Abdelaziz and Wilson, two parents from Las Vegas, have had their fraud convictions overturned by a federal appeals court on Wednesday. The pair were found guilty in 2021 of paying bribes to get their kids into elite universities as part of the “Operation Varsity Blues” scandal. The appeals court ruling is a major victory for the two parents, and could have implications for other parents who were charged in the scandal. It remains to be seen how the ruling will affect the college admissions process going forward.
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Joran van der Sloot, the suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway, will be temporarily extradited to the U.S. to face charges of extortion and wire fraud related to Holloway's mother. Van der Sloot is currently serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for the 2010 killing of a college student, and it is unclear how long he will remain in the U.S. or if he will be returned to Peru to serve out the remainder of his sentence.
At a CNN town hall in New Hampshire, a group of Republican candidates and potential candidates for president in 2024 strongly condemned and rejected former President Donald Trump after he was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Despite the audience siding with Trump more often than the moderator, the group was unified in their condemnation, a stark contrast to the 2016 election when Trump was the Republican nominee. This is a reminder that the political landscape has changed significantly since then, and the Republican party is no longer willing to accept Trump’s behavior.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was indicted Wednesday on 13 federal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives. He pleaded not guilty at a Long Island courthouse and was released on $500,000 bond. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) commented on the news, noting that Santos is innocent until proven guilty. The Justice Department is continuing to investigate the case and no further information has been released.
Donald Trump faced backlash Wednesday night for disparaging writer E. Jean Carroll during a CNN town hall, one day after a federal jury found him liable for battery and defamation in a civil trial stemming from rape allegations. The jury awarded Carroll $2 million in damages, and Trump's comments were widely condemned by legal experts and advocates for survivors of sexual assault. Many argued that Trump’s comments were an attempt to undermine the jury’s verdict and discredit Carroll.
Key takeaways: Mayor Eric Adams expressed his condolences to Jordan Neely’s family and pledged to do more to help people experiencing mental health crises. Neely…
Two FDA advisory panels have voted unanimously to recommend that a birth control pill, called Opill, become available without a prescription, which would make it the first birth control pill available for over-the-counter sales in the United States. The FDA is not required to follow the recommendation, but the vote is expected to weigh heavily on its final decision, expected in late summer. Advocates argue that over-the-counter access to birth control would make it more accessible and reduce the need for doctor visits.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) has revealed that subpoenaed bank records show that Hunter Biden, James Biden, and Hallie Biden have received payments totaling more than $10 million from foreign sources, including individuals aligned with the Chinese Communist Party. The investigation is now entering a new phase, and the Biden administration is monitoring it closely while continuing to focus on its policy agenda. The outcome of the investigation remains to be seen.