Former President Donald Trump's $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN has been dismissed by U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who was appointed by Trump himself. The lawsuit was in response to CNN's use of the phrase "the Big Lie" when referring to Trump's false claims about the 2020 election, which Trump claimed likened him to Adolf Hitler. Judge Singhal ruled that the references were opinion and not factual statements, and thus did not amount to defamation. The dismissal of the lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal setbacks for Trump, who has vowed to continue to fight for his legal rights.
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An American nurse and her child were kidnapped near Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince on Thursday, according to the nonprofit organization El Roi Haiti. The U.S. State Department has confirmed that it is aware of the reports and is working with Haitian authorities and other U.S. government interagency partners to investigate the incident. El Roi Haiti has asked for prayers for the safe return of Alix and her child, which is a reminder of the dangers of living and working in the country.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked Arkansas from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing "harmful" or "obscene" materials to minors. The law, passed in April, would have allowed parents and guardians to file complaints with the Arkansas Department of Education if they believed library materials were harmful to minors. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas challenged the law, arguing it was an unconstitutional infringement on free speech, and the court issued a preliminary injunction in response.
On Friday, mutinous soldiers in Niger declared their leader the new head of state, raising concerns that it could hinder the nation's fight against jihadists and boost Russia's influence in West Africa. The White House National Security Council has expressed concern over the unconstitutional seizure of power, and warned that it could put at grave risk the continued security cooperation with the government of Niger. Russia has the opportunity to increase its influence in West Africa, as the international community watches to see how the situation in Niger develops.
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.
A third person has been charged in the federal case involving classified material taken from the White House to former President Donald Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker, is accused of helping Trump's aide Walt Nauta move boxes of classified documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago, and then lying to federal investigators about it. The charges against De Oliveira, Trump, and Nauta could have serious implications, and former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance believes that De Oliveira's charges could be the “final nail in the coffin” for Donald Trump if he flips.
Peaches Stergo, a 36-year-old Florida woman, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for defrauding an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of over $2.8 million. She had met the victim on a dating website and lied about needing money for a legal settlement. Stergo used the money to live a life of luxury, and must now pay restitution and serve a supervised release after her prison term.