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.
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Key takeaways: The Burgum campaign’s gift card giveaway has been a success, helping the campaign reach the 40,000 unique-donor threshold. Donors stood to gain a…
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.
Women in Texas are suing the state for clarity on exceptions to its strict abortion laws, after being denied care during their failed pregnancies. The lawsuit, brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights, is the first of its kind since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. The women are seeking a preliminary injunction to allow lifesaving care for women in the state, and two of the women involved in the lawsuit spoke about the impact of Texas' abortion law at the hearing. A ruling is expected soon.
Russia launched a series of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure on Wednesday, causing extensive damage and wounding at least 12 people. Ukraine's air force was able to shoot down 37 out of 63 targets, and the international community has condemned the attack and called for an immediate ceasefire. The attack has raised tensions between Russia and Ukraine to a new level.
Private 2nd Class Travis King has become the first known American detained in North Korea in nearly five years after crossing the heavily fortified inter-Korean border on Tuesday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed that King crossed the border "willfully and without authorization". North Korea has yet to comment on the incident, which has raised tensions between the two countries and is being closely monitored by the U.S. government.
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.