How Trump forced the DOJ's hand in documents case

+ new dialect is taking shape in South Florida US Edition - Today's top story: 'If you want to die in jail, keep talking' – two national security law experts discuss the special treatment for Trump and offer him some advice [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 June 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [People and chatbots converse in similar ways]( - [Berlusconi’s rise and uncertain legacy]( - [The mental health toll of anti-trans bills]( Lead story In the four days since a federal grand jury in Florida indicted former President Donald Trump on 37 counts, I’ve been assembling a list of questions that the resulting flood of news stories had yet to answer. Two national security law experts were ready to field my questions on Sunday afternoon. Thomas A. Durkin joined my Zoom channel from his back porch, and Joseph Ferguson joined from the passenger seat of his moving car. Today, we give you their answers to my questions, including “Do you see the Trump prosecution as different in any notable way from other Espionage Act prosecutions that you’ve worked on or observed?” Durkin’s answer: “If Trump were anyone other than a former president, he would not have been given the luxury of a summons to appear in court. [There would be a team of armed FBI agents outside his door at 6:30 in the morning](, he would have been arrested, and the government would be immediately moving to detain.” My colleagues at The Conversation were similarly curious about a range of questions concerning the indictment that we expect you’ve had, too. With two criminal indictments and more potentially coming, [which trial goes first](? What’s [the Espionage Act](? And can Trump [run for, and serve as, president]( if indicted or even convicted? Trump’s arraignment is tomorrow in Florida. We’re on that story, too, as we will be for all the important developments during this unprecedented moment in U.S. history. [[Donate this month and get a free e-book on understanding AI](] Naomi Shalit Democracy Editor Former President Donald Trump on his airplane on June 10, 2023, two days after his federal indictment. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images [‘If you want to die in jail, keep talking’ – two national security law experts discuss the special treatment for Trump and offer him some advice]( Thomas A. Durkin, Loyola University Chicago; Joseph Ferguson, Loyola University Chicago If you were Trump’s lawyer, what would you advise him to do now? Two national security specialists have some words for and about the former president after his federal indictment. Arts + Culture - [Linguists have identified a new English dialect that’s emerging in South Florida]( Phillip M. Carter, Florida International University It came about through sustained contact with native Spanish speakers who directly translated phrases from Spanish into English, a form of linguistic borrowing called ‘calques.’ Science + Technology - [If humans went extinct, what would the Earth look like one year later?]( Carlton Basmajian, Iowa State University Maybe it was a nuclear war, devastating climate change, or a killer virus. But if something caused people to disappear, imagine what would happen afterward. - [Are you part robot? A linguistic anthropologist explains how humans are like ChatGPT – both recycle language]( Brendan H. O'Connor, Arizona State University We humans like to think that our language is original, but we absorb large amounts of it from others and liberally repeat and remix what we hear – just as language AIs do. Politics + Society - [Trump indictment unsealed – a criminal law scholar explains what the charges mean, and what prosecutors will now need to prove]( Gabriel J. Chin, University of California, Davis There are 38 felony charges against former President Donald Trump, and while it’s unlikely, he could potentially be sentenced to serve 400 years if found guilty on all of them. - [Trump charged under Espionage Act – which covers a lot more crimes than just spying]( Joseph Ferguson, Loyola University Chicago; Thomas A. Durkin, Loyola University Chicago Spy cases are rare. More typically, as in the Trump indictment, the act applies to the unauthorized gathering, possessing or transmitting of certain sensitive government information. - [Trump indictments won’t keep him from presidential race, but will make his reelection bid much harder]( Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University With a federal indictment of former President Donald Trump, currently a presidential candidate, a legal scholar explores what the law says about the consequences of such an unprecedented act. - [In the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ruled states should decide the legality of abortion, voters at the state level have been doing just that: 4 essential reads]( Lorna Grisby, The Conversation In the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, giving decisions about the legality of abortion back to states, voters and state legislatures have made their preferences on abortion clear. - [Silvio Berlusconi: the property developer who became a media tycoon – and Italy’s most flamboyant prime minister]( Andrea Colli, Bocconi University Despite his serving three separate terms in office, it’s still difficult to decide on a definitive view of the late Italian prime minister. Education - [6 books that explain the history and meaning of Juneteenth]( Corey D. B. Walker, Wake Forest University Juneteenth is part of a rich heritage of African American emancipation and freedom celebrations. Health + Medicine - [Anti-trans bills and political climates are taking a significant mental health toll on trans and nonbinary people – even during Pride]( Jae A. Puckett, Michigan State University The rainbow Pride flags flying this month obscure the ongoing legislative attacks threatening the health and well-being of transgender and nonbinary people and their families. Trending on site - [El Niño is back – that’s good news or bad news, depending on where you live]( - [Millions of women are working during menopause, but US law isn’t clear on employees’ rights or employers’ obligations]( - [Do federal or state prosecutors get to go first in trying Trump? A law professor untangles the conflict]( Reader Comments 💬 “It is not clear that academics have turned more liberal over the past few decades, only that they have abandoned the party that was abandoning them. And academics will probably remain Democratic as long as the GOP remains hostile - or until Andrew Yang’s party replaces the GOP as the part of commerce and industry.” – Reader Gregory McColm on the story [Scientists’ political donations reflect polarization in academia – with implications for the public’s trust in science]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [Instagram]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](