Supreme Court rules: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that presidents and former presidents are entitled to absolute immunity from prosecution for acts that occur in connection with their official duties. The court also ruled that presidents can be prosecuted for unofficial acts. In addition, the court ruled that Trump cannot be prosecuted for some specific acts alleged by Special Prosecutor Jack Smith to have been criminal. The court ruling was made in response to claims by former President Donald Trump that he could not be prosecuted for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election through the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
French power: The far-right National Rally party has received the most votes in the first round of France’s parliamentary election. French President Macron’s centrist party received only about 20% of the votes and the far-left Popular Front coalition received about 28%. Macron and the far left coalition would need to get together in order to prevent the far-right nationalists from taking control of the French Parliament as more parliamentary elections are held. Marine Le Pen, a far-right leader, hopes to oust Macron when he stands for re-election in about three years.
Bannon to prison: Steve Bannon, who served as an aide to Donald Trump in the White House, was beginning his four month term in the federal prison at Danbury, Connecticut, today. Bannon was convicted of contempt of congress for defying a congressional subpoena. Bannon is the second White House aide to Donald Trump to be serving four months in prison for contempt of congress. Peter Navarro began his sentence in a Miami prison in March. Â
Hurricane Beryl: Hurricane Beryl this morning grew to a Category 4 storm as it targeted the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. It is described as the strongest storm in the Windward Islands area in 20 years. The storm presently is forecast to track south of Jamaica and make landfall north of the Central American country Belize. Hurricane Beryl is the first hurricane in Caribbean history to reach Category 4 strength so early in the hurricane season.
Biden family: President Biden’s family yesterday urged him to stay in the presidential race in the wake of his poor performance in last Thursday’s presidential debate. President Biden, his wife, children and grandchildren met at Camp David in Maryland. Son Hunter Biden was said to be among the most adamant that the president should continue his campaign. The newspaper the Philadelphia Inquirer ran an editorial this weekend saying that it is Donald Trump who should drop out because in the debate he once again demonstrated he is a danger to democracy.
Boeing deal: Sources say the Department of Justice has given Boeing one week to decide whether it wants to plead guilty and pay a fine or face criminal charges for not honoring terms of a previous deal to avoid prosecution over manufacturing procedures for certain Boeing 737-MAX airliners. Boeing would have to plead guilty to misleading the Federal Aviation Administration, pay a $220 million fine and be on probation for three years, according to reports.
Corrections officers: CNN reported this morning that five former Missouri corrections officers are facing a combination of murder, manslaughter and assault charges in connection with the death of a prisoner. Othel Moore Jr., age 39, died at Missouri’s Jefferson City Correctional Center last year. Witnesses said the corrections officers rushed into his cell, restrained Moore with handcuffs and continued spraying him with Mace while he pleaded with them to stop because he couldn’t breathe.
