The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Monday dismissed an appeal from a Department of Justice (DOJ) employee seeking a defamation suit against the New York Times (NYT). Writing for the majority, Judge José Cabranes found that the district court properly dismissed the defamation suit as barred under New York state’s fair [...]

US Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) introduced legislation Monday to prevent the transfer of sacred Apache land to a copper mining company, offering permanent reassurance in a scenario that has posed a looming threat to the area since 2014. Oak Flat, located in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest, is holy ground for the San Carlos Apaches, who come [...]

In a notice submitted to the US Supreme Court on Monday, acting Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar stated that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has reconsidered its position with regard to whether possession of a small amount of cocaine base with intent to distribute constitutes a “covered offense” under Section 404 of the First Step [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia granted an injunction Friday preventing the Department of Defense (DOD) from enforcing restrictions against Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi. Earlier this year, the DOD designated Xiaomi a “Communist Chinese Military Company” (CCMC) pursuant to Section 1237 of the Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal [...]

Federal officials arrested two men on Monday for assaulting police officer Brian Sicknick during the riots at the Capitol on January 6. Sicknick later died from the injuries. According to the criminal complaint, Julian Elie Khater, 32, of Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of West Virginia, were caught on video “working together to assault [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said Friday that Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez pleaded guilty to violating the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by conducting financial dealings with companies identified as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers. Oseguera Gonzalez is the daughter of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, who is also known as “El Mencho,” a prolific cartel [...]

The US Department of Labor on Thursday proposed to withdraw a Trump-era rule making it easier for companies to classify employees as independent contractors. The rule was promulgated shortly before President Joe Biden’s inauguration but has not gone into effect yet. It was widely expected to be eliminated by the Biden administration, which expressed an intent [...]

Carl Heastie, Speaker of the New York State Assembly, has authorized the Assembly Judiciary Committee to commence an impeachment investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo after multiple women accused the governor of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior. Among the six women who have come forward, Lindsey Boylan, Candidate for Manhattan Borough President, published an online essay detailing her [...]

The US Senate unanimously passed the Ensuring Innovation Act and the Advancing Education on Biosimilars Act Thursday, two pieces of bipartisan legislation aiming to lower prescription drug prices by increasing competition. The Ensuring Innovation Act addresses loopholes used by companies to maintain the exclusive right to sell a drug. A company holds an exclusive right [...]

The Chinese National People’s Congress approved Thursday a draft decision bill to dramatically reform Hong Kong’s electoral system, strengthening Beijing’s control over Hong Kong’s elections. The bill passed with near-unanimous support, with 2,895 votes in support, none in opposition, and one abstention. The draft decision includes nine articles that reshape the processes Hong Kong uses to [...]