Trump refuses to testify in New York attorney general’s investigation: ‘I decline to answer’- live

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The justice department has announced charges against a Tehran-based member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for attempting to hire someone in the United States to kill John Bolton, a national security adviser under Donald Trump.

According the department, 45-year-old Shahram Poursafi last year promised an unnamed person in the United States $300,000 to kill Bolton, probably as retaliation for Washington’s assassination of Qassem Suleimani in January 2020. The goal was apparently to have Bolton killed by the January 3 anniversary of Suleimani’s death in Baghdad, but the person Poursafi allegedly hired for the job was actually a confidential informant.

While Bolton had left the White House by the time of Suleimani’s death, he is a known Iran hawk who has called for bombing the country.

Poursafi remains at large, according to the justice department.

The Guardian’s Lauren Aratani has more on whether inflation really is declining in the United States – and how fast it may fall:

What goes up must come down. Right? Inflation has been soaring over the last year. But price rises in July were “just” 8.5% higher than what they were last July, down from a 9.1% yearly rate in June. Perhaps the worst is over?

Americans have been feeling the hit at the gas pump, grocery stores, restaurants and when planning vacations. In response, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates from near zero to between 2.25% and 2.5% as it tries to drive inflation down to its target rate of 2%, but it is unclear when that goal can be reached.

What is clear is that when and if prices do start to fall, it is going to take time, and in some sectors, a lot more time than in others. Nor is declining overall inflation a guarantee that prices will not rise in some areas again.

Following the release of data showing inflation flatlining in July, president Joe Biden said the figures were a sign that the world’s largest economy was healthy and poised to see prices moderate in the months to come.

“I just want to say a number: zero”, Biden said at the start of a White House ceremony to sign a bill assisting military veterans who were exposed to harmful chemicals.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that inflation in July was flat compared to June, but over the past 12 months, it had risen by a rapid 8.5 percent. That was lower than the month prior, and the data seemed to indicate the price increase wave may have passed its peak. Inflation began ticking up last year as the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines sparked an economic reopening, and was exacerbated by factors including the Federal Reserve’s low interest rate policies, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and instability in global oil markets that caused gas prices to spike in the United States.

The inflation data followed Friday’s surprisingly good hiring numbers for July, which showed the unemployment rate returning to where it was before the pandemic struck.

“We’re seeing a stronger labor market where jobs are booming and Americans are working and we’re seeing some signs that inflation may be getting to moderate” Biden said.

“That’s what happens when you build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out. The wealthy do very well and everyone has a chance. It gives everyone a chance to make progress.”

The Guardian’s Edward Helmore has more on Trump’s refusal to talk to New York investigators looking into his real estate dealings:

Donald Trump said he declined to answer questions under oath on Wednesday as part of the New York state attorney general Letitia James’s long-running civil investigation into his dealings as a real estate mogul.

The former US president had previously slammed the legal encounter in a brash post on his Truth Social social media platform, the day before he was due to appear for the deposition.

“In New York City tonight. Seeing racist NYS Attorney General tomorrow, for a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in US history!” Trump wrote, repeating an insult he has thrown repeatedly thrown at James, who is Black and the first woman of color ever to hold statewide elected office in New York.

In a lengthy statement, Donald Trump has announced he refused to answer questions during a deposition today as part of New York attorney general Letitia James‘s investigation into his real estate dealings.

The statement is full of attacks on James, but closes with the former president declaring he has lost faith in the justice system – at least under his Democratic rival, president Joe Biden:

I once asked, “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” Now I know the answer to that question. When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded, politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors, and the Fake News Media, you have no choice. If there was any question in my mind, the raid of my home, Mar-a-Lago, on Monday by the FBI, just two days prior to this deposition, wiped out any uncertainty. I have absolutely no choice because the current Administration and many prosecutors in this Country have lost all moral and ethical bounds of decency.

Accordingly, under the advice of my counsel and for all of the above reasons, I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution.

Data released this morning shows the inflation wave that has played a big part in destroying president Joe Biden’s approval ratings may finally be cresting, Dominic Rushe reports:

The pace of price rises dipped in the US in July as gas prices eased bringing down the annual rate of inflation to 8.5%, still close to a multi-decade high but lower than the four-decade peak it hit in June.

July’s figure, while still high, represents a significant fall from the annual rate of 9.1% recorded in June and will raise hopes that inflation has finally peaked in the US. It follows other indicators that have suggested price rises are finally moderating.

But the report showed once again how broadly inflation has spread through the economy. After stripping out food and energy costs – which are highly volatile – prices climbed by 5.9% in the year to the end of July, matching last month’s reading.

It’s too soon to say what the outcome of the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate will be, but as Edward Helmore reports, it’s already become fundraising fodder for Republican candidates:

Republican and rightwing groups have swiftly used the FBI raid on Donald Trump’s winter home at Mar-a-Lago in Florida to raise money from their supporters by bombarding them with fundraising emails and appeals for donations.

In public the former US president, his allies and nearly all senior Republicans have expressed deep outrage at the raid, which is linked to Trump apparently keeping classified documents at Mar-a-Lago from his time in the White House. But the same figures have also seen the moment as a clear opportunity to urge supporters to dig deep into their pockets.

Most of the emails followed a common script: outrage at the raid, warnings of political persecution, the lawlessness and overreach of Democrats and the Biden administration. Each concluded with an invitation to make a donation.

Keeping up with the many lawsuits and investigations swirling around Donald Trump can be overwhelming. Here’s a rundown from Reuters of his known legal engagements:

Donald Trump said on Monday that FBI agents searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

While the search appears to be part of an investigation into Trump’s unlawful removal and destruction of White House records after his presidency, the businessman and politician is facing investigations and lawsuits on a number of fronts.

Here’s a recap.

Today is a day Donald Trump has been avoiding for a long time.

As the Guardian has previously reported, the former president pulled out all the legal stops to try to get himself out of testifying in New York attorney general Letitia James‘s investigation into whether the Trump Organization inflated the value of its real estate assets to claim tax breaks and get loans. The bid was unsuccessful, and his two children, Ivanka and Donald Jr, have already spoken to James’ office, according to NBC news.

And yet, just because Trump is there doesn’t mean investigators will hear much from him today. The Associated Press reports that his attorney has recommended Trump invoke his fifth amendment rights not to answer questions that could incriminate him. Though as the story notes, Trump once said, “The mob takes the fifth.”

Good morning, US politics blog readers. Two days after the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago residence, Donald Trump will today sit for a deposition as part of the New York attorney general’s investigation into his business practices. The former president’s legal entanglements are numerous, but don’t seem to have undercut the power of his endorsement – on Tuesday, several of his preferred candidates triumphed in primary elections in four states.

Here is what’s on the agenda today:

Inflation cooled in July, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reported consumer prices were unchanged last month.

Joe Biden will sign the Pact Act, which assists veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service, then travel to South Carolina.

Today is the 10-year anniversary of American journalist Austin Tice‘s abduction in Syria, and Biden has once again called for his release.