“First lady Melania Trump has put former first son Hunter Biden on notice − but he’s not flinching. On Aug. 6, the first lady threatened to sue the son of former President Joe Biden for more than $1 billion if he doesn’t retract the claim that she was introduced to her husband by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. … ‘F— that. That’s not going to happen,’ he said, citing news reports dating back to 2019 that ‘reported that sources said that Jeffrey Epstein claimed to be the person to introduce Donald Trump to Melania at that time.’ … Biden said he’d be ‘happy’ to provide the president and first lady with a ‘platform’ if they want to sit down for a deposition and clarify the nature of their relationship with Epstein.” (08/14/25)
“Turkish authorities detained the mayor of a key Istanbul district along with some 40 other officials on Friday, intensifying a sweeping crackdown on the country’s opposition. Inan Guney, mayor of Istanbul’s Beyoglu district, was taken into custody as part of an investigation into alleged corruption, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Guney’s bodyguard, his advisor and other aides were among those detained, the Birgun newspaper and other media reported. Beyoglu district is held by the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP. Municipalities controlled by the CHP have faced waves of arrests this year, beginning with the targeting of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoglu in March.” (08/15/25)
“The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block Mississippi from enforcing its social media age-verification law against nine major platforms, for now. In an emergency ruling, the justices denied internet trade group NetChoice’s request to reinstate a lower court’s order protecting social media giants like Meta, X and YouTube from the new requirements. The Supreme Court did not explain its order or disclose the vote count, as is typical in emergency cases. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, however, wrote a solo opinion cautioning that NetChoice is likely to ultimately succeed on its First Amendment claims even though he was siding against the group at this stage. ‘In short, under this Court’s case law as it currently stands, the Mississippi law is likely unconstitutional,’ Kavanaugh’s brief opinion reads.” (08/14/25)
“Mali’s military leadership has said it thwarted a coup attempt and arrested two generals as well as a French national who they say is a suspected foreign agent, among others. Security Minister General Daoud Aly Mohammedine announced the arrest of a group of military officers and civilians in a statement read out on state television late Thursday evening. The statement also confirmed the detention of dozens of soldiers in recent days. Rumors of the arrests had circulated for several days in Mali. The group had support from abroad, Mohmammedine said, and had allegedly attempted to destabilize Mali.” (08/15/25)
“Russia and Ukraine exchanged 84 prisoners each on Thursday, both sides said, the latest in a series of swaps that has seen hundreds of POWs released so far this year. … The Russian defence ministry said on Telegram that the United Arab Emirates had mediated the exchange and that the released Russian personnel were receiving ‘psychological and medical assistance.’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that among the exchanged prisoners were ‘both military personnel and civilians,’ some of whom had been ‘held by the Russians since 2014, 2016, and 2017.'” (08/14/25)
“Attorneys for the gunman who killed 10 [b]lack people at a Buffalo supermarket say the federal charges against him should be dropped because there weren’t enough [b]lack people and other minority groups on the grand jury that indicted him. A judge is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday on Payton Gendron’s claim that the selection process for the grand jury was flawed. Gendron, who is white, could face the death penalty if convicted in the 2022 mass shooting at a Tops supermarket, which he targeted because of its location in a primarily [b]lack neighborhood. Those killed ranged in age from 32 to 86. Three others were wounded. He is serving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty in November 2022 to multiple state charges, including murder.” (08/14/25)
“Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that the state will open a second immigration [concentration camp] inside a now-shuttered state prison in North Florida as the fate of its first such facility in the Everglades lies in the hands of a federal judge. Florida plans to spend up to $6 million to stand up Baker Correctional Institution — which is 15 minutes away from an airport in Lake City — to hold more than 1,300 people awaiting deportation. Baker was ‘temporarily closed’ amid ongoing staffing problems in the state prison system. … DeSantis had previously said the state was looking to set up a second [concentration camp] at Camp Blanding, the main training facility for the Florida National Guard located in North Florida. But state officials decided instead that it would be cheaper and more efficient to use the closed state prison.” (08/14/25)
“Former EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, the early front-runner to become Ireland’s next president, on Thursday withdrew from the race citing health concerns. McGuinness, 66, made her surprise announcement a week after her previously undisclosed hospitalization for an unspecified illness. While not all potential candidates have declared for an election that must be held by November, McGuinness had been rated the most likely winner in all opinion polling and political betting markets.” (08/14/25)
“A stolen 16th-century manuscript signed by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés has been found and returned to the Mexican government, the FBI said Thursday. The rare item offers a glimpse into the government of New Spain, which grew to cover a vast stretch of land from modern-day Washington state to Louisiana and Central America. Signed by Cortez on Feb. 20, 1527, the document details payments in pesos of gold for expenses, the FBI said. … The FBI said the missing document was likely stolen between 1985 and October 1993, due to a system of wax numbering used by Mexican archivists. There will be no criminal charges connected to the case, Dittmer said, because the document had ‘changed hands many times over’ since it went missing.” (08/14/25)
