A federal judge in Montana has temporarily blocked a new law that restricts drag performances, ruling that it is overly broad and could lead to unconstitutional censorship. The law was passed in April and was met with criticism from civil rights groups, who argued that it was a violation of free speech and would lead to discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. The temporary restraining order will remain in effect until the court can hear the case in full, allowing drag performances to take place at the Montana Pride celebration.
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Residents of a Manhattan neighborhood are pleading for privacy after the arrest of a local architect, Rex Heuermann, in connection with the Gilgo Beach serial killings. Asa Ellerup, Heuermann's estranged wife, asked for privacy and "normalcy" for her family and elderly neighbors, who have been impacted by the police presence and media attention. The case is still under investigation, but the community is hoping for a peaceful resolution.
San Francisco has launched an investigation into the installation of a giant "X" sign on the former Twitter headquarters building, which was installed by the building's owner, Elon Musk. The city has stopped workers from removing the iconic bird and logo from the side of the building due to safety concerns, and is now investigating the installation of the "X" sign to ensure consistency with the historic nature of the building and safety of any additions. The outcome of the investigation is yet to be determined.
On November 5th, 2021, ten attendees of the Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas were killed in a crowd surge. The police report revealed that the incident was preceded by a warning from a security contract worker and occurred just moments before rap superstar Travis Scott was due to take the stage. The families of the victims are calling for justice and for better safety protocols to be put in place to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
The Supreme Court has temporarily intervened in a legal battle over the Biden administration's restrictions on so-called "ghost guns," reviving a regulation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that requires anyone who manufactures or assembles a firearm for personal use to obtain a serial number from the ATF and be subject to a background check before they can be sold or transferred. A group of gun owners, manufacturers and firearms advocacy organizations challenged the rule in court, but the Biden administration has sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court to put on hold the lower court's ruling while it appeals the decision. The court's decision is a temporary victory for the Biden administration, freezing the litigation until the justices decide whether to hear the case.
Democrats have pushed a Supreme Court ethics legislation through a Senate committee, which has been met with opposition from Justice Alito, who is the first member of the court to take a public stand against it. The legislation is in response to Justice Alito's interview with two Wall Street Journal writers, including one who is an attorney representing plaintiffs in a key case before the Supreme Court. Its prospects in the full Senate remain uncertain.
A Buffalo man has been sentenced to 50 months in prison for forcibly removing the badge and radio of a Washington, D.C. police officer during the Capitol siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Judge Amy Berman Jackson noted that the attack was an assault on the institutions of democracy, and ordered the defendant to pay $1,000 in restitution to the officer.
Heidi Allen, a 17-year-old survivor of the Oxford High School shooting, testified in a Michigan court hearing on Friday. She recalled how she helped save a severely wounded girl during the shooting, and expressed her feelings of being in the right place at the right time. The hearing will decide the sentence of the accused shooter, Ethan Crumbley, with the judge considering Allen's testimony and other witness accounts before making a decision.