A new court filing from special counsel Jack Smith argues that Donald Trump acted like a private citizen when he tried to overturn the 2020 election. Israel attacks central Beirut in a series of nightly airstrikes. And NBC News visits a mountain town devastated by Hurricane Helene.

This is what you should know today.

Trump “resorted to crime” after his 2020 election defeat, a special investigator claims

Former President Donald Trump acted as a private candidate rather than as president of the United States when he sought to overturn his 2020 election loss and “resorted to crime to stay in office,” special counsel Jack Smith has newly claimed.

The filing released yesterday is related to Trump’s federal election case and is a response to the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity. It contains new details about Trump’s actions after the 2020 election and in the lead-up to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, including testimony about Trump’s conversations with former Vice President Mike Pence. In a Nov. 12 discussion, Pence offered Trump a “face-saving option,” urging him not to concede the election “but to recognize that the process is over.”

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Other revelations include an FBI expert’s analysis that showed Trump scrolled on Twitter during the Capitol insurrection, as well as new evidence that an unnamed aide heard Trump tell family members after the 2020 election: “It doesn’t matter.” Whether you won or lost.” the choice. You still have to fight like hell.”

Smith’s team again argued that Trump knew his statements about the 2020 election were actually lies and that he relied on his own campaign staff and volunteers to carry out the alleged plan.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung criticized the “false-filled” file and declared the case a “partisan, unconstitutional witch hunt.”

Read the full story here.

Israel prepares an Iranian response and attacks central Beirut as Lebanon faces an “apocalyptic” situation

At least nine people were killed and seven injured in Israeli attacks in the heart of the Lebanese capital Beirut overnight, health authorities said. The strikes hit the Bachoura district, which is within walking distance of the prime minister’s headquarters and many foreign embassies. Three people were killed immediately and three others later died from their injuries, the country’s health ministry said.

An “apocalyptic” situation is brewing across Lebanon, health workers warn. Around 1.2 million people are displaced and many are sleeping on the streets of Beirut. A permanent U.S. citizen is among the dead, and about 100 U.S. citizens and their families left an evacuation flight last night, while other countries announced their own plans.

Israel is also preparing its response to the Iranian missile attack earlier this week, Israeli and US officials say.

Follow our live blog for updates.

More reporting on the Middle East conflict:

• Israel has promised that its retaliation against Iran will be swift and “painful” – but what could that look like?
• Families in a Lebanese town near the border with Israel found refuge from airstrikes in a monastery. But after a day’s delay, They face further displacement.
• Hamas is “disappointed” by the lack of support from other Middle Eastern countries, a senior official from the militant group said.

The North Carolina mountain town is destroyed by Helene

The death toll from Hurricane Helene and its aftermath rose to 190 people in southeastern states, and hundreds of people are still missing, according to an NBC News tally. Thursday marked a week since the storm first made landfall in Florida before crossing parts of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, leaving destruction in its wake. For residents of Swannanoa, North Carolina, about 20 miles east of Asheville, the shock is still harsh.

NBC News reporter Deon Hampton spoke with residents of the small mountain town. He noticed that brown mud covered the few buildings still standing. Many other structures were reduced to splinters. And whenever the wind picked up, the smell of dust and dirt filled the nostrils.

“I don’t think anyone, including the government, thought we were going to get this,” said Beverly Eller, 68, who was staying in shelters after she and her husband narrowly escaped flooding in their home. Meanwhile, Stewart Cody, who owns a local auto body repair shop, estimates it will be months before his shop reopens. And without insurance, the damage will cost him dearly. Read the full story.

Further coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene:

• Follow our Live blog for the latest on the search for the missing.
• Asheville Mission Hospital staff described the terrible conditions According to Helene, from the lack of running water to the lack of food for patients and workers.
• Elon Musk’s Starlink brings much-needed internet service to storm-ravaged areas. but not without some political disputes.
• Only about 2% of residences in the 100 counties hit hardest by Hurricane Helene were protected by flood insurance, an NBC News analysis shows. See map.
• President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Georgia and Florida Today, one day after an aerial tour of North Carolina and the announcement of the deployment of 1,000 active-duty troops.

Politics in brief

On the campaign trail: A day after the vice presidential debate, Senator JD Vance abandoned the “Midwest nice” tone he delivered on Tuesday reignited his fiery rhetoric at an event in Michigan. Liz Cheney, a former Republican congresswoman and daughter of a former Republican vice president, will campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris today in the Wisconsin city considered the birthplace of the Republican Party.

Ambitions for 2025: Republicans in Congress are already looking ahead to what they could achieve if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who is running for an influential leadership position, suggested the GOP should include an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act with an extension of the 2017 Trump tax law if voters elect Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress. And Republican senators, who expect at least one Supreme Court vacancy to open during the president’s next term, are excited about the prospect Confirmation of more conservative judges.

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read all about it

• The fatal shooting of a Kentucky judge, allegedly by the sheriff responsible for his death, was captured on video and played in court this week.
• A wildfire that killed more than 100 people in Maui, Hawaii last year was triggered by “re-energized” broken power linesaccording to local and federal investigators.
• The famous “Fat Bear Week” in a national park in Alaska is back – but with violence between bears has delayed the publication of this year’s edition by a day.
• A California doctor face up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s fatal overdose.

Personnel selection: She wants to start a College Republican group at her HBCU

Charrise Lane said she left her predominantly white Christian college and went to Florida A&M University, a historically black college, to be surrounded by her people. She chose to keep her conservative views secret on campus, even as she built a sizable young, black Republican following online. With her secret now out, Lane, a senior public relations student, once again seeks community, this time in the form of an official local chapter of the College Republicans. It would be the only chapter active on an HBCU campus. Just one challenge: she’s having a hard time Find a faculty member to sponsor them. — Michelle GarciaNBC BLK Editorial Director

NBC Select: Online shopping, simplified

It’s time to get ready for next week’s fall sales events. Here’s an overview of the big three’s membership program benefits, how to get a discounted membership or free trial, and where to sign up.

• The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days will take place from October 8th to 9th. You must be a Prime member to profit from the sale.
• Target Circle Week takes place October 6-12. Find out about the benefits of Target Circle 360 ​​membership.
• The Walmart Holiday Deals event will take place October 8-13 for Walmart+ members. For everyone else it starts on October 9th.

 Sign up for The Selection Newsletter with practical product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales every week.

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