN ELECTION ADMINISTRATION The United States has one of the world’s most fractured election administration systems. In most U.S. states, elections are overseen by elected or appointed state officials. Within each county, elections are run by local officials such as clerks and judges, sometimes in conjunction with nonpartisan or bipartisan election boards. Few state-level voting laws sought to change election management authority before the hotly contested 2020 election, in which Trump falsely blamed his loss on voter fraud. But since that election, 25 states have enacted laws that shifted power away from traditional election managers and, in many cases, ceded control to partisan actors, according to the Voting Rights Lab. Advocates of the laws, who were overwhelmingly Republican, argued they would bolster oversight of local election officials. Such laws are unusual in other democracies. The human rights body Council of Europe adopted guidelines in 2010 that called for high-level positions within election-management bodies to be “dispersed among parties” to ensure balance. (Reporting by Julia Harte; editing by Ross Colvin and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Harry Styles has “no idea” what he is doing in the acting world. The pop superstar features in the new movie ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ but confessed that he feels out of his comfort zone as an actor. Harry told reporters at the Venice Film Festival: “Music I’ve done a lot longer so I’m a bit more comfortable. What I like about acting is I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.” The ‘As It Was’ singer explained that he considers music and acting to be “opposite in a lot of ways”, but he embraces the “fun” sense of the unknown that comes with both professions. Harry, 28, said: “Making music is a really personal thing. “There are aspects of acting where you’re drawing from experiences a bit, but for the most part you’re pretending to play someone else. “That’s what I find the most interesting about it. They can aid each other in a way. Any time you get to view the world through a different lens, it can help to create whichever way it goes. I find it really different. I think the fun part is that you never know what you’re doing in either one of them.” The former One Direction star revealed that he plans to combine both music and acting going forward. Styles explained: “I feel very lucky I get to do something I love as a job. I feel like being able to explore this has made me feel even luckier I get to do two things I really enjoy. “In terms of the future… I enjoy both. It’s all fun to play in both worlds and see how they affect each other.” View the full article

Published by AFP Then-president Donald Trump walks with secretary of defense Mark Esper (C) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley (R), and others after security forces cleared the area in front of the White House of protesters on June 1, 2020 Washington (AFP) – Former Pentagon chiefs warned Tuesday that the deep divisions in US politics are putting unwanted pressure on the armed forces and expressed concern that civilian political interference in the military could worsen. Eight former defense secretaries and five ex-joint chiefs chairmen signed a statement on 16 “Best Practices of Civil-Military Relations” that came after several years — particularly under former president Donald Trump — in which the Pentagon became enmeshed in political machinations. “We are in an exceptionally challenging civil-military environment,” they wrote. “Politically, military professionals confront an extremely adverse environment characterized by the divisiveness of affective polarization that culminated in the first election in over a century when the peaceful transfer of political power was disrupted and in doubt,” they said. “Looking ahead, all of these factors could well get worse before they get better.” The statement, published by the defense-focused “War on the Rocks” website, did not cite any examples to illustrate civil-military tensions. But it did make reference to the challenge to the 2020 election results by Trump and his supporters that led to the violent January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol. The Pentagon has been accused of stalling the deployment of National Guard troops to confront the attackers. Also during the Trump years, military personnel were asked to help in a number of non-traditional activities, including building a border wall and guarding the border against undocumented migrants, and helping police cities hit by violent protests. Legal orders In one incident, Trump had then-defense secretary Mark Esper and General Mark Milley, who is still the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walk alongside him in front of the White House after police cleared the street of people protesting the murder of Black man George Floyd by police. Both later expressed regrets they took part in what was widely labelled a political “photo op” for the president. Under President Joe Biden, the military has been forced to undertake a haphazard and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan that senior Pentagon leaders did not agree with. And Biden was widely criticized last week for giving a deeply political speech attacking Trump’s supporters while two Marine guards stood behind him. The officials stressed that the military leadership must accept orders even when they disagree with them, but said the orders must be legal. “Regardless of the process, it is the responsibility of senior military and civilian leaders to ensure that any order they receive from the president is legal.” The statement was signed by defense chiefs under both Democratic and Republican administrations, including Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, Mark Esper and James Mattis. The latter two served under Trump and were both fired after they clashed with the president. View the full article

Published by Reuters (In Sept 1 story, corrects paragraphs 19-20 to show that quote reflects the words of Trump lawyer Trusty, not Trump lawyer Kise) By Francisco Alvarado and Sarah N. Lynch WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) -A federal judge on Thursday appeared sympathetic to former President Donald Trump’s request to appoint a special master to review the documents the FBI seized from his home in August, though she declined to issue a ruling immediately on the matter. At a hearing in West Palm Beach, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pressed the Justice Department on why it opposes the appointment of a special master – an independent third party sometimes appointed by a court in sensitive cases to review materials potentially covered by attorney-client privilege to ensure investigators do not improperly view them. “Ultimately, what is the harm of appointing a special master to review these materials?” asked Cannon, a Trump appointee. “What I’m wondering from the government – what is the harm beyond delaying the investigation?” She also suggested that she could feasibly carve out an exception which would permit U.S. intelligence officials to continue conducting their national security damage assessment pending the appointment of the special master before the criminal probe can continue. “Would your position change if the special master were allowed to proceed without affecting the [Office of the Director of National Intelligence] review for intelligence purposes, but pausing any use of the documents in a criminal investigation?” she asked federal prosecutors. “It would not change,” said Julie Edelstein, the department’s deputy head of counterintelligence. “There is no role for the special master.” Thursday’s hearing came less than two days after prosecutors laid out fresh details about their ongoing criminal investigation into whether Trump illegally retained government records and sought to obstruct the government’s probe by concealing some of them from the FBI. In their filing, prosecutors revealed that Trump’s representatives falsely certified that a thorough search had been conducted and all government records had been returned to the government. The certification was made on June 3, when three FBI agents and a top Justice Department official traveled to Mar-a-Lago following the issuance of a grand jury subpoena to retrieve all remaining records. During that visit, prosecutors said Trump’s lawyers never claimed he had declassified any of the materials, and they handed over 38 pages marked as classified inside a double-taped envelope. However, his attorney at the same time also prohibited government investigators from opening or looking inside some of the boxes that Trump kept inside one of his storage rooms, they said. The department ultimately decided to seek court approval for a search warrant, after the FBI developed evidence of possible obstruction. “The government developed evidence that a search limited to the storage room would not have uncovered all the classified documents at the premises,” prosecutors said. “The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the storage room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation.” The FBI ultimately searched Trump’s home on Aug. 8, and recovered more than 33 boxes and other items, including more than 100 pages marked as classified. Cannon said on Thursday she would unseal a more detailed inventory of the property the FBI seized from Trump’s home following its unprecedented search, after media outlets filed a motion with the court to make it public. EXECUTIVE PRIVILIGE Trump’s newest attorney, former Florida Solicitor General Chris Kise, made his first appearance in the case on Thursday and presented some of Trump’s arguments to the judge. On Thursday, Kise and Trump’s other attorney James Trusty told Cannon that the former president wants to protect materials that were subject to a legal doctrine known as executive privilege, which can shield some presidential communications. “The problem is, we haven’t had access to the actual materials,” Trusty told her. But the Justice Department has argued that such a claim is illogical, and that no special master is needed in the case. “He is no longer the president,” said Jay Bratt, the department’s head of counterintelligence. “And because he is no longer president, he did not have a right to take those documents. He was unlawfully in possession of them.” Typically, a special master is appointed in cases involving the searches of the homes or offices of attorneys, where some of the materials could be covered by attorney-client privilege. A special master was appointed, for instance, after the FBI searched the homes and offices of Trump’s former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Michael Cohen. But some legal experts, along with the Justice Department, have argued a special master makes no sense here because a former president cannot shield executive branch records from the executive branch itself, as Trump is attempting. In addition, Trump waited so long to make his request that the department’s filter team, a group of agents who are not part of the investigation, have already reviewed the materials, and determined only a limited number may be covered by attorney-client privilege. At Thursday’s hearing, Edelstein told Cannon that any ruling to appoint a special master would be unprecedented, noting it has never been used in this way. “Well, there has never been a seizure of this magnitude with a former president,” Cannon replied. “I am not sure it is as cut and dry as you suggest.” (Reporting by Francisco Alvarado in West Palm Beach, Fla., and Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Matthew Lewis and Richard Pullin) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Florence Pugh‘s stylist is adding to the never-ending drama centered around the Don’t Worry Darling cast and their director Olivia Wilde. While the 26-year-old actress has remained quiet about her feud with Wilde, Rebecca Corbin-Murray wasted no time throwing not-so-subtle jabs Olivia’s way. Radarhas learned that Pugh’s stylist flew to Italy with the star over the weekend to dress her in couture for the Don’t Worry Darling press tour at the Venice Film Festival. The actress and director’s rivalry was on full display when they hit the red carpet on Monday. In photos obtained by RadarOnline.com, Pugh and Wilde were always separated by one cast member in photo opts, never choosing to stand together and squash the beef. Mega That’s where Rebecca came in. Taking a shot at the film’s director, Pugh’s stylist addressed the public feud. Posting a behind-the-scenes shot in the actress’ hotel room, Rebecca captioned the photo with two simple words: “Miss Flo.” Wilde coined her leading lady with that nickname in the audio she sent Shia LaBeouf, in which she begged him to come back to the project after he quit. LaBeouf has since leaked that recording. Mega Wilde started an all-out war with LaBeouf when she claimed that she replaced himwith her real-life boyfriend Harry Styles due to his “combative energy” on the set. She also claimed LaBeouf’s “process was not conducive to the ethos that [she] demands in [her] productions.” The actor shot back, and he brought receipts. “I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo,” Wilde could be heard saying in the leaked audio. “If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point and if you guys can make peace.” As for Wilde’s beef with Pugh, RadarOnline.com discovered the actress took issue with how Olivia conducted herself on the Don’t Worry Darling set. Mega Pugh grew angry and bitter towards Wilde for frequently disappearing with the movie’s leading man, aka her much-younger boyfriend. Her romance with Styles was “pretty obvious,” with the pair being hard to find in between shooting, according to Puck News. “Pugh, in particular, was angered by the absences, according to these sources, and one source personally witnessed a tense conversation about this issue between the two,” the outlet reported. However, the women aren’t the only ones beefing with co-stars. Styles sparked drama when he appeared to spit on Chris Pine. View the full article

Published by AFP A medical worker prepares the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster to be given to children 12-15 years old at a hospital in Hartford, Connecticut Washington (AFP) – Barring the emergence of drastically different variants, Covid boosters will likely be recommended annually in a similar manner to influenza vaccines, US health officials said Tuesday. The announcement came after the Food and Drug Administration last week authorized updated bivalent shots against both the original strain of the coronavirus and the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the Omicron variant, which are predominant. “We likely are moving towards a path with a vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with annual updated Covid-19 shots matched to the currently circulating strains,” President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci told reporters. However, the elderly and immunocompromised may require more frequent shots — and the annual strategy would have to be reviewed in case of a “curveball” such as a dangerous new variant that differs dramatically from predictions. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid coordinator, added the message was “simple” — if you are 12 or older, and have been previously vaccinated, now is the time to get boosted. If you were recently infected or vaccinated, “it’s reasonable to wait a few months,” he added. People can get their Covid booster at the same time as the flu booster, he said. “I really believe this is why God gave us two arms, one for the flu shot and the other one for the Covid shot.” Officials expect millions of people to receive their bivalent boosters, made by Pfizer and Moderna, in the month of September, and are focused especially on people aged 50 and up. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walenksky said projections showed that uptake of Covid boosters at rates similar to annual flu coverage could prevent as many as 100,000 hospitalizations and 9,000 deaths. The updated vaccines were recommended by the CDC last week on the basis of favorable animal data, which showed they produced a greater immune response and lowered levels of the virus in the lungs, compared to older shots. The Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages comprise 99 percent of circulating coronavirus in the United States and are predicted to continue to dominate this fall and winter. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Echo Wang and Helen Coster (Reuters) -The blank-check acquisition firm that agreed to merge with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s social media company failed on Tuesday to secure enough shareholder support for a one-year extension to complete the deal. At stake is a $1.3 billion cash infusion that Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which operates the Truth Social app, stands to receive from Digital World Acquisition Corp, the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that inked a deal in October to take TMTG public. The transaction has been on ice amid civil and criminal probes into the circumstances around the deal. Digital World had been hoping that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is reviewing its disclosures on the deal, would have given its blessing by now. Digital World Chief Executive Patrick Orlando told a special meeting of his shareholders on Tuesday he would push back to noon on Thursday the deadline for the vote on extending the life of the SPAC by 12 months. Digital World needs 65% of its shareholders to vote in favor of the proposal, but the support as of late Monday fell far short, Reuters reported. Digital World did not disclose the margin on Tuesday. Digital World shares fell 17% to $20.74 in New York early Tuesday afternoon. Digital World is set to liquidate on Thursday and return the money raised in its September 2021 initial public offering to shareholders unless action is taken. Digital World shareholders had been given more than two weeks to vote on the SPAC’s extension and it is unclear if two additional days would make a difference. Most Digital World shareholders are individuals and getting them to vote through their brokers has been challenging, Orlando said last week. If Digital World fails to get enough shareholder support, its management has the right to unilaterally extend the life of the SPAC by up to six months. It is unclear whether Digital World would pursue this option and if it would provide regulators enough time to conclude whether to allow the deal to proceed. TMTG representatives did not respond to a request for comment. Trump appeared to manage expectations for the deal with a post over the weekend on Truth Social: “I don’t need financing, ‘I’m really rich!’ Private company anyone???” Digital World has disclosed that the SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and federal prosecutors have been investigating the deal with TMTG, though the exact scope of the probes is unclear. The information sought by regulators includes Digital World documents on due diligence of potential targets other than TMTG, relationships between Digital World and other entities, meetings of Digital World’s board, policies and procedures relating to trading, and the identities of certain investors, Digital World has said. PIPE AT RISK If the deal is completed, TMTG would receive $293 million that Digital World has on hand plus $1 billion committed from a group of investors in the form of a private investment in public equity (PIPE). The PIPE is scheduled to expire on Sept. 20 unless the deal is completed. Investment bankers for Digital World have been reaching out to investors in the last few weeks to gauge their interest in extending the PIPE, a person familiar with the matter said. It is unclear how TMTG is getting by without access to Digital World’s funding. It raised $22.6 million through convertible promissory notes last year and another $15.4 million through bridge financing in the first quarter. The agreement with Digital World caps the indebtedness that TMTG can assume prior to the deal closing at $50 million. Digital World has said it believes TMTG will have “sufficient funds” until April 2023. TMTG said last week that Truth Social is “on strong financial footing” and would begin running advertisements soon. Trump started using Truth Social in April, two months after it launched on Apple Inc’s app store. He has more than 4 million followers – a fraction of the 89 million he had on Twitter Inc before he was banned over his role in the January 2021 U.S. Capitol riots by thousands of his supporters. (Reporting by Echo Wang and Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Richard Chang) View the full article

Published by AFP Emanuele Crialese's (L) new film 'L'Immensita' stars Penelope Cruz (R) Venice (AFP) – Transgender issues have taken centre stage at the Venice Film Festival this year, with Italian director Emanuele Crialese, there to present his new film starring Penelope Cruz, even using the platform to reveal he was born a woman. The revelation by Crialese came at a press conference for his new film, “L’Immensita”, which is inspired by his difficult adolescence. “I am never going to be like any other man… I was born biologically a woman,” Crialese said. He added that, despite his transition, there was still a “huge part of my character that is female”. In the film, Cruz’s character attempts to protect her teenage daughter, who identifies as a boy, in a bourgeois household dominated by an abusive, unfaithful husband. It is not alone at this year’s festival in embracing artists who reject traditional gender roles or tackle issues around sexual identity. Another film in the main competition, “Monica” by Italian director Andrea Pallaoro, stars a transgender actress in the leading role — a first in 79 editions of the festival. Trace Lysette, known for her role in Amazon Prime series “Transparent”, plays a transgender woman who returns to Ohio after a long absence to care for her dying mother. “It’s very rare that you see a script where there’s a trans character at the centre and the movie is told through her lens,” Lysette told reporters. “Usually trans characters are more a sidebar vehicle for someone else’s story.” Besides exploring the title character’s emotional and psychological world, the movie reflects on “the precarious nature of each of our identities when faced with the need to survive and transform”, said Pallaoro. Struggling for decades Themes of gender identity are also the subject of various documentaries in the festival. In “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”, director Laura Poitras centres on the art and activism of US photographer Nan Goldin, whose early work focused on gay culture and volatile male-female relationships. Meanwhile, a documentary by French director Sebastien Lifshitz, “Casa Susanna”, recounts the story of a clandestine community of cross-dressers in the conservative America of the 1950s and 1960s, relying on archival footage and surviving members of this “pre-queer” history. “It’s been a struggle for decades to try to break out of the archetypes,” Lifshitz told AFP. Prejudice against homosexuals in 1960s Italy is the premise of Gianni Amelio’s film, based on true events and set to premiere on Tuesday. “Il Signore delle Formiche” (The Lord of the Ants) tells the story of Aldo Braibanti, a playwright and poet convicted of submitting his student and lover to his will, a crime under the Fascist penal code that had never been invoked before and was later revoked. In “Three Nights a Week,” French director Florent Gouelou offers up “a declaration of love” to the art form of drag, with his protagonist Baptiste discovering the Parisian world of drag queens and falling in love with one of them, Cookie. “Through the character of Baptiste you see my own fascination and through the character of Cookie you see my own experience as a drag queen,” said Gouelou. View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Crispian Balmer VENICE (Reuters) – U.S. actor Brendan Fraser, returning to the big screen as a leading man after a nine-year absence, said on Sunday playing the obese hero of “The Whale” was the biggest challenge of his career. The movie, directed by Darren Aronofsky, is receiving its premiere at the Venice Film Venice, with Fraser already being touted as an Oscar contender for his portrayal of Charlie, a gay, 600-pound (270-kg) man, desperately trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter. The role required Fraser to don prosthetics and makeup that could take up to six hours to apply, l… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic leadership in the U.S. Senate could add language protecting gay marriage rights to a stopgap bill to keep the federal government funded in a bid to increase pressure on Republicans to support it, a Democratic source said on Tuesday. Such a move could up the pressure in the evenly divided chamber, as it faces a Sept. 30 deadline to avoid partial federal agency shutdowns when money runs out at the end of this month. Congress has less than four weeks to pass the measure before returning to the campaign trail for the Nov. 8 midterm elections, in which President Joe Biden’s Democrats are expected to lose their thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Control of the Senate is also up for grabs. Republican cooperation will be necessary in the Senate to pass the temporary funding bill that may last until December, which is needed because the two parties have yet to agree on a dozen regular funding bills. Democrats control the 50-50 Senate thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, has vowed to hold a vote on a House-passed bill codifying the right to same-sex marriage. It is not clear that bill will have the 10 Republican votes needed to pass. In recent days, senior Democrats have considered the possibility of adding it to the must-pass funding measure in hopes of ensuring approval, the Democratic source said. During the August recess both parties worked on revisions to the measure, which could help its prospects, according to a source familiar with the discussions. UKRAINE AID, DISASTER FUNDING ON THE TABLE Plenty of controversial issues could roil Congress as it grapples with a massive spending bill. On Friday, Biden requested $47.1 billion in new spending, including $11.7 billion in emergency funds to help Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces and $22.4 billion in COVID-19 aid. With many areas of the United States suffering from climate change-related flooding, Western wildfires and other natural disasters, Biden has requested $6.5 billion in aid, along with $4.5 billion to help deal with an outbreak of monkeypox. A special House committee might hold at least one more hearing as part of its investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. A separate probe into Trump’s handling of classified documents has dominated headlines for months, worrying some Republican candidates about election fallout. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin may ramp up his push for a bill reforming the way permits are approved for energy infrastructure projects ranging from pipelines to export facilities. It is a measure that some Democrats could have concerns with because of climate change worries. DEMOCRATS SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC Heading into the final two months of the campaign, congressional Democrats were feeling somewhat more optimistic about avoiding massive losses to Republican challengers. Gasoline prices have fallen off of highs and there are signs of a public backlash against the conservative-majority Supreme Court’s overturning abortion rights, which was a Republican Party goal for decades. Democrats have scored victories this year on popular initiatives, such as gun control, placing a cap on some prescription drug prices and moving toward carbon emissions reductions blamed for climate change. Nevertheless, Biden’s popularity has suffered because of Americans’ economic worries and COVID-19 pandemic fatigue. Republican lawmakers undoubtedly will spend this upcoming work session hammering away on such issues. “These are challenging times for a lot of folks,” Republican Senator Mitt Romney said in a statement last week. “With record inflation, we’re seeing higher prices for food, electricity, gasoline, and more.” (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone, Josie Kao and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Yungblud felt “voiceless” at the age of 18. The chart-topping star has recalled feeling “furious at the world” during his younger years, but his attitude and approach to life has changed thanks to his fans. Yungblud – whose real name is Dominic Harrison – explained: “When I was 18, I was so furious at the world. I was so furious at the government, at Brexit. I felt so voiceless. “But how can I be angry when I live in this community? I’ve realised the protection we have within each other.” The 25-year-old star enjoyed huge success with his 2020 album ‘Weird!’, which featured collaborations with the likes of Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker. The success opened a lot of doors for Yungblud, but it wasn’t an entirely positive experience. He said: “I had access to every studio I wanted, and every songwriter wanted to work with me. But I’d have all these American producers going, ‘Oh, you’re doing the rock thing? I could get in on that.’ “I’m like, ‘Clear off. What do you mean, I’m doing the ‘rock thing’, like it’s in inverted commas’?” Yungblud has also rubbished accusations of insincerity. He explained to the BBC: “Everyone was questioning my authenticity and it hurt me. People were harsher to me than they were in high school. It made my world turn inside out.” Last year, Yungblud admitted to admiring musicians who “followed their own path”. The singer has admiration for the likes of Blondie and Lady Gaga, admitting that he’s been inspired by how they’ve approached their careers. He said: “The bands I love, like The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division, Blondie, Madonna, Lady Gaga, they did their own thing, they followed their own path. They followed it relentlessly, they followed it without excuse, they followed it without apology. “That’s what I want to do.” View the full article

Published by Al-Araby A court in Iran has sentenced to death two gay rights activists on charges of promoting homosexuality, campaigners said Monday, urging pressure from the international community to stop the implementation of the verdicts. The two women, Zahra Sedighi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Chubdar, 24, were sentenced to death by the court in the northwestern town of Urmia, the Hengaw Kurdish rights organisation said. Just for being the voice for lbtq+, the Iran government ordered in a few days, that two lgbt_activist be hanged their name is Zahra Siddiqui and Ilham chubdar . Be a voice for them.#الهام_چوبدار #… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Britney Spears didn’t hold back her feelings when responding to her 15-year-old son Jayden’s recent interview, Radar has learned. On Monday, the 40-year-old pop star released a 2-minute recording where she explained how she felt about Jayden defending Britney’s father, Jamie. Instagram/@britneyspears Britney has accused her father of abusive behavior during her 13-year-old conservatorship. Her legal team has continued to investigate Jamie’s management of her finances. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and claimed he only had Britney’s best interest at heart. In an interview with 60 Minutes in Australia, Jayden said about Jamie, “He was trying to be like any father, like pursue his daughter’s dream of being a superstar, working and doing all these concerts and performing.” He added, “But I think some people are just, like, ceasing to realize how much he cares about her.” Jayden defended Britney’s relatives including her brother Bryan and mom Lynne when he said, “They are not bad people! They know what we are going through now. They want our future to be what we want it to be. They just want to watch over us.” MEGA Britney was not pleased with the interview. “I can totally understand why my family would have a problem with my doing my own thing … maybe because I never have,” she started off. She accused Jayden of “undermining” her behavior “as my family always has.” Britney said she was tired of the “I hope she gets better” and “ I will pray for her” remarks from her son and family members. “Pray for what?” she asked. “So I can keep working so I can pay off mom’s legal fees or her house?” “Do you want me to get better so I can give your dad 40,000 a month?” she asked which referenced the amount of child support she pays Kevin Federline. “Or the reason behind you guys deciding to be painful is because it’s over in 2 years and you don’t get anything?” she added still speaking about the child support. MEGA She said over the years she has asked her sons to see them more but it always backfired. She recalled a specific incident where she asked one of them for more time during the week and they immediately called Federline. Britney said her when her sons did come over to her home they didn’t spent time with her and left hours early. “I didn’t do anything and I know I’m not perfect… but the love I have given you.” “It saddens me not one of you has valued me as a person,” she added. “Honestly, my dad needs to be in jail for the rest of his life.” “Like I said, God would not have let this happened to me. I don’t believe in god anymore because of the way my children and my family have treated me. There is nothing to believe in anymore. I’m an atheist y’all.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Colin Farrell believes the world is “quick to pull the trigger of judgement”. The 46-year-old actor stars in the new Martin McDonagh-directed movie ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, and Colin believes that the film could serve as a counter to the “information age” that “takes us away from the intimacy that’s required and interests that are needed to exist”. Reflecting on the themes of the movie, Colin explained to the Guardian newspaper: “When push comes to shove we will always return to good chats. It’s like the people who don’t believe in God until they’ve overdosed on a drug. “Conversation, sharing thoughts and feelings with each other. It’s a world that is so quick to pull the trigger of judgement on each other, we’re so quick to cancel now with cancel culture and all these things. But to actually have discourse, to have conversation and exchange ideas in a way that is as open to your opinion being changed as it is to being shared is a gorgeous thing. “I don’t think that’ll ever die even if it’s been supplanted by a little technology.” The new comedy-drama film centres on a conflict between two friends. And Brendan Gleeson – who stars in the movie – has described the film as an exploration of male relationships, and he feels the theme is particularly “pertinent right now”. Brendan, 67 – who previously starred alongside Colin in the comedy crime film ‘In Bruges’ – said: “I’m glad to see male friendship as something valuable at the moment when the readjustment of everyone’s relationships with everybody is under reconsideration. “The valuing of male friendship against a bromance to me is very deep and pertinent right now.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A federal judge on Monday agreed to appoint a special master to review records seized by the FBI during its unprecedented search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, a move that is likely to delay the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal investigation. In her ruling https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.64.0.pdf, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in West Palm Beach, Florida granted Trump’s request for a special master, whom she said will be tasked with reviewing documents that as well as being potentially covered by attorney-client privilege could also be covered by executive privilege. She also ordered the Justice Department to stop reviewing the records as part of its criminal investigation, a move that will likely at least temporarily hinder its ability to continue investigating. However, Cannon said she would permit U.S. intelligence officials to continue conducting a classification review, as well as a national security damage assessment review. Cannon’s decision to allow a special master to review documents that could be covered by executive privilege, a legal doctrine that can shield some White House records from disclosure, has never been done before. If the special master decides some of the material is covered by Trump’s executive privilege claims, it could hamper the government’s investigation. Cannon rejected the government’s argument against appointing a special master to review materials potentially covered by executive privilege. The Justice Department had said the records belong to the government and that Trump is no longer president. “The government asserts that executive privilege has no role to play here because plaintiff—a former head of the executive branch—is entirely foreclosed from successfully asserting executive privilege against the current executive branch,” wrote Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020 just months before he left office. “In the court’s estimation, this position arguably overstates the law,” she said. Cannon gave Trump’s legal team and the Justice Department until Friday to file a proposed list of special master candidates. “The United States is examining the opinion and will consider appropriate next steps in the ongoing litigation,” Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said. It is unclear whether the Justice Department will appeal Cannon’s ruling, or even if it has the ability to do so under the law. In its prior legal filings, the Justice Department has also said that the federal court for the Southern District of Florida does not have the jurisdiction to adjudicate Trump’s claims. Representatives for Trump did not respond to a request for comment. However, in a post on his Truth Social platform following Cannon’s ruling, Trump wrote: “Remember, it takes courage and ‘guts’ to fight a totally corrupt Department of ‘Justice’ and the FBI.” Trump, without evidence, has accused the Justice Department of launching a partisan witch-hunt against him, and his lawyers argued that the appointment of an independent third-party to review the materials would be an important check on the government. Trump is under investigation for removing government records, some of which were marked as highly classified, from the White House after he departed in January 2021, and storing them in his home at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. The Justice Department has said it is also investigating possible obstruction, after the FBI uncovered evidence that Trump’s team may have deliberately concealed classified documents when agents tried to recover them in June. At that same meeting on June 3, Trump’s representatives falsely certified they had conducted a diligent search and returned all classified materials to the government – a claim that was later disproved after the FBI recovered about 33 boxes containing more than 11,000 government records and photos and more than 100 records marked as classified. Trump’s legal team waited until two weeks after the FBI’s Aug. 8 search before asking the court to appoint a special master – an independent third party who is sometimes assigned in sensitive cases to review materials that could be covered by attorney-client privilege. A special master was used, for instance, to review materials seized in the searches of the homes and offices of two of Trump’s former attorneys – Rudy Giuliani and Michael Cohen. In addition to arguing against appointing a special master to review material potentially covered by executive privilege, the Justice Department argued that it made no sense to appoint a special master because its filter team – a group of agents who are not part of the investigation – had completed its work. The agents located and set aside about 520 pages that could be subject to attorney-client privilege, prosecutors said at a Sept. 1 hearing. The rest of the records have already been reviewed by the investigative team for the ongoing criminal probe. In her ruling on Monday, Cannon said she has lingering concerns about how the Justice Department has conducted its privilege review, saying she was aware of at least two instances in which members of the investigative team were exposed to materials which were later designated as potentially privileged. “Those instances alone, even if entirely inadvertent, yield questions about the adequacy of the filter review process,” she wrote. Many former Justice Department attorneys, both Democrats and Republicans, have criticized Trump’s call for a special master. In a brief phone interview on Monday, former Attorney General Bill Barr, whom Trump appointed, spoke out against using a special master to review materials potentially covered by executive privilege. “I don’t think a special master makes sense in connection with executive privilege material,” Barr told Reuters. “If the documents are subject to executive privilege,” he said, “they involve official deliberations about executive actions, and by definition, those documents belong to the government.” (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler) View the full article