Tuesday Briefing: A 4th Trump indictment looms

By Justin Porter

Good morning. We’re covering a possible fourth criminal indictment against Donald Trump and the latest on the wildfires in Maui.

Plus: “Barbie” debuts in Saudi Arabia.

Another indictment looms for Trump

Donald Trump could face conspiracy charges related to attempts to overturn Georgia’s results in the 2020 election. A grand jury began hearing evidence yesterday and could deliver a criminal indictment soon — the fourth against the former president.

For two and a half years, prosecutors in Georgia have been investigating whether Trump and his allies broke state laws in their bid to keep him in power. Nearly 20 other people could also face charges as a result of the investigation.

The investigation has focused on five actions taken by Trump: phone calls intended to pressure Georgia officials to overturn the result, harassment of local election workers, false claims of ballot fraud, a plan to create a slate of bogus electors and a data breach at an elections office in a rural county.

The Georgia case shows the extraordinary lengths Trump and his allies went to in the state to reverse the election.

The stakes: This would be the fourth indictment Trump is facing. His hope of avoiding criminal convictions in two of the cases may hinge largely on his campaign; he could potentially pardon himself for any federal crimes if re-elected. But presidents do not have authority over state courts, a distinction that raises the stakes of a prosecution in Georgia.

A rerun: Despite the political divide, there’s one issue on which U.S. voters looking toward the 2024 presidential election seem to agree: Please, not another round of Biden vs. Trump.

As the inferno grew in Maui, the water system failed

Firefighters rushing last week to slow the wildfires that killed 96 people in Hawaii, found that hydrants were running dry and water pressure so weak that the fire promptly jumped beyond their efforts to contain it. The demoralized crews had to watch the fire advance on Lahaina, on the island of Maui, and focus instead on evacuations.

The lack of water forced firefighters into an extraordinary rush to save lives by risking their own, and it has left officials and residents searching for answers about how the community can better prepare for a world of fiercer winds and drier land.

Taliban fighters are seeking new battles abroad

Two years after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, hundreds of young Taliban soldiers have crossed illegally into Pakistan to battle alongside an insurgent group. Many young Talibs say they are determined to continue waging jihad, wherever in the world it takes them.

The exodus has renewed fears about violent extremism spilling out of Afghanistan and destabilizing neighboring countries, or one day reaching Western targets. Russia, China, the U.S. and Iran have all raised the alarm about the possible resurgence of terrorist groups.

THE LATEST NEWS

• Russia’s central bank called an emergency meeting for this morning after the ruble slid to its lowest level since just after the start of the war in Ukraine.
• Russian forces attacked Odesa, but all eight cruise missiles and 15 attack drones launched by Russia were shot down, the Ukrainian military said.
• Li Shangfu, China’s defense minister, is expected to give a speech at a security conference in Moscow today as part of his visit this week to Russia and Belarus.

• At least nine people were killed inside a Himalayan temple that collapsed yesterday in northern India after heavy rains set off landslides and flash floods.
• China’s tight control of the ways tragedy can be mourned by families reflects the party’s expectation that the Chinese people will remain obedient, no matter what happens to them, our columnist Li Yuan writes.

• The military junta in Niger said that it would prosecute the deposed president for treason.
• Javier Milei, a far-right candidate in Argentina who embraces comparisons to Donald Trump, cemented his status as a front-runner for the presidency in elections in October.
• A judge in Montana ruled in favor of young people in a landmark climate case, finding that they had a constitutional right to a healthful environment.
• UBS agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle U.S. claims that it misrepresented bonds backed by mortgages sold in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.

• The Women’s World Cup semifinal today between Spain and Sweden will be a battle of styles, of passing versus pragmatism.

Centuries of civilization have left Istanbul dotted with the tombs of religious figures. Many are well-kept, living sites where visitors can seek a quiet place to unburden themselves from the problems of the modern city and get a spiritual boost.

“These are the protectors of Istanbul,” Mahire Turk said during a return pilgrimage to the shrine of Aziz Mahmud Hudayi. “I am sure that if I pay them a visit, they will protect me, too.”

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ARTS AND IDEAS

‘Barbie’ in Saudi Arabia

Across the Middle East, critics have called for the film to be banned for undermining traditional gender norms. Kuwait, where religious conservatives have become more vocal in recent years, decided last week to ban it.

But in Saudi Arabia, the hit movie is finding an audience. “Barbie” arrived in the kingdom last week with an eruption of pink nails, pink shirts and pink floor-length abayas. Some theaters scheduled more than 15 showings a day.

That this was happening in one of the most male-dominated countries in the world was mind-boggling to many in the Middle East and illustrates the region’s shifting political landscape.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Cook these grilled pork chops with a plum barbecue sauce.

Watch the Netflix anime series “Ōoku: The Inner Chambers” about a complex love story in an alternate-reality Edo Japan.

Listen to a poem written by A.I. and read aloud by Werner Herzog.

Wear spiky stilettos that add a dramatic kick to any outfit.

Play the Spelling Bee. (If you’re stuck, the Bee Buddy can help.) And here’s the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku.

That’s it for today’s briefing. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Justin

P.S. Little sleep, lots of coffee: How Juliet Macur, a Times Sports reporter, covers the Women’s World Cup across countries and time zones.

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