The former top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams ran lucrative and audacious bribery schemes out of City Hall — selling off her help as a public official four different times to people willing to shower her with money or gifts, according to a series of indictments unsealed Thursday. Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the former chief adviser to the mayor, is accused by a grand jury of helping friends secure lucrative city contracts and expediting their regulatory issues with city government in exchange for cash payments to her son, lavish karaoke parties, free home renovations, nearly $10,000 worth of seafood for city events and even a guest appearance on the TV show ‘Godfather of Harlem.’ Lewis-Martin … ‘overrode other City officials’ expertise and decision making to ensure that certain required actions were accomplished for the benefit of her co-conspirators,’ prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office wrote in a sweeping and detail-rich summary of the indictments.” (08/21/25)
“A federal judge in Miami late on Thursday ordered the closure of the Trump administration’s notorious ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ [concentration camp] within 60 days, and ruled that no more detainees were to be brought to the facility while it was being wound down. The shock ruling by district court judge Kathleen Williams builds on a temporary restraining order she issued two weeks ago halting further construction work at the remote tented camp, which has attracted waves of criticism for harsh conditions, abuse of detainees and denial of due process as they await deportation. In her 82-page order, published in the US district court’s southern district of Florida on Friday, Williams determined the facility was causing severe and irreparable damage to the fragile Florida Everglades.” (08/21/25)
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two redistricting bills into law on Thursday after the state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed them earlier in the day. The legislation is in direct response to Texas’ Republican-controlled House passing a new congressional map at the urging of President Trump, and the consequences of both could prove pivotal in the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election.” (08/21/25)
“Erik and Lyle Menendez …. who have served more than three decades in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, will appear before California parole officials Thursday and Friday in a bid to convince the panel that they are suitable for release. A Los Angeles judge found three months ago that the men do not pose an ‘unreasonable risk’ and resentenced them to 50 years to life — a decision that effectively canceled their previous prison terms of life without the possibility of parole and made them eligible for ‘suitability’ hearings immediately. … If they are found suitable for parole, a review process that can take nearly a half-year follows. The decision to release the brothers will ultimately land with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has 30 days to affirm, reverse or modify the decision or refer it back to the parole board.” (08/21/25)
“A Bangkok court has acquitted controversial billionaire and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was accused of insulting the monarchy. The charge related to an interview he gave to a South Korean newspaper ten years ago. He would have faced up to 15 years in jail if convicted. Thailand’s lese majeste law forbids insulting its monarchy. But critics say it is often used to target activists and political opponents.” (08/22/25)
“A pair of federal lawsuits filed in San Francisco and New York this week accuse Delta Air Lines and United Airlines of misleading passengers by charging premium fees for window seats next to blank walls. A New York law firm brought the cases as proposed class actions on behalf of any passengers who say they wouldn’t have selected or paid more for their reserved places if they had known the seats did not include a window. … Alaska Airlines and American Airlines also sell such seats but disclose the information when customers choose their seats, the lawsuits assert.” (08/21/25)
“North Korea has a heavily fortified, covert military base that could house its newest long-range ballistic missiles, which are potentially capable of striking the U.S. mainland, according to a new report. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, has identified what it believes is a secret base near the village of Sinpung-dong, about 17 miles from the Chinese border. According to CSIS, construction of the base started around 2004 and it became operational a decade later. Until recently, however, the site remained undisclosed. CSIS used interviews with informed sources, as well as declassified documents, satellite images and open-source information, to identify the base.” (08/21/25)
“Home-purchase contracts in the US were canceled at a record rate for July as jittery buyers got cold feet. About 58,000 agreements fell through last month, equivalent to 15.3% of homes that went under contract, according to Redfin. It was the highest cancellation rate for a July in data going back to 2017, the brokerage reported. It’s not just that the housing market’s expensive, with mortgage rates still elevated and home prices that have soared 50% since early 2020. Buyers are also pulling back more than usual now because of uncertainty over the economy. Plus, with more listings to choose from in many parts of the country, there’s less urgency. Cancellations were especially high last month in construction-heavy areas where inventory has piled up. San Antonio, Texas, where almost 23% of purchases fell through, led the way, followed by Florida’s Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville, and Atlanta.” (08/21/25)
“Egypt has unveiled parts of a sunken city submerged beneath waters off the coast of Alexandria, including buildings, artefacts and an ancient dock that date back more than 2,000 years. Egyptian authorities said the site, located in the waters of Abu Qir bay, may be an extension of the ancient city of Canopus, a prominent centre during the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years, and the Roman empire, which governed for about 600 years. Over time, earthquakes and rising sea levels submerged the city and the nearby port of Heracleion.” (08/21/25)
“James Dobson, a minister and child psychologist who was one of the most influential people among Christian conservatives in America, has died at 89. Dobson founded Focus on the Family, an evangelical group, in the 1970s. He advised five presidents and hosted a weekly radio show. The show at its peak was broadcast by 1,500 radio stations. The Colorado Springs-based Dr. James Dobson Family Institute announced its founder’s death Thursday. The institute’s announcement did not include the cause.” [editor’s note: Dobson did not claim to be a “minister;” he wasn’t ordained, nor did he e.g. pastor a church – TLK] (08/21/25)
