House Democrats have introduced the End Solitary Confinement Act, a bill that would limit the use of solitary confinement in federal prisons, jails and detention centers, with exceptions for sleeping, medical quarantine, and deescalating emergencies. It would also ensure incarcerated people access to 14 hours of daily time out of their cells, including 7 hours of programming. The bill has been endorsed by the ACLU, NAACP, and NAMI, and seeks to reduce the number of people currently in solitary confinement in the US.
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This week, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the first visit by a Russian defense minister to North Korea since the fall of the Soviet Union. Kim Jong Un and Shoigu met in Pyongyang to discuss military issues and the regional security environment, and Shoigu accompanied Kim to a defense exhibition featuring North Korea's banned ballistic missiles. The visit is seen as a sign of the strengthening ties between North Korea, Russia, and China, and a reminder of the ongoing tensions between North Korea and the U.S. over North Korea's nuclear program.
At a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, witnesses and lawmakers discussed the issue of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs or UFOs). Former U.S. intelligence official David Grusch claimed that the government has a long-standing program to retrieve UAPs, while former Navy Commander David Fravor and former Navy pilot Ryan Graves reported their own experiences with UAPs. Lawmakers called for more information from the federal government and urged them to address the stigma surrounding UFO reporting.
Seven of the world's largest automakers have announced a joint venture to build a nationwide network of 30,000 electric vehicle charging stations, nearly doubling the number of fast-charging plugs in the U.S. and Canada. The network is expected to be operational by next summer and will be open to all electric vehicle owners. The move is a sign that the automakers are committed to reducing emissions and promoting sustainable transportation, as electric vehicle demand is growing across the world.
Hunter Biden, the second son of President Joe Biden, is expected to appear in a Delaware federal court Wednesday morning to accept a plea deal for two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes. The agreement, reached last month with U.S. Attorney David Weiss, includes an admission of felony gun possession, but the charges will be dropped if Biden fulfills the terms of the plea deal. Republicans have criticized the plea deal, arguing that Biden should face jail time, but it is expected that he will be able to avoid prison.
Joe Lewis, the British billionaire and owner of the Tottenham Hotspur soccer team, has been indicted in the U.S. on charges of insider trading. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams alleges that Lewis had schemed for years to abuse his access to corporate boardrooms and provided inside information to his inner circle. The SEC is seeking to recover more than $50 million in illegal profits, plus interest and penalties, and Lewis could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The Department of Education has opened an investigation into Harvard University's admissions process following a complaint from advocacy groups alleging that the school's use of legacy admissions violates federal civil rights law. The complaint accuses Harvard of giving preferential treatment to applicants with familial ties to wealthy donors and alumni, and if the Office for Civil Rights finds Harvard in violation of Title VI, the school could be required to make changes to its admissions process. The investigation is the latest development in the legal battle over U.S. college admissions and could have far-reaching implications for the admissions process at Harvard and other universities.
A federal judge has vacated the military conviction of Bowe Bergdahl, ruling that the presiding judge had a potential conflict of interest that he failed to disclose. This means that the case will be remanded to a different military judge, and is seen as a victory for Bergdahl's lawyers who argued that the military court system should be held to the same standards as civilian courts. The ruling is a test of the military justice system's ability to remain independent from political influence.