WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court turned back an appeal Monday from Peter Navarro, the former White House official who is set to return in Donald Trump's second term after serving prison time on contempt of Congress charges.
The court declined to hear the appeal in a brief order without explanation, as is typical. It comes after the Justice Department sued Navarro, saying he had retained presidential records on an unofficial email account he used during his previous White House tenure under Trump.
The government says the records must be turned over to the National Archives. Lower courts have agreed, but Navarro argues that the Presidential Records Act doesn’t allow the federal government to search email accounts and retrieve records. He indicated in court documents that he expects to file additional appeals in the case.
Navarro served as a trade adviser during Trump's first term. A longtime critic of trade arrangements with China, he has been named senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for the incoming administration.
Navarro served a four-month prison sentence after being found guilty of misdemeanor charges for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He is also appealing his conviction in that case, maintaining he couldn’t cooperate with the House committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege.
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon also served prison time after being convicted of misdemeanor contempt of Congress charges.
FILE - Peter Navarro raises his fist while speaking during the Republican National Convention, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
FILE - Peter Navarro speaks during the Republican National Convention, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Zakir Hussain, one of India's most accomplished classical musicians who defied genres and introduced tabla to global audiences, died on Sunday. He was 73.
The Indian classical music icon died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a statement.
“His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time,” the statement read.
Hussain was the most recognizable exponent of tabla, a pair of hand drums that is the main percussion instrument in Indian classical music.
Considered the greatest tabla player of his generation, Hussain had a career that spanned six decades in which he collaborated with the likes of singer-songwriter George Harrison, jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, drummer Mickey Hart and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The son of legendary tabla artist Alla Rakha, Hussain was born in 1951 in Mumbai and was taught how to play the instrument by his father at the age of 7. A child prodigy, he was touring by age 12 and performing alongside India’s classical music legends during his teens.
In an interview that was shared widely on social media in India, Hussain says his father welcomed him into the world after he was born by speaking tabla rhythms into his ears.
“I was brought home, handed over to my dad in his arms. The tradition was that the father is supposed to recite a prayer in the baby’s ear ... So he takes me in his arms, puts his lips to my ear and recites the tabla rhythms into my ears,” Hussain says in the interview, verbally imitating the rhythmic pattern of the instrument.
Both Alla Rakha and Hussain were given the honorific “Ustad,” an Urdu word that means master.
In 1973, Hussain formed the Indian jazz fusion band “Shakti” with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. The band played acoustic fusion music that combined Indian music with elements of jazz, introducing a new sound to Western audiences.
In 2024, Hussain became the first musician from India to win three Grammy awards in the same year.
Hussain’s “Shakti” won Best Global Music Album, and his collaboration with Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck and flutist Rakesh Chaurasia won Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. He had earlier won a Grammy in 2009.
In 2023, Hussain received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Hussain a “true genius who revolutionized the world of Indian classical music” and “an icon of cultural unity.”
“He also brought the tabla to the global stage, captivating millions with his unparalleled rhythm,” Modi wrote in a post on the social platform X.
Hussain is survived by his wife and two daughters.
FILE - Indian drum maestro Zakir Hussain performs at the "Living Dream Concert" in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi, File)
FILE - Indian Tabla expert Zakir Hussain laughs during a press conference to announce a musical concert in Mumbai, India, on Dec 8, 2006. (AP Photo/Rajesh Nirgude, File)
