AP Top News at 12:43 p.m. EDT

Ex-special counsel Smith tells senators he won't 'be silenced' by Trump's threats of prosecution WASHINGTON — Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who brought two federal indictments against President Donald Trump, told lawmakers on Tuesday that he “will not be silenced by continued threats of prosecution” from the Trump administration and that he believes the rule of law is being threatened like never before.

Smith also told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he stands behind the criminal cases he brought against Trump, a Republican, and that he and his team acted without regard to politics. “I made those decisions without regard to President Trump's political association, activities, beliefs or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election,” Smith said. From motorcycles to booze, US ban on $1 billion worth of Canadian imports goes into effect WASHINGTON (AP) — U. -Canada relations, already tense, are likely to deteriorate further after the United States went ahead early Tuesday with a decision to ban nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles.