“Ghislaine Maxwell asked a judge to throw out her sex-trafficking conviction and 20-year prison sentence on the eve of a deadline for the Justice Department to turn over a trove of documents relating to her ex-boyfriend, the disgraced financier, Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell filed a long-shot petition for a judge to upend the guilty verdict based on what she claims is ‘substantial new evidence’ that has emerged since her 2021 trial. The 63-year-old filed the request pro se, or without a lawyer, from the Bryan, Texas, federal prison where she is serving her sentence. The new evidence ‘shows that exculpatory information was withheld, false testimony presented, and material facts misrepresented to the jury and the court,’ she wrote in the 51-page filing, the upshot of which is ‘a complete miscarriage of justice, rendering petitioner’s conviction invalid, unsafe and infirm.'” (12/18/25)
“FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino will step down from his post next month, he said on Wednesday, ending a short and at-times tumultuous tenure as the bureau’s second highest-ranking official. Bongino announced the move on social media hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he thought Bongino wanted to ‘go back to his show.’ He hosted a prominent right-wing podcast prior to joining the FBI. ‘Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,’ Trump told reporters.” (12/17/25)
“The ‘top levels of government’ were involved in bringing charges against a Wisconsin judge who helped a Mexican immigrant evade federal authorities, her defense attorney told jurors during closing arguments at her trial Thursday, attempting to blunt arguments from prosecutors that the judge acted inappropriately. Prosecutors argued that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan put her personal beliefs above the law. ‘You don’t have to agree with immigration enforcement policy to see this was wrong,’ Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Brown Watzka told the jury in closing arguments. ‘You just have to agree the law applies equally to everyone.’ The case was expected to go to the jury late Thursday after a four-day trial. The highly unusual charges against a sitting judge are an extraordinary consequence of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Dugan’s supporters say Trump is looking to make an example of her to blunt judicial opposition to immigration arrests.” (12/18/25)
“A Second Amendment clash has erupted between the federal government and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. government sued the U.S. territory, its police department and Police Commissioner Mario Brooks on Tuesday, accusing them of obstructing and systematically denying American citizens the right to possess and carry guns. The U.S. Virgin Islands requires that applicants demonstrate ‘good reason to fear death or great injury to his person or property,’ and to have ‘two credible persons’ to vouch for their need of a firearm. Local law also requires that someone have ‘good moral character’ to obtain a gun permit, which is valid for up to three years and applies to a single weapon.” (12/17/25)
“A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to limit members of Congress from visiting detention facilities operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled Wednesday that ICE cannot enforce newly adopted policies that require lawmakers to provide seven days notice before visiting detention facilities and entirely barring congressional visits to field offices being used to detain immigrants. Those policies, adopted in June, appear to violate explicit language in federal funding laws — adopted annually since 2020 — that prohibit ICE from restricting lawmakers’ access to its facilities, Cobb concluded.” (12/17/25)
“A former anaesthetist has been jailed for life for intentionally poisoning 30 patients, 12 of them fatally. Frédéric Péchier, 53, was convicted Friday at the end of a four-month trial in the eastern city of Besançon. In one of France’s biggest ever medical malpractice cases, Péchier was found to have introduced chemicals like potassium chloride or adrenaline into the infusion bags of patients.” (12/18/25)
“A federal appeals court on Wednesday blocked Michigan’s ban on conversion therapy for minors who are LGBTQ+, declaring it violates the First Amendment rights of therapists and counselors. In a 2-1 opinion, the court said the law illegally restricts speech that reflects the moral beliefs of therapists. It set aside a lower court’s ruling and granted a preliminary injunction sought by Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties. ‘The Michigan law discriminates based on viewpoint — meaning the law permits speech on a particular topic only if the speech expresses a viewpoint that the government itself approves,’ Judge Raymond Kethledge wrote, joined by Judge Joan Larsen. They noted that the law permits counseling that helps someone undergoing a gender transition.” (12/17/25)
“Officers were called to the 5200 block of Greene Lane at about 10:52 a.m. after a homeowner reported shooting an intruder, police said. Upon arrival, officers from the South Central Area Command were directed to an apartment, where they found a man with an apparent gunshot wound. Police rendered aid until paramedics arrived. The injured man was transported to Sunrise Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to LVMPD, the homeowner told investigators that a man entered his apartment uninvited and unannounced, which led to a physical altercation.” (12/17/25)
“On Monday, Maui County Council passed historic legislation that aims to phase out over 6,200 transient vacation rentals, or TVRs, in West and South Maui. Introduced in May 2024 by Mayor Richard Bissen, Bill 9 aims to increase the availability of long-term housing for local families amid a housing crisis that was exacerbated by the Lahaina wildfire, which destroyed more than 2,200 structures and displaced over 12,000 people. Units in West Maui will need to be phased out by Jan. 1, 2029, with those in South Maui by Jan. 1, 2031. The units are part of the Minatoya List, which consists of transient vacation rentals located in apartment-zoned areas. These properties were built before 1989 and are grandfathered in under a permit exemption. Generally, TVRs are only permitted to operate in hotel-zoned areas. Bissen signed the bill into law Monday afternoon.” (12/18/25)
“Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has warned he may abandon a long-awaited trade deal between members of the South American bloc Mercosur and the European Union after key countries sought a delay. The Brazilian leader issued the threat on Wednesday after Italy joined fellow heavyweight France in saying it was not ready to commit to the pact to create the world’s biggest free-trade area. The EU had expected its 27 member states to approve the deal in time for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to fly to Brazil to sign an agreement with the host, along with Mercosur partners Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, on Saturday. ‘I’ve already warned them: If we don’t do it now, Brazil won’t make any more agreements while I’m president,’ Lula told a cabinet meeting.” (12/17/25)
