“Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges related to her alleged interference with an ICE [abduction]. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries accepted Dugan’s not guilty plea to one charge each of obstructing an official proceeding and concealing a person from arrest and concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest. … Dugan’s lawyers submitted a motion to dismiss her case Wednesday which cited judicial immunity and federal overreach as reasons her case should be dismissed, as per the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, under which her legal team purports that federal agents cannot enter a state courthouse and arrest a sitting judge.” (05/15/25)
“The U.S. Supreme Court revived on Thursday a Texas woman’s civil rights lawsuit against a Houston police officer who fatally shot her son during a traffic stop. The justices, in a 9-0 ruling, threw out a lower court’s dismissal of the lawsuit by Janice Hughes accusing the officer, Roberto Felix Jr., of violating the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures by using deadly force against her son. Ashtian Barnes, 24, was killed in the 2016 incident. The case tested whether lower courts should analyze police conduct by considering only the exact ‘moment of threat’ to the officer, while excluding the officer’s actions prior to the deadly episode — even by a few seconds.” (05/15/25)
“On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to weaken limits on some harmful ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water roughly a year after the Biden administration finalized the first-ever national standards. The Biden administration said last year the rules could reduce PFAS exposure for millions of people. It was part of a broader push by officials then to address drinking water quality by writing rules to require the removal of toxic lead pipes and, after years of activist concern, address the threat of forever chemicals. President Donald Trump has sought fewer environmental rules and more oil and gas development. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has carried out that agenda by announcing massive regulatory rollbacks. Now, we know the EPA plans to rescind limits for certain PFAS and lengthen deadlines for two of the most common types.” (05/14/25)
“The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. edged above 6.8% this week, returning to where it was just three weeks ago. The rate increased to 6.81% from 6.76% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 7.02%. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose. The average rate ticked up to 5.92% from 5.89% last week. It’s down from 6.28% a year ago, Freddie Mac said.” (05/15/25)
“Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts reined in Justice Sonia Sotomayor during argument over birthright citizenship and nationwide court injunctions on Thursday. Sotomayor dominated questioning for several minutes at the outset of Thursday’s argument after taking over from Justice Clarence Thomas. She pressed U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer for President Donald Trump’s administration on several points relating to the authority for federal courts to issue nationwide injunctions, often speaking over the lawyer and interrupting him. Sotomayor argued that Trump’s order invalidating birthright citizenship violated four Supreme Court precedents, and that it was justified for a federal judge to grant an injunction against such a controversial order. ‘You are claiming that not just the Supreme Court, that both the Supreme Court and no lower court, can stop an executive from universally violating holdings by this court,’ Sotomayor said.” (05/15/25)
“A federal judge has blocked the SEC and Ripple’s joint settlement agreement in the case over XRP, escalating the legal drama and rattling momentum across the crypto landscape. … The case stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by the SEC, alleging Ripple Labs unlawfully offered and sold XRP as unregistered securities in violation of the Securities Act of 1933. Following years of litigation, a partial summary judgment in 2023 favored Ripple, concluding that its programmatic sales and other distributions of XRP were not securities transactions. However, a final judgment in 2024 imposed a $125 million penalty on Ripple, the enforcement of which was stayed during appeal. On May 8, 2025, Ripple and the SEC reached a settlement agreement proposing to dissolve the injunction and reduce the penalty to $50 million—a 60% reduction—contingent upon court approval.” (05/15/25)
“Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that longer-term interest rates are likely to be higher as the economy changes and policy is in flux. In remarks that focused on the central bank’s policy framework review, last done in the summer of 2020, Powell noted that conditions have changed significantly over the past five years. During the period, the Fed witnessed a period of surging inflation, pushing it to historically aggressive interest rate hikes. Powell said that even with longer-term inflation expectations largely in line with the Fed’s 2% target, the era of near-zero rates is not likely to return anytime soon.” (05/15/25)
“Scientists in Australia have identified the oldest known fossil footprints of a reptile-like animal, dated to around 350 million years ago. The discovery suggests that after the first animals emerged from the ocean around 400 million years ago, they evolved the ability to live exclusively on land much faster than previously assumed. ‘We had thought the transition from fin to limb took much longer,’ said California State University paleontologist Stuart Sumida, who was not involved in the new research. Previously the earliest known reptile footprints, found in Canada, were dated to 318 million years ago. The ancient footprints from Australia were found on a slab of sandstone recovered near Melbourne and show reptile-like feet with long toes and hooked claws. Scientists estimate the animal was about 2 1/2 feet (80 centimeters) long and may have resembled a modern monitor lizard. The findings were published Wednesday in Nature.” (05/14/25)
“Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday approved enhanced legal protections for police officers, changes that Republicans said show support for law enforcement but Democrats called ‘a green light to kill [b]lack folks.’ The Alabama Legislature gave final approval to the legislation that sets legal standards for the use of force and provides for an immunity hearing. The bill states that an officer ‘shall be justified’ in the use of physical force as long as it is not constitutionally excessive force or ‘recklessly’ outside of the officer’s discretionary authority. Republicans, who called the legislation the ‘Back The Blue’ bill said it is needed to provide a clear legal framework and show support for law enforcement officers faced with making split-second decisions.” (05/15/25)
