Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor who oversaw the Manhattan District Attorney Office's investigation into Donald Trump, invoked the Fifth Amendment in a closed-door deposition on Friday, refusing to answer any questions. He called the inquiry "political theater" and condemned the panel's use of a subpoena, citing grand jury rules. Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, exited the meeting after one hour, with no answers provided.
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President Joe Biden is refusing to negotiate over the federal government's obligation to pay its debts, while Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia is calling for the House's chief administrative officer to withhold pay for members of Congress until the looming crisis over the debt ceiling is resolved. House GOP leaders are pushing a plan to raise the debt limit through March 2024, but the plan is dead on arrival in the Democratic-led Senate. Speculation is growing that a potential deal could be reached, but President Biden is adamant that he will not negotiate over the federal budget.
A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a law banning licensed federal firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment and is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Robert Payne argued that many of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship are granted at the age of 18, including the right to vote, enlist in the military and serve on a federal jury, and that excluding 18-to-20-year-olds from the Second Amendment’s protection would impose limitations on the Second Amendment that do not exist with other constitutional guarantees. The ruling is being seen as a major victory for gun rights advocates, but is likely to be challenged by gun control advocates, and the debate over gun rights is far from over.
Federal prosecutors have requested a judge to stop former President Donald Trump from being deposed in a four-year-old civil lawsuit filed by two former FBI officials who allege they were wrongfully terminated. The Justice Department is seeking to protect Trump from being deposed in a civil case while they are still investigating him in a criminal case and have asked the lower court judge to reconsider their ruling. If not, they will appeal to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C.
New York Rep. George Santos has signed a non-prosecution agreement with public prosecutors in Brazil to avoid prosecution for forging two stolen checks in 2008. His lawyer and the prosecutors' office have declined to comment on the details of the agreement. Santos has denied any wrongdoing and is currently running for re-election, though it is unclear if the agreement in Brazil will have any effect on the charges he is facing in the U.S.
The Biden administration has ended the Title 42 pandemic-era rule, allowing an estimated 60,000 migrants to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said the U.S. had a plan in place for more than a year and a half, and that individuals will be taken into custody and removed quickly under traditional immigration authorities. Migrants were seen crossing the border in single file, with the bus flanked by members of the National Guard and Border Patrol.
Imran Khan, Pakistan's former Prime Minister, was granted bail for two weeks on Friday after the Supreme Court ruled his arrest on corruption charges unlawful. This followed two days of deadly protests across the country, and the Islamabad High Court barred his re-arrest until at least May 17. Khan's supporters have been protesting against the government since his arrest, and the ruling marks a victory for him and his supporters. It is unclear what will happen after the two-week period.
Irina Tsybaneva, a 60-year-old woman from St. Petersburg, was given a two-year suspended sentence on Thursday for leaving a note on the grave of Russian President Vladimir Putin's parents that said they had "raised a freak and a killer." The court's decision is seen as a warning to those who would criticize the president, as the government has introduced a series of laws that restrict the activities of non-governmental organizations and media outlets.