Weinstein conviction overturned: A New York appeals court has overturned the conviction of former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein on rape charges. Weinstein had been convicted in 2020. The appeals court decided that the judge in the case make errors including allowing testimony by women who made allegations against Weinstein that were not related to the alleged rape for which he was being tried. The court ordered a new trial for Weinstein and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said they plan to Weinstein on trial again. Weinstein is in prison in Upstate New York.
Immunity: The U.S. Supreme Court today was hearing oral arguments regarding whether Donald Trump has absolute immunity from prosecution for anything he did while serving as president. Special Counsel Jack Smith takes the position that when Trump tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election he was not performing an official act and therefore is not immune from prosecution. Trump’s attorneys take an opposite view that Trump is immune from prosecution for anything he did while he was in the White House. They previously argued that he could have ordered his political opponents to be killed by a Navy Seals Team and could not be prosecuted.
College protests: Pro-Palestine protests on college campuses continue to spread in the U.S. Police in Boston arrested more than 100 protesters last night at Emerson University in Boston. Four policemen were injured in fighting with protesters. Administrators at Columbia University gave protesters until tonight to take down the tent encampment they have built on the college’s Manhattan campus. They previously had New York City police dismantle the tent city but protestors rebuilt it.
Fake electors: A grand jury in Arizona has indicted the 11 fake electors who were involved in an alleged scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election on charges of forgery, fraud and conspiracy. Biden won in Arizona. The 11, all Republicans, include the woman who was head of the state’s Republican Party. Also indicted were seven others who allegedly were part of the scheme including Donald Trump’s White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani. Donald Trump was an unindicted co-conspirator.
Economic slowdown: Real gross domestic product, GDP, increased at an annual rate of 1.6% in the first quarter of 2024, according to the advance estimate released by the government this morning. In the fourth quarter of 2023, real GDP increased 3%. The slowdown in the increase in the first quarter from last year’s fourth quarter primarily reflected increases in consumer spending and housing investment that were partly offset by a decrease in inventory investment. Gross domestic purchases prices, the prices of goods and services purchased by U.S. residents, increased 3.1% in the first quarter after increasing 1.9% in the fourth quarter.
Hostages: Eighteen countries, including the U.S., today called on Hamas to release any sick, wounded and elderly hostages it still holds. They say that if Hamas does that, it will go a long way toward ending the conflict between Hamas and Israel. All 18 countries have citizens who were taken hostage when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. They said a hostage release would bring about an immediate cease-fire leading to a long-term resolution to the conflict.
