By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeffrey Clark, the former Justice Department official who aided President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, should be stripped of his law license, a Washington disciplinary panel ruled on Thursday.

Clark, who is now overseeing a federal regulatory office, played a key role in Trump’s efforts to challenge his election loss to Joe Biden and clashed with Justice Department superiors who refused to back his false claims of fraud.

The D.C. Board of Professional Responsibility’s recommendation will now go to the D.C. Court of Appeals for a final decision.

Under the second Trump administration, Clark has been serving as acting head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a part of the Office of Management and Budget that is responsible for reviewing executive branch regulations.

OMB spokesperson Rachel Cauley said in a post on X that “this latest injustice is just another chapter in the Deep State’s ongoing assault on President Trump and those who stood beside him in defense of the truth.”

“JEFF CLARK has been harassed, raided, doxed, and blacklisted simply for questioning a RIGGED election and serving President Trump,” she wrote.

Related Articles

ICE says it has made tentative job offers to more than 1,000 as hiring ramps up

Pentagon pulls back more National Guard troops and leaves behind 250 in Los Angeles

Federal judges detail rise in threats, ‘pizza doxings,’ as Trump ramps up criticism

Government to keep sharing key satellite data for hurricane forecasting despite planned cutoff

A look at colleges with federal money targeted by the Trump administration

At issue in the D.C. bar proceedings was a letter that Clark, as an assistant attorney general in the first Trump administration, drafted that said the Justice Department was investigating “various irregularities” and had identified “significant concerns” that may have impacted the election in Georgia and other states. Clark wanted the letter sent to Georgia lawmakers, but Justice Department superiors refused.

The board said disciplinary counsel proved that Clark made “intentionally false statements” when he continued to push for the Justice Department to issue the letter after being told by superiors that it contained falsehoods.

“Lawyers cannot advocate for any outcome based on false statements and they certainly cannot urge others to do so,” the board’s report said. “Respondent persistently and energetically sought to do just that on an important national issue. He should be disbarred as a consequence and to send a message to the rest of the Bar and to the public that this behavior will not be tolerated.”

Clark’s attorney, Harry MacDougald, argued during disciplinary hearings last year that the letter was part of the debate that normally occurs between lawyers and that punishing Clark in those circumstances would have a “chilling effect.”

Clark’s conflict with Justice Department superiors culminated in a contentious, hourslong meeting at the White House on Jan. 3, 2021, in which Trump openly considered installing Clark as acting attorney general, according to a Senate Judiciary report. Several officials in the Jan. 3 meeting told Trump they would resign if he put Clark in charge at the Justice Department.

Another close Trump ally, Rudy Giuliani, was disbarred in Washington last year, months after he lost his law license in New York for pursuing false claims Trump made about his 2020 election loss.

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple shook off a thicket of tariffs and a botched entry into artificial intelligence to accelerate its revenue growth during its springtime quarter, but the trendsetting tech company still faces a bumpy road ahead that could lead to higher iPhone prices.

The April-June results released Thursday came against a backdrop of adversity that has been raising worries about the trajectory of a longtime tech kingpin.

Despite the doubts, Apple remains a moneymaking machine.

The Cupertino, California, company earned $23.4 billion, or $1.57 per share, during its fiscal third quarter, a 9% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 10% from a year ago to $94 billion. The company’s iPhone sales surged 13% from a year ago to $44.6 billion. All those numbers were well above the analyst projections that steer investors, helping to boost Apple’s recently slumping stock price by 2% in extended trading.

But the unexpectedly solid performance doesn’t necessarily mean it’s smooth sailing ahead for Apple.

Related Articles

Trump’s EPA is targeting key vehicle pollution rules. What that means for carmakers

European Union assumes it faces 15% tariffs in the US from Friday. But a key text still isn’t ready

Americans haven’t saved for retirement. These states are creating automatic savings plans

American Eagle’s ‘good jeans’ ads with Sydney Sweeney spark a debate on race and beauty standards

Trump administration cancels plans to develop new offshore wind projects

President Donald Trump’s trade war targeting foreign-made products such as the iPhone and Apple’s stumbling start in the pivotal transition to AI is causing investors to question if the company will remain at the tech forefront as the industry moves into a new era.

Before Thursday’s report came out, Apple’s stock price had plunged by 17% so far this year to wipe out more than $600 billion in shareholder wealth and knock the company off its perch as the world’s most valuable company. Meanwhile, the shares of AI chipmaker Nvidia have surged 32% this year and the shares of AI pacesetter Microsoft have gained 27%, propelling the market value to $4 trillion.

Even though Apple remains highly profitable, the tariffs that Trump has already imposed on China and other countries cost the company $900 million during the past quarter, with even more financial pain looming as his administration threatens to ramp up the fees.

Apple softened the blow of Trump’s tariffs on products made outside the U.S. during the past quarter by shifting its production of iPhones from China to India. But the administration intends to impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, a move that could intensify the pressure on Apple to raise the prices on the next generation of iPhones expected to be released in September.

Meanwhile, Apple is still trying to fulfill the AI promises it made last year when it unveiled an array of new iPhone features built on the revolutionary technology, raising expectations that the shift would spur millions of people to upgrade their old devices. But Apple still hasn’t delivered on an AI upgrade that was supposed to smarten up its often-bumbling virtual assistant Siri, one of the main reasons underlying the lackluster growth of iPhone sales.

“There are two big questions looming over Apple: How are you going to rejigger your business model to deal with the new tariff backdrop and then what is the company going to do to drive an upgrade cycle for the iPhone?” said Melissa Otto, a stock market analyst for S&P’s Visible Alpha.

New Gophers men’s basketball coach Niko Medved finished summer workouts with his first team at Minnesota on Thursday, and it took him less than two minutes into a group interview to bring up a huge mentor, Clem Haskins.

Medved was a student manger under Haskins in the mid-1990s. Two decades and one big scandal later, Medved is still fond of that particular predecessor despite him being forced to resign amid widespread academic malfeasance in 1999.

Medved and Haskins caught up in-person earlier this month in Las Vegas as Medved watched his former Colorado State star and first-round NBA draft pick Nique Clifford play for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League.

“It’s kind of a full circle moment for me,” Medved said Thursday before practice at Athletes Village. “And I told Coach (Haskins), I said, ‘It doesn’t feel right when I’m down in Williams Arena and I’m sitting in your chair, in your office, something doesn’t feel right about that.’ But that was a really cool moment for me that just kind of felt like, wow, I’m back, and I have the job of a guy and a situation that I just admired so much.”

Haskins, 82, was last inside Williams Arena for his former star player Willie Burton’s No. 34 jersey retirement at halftime of a game against Michigan State in January 2020. Burton insisted Haskins make the trip north from his home in Campbellsville, Ken.

While the Gophers new head coach is clearly a fan of Haskins, how much willingness — much less, desire — does the U athletic department and university leadership overall have to bring Haskins back to the Barn for some sort of commemoration?

Haskins coached at the U for 13 seasons and his 1989 Sweet Sixteen and 1990 Elite Eight appearances are still in the record books, but the final six seasons were vacated after team tutor Jan Gangelhoff admitted to writing more than 400 papers for at least 18 players over a five-year stretch. A internal investigation from the university, which was backed by an NCAA report, said Haskins participated in the fraud.

Former Gopher Willie Burton hugs his former coach Clem Haskins during a half-time ceremony honoring the former team at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, Minn., on Tuesday, December 29, 2009.(Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

When Medved was hired in March, he was asked if he will advocate for hanging banners back up in the rafters of The Barn, primarily the one for the program’s pinnacle: the 1997 Final Four.

“I don’t know that the banners aren’t in The Barn, so that’s something we need to talk about,” Medved said during his introductory news conference.

Medved shared Thursday that Haskins remains “sharp as a tack,” but his mobility has decreased with age and the wear and tear from nearly 700 NBA games over nine seasons with Chicago, Phoenix and Washington from 1967 to 1976.

With former star guard Bobby Jackson, Medved and others breaking bread in Vegas, Haskins shared old war stories, including playing against Wilt Chamberlin.

Later on Thursday, Medved was asked about building his first roster at his alma mater, which has a clear emphasis on 3-point shooting in its makeup.

“As a great coach told me once — you probably know who I’m talking about here — Coach Haskins. He said, ‘Niko, you can run all the pretty little plays you want in the world. At the end of the day, you better have a guy who can ring the bell,’ ” Medved said. “You got to get some guys who can make shots, and I think we’ve been able to do that.

“Shooting is a huge premium here. And I think we’ve got some guys who can put in the basket. Now it’s a lot different, putting in the basket here against our (graduate assistants) in a workout (compared to) drilling it with the hand in your face at (Purdue’s) Mackey Arena in January.”

Related Articles

Gophers men’s basketball pick up high-rising Wayzata recruit Nolen Anderson

Gophers basketball: Missouri, Stanford highlight men’s nonconference slate

NBA: Former Gophers forward Dawson Garcia signs with Pistons

Gophers report: Men’s basketball adds pair of guards

How the new Gophers men’s basketball roster shapes up for next season

HOUSTON — Carlos Correa is returning to Houston, giving the Astros a needed jolt for their infield with a stunning trade from the Minnesota Twins ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the trade hadn’t been announced. Additional terms of the swap weren’t immediately available.

Correa spent his first seven years in Houston, where he became one of the most beloved players in franchise history, helping the team to six playoff appearances, three American League pennants and its first World Series title in 2017 — a championship tainted by a sign-stealing scandal. The top pick in the 2012 amateur draft and 2015 AL Rookie of the Year was part of the homegrown core that helped the Astros go from the league’s laughingstock to perennial contenders.

Correa, who waived his no-trade clause, has exclusively played shortstop in his 11-year major league career but will almost certainly move to third base for the AL West leaders with shortstop Jeremy Peña close to returning from the injured list. The Astros need help at third with All-Star Isaac Paredes out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.

Charismatic and an unquestioned leader in the clubhouse, Correa could help galvanize a team that has managed to remain atop the division standings despite dealing with multiple injuries to both its lineup and pitching staff.

Correa reunites with second baseman Jose Altuve, who is the Astros’ longest tenured player and one of his closest friends on the team. When asked about the possibility of Correa returning to Houston on Wednesday, Altuve raved about him before saying: “So I think — if anything (were) to happen, I hope it’s the best for him and for us.”

The 30-year-old Correa was named to two of his three All-Star Games while with the Astros and won a Gold Glove Award in 2021. He seemed to embrace the villain role when Houston became the league’s most hated team after it was revealed the Astros illegally stole signs in their run to the 2017 title and during the 2018 season.

He left when he became a free agent before the 2022 season when the Astros wouldn’t pay him what he believed he was worth, signing a three-year deal worth just over $105 million. Correa opted out of that contract after one year but re-signed with the Twins on a six-year, $200 million deal, of which just under $100 million is still owed. The contract also includes vesting options for the 2029-2032 seasons.

While Correa’s defense at shortstop has been impeccable and his leadership in the clubhouse strong, the investment for the Twins simply hasn’t panned out. He played the 2023 season through plantar fasciitis in his left foot, batting just .230 with 131 strikeouts in 135 games and a pedestrian .711 OPS.

He shined in the playoffs, helping the Twins end a record 18-game postseason losing streak and win a series for the first time in 21 years, and was enjoying an All-Star season in 2024 before plantar fasciitis popped up again – this time in his right foot. He had to withdraw from the All-Star Game and didn’t return until mid-September, after the Twins were already mired in a sharp swoon that pushed them out of playoff contention.

Correa has been much healthier this year, but not as productive. His .905 OPS in 2024 has fallen to .704 this year, with seven home runs in 93 games.

The contract he signed 2 1/2 years ago now constitutes a much larger percentage of the team’s payroll, after a sharp decline in regional television revenue in light of the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group prompted a spending reduction by Twins ownership. The Pohlad family has since put the club up for sale.