Staff Writer

  • Musk Expands Lawsuit Against OpenAI, Adding Microsoft and Antitrust Claims

    Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk expanded his lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the ChatGPT creator and its largest financial backer, Microsoft, of engaging in illegal practices to monopolize the generative AI market and undermine competitors. Musk filed the amended lawsuit on Thursday night in federal court in Oakland, California, adding federal antitrust and other claims to his…

  • Pressure Mounts for Release of Matt Gaetz Congressional Ethics Report

    President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, faced mounting scrutiny from congressional Republicans on Thursday, with Senator John Cornyn leading calls to review an unreleased Ethics Committee report that examines allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use. The pressure on Gaetz grew as John Clune, a lawyer for an alleged victim, urged the…

  • Bullied Trump-Supporting White Student Blocked from Suing for Racism

    A divided federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of a Texas student’s lawsuit on Wednesday, rejecting his claims that he faced severe bullying for being white and supporting Republican President-elect Donald Trump. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 9-9 on whether to revive the lawsuit against the Austin Independent School District.…

  • Indiana Ban on Gender Transition for Minors Upheld on Appeal

    A federal appeals court upheld an Indiana law on Wednesday that bans the use of puberty blockers and hormones for children under 18. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 decision, making Indiana one of numerous Republican-controlled states with similar laws. This ruling comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to review…

  • Theodore Olson, Prominent Conservative Lawyer Dies at 84

    Theodore Olson, a prominent conservative lawyer who played a key role in securing the presidency for Republican George W. Bush in the 2000 election dispute and later successfully advocated for same-sex marriage rights, passed away on Wednesday at age 84, his law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher announced. The firm did not disclose the cause…

  • Bob Menendez Jury was Mistakenly Shown Improper Evidence, Prosecutors Say

    Prosecutors stated on Wednesday that although the jury in former New Jersey senator Robert Menendez’s corruption trial reviewed improper evidence during deliberations, the error does not warrant overturning his conviction. Menendez, 70, resigned from the U.S. Senate in August after a Manhattan federal jury found him guilty of selling his influence in exchange for bribes,…

  • Under Trump, Government Legal Stance Poised to Shift at Supreme Court

    Republican Donald Trump’s return to the presidency is set to drive a significant shift in the U.S. government’s legal positions on major cases currently before the Supreme Court, including a high-profile dispute over Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. Upon Trump’s inauguration on January 20, his administration is expected to alter its…

  • Judge Blocks Louisiana from Requiring 10 Commandments in Classrooms

    On Tuesday, a federal judge struck down a Louisiana law that mandated displaying the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms, deeming it unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge John deGravelles called the law “discriminatory and coercive,” marking a temporary setback for conservative groups pushing for greater public expressions of faith. Public schools in the U.S. often…

  • Trump Hush Money Judge Delays Ruling on Immunity Following Election Win

    The judge in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case has postponed ruling on whether Trump’s conviction should be dismissed on immunity grounds, allowing prosecutors to consider next steps following his November 5 election victory. Justice Juan Merchan had initially scheduled a Tuesday ruling on Trump’s argument that the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision—granting presidents immunity…

  • Senate Democrats Rush to Confirm Judges Before Trump Takes Office

    The Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate launched an urgent effort on Tuesday to confirm as many of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees as possible, aiming to prevent vacancies that Republican Donald Trump could fill if he takes office on January 20. With Republicans poised to control the Senate starting January 3, Senate Democrats began…