Donald Trump, College Football, and a Parrot Robbery

Trump Arrives in Georgia

Former President Donald Trump traveled to Atlanta yesterday evening, turning himself in on state felony charges alleging he conspired to overturn the 2020 election. One of 19 indicted, Trump was released on predetermined bail terms of $200K. It's Trump's fourth indictment this year; he has maintained his innocence in all cases (see timeline). 

Trump was required to take a mug shot, a step that was not required during previous intakes this year. Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis proposed a quick turnaround for the start of the trial—seeking a start date of Oct. 23. The presiding judge has yet to respond as of this writing. 

The processing comes a day after the first GOP primary debate, which Trump declined to participate in. He currently leads the field of contenders by double digits in primary polls from Iowa, the first primary state on the schedule. 

Separately, House Republicans said they would launch a probe into Georgia officials' investigation of Trump, alleging a political motivation behind the charges. 

College Football Kicks Off

The 2023 college football season begins Saturday, with a pair of games involving the top 15 teams before the schedule gets fully underway next weekend. No. 13 Notre Dame will take on Navy (2:30 pm ET, NBC), followed by No. 6 Southern California facing San Jose State (8 pm ET, PAC-12 Network). No. 13 Utah follows up next Thursday, hosting Florida (8 pm ET, ESPN). 

A top narrative this year will be the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs' quest for a third straight title, while led by new starting QB Carson Beck. The top five teams are rounded out by Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, and LSU. See full rankings here.

The season marks a transition between eras in the sport, with seismic shifts in conference alignment and postseason format beginning next year. Heavyweights Texas and Oklahoma will begin play in the Southeastern Conference in 2024, while the century-old PAC-12 conference will see USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon depart for the traditionally Midwest-centric Big 10. Meanwhile, the sport's playoff will expand from four teams to 12 beginning next year.  

See the projections for the best returning players at every position here.

BRICS Expansion

The BRICS alliance announced yesterday six countries will be joining its bloc of developing economies. The alliance—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates to join starting January 1.

The bloc, currently representing 40% of the world's population and over 25% of global GDP, seeks to counterbalance Western dominance in international affairs and expand its global influence. With the additional countries, BRICS claims 46% of the world's population and more than 30% of the global economy.

The group will now include several major oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, which is the world’s largest crude oil exporter. More than 80% of international trade takes place in US dollars, and the expansion could push forward the bloc’s goal to trade in alternative currencies. The group plans to allow further expansion, with more than 40 countries expressing interest in joining the alliance.

The announcement comes at the end of the group’s 15th annual summit in South Africa and marks the first expansion since the addition of South Africa in 2010.

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