“The Supreme Court on Thursday weighed whether to allow President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship to temporarily take effect in most of the country, even if they might [sic] ultimately be found to violate the Constitution. The justices heard arguments in the Trump administration’s emergency appeals over lower court orders that have kept the citizenship restrictions on hold across the country. Nationwide, or universal, injunctions have emerged as an important check on Trump’s efforts to remake the government and a mounting frustration to the Republican president and his allies. Judges have issued 40 nationwide injunctions since Trump began his second term in January, Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court at the start of more than two hours of arguments. Birthright citizenship is among several issues, many related to immigration, that the administration has asked the court to address on an emergency basis, after lower courts acted to slow the president’s agenda.” (05/15/25)
“As Bolivia hurtles towards a hotly contested August 17 presidential election, two major shake-ups may shape the outcome of the race. On Wednesday, incumbent President Luis Arce announced he would abandon his bid for re-election after a five-year term defined by turmoil. … That same day, Bolivia’s constitutional court also ruled that Arce’s former political mentor, now rival, Evo Morales, could not run for another term as president, upholding a two-term limit. But the left-wing Morales, the embattled former president who previously served three terms in office and attempted to claim a fourth, remained defiant on social media afterwards. ‘Only the people can ask me to decline my candidacy,’ Morales wrote. ‘We will obey the mandate of the people to save Bolivia, once again.'” (05/15/25)
“The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office has released the identity of a man shot to death during a residential break-in. … Authorities say 22-year-old Mehki Anthony Maxwell died in the incident at a home in the 3000 block of Sweetser Avenue Tuesday afternoon. Evansville Police say a resident shot and killed Maxwell after he and two other men broke in. Police say the other two burglars escaped. The shooter may not face any charges due to Indiana’s Castle Doctrine.” (05/14/25)
“Ukrainian and Russian delegations arrived in Turkey on Thursday, yet it remains unclear whether the first direct talks between warring sides since the spring of 2022 will take place after Russia revealed it would send only a low-level delegation of deputy ministers and experts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s challenge to Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet him in Istanbul — and President Donald Trump’s statements that he was open to flying in — provoked a flurry of intense speculation that Putin could meet with Trump for the first time since the U.S. president’s election, and potentially Zelensky for the first time since before invading his country. … Putin’s most recent stalling tactic runs the risk that Russia could drag out talks over the summer while attempting another offensive in Ukraine after months of a grueling war of attrition, sidestepping U.S. and European calls for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire.” (05/15/25)
“Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, indicted on charges of helping an undocumented immigrant elude federal authorities, filed a motion May 14 to dismiss her case, citing judicial immunity and federal overreach by prosecutors. The motion, coming less than 24 hours after Dugan was indicted by a federal grand jury, sets the stage for a legal battle ahead. The action comes even before Dugan has entered a plea, which is expected May 15. Usually, motions come later in a case, but her legal team is arguing that the issues of immunity and federalism need to be resolved immediately. … The motion makes two arguments: that Judge Dugan cannot be prosecuted because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts and that prosecutors were exceeding federal authority in the case.” (05/14/25)
“Iran is ready to sign a nuclear deal with certain conditions with President Donald Trump in exchange for lifting economic sanctions, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader told NBC News on Wednesday. Ali Shamkhani, a top political, military and nuclear adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is one of the most senior Iranian officials to speak publicly about the ongoing discussions. He said Iran would commit to never making nuclear weapons, getting rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium which can be weaponized, agree to enrich uranium only to the lower levels needed for civilian use, and allow international inspectors to supervise the process, in exchange for the immediate lifting of all economic sanctions on Iran.” [editor’s note: Other than “immediate” lifting of “all” sanctions, that was the previous deal that Trump broke during his first term, and has been the Iranian position ever since – TLK] (05/14/25)
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accused French President Emmanuel Macron of siding with a ‘murderous Islamist terrorist organisation’ after Macron criticised Israel’s blocking of aid to Gaza. … In a televised interview on Tuesday, Macron accused Netanyahu’s government of ‘unacceptable’ and ‘shameful’ behaviour over its aid blockade on Gaza, which has been in force since March 2. The United Nations and aid organisations have repeatedly warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the war-ravaged territory as famine again looms.” (05/14/25)
“A group of family members of Sinaloa Cartel leaders crossed into the United States last week, likely as part of a deal with the Trump administration, Mexico’s secretary of security said on Tuesday evening. For days, rumors had spread that 17 relatives, including one of the ex-wives of the crime boss known as El Chapo, had flown from a cartel stronghold to Tijuana, Mexico, and then crossed into the United States. A news outlet, Pie de Nota, reported that they had surrendered to U.S. federal authorities there, citing anonymous sources. … The movement of the family members to the United States — and the speculation that it could mean a plea agreement with the U.S. government — has fueled high-profile discussion in Mexico about who might be implicated by imprisoned cartel leaders.” (05/14/25)
“A federal judge has ordered Georgetown University scholar Badar Khan Suri released from immigration detention, in the latest victory for US visa holders targeted by the administration of President Donald Trump for pro-Palestine stances or advocacy. The ruling on Wednesday by US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles comes shortly after two other prominent students targeted for deportation, Columbia University Student Mohsen Mahdawi and Tufts University PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk, were ordered released from detention as their deportation cases move forward. … As with similar cases where visa holders have been targeted for deportation related to their pro-Palestine views and advocacy, lawyers for Suri Khan – who has Indian citizenship and a US student visa – argued ICE agents unlawfully [abducted] him outside his Virginia home in March for speech that should have been constitutionally protected.” (05/14/25)
“German police have arrested three people accused of working for Russian intelligence to plan bomb attacks inside Germany. The suspects, two men and one woman, were detained in separate operations in the western city of Cologne, the southern city of Konstanz and in Switzerland. All three are Ukrainian nationals and are being held on suspicion of espionage and preparing acts of sabotage. According to federal prosecutors, the group allegedly planned to send parcel bombs designed to explode during shipment — a tactic aimed at creating public fear and undermining trust in Germany’s infrastructure.” (05/14/25)
