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The Big Story
Trump’s Twitter DMs obtained by special counsel
Former President Trump’s direct messages, as well as his draft tweets and location information, were sought by special counsel Jack Smith in his battle for information about Trump’s account on X, the platform formerly called Twitter.
Newly unsealed court records offer more detail about what prosecutors were looking for when they subpoenaed records related to the Twitter account in January, a request granted by the court, my colleague Rebecca Beitsch reported.
The details come from February hearingsheld before then-U.S. District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell, who repeatedly questioned whether the company’s resistance reflected an effort by then-newly minted CEO Elon Musk’s efforts to get “cozy” with Trump.
But in the transcripts, the company also expressed fear some of Trump’s direct messages could be covered by executive privilege if he was communicating about state business with other administration officials.
The documents show the scope of the information sought by Smith, which also included information on any tweets that had been created or drafted and then subsequently deleted, as well as all searches connected to the account.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is considering new rules to crack down on data brokers amid a wider push to reduce risks from the rapidly expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence.
SPACE (KXAN) – A new photo from the James Webb Space Telescope is leading to a giant question – or moreover one about a giant question mark. The photo was released by the European Space Agency on July 26. This week, people online noticed what appeared to be a “question mark” (?) in the image.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who’s running in the state’s closely watched Senate race, has parted ways with his press secretary after the aide tweeted criticism of former President Trump. LaRose’s interim press secretary Mary Cianciolo confirmed to The Hill that Rob Nichols “is no longer employed at the Office of the Ohio Secretary of State.” The Cleveland Plain Dealer and …
News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:
Nextdoor board members quit over DOJ heat
Two members of the Nextdoor Holdings Inc. board stepped down from the position amid antitrust concern from the Department of Justice over their other position serving on the board of Pinterest Inc., Bloomberg reported.
Employees share Tesla work culture
The Verge reported on the work culture at Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla, where he’s urged them to go “utlra hardcore,” through conversations with employees.
Google testing AI for life advice
A team at Google is testing how to use generative AI to perform at least 21 different types of personal and professional tasks, including ways to give users life advice, The New York Times reported.
On Our Radar
Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:
The Federal Communications Commission’s Technology Advisory Council will meet Thursday at 10 a.m.
In Other News
Branch out with other reads on The Hill:
Tech company behind Kentucky school bus problems had similar issues in Ohio last year
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The company behind a disastrous change to a Kentucky city’s school bus routes that resulted in more than a week of canceled classes had similar problems in two cities in neighboring Ohio last year. Touting its connections to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, …
A majority of Americans says former President Trump should be prosecuted on federal criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn the results … Read more
A Republican lawmaker apologized Tuesday for a “religious freedom” tweet he posted earlier that day after receiving backlash from both sides of … Read more
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