I'm Virginia Allen. I'm Samantha Cheris. And this is the daily signal top news

for Thursday, August 31st. Here are today's headlines.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was back in the news today. Thomas released his annual

financial disclosure earlier today after receiving an extension. The disclosure shows that billionaire

Harlan Crowe paid for private jet trips for Thomas in May 2022, so Thomas could attend a speech

in Texas. Thomas also disclosed that he had vacationed at Crowe's New York State. Crowe is a donor

to conservative causes. Thomas included a letter with his financial disclaimer explaining some of

the actions he chose to take, such as accepting the private jet trip. Thomas said, because of the

increased security risk following the Dobbs' opinion leak, the Mayfights were by private plane

for official travel, as filler security detail recommended non-commercial travel whenever possible.

The New York Times reports that in Thomas' letter, the Justice also acknowledged errors

in his previous financial reports, which he said were inadvertently omitted from prior reports.

Justice Samuel Lido also released his financial disclosure on Thursday. He noted a trip to Rome to

give a speech at the religious Liberty Summit and payments to teach at Regent University's School

of Law and Duke Law School. The disclosure of the gifts comes as Thomas Lido and other justices

have faced scrutiny for accepting luxury vacations and other gifts. But Thomas says he has previously

adhered to the then existing judicial regulations, as his colleagues had done both in practice and

in consultation with the judicial conference. Former President Donald Trump pled not guilty to

charges that he faces in Georgia related to his alleged attempt to interfere in the results of

a 2020 presidential election. Trump did not appear for a formal arrangement, but instead submitted

his plea through a court filing. Trump and 18 others are facing charges from Fulton County District

Attorney Fanny Willis. But Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Hans von Spakowski says Georgia

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