Donald Trump faces more charges in the classified documents investigation, and a third defendant has been indicted. A teen who resurfaced after missing for four years insists "no one hurt me." And a Black man's videos about encounters with his neighbors while fishing make a splash.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump faces new charges in classified docs case
Donald Trump and a Mar-a-Lago property manager were allegedly part of a scheme to delete security video, according to a new indictment filed yesterday in connection with Trump’s post-presidency handling of classified documents.
The newly charged defendant in the case is Carlos De Oliveira, who was a maintenance supervisor at Mar-a-Lago. According to the indictment, De Oliveira and Trump aide Walt Nauta, who has been previously charged in the case, met at a booth where security video was displayed on monitors. The indictment also alleges that De Oliveira had a conversation with a Mar-a-Lago employee during which he asked how long the server retained video and said that “the boss” wanted the server deleted.
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Meanwhile, federal authorities said Trump allegedly schemed to obstruct the ongoing investigation and didn’t want officials to get their hands on his boxes. “I don’t want anybody looking through my boxes, I really don’t,” Trump told his lawyer last year, according to the indictment.
Court documents say De Oliveira denied that he was involved in moving boxes. “Never saw anything,” he reportedly told the FBI.
Our politics team breaks down the latest development in the case.
Man mauled by Ohio police dog speaks out
Jadarrius Rose said it was fear that initially kept him from stopping his vehicle on July 4 when Ohio state troopers attempted a traffic stop. And after he exited his vehicle and raised his arms, a police dog attacked him. “I just didn’t want to lose my life or lose my arm,” Rose told NBC News’ Tom Llamas in an exclusive interview. Rose recalled the attack as he sat next to his mother, who said she couldn’t watch body camera footage of the incident because it was too difficult. Watch the full interview here.
Murmurs about McConnell and Feinstein’s health
Anxieties rose after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze for 19 seconds at a news conference, an incident that comes after numerous falls this year. Publicly, Republicans are rallying around McConnell, and none are calling him to step down. But the incident this week has sparked further questions about what’s next.
One Republican senator said, “I kind of do” think McConnell should step down and noted that McConnell, 81, has become less talkative in closed-door lunches.
McConnell isn’t the only lawmaker whose health has caused concern. During a Senate committee vote yesterday, Dianne Feinstein launched into a speech instead of saying the expected “aye” or “nay.” An aide had to stop her, and then another senator stepped in and told Feinstein: “Just say aye.” Later, Feinstein, who is 90 years old, switched a vote to a “yes.” A spokesperson commented on the awkward moments.
Doja Cat’s fans are itching for an apology
Doja Cat’s recent comments disparaging fans has left some of the rapper’s supporters upset while reigniting a debate about what, if anything, celebrities owe their fans. The drama began when Doja Cat took to social media to tell her fans, who call themselves “kittenz,” to get off their phones and “get a job.” She further angered them when she doubled down on her criticisms, causing multiple Twitter fan pages to deactivate their accounts.
While fans behind two of these accounts spoke about their disappointment in the rapper, critics are using the online spat as an example of parasocial relationships — one-sided emotional investment with a celebrity or fictional character — gone too far.
Today’s Talker
A missing teen who resurfaced four years later...
… told Arizona police that “no one hurt me.” Authorities released a 27-second clip of Alicia Navarro’s conversation with police on Thursday, days after she showed up at a Montana police station. Navarro was 14 when she vanished in 2019, and police said it appears that she “willfully left her home.” However, authorities said they are looking into “the dynamics surrounding that decision.”
Politics in Brief
2024 election: Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign is rebooting a pair of linked fundraising vehicles that have sat dormant since he launched his campaign.
Defense bill: The Senate passed a massive annual defense bill that would give pay raises to service members and keep the nation’s military operating but sets up a clash with the House over social issues.
Immigration and the border: President Joe Biden has been touting a 42% drop in illegal border crossings since May, but the reality is more nuanced. The number of migrants arriving in the U.S. is still high, and the Biden administration has ramped up deportations.
Staff Pick: There’s something in the water
You can’t help but cringe while watching some of Anthony Gibson’s TikTok videos — obviously, not at the gigantic fish he hoists out of the water, but because of the harassment that Gibson, a Black man, documents when he sets up his fishing equipment at the lake in his private community. What is supposed to be a moment of recreation a few steps away from Gibson’s home has repeatedly turned into a barrage of questions from his neighbors, who constantly ask whether he’s supposed to be there and sometimes resort to dialing 9-1-1. — Michelle Garcia, NBC BLK editorial director
In Case You Missed It
The Emmy Awards, which normally air in September, are being postponed due to the writers’ and actors’ strike.
More than 100 transgender men have entered the Miss Italy pageant this week in protest against the pageant’s organizer, who said trans women wouldn’t be allowed to compete.
A Florida woman who swindled the life savings from an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor in a “romance scam” was sentenced to over four years in prison.
Local and federal authorities uncovered an illegal biotech lab in California full of mice and medical waste containing coronavirus, HIV, hepatitis and other infectious agents.
Randy Meisner has died at 77. The founding member and bassist for the Eagles was known for his high harmonies in songs like “Take It Easy” and “Take It to the Limit.”
The weather has been so warm recently that it’s almost certain this month will become the hottest July ever recorded.
A manatee who died in a Florida aquarium earlier this year suffered fatal injuries caused by sex with its brother, officials at the institution said.
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