City Controller Kenneth Mejia is investigating whether Universal Studios has resorted to shady measures to retaliate against writers and actors on the picket lines, after before and after photos of trees outside the studio showed them trimmed down, preventing union members from receiving shade in the hot weather. The incident has sparked outrage among union members and has highlighted the need for better working conditions for writers and actors.
Posts published in “Crime”
A federal judge has denied Donald Trump's bid to move his hush-money payments case from New York state court to a federal venue, ruling that the payments were not related to his duties as president. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, and the ruling is the latest development in the ongoing criminal case against him. It is unclear how the ruling will affect the case going forward.
Four former Northwestern University football players have come forward to allege a culture of abuse and hazing in the school's athletics department, prompting civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent more than 15 former male and female Northwestern athletes. The allegations come in the wake of the firing of Northwestern's longtime football coach, Pat Fitzgerald, last week, and the former players are speaking out to ensure that no other student-athletes have to endure the same treatment.
Two IRS agents testified before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, revealing that the Justice Department had stifled their investigation into tax crimes by Hunter Biden and pursued weaker charges than they had recommended. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) used her question time to display what appeared to be naked pictures of Hunter Biden, but other Republicans did not want to delve into the whistleblower allegations. The testimony of Shapley and Ziegler has raised questions about the Justice Department's handling of the investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes.
Judge Lewis Kaplan denied former President Donald Trump's request for a new trial in the civil case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexual assault in the mid-1990s. The jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded Carroll $5 million in damages, which Kaplan ruled was justified. The ruling is a major victory for Carroll and a reminder that no one is above the law.
Illinois Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the state's decision to end the use of cash bail, making Illinois the first state in the nation to do so. The ruling overturns a lower court's opinion that the law was unconstitutional and has been met with praise from those who have long argued that cash bail unfairly affects people of color. The ruling has been met with opposition from prosecutors and sheriffs, but the court's ruling stands and Illinois is now the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail.
Alaska State Troopers have found a GoPro camera mounted on a helmet belonging to Paul Rodriguez Jr., 43, of Juneau, who tragically drowned while kayaking on Mendenhall Lake on July 11. Search teams are still looking for his body, and the incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of kayaking in glacial lakes and the importance of safety protocols.
Gigi Hadid was arrested in the Cayman Islands on July 10th for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. She posted an Instagram slideshow of her and her friends enjoying their Caribbean vacation with the caption "All's well that ends well", and her arrest is the latest in a string of high-profile arrests in the Cayman Islands. Possession of any amount of marijuana is considered a criminal offense in the Cayman Islands, and it is unclear what the outcome of Hadid's case will be.