Judge Arthur Engoron has ruled that Ivanka Trump must testify in the civil fraud case against her father, Donald Trump, and his company, despite her having moved out of New York and stepped away from her Trump Organization job in 2017. Trump's attorneys had argued that the AG's office was trying to "harass and burden" Ivanka, but the judge sided with the state and gave Ivanka time to appeal the ruling if she chooses. It is unclear what Ivanka's testimony will entail or how it will affect the case.
Posts published in “Politics”
Hamas' attack on Israel has been ongoing for three weeks, with both sides showing no signs of backing down. Israeli forces have responded with airstrikes, resulting in over 7,000 Palestinian deaths, while former U.S. intelligence and military officers believe the attack was primarily aimed at disrupting negotiations with Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) has announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, challenging incumbent President Joe Biden. Phillips, a vocal critic of Biden's re-election bid, believes that the election is "not about the past, this is an election about the future" and that a younger leader is needed to take the reins. He has yet to officially declare his candidacy, but is exploring the possibility of competing in New Hampshire's unsanctioned primary and has said he will focus on issues such as health care, climate change, and economic justice.
The United States military conducted strikes against two facilities in eastern Syria on Thursday in response to recent attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, which have injured 19 U.S. service members. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes were intended to send a message that the U.S. does not seek conflict and will not tolerate attacks on its personnel. The Pentagon has reported 16 such attacks since October 17, and the action is intended to protect U.S. personnel and interests in the region.
Rep. Jared Golden of Maine announced a major shift in his stance on gun control legislation, calling for a ban on assault rifles like the one used in the mass shooting in his hometown of Lewiston. Golden discussed his previous opposition to legislation largely backed by fellow Democrats that would prohibit assault weapons and said he was wrong to oppose those measures. His call for a ban has been met with support from both sides of the aisle as the nation continues to grapple with the aftermath of the two mass shootings in Lewiston.
Democratic strategist Chai Komanduri has warned of chaos in the House of Representatives following the election of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) as its new speaker, which was allegedly kickstarted by extremist Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) at the behest of Donald Trump. Komanduri believes Johnson will do Trump's bidding, potentially leading to the shutdown of aid to Ukraine. The election of Johnson marks the end of a three-week standstill in the House of Representatives, with the consequences of his leadership yet to be seen.
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is a conservative Christian legal organization that has been at the forefront of many legal battles related to reproductive rights and the LGBTQ community. Their involvement has been met with criticism, especially due to House Speaker Mike Johnson's past comments comparing the judicial philosophy that legalized the right to an abortion to Hitler's. The ADF has also been involved in the Terri Schiavo case, representing the Schiavo family in their legal battle.
A federal judge in Georgia has ordered the state to redraw its congressional and legislative maps, adding one majority-Black congressional district and seven majority-Black legislative districts. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled that the current maps discriminated against Black voters in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and gave the state until December 8th to take action. This is a major victory for voting rights activists, who have long argued that the state's maps were drawn in a way that diluted the voting power of Black voters.