News Dump for May 1, 2024

US

MSNBC – Far-right OAN retracts report about Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels
When the One America News Network settled with Michael Cohen this week, it was the latest in a series of settlements for the far-right media outlet.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/far-right-oan-retracts-report-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-rcna149956

NPR – Fox News pulls down series as Hunter Biden threatens lawsuit
Fox News has pulled down a six-part series in which it staged a mock trial of hypothetical criminal charges against Hunter Biden after the president’s son threatened to sue the network.
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/30/1248275971/fox-news-hunter-biden-series-lawsuit-threat

NBC – Former Secret Service agent sues New York Post and Daily Mail over Hunter Biden claim
Robert Savage says stories claiming he helped Hunter Biden in Los Angeles were based on fabricated text messages. A former Secret Service agent sued two news organizations for defamation Tuesday and accused them of publishing stories based on fabricated text messages that he says falsely linked him to Hunter Biden.
https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/former-secret-service-agent-sues-new-york-post-daily-mail-hunter-biden-rcna150010

Guardian – Trump threatens to prosecute Bidens if he’s re-elected unless he gets immunity
Trump made the threat against the Biden family in an interview with Eric Cortellessa of Time, in which he shared the outlines of what the magazine called “an imperial presidency that would reshape America and its role in the world”.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/30/trump-second-term-abortion-immigration

BBC – Democrats make shock move to back Republican speaker Mike Johnson
Top congressional Democrats announced on Tuesday that their party would throw Mike Johnson a lifeline if Republicans tried to remove him as speaker of the House of Representatives.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68933018

AP – Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall
Police officers carrying zip ties and riot shields stormed a Columbia University building being occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters, streaming in through a window late Tuesday and arresting dozens of people.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-campus-student-protests-war-8b0d3a0cedb17f5e892c6ca43bbdf628

NBC – Democrats win a New York special election, further narrowing the House GOP’s majority
Democratic state Sen. Tim Kennedy won a special election in the deep blue 26th District in western New York to serve the rest of Brian Higgins’ term.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/new-york-special-election-win-house-26-district-rcna149581

WAPO – Federal judges strike down Louisiana congressional map with second Black-majority district
In Tuesday’s 2-1 ruling, the panel found that the redistricting map approved by the Louisiana legislature, in a measure known as Senate Bill 8, which established a second majority-Black congressional district in the state, “violates the Equal Protection Clause [of the 14th Amendment] as an impermissible racial gerrymander.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/30/louisiana-congressional-map-ruling/

Guardian – New Orleans archdiocese is target of child sex-trafficking inquiry, officials say
Louisiana state police recently served sweeping and unprecedented search warrant.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/30/new-orleans-catholic-church-child-sex-trafficking-investigation

Law & Crime – ‘The motion is denied’: Appeals court once again refuses to pause Trump’s ongoing hush-money trial over allegations judge ‘acted in excess’ of his jurisdiction
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/the-motion-is-denied-appeals-court-once-again-refuses-to-pause-trumps-ongoing-hush-money-trial-over-allegations-judge-acted-in-excess-of-his-jurisdiction/

KTLA – Violence erupts amid dueling demonstrations at UCLA
Dozens of pro-Israeli protestors, many wearing white masks and flags around their shoulders, arrived around 10:45 p.m. and attempted to dismantle parts of the pro-Palestinian encampment, which has gained ground on the campus, before deploying fireworks and what may have been bear or pepper spray.
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/pro-palestinian-encampment-at-ucla-gains-ground-as-demonstrations-rage-on/

Independent – Trump trial live: Bombshell texts show tabloid editor calling Stormy Daniels story ‘final nail in the coffin’
Keith Davidson, former lawyer for adult film star and Playboy model Karen McDougal, testifies about details of hush money agreements.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-trial-live-updates-hush-money-gag-order-b2537390.html

WAPO – Tears and despair at Florida abortion clinic in final hours before ban
A Fort Lauderdale-area clinic saw patients into the night — and turned some away — as the state prepared for a six-week abortion ban to take effect May 1.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/01/florida-abortion-clinic-6-week-ban/

Looks like someone didn’t pay their bill.
Newsweek – Donald Trump’s Law Firm Doesn’t Want to Represent Him Anymore
Alaw firm wants to withdraw from representing Donald Trump, citing a breakdown in relations, court documents show. In a filing to a Manhattan court, the law firm—LaRocca, Hornik, Greenberg, Rosen, Kittridge, Carlin and McPartland—said there had been an “irreparable breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.”
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-lawyers-larocca-hornik-aj-delgado-lawsuit-manhattan-1895983

HuffPost – Lauren Boebert: ‘It Makes No Difference To Me’ If Hakeem Jeffries Or Mike Johnson Is Speaker
“We are passing the Democratic agenda each and every day that we’re here,” she told reporters. “We have a slim majority in the House, and everything’s being passed overwhelmingly with Democrats’ support, so it makes no difference to me if it’s Hakeem Jeffries as speaker or Mike Johnson right now.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lauren-boebert-makes-no-difference-to-me-hakeem-jeffries-mike-johnson_n_66320d91e4b0a5feb1015ce7

Blithering Blunderbuss
HuffPost – Trump Unleashes Bizarre ‘Word Salad’ Answer During Live Nighttime TV Interview
Donald Trump has people wondering just what he was trying to say during a rambling monologue on Fox News on Tuesday evening after Sean Hannity asked for his reaction to police removing pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-word-salad_n_6631f693e4b0849b2edd8d91?ncid=APPLENEWS00001

Excellent news!
AP – United Methodists repeal longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy
United Methodist delegates repealed their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy with no debate on Wednesday, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers.
https://apnews.com/article/united-methodist-lgbtq-clergy-general-conference-acabe18fe22b6838e3005ad8895534fa

NPR – When judges get free trips to luxury resorts, disclosure is spotty
Dozens of federal judges failed to fully disclose free luxury travel to judicial conferences around the world, as required by internal judiciary rules and federal ethics law, an NPR investigation has found. As a result, the public remained in the dark about potential conflicts of interest for some of the United States’ top legal officials.
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/1247512187/federal-judges-disclosures-luxury-trips

Nutjob
NPR – Majorie Taylor Greene is planning a vote next week to oust Speaker Johnson
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will move next week to try to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from the job over his reliance on votes from Democrats to pass key legislation, including aid for Ukraine.
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/1248433401/marjorie-taylor-greene-motion-to-vacate-house-speaker-mike-johnson

WORLD

Business Insider – Claims that the US bought 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from a close Russian ally are likely false, experts say
On Sunday, the Kyiv Post reported that Kazakhstan had auctioned off 117 Soviet-era fighter and bomber aircraft for a reported fee of one billion tenge, or $2.26 million, of which 81 were purchased by the US. Kazakhstan has denied selling aircraft to Ukraine, saying foreign companies were not allowed to bid.
https://www.businessinsider.com/claims-us-buying-soviet-era-aircraft-from-kazakhstan-likely-false-2024-4

Newsweek – Ukraine Scores Massive Weapons Boost From NATO Nation
Ukraine has scored a massive weapons boost from NATO member Germany as part of a fresh tranche of military aid unveiled on Monday. “Great news from our German friends! Thank you for your steadfast support!” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on social media, announcing that Kyiv’s military will receive more armored personnel carriers, anti-aircraft defenses, and ammunition for its ongoing fight against Russia.
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-weapons-boost-nato-germany-war-1895521

AP – Netanyahu vows to invade Rafah ‘with or without a deal’ as cease-fire talks with Hamas continue
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering from the almost 7-month-long war, just as cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas appear to be gaining steam.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-04-30-2024-f5e14fd176d69f9c4e23b48f3ab5af6a

SCIENCE

AP – Chinese astronauts return to Earth after 6 months on space station
The Shenzhou-17 craft carrying Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin landed at the Dongfeng site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the Gobi Desert shortly before 6 p.m. It comes roughly four days after the Shenzhou-18 mission docked with the station with their three-member replacement crew.
https://apnews.com/article/china-space-shenzhou-returns-astronauts-tiangong-dongfeng-ef0cd736e2734b4058771f0a560fe16a

TEXAS

KXAN – University of Texas campus protests relatively quiet ahead of anticipated unrest Wednesday
Only a few dozen demonstrators gathered peacefully on the University of Texas at Austin’s South Lawn for a “teach-in” about the war in Gaza on Tuesday, a stark contrast to the campus chaos that has embroiled the university over the past week as students and outside organizers attempt to protest and establish encampments.
https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/university-of-texas-campus-protests-relatively-quiet-ahead-of-anticipated-unrest-wednesday/

NBC – Supreme Court declines to block Texas pornography restriction
The pornography industry challenged the state law’s age-verification provision, saying it places an unlawful burden on adults wishing to access content.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-declines-block-texas-pornography-restriction-rcna149877

Texas Tribune – False ad depicting Dade Phelan with Nancy Pelosi could inspire new anti-deepfake legislation
A mailer, paid for by the Jeff Yass-bankrolled Club for Growth Action PAC, falsely depicted Phelan in a hug with former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/30/dade-phelan-nancy-pelosi-deep-fake/

MISC

Reuters – Musk disbands Tesla EV charging team, leaving customers in the dark
Elon Musk’s abrupt decision to lay off employees who ran Tesla’s electric vehicle charging business blindsided automakers gearing up to equip new EVs for customers to use the Tesla Supercharger network, industry officials and analysts said on Tuesday. For now, General Motors, Ford and other automakers which struck deals last year to give customers access to the network said they are not changing their plans.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/musk-disbands-tesla-ev-charging-202301433.html

WAPO – Apple banned this app for years. It’s now America’s No. 1 iPhone app.
The hottest iPhone app in America may owe its popularity to government crackdowns on Apple. That app, Delta, lets you play old-school video games like “Super Mario Bros.” on an iPhone. Apple had banned apps like it for years but un-banned them this month without much explanation. Delta’s creators say growing anti-monopoly pressures were responsible for Apple’s flip-flop.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/30/delta-emulator-iphone-apple-antitrust/