“The District of Columbia has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a resident who [correctly] accused police officers of illegally [abducting] him for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader’s theme song from ‘Star Wars’ on his cellphone, according to a document released Monday. The plaintiff, Sam O’Hara, sued the district, four Metropolitan Police Department officers and a guard member from Ohio over what he says was his act of protest against President Donald Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C. … O’Hara’s settlement with the district doesn’t resolve his related claims against an Ohio National Guard member, Sgt. Devon Beck, who has asked a judge to dismiss O’Hara’s claims against him.” (06/29/26)
“Spain’s unauthorized migrant population is rushing to apply for legal status under the country’s expansive regularization program before Tuesday’s deadline. Although the Spanish government originally expected around 500,000 people to apply for the program — which provides renewable residence permits to all applicants who have been living in Spain for at least five months and have a clean criminal record — over 900,000 had applied by mid-June, according to Spanish authorities.” (06/29/26)
“The Supreme Court on June 29 declined to revisit a landmark decision about press freedom that limited when a public figure can sue for libel or defamation. Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School who alleges he was defamed by CNN when he was defending President Donald Trump from impeachment, unsuccessfully asked the court to consider overturning or modifying that 1964 decision. In New York Times v. Sullivan, the court ruled that the newspaper couldn’t be sued for damages unless the journalists knew they were printing false information about a public official or were reckless about not checking it.” (06/29/26)
“Australia and Vanuatu have signed a economic and security deal that prevents foreign military bases from being built on the Pacific island. The Nakamal Agreement was signed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Vanuatu counterpart, Jotham Napat, in Canberra on Monday. … Australia has committed to increased economic support for Vanuatu, which will bar the establishment of foreign military bases or infrastructure on the island and consult Australia on any third-party investment in critical infrastructure.” (06/29/26)
“The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire a governor of the US central bank, in a ruling seen as affirming the Federal Reserve’s independence. In a 5-4 decision, justices from the country’s top court said the administration had not provided Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook sufficient ‘due process’ for her to contest her removal. The decision sends the matter back to lower courts, where the administration will have to prove its allegations that Cook has committed mortgage fraud if it wishes to proceed with the firing and where Cook would have a chance to challenge the accusation. Cook has denied the allegations, which Fed defenders say are a pretext to allow Trump to assert more control over the bank.” (06/29/26)
“President Donald Trump disclosed buying between $1 million and $5 million in Axon Enterprise stock on Feb. 10. Two weeks later, ICE posted a notice seeking a five-year, $220 million Taser contract for about 17,800 devices, along with unlimited cartridges and training — enough to more than quadruple its current inventory. The ICE notice does not name Axon, but procurement reviewers and policing experts told CNBC the specifications appear to match only Axon products. The contract has so far not been awarded. There is no evidence Trump was involved in or had knowledge of the procurement process or that Axon knew about his stock purchase. But ethics experts said the timing alone raises red flags, even as the White House has said Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children, that a third party made the trades and that ‘there are no conflicts of interest.'” (06/29/26)
“With the window for finding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed Monday through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s powerful back-to-back earthquakes, and a 4.6 magnitude aftershock rumbled through the disaster zone in the northern state of La Guaira. Relief organizations say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Five days after the twin quakes struck northern Venezuela, attention turned to the humanitarian crisis that was taking shape in devastated regions. The death toll stood at more than 1,700 people, according to the government. Major questions loomed about whether the cash-strapped government under acting President Delcy Rodríguez — who came to power in January after the Trump administration seized former President Nicolás Maduro — will be able to coordinate the effort needed to care for thousands of people who have been left homeless.” (06/29/26)
“Turkish police on Sunday detained at least 50 people, including a journalist, during a Gay Pride event in Istanbul that went ahead despite a ban by local authorities and the lockdown of the city’s main gathering point, organisers said. Police stepped up security around Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square, erecting iron barriers, while local officials banned demonstrations in key rallying areas, including the Asian-side district of Kadikoy. The governor’s office also restricted subway transport in several central locations. … LGBT+ protesters, who gathered in several neighbourhoods across the city, vowed to continue their demonstrations.” (06/28/26)
“Ford says it has hired back some human engineers after AI failed to match their skills and experience. In a bid to reap the benefits of the tech, which developers claim can cut costs and boost productivity, the US carmaker adopted it across some parts of its operations including for quality checks. But, according to Bloomberg, its executives said the firm has rehired more than 300 “veteran” quality inspectors in recent years to make up for the pitfalls of automated systems. ‘Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it’s only as good as the information you use to train it,’ Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, told reporters. ‘Over prior years, we didn’t pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles,’ he added.” (06/29/26)
“New York farmers can start submitting applications for up to $25,000 in relief from the state as part of a $30 million aid effort aimed at easing the hit to farmers from Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday. Over the last year, Trump has imposed an array of tariffs, including a global 10% tariff and retaliatory tariffs on China, which led Beijing to levy its own tariffs on U.S. soybean exports. … The program, which will be funded by a $30 million allocation in the state budget, will grant direct payments starting at $1,000 to eligible agricultural producers, including dairy farmers and those working with livestock, specialty crops and aquaculture.” (06/29/26)
