The Department of Justice has issued a warning to Texas officials that they must remove their recently installed floating border barriers in the Rio Grande River or face legal action. The barriers, which are orange buoys with nets beneath them, have raised humanitarian concerns due to reports of a woman having a miscarriage being trapped in the barrier and officials being told to push migrants into the river and deny them water. The Justice Department has given Texas officials until the end of the month to remove the barriers.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for a review of the state's pension fund holdings in Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bud Light's parent company, after a promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney sparked a boycott from some conservatives. DeSantis is concerned that the Florida State Board of Administration may have breached legal duties owed to its shareholders and is considering all options to protect the SBA and retirees, including a possible shareholder action. He is also looking to ensure that the pension funds of Florida's hardworking law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders are managed prudently and not used to subsidize an ideological agenda.
The White House has announced an agreement between seven leading AI companies to adhere to industry best practices, known as "voluntary commitments for responsible innovation." The agreement seeks to ensure safety, security and trust for users, as well as transparency about the products and how they are used. This is a major step forward in the regulation of AI technology, and is seen as a sign of the industry's commitment to responsible innovation.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democratic presidential candidate, falsely insisted he was not opposed to vaccinations during a House hearing on Thursday, prompting his grandson, Jack Schlossberg, to ridicule him for not endorsing Joe Biden's re-election bid and running for president himself. The hearing highlighted the deep divisions within the Democratic Party, as Biden works to implement progressive policies while Kennedy continues to spread false information.
A federal judge in Fort Pierce, Florida has set the trial date for former President Donald Trump's criminal case for May 20, 2024. Trump's attorneys had asked for an indefinite delay, citing the 2024 presidential election, but the judge denied their request. The trial will address charges of unlawfully retaining national defense information, obstruction, and conspiracy, and is the first criminal case against a former president in U.S. history. It is expected to be a lengthy and complex process, with both sides presenting evidence and witnesses to support their arguments.
Four people, including three children, were found dead in an Oklahoma home Thursday evening following an hours-long standoff with an armed subject. The incident began when a police officer saw fireworks coming from the garage of the house and found a woman and two children locked inside. The woman told the officer that another woman with a gun held her hostage in the garage, prompting the standoff. The identities of the deceased have not been released, but authorities believe the incident may have been a murder-suicide. The investigation is ongoing.
A federal judge in Florida has set a trial date of May 20, 2024 for former President Donald Trump in a case alleging he illegally retained hundreds of classified documents. The trial is related to a Justice Department case accusing Trump of mishandling sensitive government documents, and is the first time a former president has been charged with a crime. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and his lawyers have argued that the documents were not classified and that he did not mishandle them. The trial is expected to be closely watched by the public, with major implications for the former president.
On June 11, 2022, 31 members of the white nationalist hate group Patriot Front, including its founder, were arrested in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho after a witness reported seeing them loading into a U-Haul van. Police found riot gear, a smoke grenade, shin guards and shields inside the van, which was on its way to a Pride in the Park event. Five of the members were convicted of misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot, sending a strong message against the group and their hateful rhetoric.