“The private burial of former President Edgar Lungu in South Africa was halted on Wednesday after the Zambian government succeeded in getting a last-minute court order on the day of the funeral to stop proceedings. Members of Lungu’s family were forced to delay their appearance at a burial service and instead attend a courtroom hearing in the South African capital dressed in black funeral attire to hear the case. The Pretoria High Court ruled that both parties had agreed after consultations that Lungu would not be buried until the case over where his funeral would be held was decided. The judge set an August 4 date for another hearing. The legal challenge by the Zambian government against Lungu’s burial in South Africa was the latest development in a nearly month-long dispute with Lungu’s family over the details of his funeral and final resting place.” (06/25/25)
“A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump and his administration to release billions of Congress-approved dollars for electric vehicle charging infrastructure that they froze shortly after returning to the White House. In her 66-page ruling Tuesday, Judge Tana Lin in Seattle found that President Donald Trump violated the separation-of-powers doctrine enshrined in the Constitution and overextended executive authority when he halted the distribution of funds earmarked to expand the United States’ EV charging network.” (06/25/25)
“RIP, Marge Simpson. Well, sort of. ‘The Simpsons’ Season 36 finale revealed that the Simpson family matriarch died in a flash-forward scene. The episode, titled ‘Estranger Things,’ focuses on the sibling bond between Bart and Lisa, who grow apart after they stop watching the kids’ show ‘The Itchy & Scratchy Show.’ Marge is fearful that her kids will become estranged — which turns out to be a reality 35 years later after Marge has died. In the future, Lisa is the commissioner of the NBA and is paying for her widowed father Homer to live in a retirement home that Bart is running unlicensed. There’s a brief scene from Marge’s funeral where Homer is standing in tears over his wife’s grave while surrounded by family.” (06/25/25)
“Vietnam will end capital punishment for eight categories of serious crime – including embezzlement, attempts to overthrow the government and sabotaging state infrastructure, state media has reported. The state-run Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday that the country’s National Assembly unanimously passed an amendment to the Criminal Code that abolished the death penalty for eight criminal offences. Starting from next month, people will no longer face a death sentence for bribery, embezzlement, producing and trading counterfeit medicines, illegally transporting narcotics, espionage, ‘the crime of destroying peace and causing aggressive war,’ as well as sabotage and trying to topple the government.” (06/25/25)
“A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court handed a victory to the Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday in a power struggle with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, reining in the governor’s expansive veto powers. The court, in a ruling where the four liberal justices joined with three conservatives, struck down Evers’ partial veto of a Republican bill in a case that tested both the limits of his veto powers and the Legislature’s ability to exert influence by controlling funding. The court also ruled that the Legislature can put money for certain state programs into an emergency fund under the control of its budget committee. Evers had argued such a move was unconstitutional. The ruling will likely result in the Legislature crafting the budget and other spending bills in similar ways to get around Evers'[s] partial vetoes and to have even greater control over spending.” (06/25/25)
“Florida’s headline-grabbing push to create ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ — an immigration [concentration camp] deep in the Everglades — happened swiftly, with little apparent notice to state legislators responsible for paying for it or to local officials who will have it on their doorstep. It also may prove to be one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’[s] most aggressive moves during his six-plus years in office. Citing the governor’s emergency powers, the state’s emergency management director told Miami-Dade County that it was taking control of an Everglades airstrip now owned by Miami-Dade County and located mainly in Collier County in order to begin building the multimillion dollar facility. DeSantis declared an emergency on immigration during Joe Biden’s presidency and has since extended it. After President Donald Trump took office, the Republican governor has pledged Florida will do whatever it can to assist Trump’s administration in its mass deportation efforts.” (06/24/25)
“Zohran Mamdani appeared to have cleared the first hurdle on his path to becoming New York’s first Muslim mayor, declaring victory in the city’s Democratic primary on Tuesday night, although it could be days before the final result is known. In a stunning upset, Andrew Cuomo – who had been a heavy favorite until recent weeks – conceded after it become clear the the 33-year-old democratic socialist had built a substantial lead over the more experienced but scandal-scarred former governor. … New York City uses a ranked-choice voting system, and as neither candidate is likely to reach 50%, the board of elections will now tally people’s second-choice candidates. Mamdani, who cross-endorsed with Brad Lander, a progressive who came third with 11.4% of the vote, last week, is predicted to benefit more than Cuomo from the count.” (06/25/25)
“President Donald Trump doubled down on his claim that Iranian nuclear sites were “completely destroyed” following U.S. strikes on Saturday. In a social media post late Tuesday, he asserted that the media was trying to ‘demean one of the most successful military strikes in history.’ An early intelligence assessment indicated that the strikes did not fully eliminate the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to two people familiar with an early intelligence assessment. The report, which is classified, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency and U.S. Central Command. … Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff suggested Tuesday an initial intelligence assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities after U.S. strikes was leaked, calling such a move ‘treasonous.'” (06/25/25)
“South Korean prosecutors asked a court on Tuesday for a new arrest warrant to detain former president Yoon Suk-yeol, after he refused a summons by investigators probing his failed martial law bid. Yoon was formally stripped of office in April, after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament. He is already standing trial on insurrection charges, personally attending court to defend himself against the allegations. However, he has refused several summons issued by a special counsel formed to investigate the martial law declaration that parliament voted to launch earlier in the month.” (06/24/25)
“US consumer confidence unexpectedly declined in June, underscoring lingering anxiety about the potential impacts on the economy and job market from higher US import duties. The Conference Board’s gauge of confidence decreased 5.4 points to 93, data showed Tuesday. The figure was below all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. A measure of consumer expectations for the next six months dropped 4.6 points, as the share of respondents anticipating better business conditions fell by the most in more than two years. The gauge of present conditions fell 6.4 points. The retreat in confidence erased nearly half of the prior month’s rebound that was due to a temporary agreement between the US and China to roll back extreme tariffs.” (06/24/25)
