State capitols across the United States were evacuated Wednesday morning due to bomb threats, though no explosives were found. The FBI is aware of numerous hoax incidents and is working with local, state, and federal law enforcement to gather information. Kentucky, Mississippi, Michigan, Montana, and Georgia were all affected by the threats.
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On Wednesday morning, an imam was shot outside a mosque in Newark, New Jersey and is currently in critical condition. The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-N.J.) is gathering information on the shooting and has urged anyone with information to contact local police. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas can ban emergency abortions, despite the Biden administration's argument that the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act should be used to require hospitals to provide the procedure if the mother's life is at risk. This ruling is part of numerous cases involving abortion restrictions that have played out in state and federal courts since the Supreme Court's ruling in 2022, and will likely have a significant impact on the future of abortion rights in the state.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced the reopening of four official crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, following a record-setting December with over 300,000 migrants encountered. The Mexican government has stepped up efforts to slow U.S.-bound migration, resulting in fewer than 500 migrants encountered in the Del Rio sector of Texas on Monday. The Biden administration is continuing to grapple with the situation, taking steps to address the influx of migrants and providing additional resources to CBP.
President Joe Biden will deliver a speech on Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection and to contrast former President Donald Trump's "anti-freedom agenda" with his own. Next week, Biden will speak at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, to further emphasize the stakes of the upcoming election. The Biden campaign is warning of the consequences of a Trump victory in November, and is encouraging voters to make their voices heard in the election.
Donald Trump has filed an appeal in Maine Superior Court to challenge the state's Secretary of State's ruling that he is ineligible to appear on the Republican presidential primary ballot. Trump's attorneys argued that the ruling was "infected by bias and pervasive lack of due process" and that the Secretary of State should have recused herself. The court is expected to hear the case in the coming weeks, with the outcome having a major impact on the Republican presidential primary in Maine.
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has issued a split decision in a lawsuit brought against former President Donald Trump by the partner of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, ruling that the wrongful death claim lacked standing but allowing other claims to move forward. The suit seeks unspecified damages and a trial date has not yet been set. Cellphone data could fill in gaps of Trump's actions on January 6.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is facing new allegations of bribery in a superseding indictment from Manhattan federal prosecutors, which accuse him of using his position as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to benefit the government of Qatar and three businessmen. The indictment alleges Menendez accepted lavish gifts in exchange for using his power and influence as a U.S. senator, and he and his wife, Nadine, are charged with four counts related to the alleged bribery scheme. Menendez has denied any wrongdoing and is scheduled to go to trial in October, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.