Trump civil lawsuits:Â The Justice Department has told a Federal Appeals Court that civil cases against Donald Trump seeking compensation from him for his role in bringing about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol should be allowed to proceed. Trump’s lawyers argued that those injured during the Jan. 6 attempted coup and families of those who died should be blocked from suing Trump. Trump’s lawyers said he was performing his duties as president and therefore is immune from civil lawsuits. The Justice Department argued that attempting to overthrow the government is not one of the duties of the president.
Murdaugh found guilty:Â Former attorney Alex Murdaugh was found guilty by a jury in South Carolina of murdering his wife and son in 2021. The jury deliberated only three hours before returning its verdict finding Murdaugh guilty on all counts. Murdaugh comes from a family that was prominent in South Carolina government and politics.
Explosives found:Â Marc Muffley of Lansford, Pennsylvania, is being held without bail by federal authorities in Philadelphia after a court hearing during which he was charged with creating an “astonishing danger” by having explosives and materials needed to set them off in a suitcase he checked for a commercial flight to Florida. The explosives were detected when TSA screeners examined the suitcase before it was loaded onto the airplane.
Investigation of Santos:Â The House Ethics Committee has announced that it is investigating New York Republican Congressman George Santos. In addition to looking into whether Santos broke the law during his campaign for his seat in Congress, the committee is looking into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct involving a young man who was trying to get a job in his congressional office.
Nobel Prize winner sentenced:Â A court in Belarus, which is closely allied with Russia, Â today sentenced a winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize to 10 years in prison. Ales Bialiatski received the prize along with the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties. He and three other human rights activists in Belarus were found guilty of staging a protest against that country’s dictator.
Hangman’s nooses:Â Exxon Mobil Corporation is being sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for failing to take effective measures after hangman’s nooses were found at its chemical plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A Black employee found a hangman”™s noose at his worksite in January 2020. At the time he reported the noose, Exxon Mobil was aware that three other nooses had been displayed at the Baton Rouge complex. A fifth hangman’s noose was later found.
Cover photo of Ales Bialiatski by Mariusz Kubik / Wikimedia Commons
