A Christian graphic artist who the Supreme Court said could refuse to make wedding websites for gay couples pointed during her lawsuit to a request from a man named “Stewart” and his husband-to-be. The twists? Stewart says it never happened. The revelation has raised questions about how Lorie Smith’s case was allowed to proceed all the way to the nation’s highest court with such an apparent misrepresentation and whether the state of Colorado, which lost the case last week, has any legal recourse. It has served as another distraction at the end of a highly polarizing term for a Supreme Court marked by ethical questions and contentious rulings along ideological lines that rejected affirmative action in higher education and President Joe Biden’s $400 billion plan to cancel or reduce federal student loan debts .…
Lawyer for Trump valet in Mar-a-Lago documents case alleges misconduct | US news
The lawyer for Donald Trump’s valet, under scrutiny in the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation, has submitted court papers describing a meeting at which a top federal prosecutor brought up his application to be a judge when they tried to gain the valet’s cooperation last year , according to three people familiar with the matter. The allegation, described in a letter filed under seal with the chief US judge in Washington, James Boasberg, could affect the investigation just as prosecutors are considering whether to bring charges.Even though prosecutors have no control over the success of judicial applications, the fact that it was raised in the context of trying to persuade a lawyer for a witness to recommend cooperation could give the appearance of coercion in one of the justice department’s most high-profile cases.…
Ivanka Trump dismissed from New York attorney general’s fraud lawsuit against her father
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court dismissed Ivanka Trump on Tuesday from a wide-ranging fraud lawsuit brought against her father and his company last year by the state’s attorney general. The civil lawsuit, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accused former President Donald Trump of padding his net worth by billions of dollars and misleading banks, insurance companies and others about the value of his assets, including golf courses and the Mar-a -Lago estate. It named his three eldest children — Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump — as defendants, along with multiple Trump Organization executives.…
Once ’empowered’ Hong Kong activists face new security law | Politics News
Twenty years ago, Fermi Wong embarked on her first ever protest against the government. Little did she expect she was to be joined by at least half a million other demonstrators. In July 2003, Hong Kong people took to the streets to fight the imminent passage of security legislation linked to Article 23, part of the territory’s mini-constitution known as the Basic Law. They feared the law would snuff out the civil liberties they enjoyed as residents of the former British colony that had reverted to Chinese sovereignty six years before. The show of people power – at that time the largest ever in the city – not only beat off the legislation but also started a push for democracy that would gather momentum in the next 15 years.…
Facebook loses legal challenge at EU’s top court
LONDON – Facebook lost a legal challenge Tuesday at the European Union’s top court over a groundbreaking German anti-trust decision that limited the way the company uses data for advertising. The European Court of Justice said competition watchdogs can consider whether companies like Facebook comply with the continent’s strict privacy rules, which are normally enforced by national data privacy regulators. The court ruled that antitrust authorities can take into account any violations of data privacy rules as they investigate whether tech giants are abusing their dominance in the market by boxing out competitors. “We are evaluating the court’s decision and will have more to say in due course,” Facebook parent Meta said in a statement.…
Attorney General Merrick Garland to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee in September
CNN —Attorney General Merrick Garland is scheduled to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee on September 20, a source familiar with the plans told CNN.The attorney general’s appearance before the panel will be for a standard oversight hearing. It’s routine for top-level executive branch officials to provide general testimony before congressional committees.But when he testifies, Garland will be facing a number of House Republicans who are his toughest critics, and some have called for his impeachment.Punchbowl News was the first to report on the date of Garland’s appearance before the committee.Speaker Kevin McCarthy has also recently started floating the possibility that the House could open an impeachment inquiry into Garland over the Internal Revenue Service whistleblower alleging that Justice Department leadership improperly interfered in the Hunter Biden probe, which Garland has denied.…
A Timeline Of Jonathan Majors’ Legal Issues And Allegations
What’s going on with Jonathan Majors? At the top of the year, between the debut of villain Kang the Conqueror in the MCU with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania to his scene-stealing performance in Creed III, it was looking like 2023 was his year. However, within the past few months, there have been reports of assault allegations leading to the actor looking at criminal charges that are quickly turning around Majors’ life in Hollywood. The actor’s legal issues and allegations began in March and are set to continue ahead of an upcoming trial date set for August 3. Check out the timeline: The Allegations Against Jonathan MajorsOn March 25, 2023 it was reported that Jonathan Majors had been charged and arrested with “several counts of assault in the third degree, three counts of attempted assault in the third degree, one count of aggravated harassment in the second degree, and one count of harassment in the second degree” by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.…
CBP Targets Battery Tech for UFLPA Enforcement
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently indicated potential increased scrutiny of battery technology under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA,” or the “Act”). Although the Act covers essentially all trade touching China’s Xinjiang region, it specifically lists cotton, polysilicon, and tomatoes as high-priority sectors for enforcement. Recent CBP actions indicate battery technologies are also in CBP’s sights, reflecting UFLPA’s broad scope and increased Congressional scrutiny of these supply chains.In December 2022 Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) launched an investigation into eight automakers’ potential links to China’s Xinjiang region (allegedly to source parts, including batteries, wiring and wheels).…