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Decide completely bars DoJ from releasing Jack Smith’s report on Trump paperwork
In a ruling on Monday, US federal choose Aileen Cannon completely prohibited the justice division from releasing a report put collectively by former particular counsel Jack Smith associated to categorised paperwork Trump stored at Mar-a-Lago.
Cannon, primarily based in Florida, had beforehand dismissed the case in opposition to Trump in mid-2024 as a result of, she concluded, Smith had not been correctly appointed to a task as particular counsel. Smith continued to organize a closing report primarily based on what he and his workforce had collected within the investigation, Cannon wrote in her ruling Monday.
“To say this chronology represents, at a minimal, a regarding breach of the spirit of the Dismissal Order is an understatement, if not an outright violation of it,” she wrote of Smith persevering with to create a report.
Releasing the report could be a “manifest injustice” for the defendants, for the reason that case didn’t go to a jury, she wrote. “The previous defendants on this case, like every other defendant on this scenario, nonetheless benefit from the presumption of innocence held sacrosanct in our constitutional order.”
Key occasions
The American Bar Affiliation condemned President Donald Trump after he referred to as members of the Supreme Courtroom “disloyal to the Structure.” He made the remark after the court docket struck down sweeping tariffs he had imposed by govt orders, ruling that the tariffs exceeded the powers given to the president by Congress.
“Whereas judicial opinions are at all times topic to evaluation and critique, such disagreement should be voiced with respect for the details and the regulation and should respect the independence and integrity of the courts,” reads an announcement by the affiliation’s president, Michelle A Behnke.
“Incendiary rhetoric has helped contribute to the alarming enhance in assaults on and threats to our judges. It should cease,” Behnke added.
Republican consultant Nancy Mace referred to as for the resignation of Texas consultant Tony Gonzales as he faces allegations of getting an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
“These textual content messages are disgusting and inexcusable,” Mace mentioned in an announcement. “She is gone now. Her son is rising up with out his mom. And Tony Gonzales is campaigning like nothing occurred.”
Mace added: “Tony Gonzales ought to resign instantly and be held absolutely accountable for what he’s accomplished. She and her household deserved higher. And Texans deserve a congressman who doesn’t prey on ladies.”
Mace joins Republican representatives Lauren Boebert and Anna Paulina Luna in condemning the Texas lawmaker. The San Antonio Specific-Information reported final week that the previous aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, wrote to a different staffer in April 2025 that she had an affair with Gonzales. She died after lighting herself on fireplace in September.
President Donald Trump on Monday denied stories that Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of employees, has cautioned him concerning the dangers related to launching a army marketing campaign in opposition to Iran.
“I’m the one which makes the choice, I might relatively have a Deal than not however, if we don’t make a Deal, it is going to be a really dangerous day for that Nation and, very sadly, its individuals, as a result of they’re nice and great, and one thing like this could by no means have occurred to them,” Trump mentioned in a publish on Fact Social.
The Guardian has reported that Caine has been much less assured concerning the chance of success with attacking Iran than he was concerning the Venezuela operation final month, with considerations centering on the low stockpile of anti-missile methods.
A senior FBI official who was ousted by the Trump administration final yr introduced his bid for Congress in Maryland.
David Sundberg was fired in January 2025, simply days after President Donald Trump started his second administration, which was a part of a broader FBI purge that came about after the president took workplace. Sundberg might be operating to succeed Democratic consultant Steny Hoyer in Maryland’s fifth congressional district.
“I’m operating for Congress as a result of I imagine within the rule of regulation, not the rule of 1 man,” mentioned Sundberg in an announcement posted on his marketing campaign web site. “I used to be pushed out for doing my job and refusing to permit politics to compromise justice. However whereas they took my job, they didn’t take my oath.”
Sundberg was the previous assistant director in control of the FBI’s Washington Area Workplace, which led the bureau’s 6 January Capitol assaults investigation. The sphere workplace was additionally concerned with the investigation into Trump’s alleged mishandling of delicate authorities paperwork and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
US army strike on boat allegedly smuggling medicine kills three males
Sara Braun
The US army launched a strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat within the Caribbean which killed three males, in its third such assault over the course of per week.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting alongside identified narco-trafficking routes within the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” US Southern Command, which oversees operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, mentioned on Twitter/X.
The message was accompanied by a 20-second video of the strike, which reveals black-and-white footage of a strike being launched and the boat bursting into flames.
The Southern Command recognized the three males killed as “male narco-terrorists” and clarified that no US army forces had been harmed within the strike.
Many have questioned the legality of the US boat strike initiative, together with worldwide authorized students and nationwide safety consultants.
“Underneath each U.S. and worldwide regulation, it’s flagrantly unlawful to make use of the army to kill civilians suspected solely of crimes,” a December assertion by Jeffrey Stein, a employees lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Christopher Anders, director of the democracy and expertise division at ACLU, says. “Civilians, together with these suspected of smuggling medicine, should not lawful targets. Simply because the Trump administration says these strikes are firmly grounded in regulation doesn’t make it true.”
The latest strike comes simply three days after the final, which came about on 20 February and killed three males. The actions are a part of the Trump administration’s elevated funding of US forces within the area to intercept alleged “narco-terrorists.”
The newest assault brings the entire variety of individuals killed in US strikes on suspected boats since September to a minimum of 151.
France strikes to ban US ambassador Charles Kushner from direct authorities entry
France’s prime diplomat has requested that US ambassador Charles Kushner (who can also be Donald Trump’s daughter’s father-in-law) now not be allowed direct entry to members of the French authorities after he skipped a gathering to debate feedback associated to the killing of a far-right activist.
French authorities had summoned Kushner to the Quai d’Orsay on Monday night however he didn’t present up, a number of retailers reported citing diplomatic sources.
Jean-Noël Barrot, the French overseas affairs minister, moved to limit Kushner’s entry “in gentle of this obvious misunderstanding of the essential expectations of the mission of an envoy, who has the glory of representing his nation.”
The ministry, nevertheless, left the door open for reconciliation. “It stays, in fact, attainable for Ambassador Charles Kushner to hold out his duties and current himself on the Quai d’Orsay, in order that we might maintain the diplomatic discussions wanted to clean over the irritants that may inevitably come up in a friendship spanning 250 years,” it mentioned in an announcement.
The US embassy in France and the US state division’s bureau of counter-terrorism mentioned they had been monitoring the case, writing on X that “violent radical leftism is on the rise” and ought to be handled as a public security risk.
Deranque was overwhelmed to loss of life in Lyon final week throughout a battle with allegedly hard-left activists. The killing has put France on edge, stoking tensions between left and proper forward of the 2027 presidential vote, whereas the Trump administration denounced what it referred to as “terrorism” in France on Friday, prompting pushback from Paris.
“We reject any instrumentalization of this tragedy, which has plunged a French household into mourning, for political ends,” Barrot mentioned over the weekend. “We’ve no classes to study, notably on the problem of violence, from the worldwide reactionary motion.”
This was the second time Kushner didn’t present after being summoned. He was summoned in August final yr over his letter to French president Emmanuel Macron alleging the nation didn’t do sufficient to fight antisemitism. France’s overseas officers met with a consultant of the US ambassador for the reason that diplomat didn’t present up.
Public opinion of Trump continues to say no forward of State of the Union deal with, polls discover
Various polls launched forward of Donald Trump’s State of the Union deal with tomorrow illustrate that the president’s approval score continues to say no, with voters questioning his priorities and whether or not his insurance policies have made their lives and the nation higher.
New CNN polling means that Trump’s approval score amongst independents has plunged to a brand new low, whereas “simply 32% of Individuals now say that Trump has had the appropriate priorities, and 68% say he hasn’t paid sufficient consideration to the nation’s most necessary issues.” CNN stories: “That’s the president’s most destructive studying on that query up to now throughout both of his phrases in workplace. On the identical time, 61% of Individuals say that Trump’s insurance policies will transfer the nation within the incorrect course relatively than the appropriate one. And Trump’s job approval score amongst all adults stays mired at 36% … Amongst political independents, Trump’s approval score has dropped 15 factors over the previous yr to 26%, the bottom it’s been in both of his time period.”
Because the president prepares to defend his document in his SOTU speech, a ballot from Marist College revealed immediately discovered a majority – 57% – of Individuals assume the state of the union is “not very robust” or “not robust in any respect”, and 6 in 10 Individuals, together with 90% of Democrats and 68% of independents, mentioned the nation is worse off than it was a yr in the past.
Apparently, the biggest change occurred amongst Republicans and independents – with 43% of Republicans, up from 26%, and 75% of independents, up from 64%, saying they thought the system of checks and balances within the US is just not functioning successfully.
And over the weekend, Washington Submit / ABC / Ipsos polling put Trump at 39% approval and 60% disapproval. Meaning six in 10 Individuals “disapprove strongly” or “disapprove considerably” of the best way Trump is dealing with his presidency.
Trump, in the meantime, insisted immediately:
I had polls for the election that confirmed I used to be going to get swamped and I received in a landslide. They had been faux polls … I noticed one immediately, that I’m at 40%. I’m not at 40%. I’m at, a lot increased than that … The actual polls say you’d kill anyone [in an election], it wouldn’t even be shut.
Senate Democrats name for presidency to begin refunding $175bn in tariff cash
A trio of Senate Democrats is looking for the federal government to begin refunding roughly $175bn in tariff revenues that the supreme court docket dominated had been collected due to an unlawful set of orders by Donald Trump.
Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire are unveiling a invoice immediately that will require US Customs and Border Safety to subject refunds over the course of 180 days and pay curiosity on the refunded quantity.
The measure would prioritize refunds to small companies and encourages importers, wholesalers and enormous firms to move the refunds on to their clients.
“Trump’s unlawful tax scheme has already accomplished lasting injury to American households, small companies and producers who’ve been hammered by wave after wave of recent Trump tariffs,” mentioned Wyden, stressing that the “essential first step” to fixing the issue begins with “placing a refund within the pockets of small companies and producers as quickly as attainable”.
The invoice is unlikely to turn out to be regulation, but it surely reveals how Democrats are beginning to apply public stress on a Trump administration that has proven little curiosity in attempting to return tariff revenues after the supreme court docket introduced its 6-3 ruling on Friday.
The Trump administration has asserted that its palms are tied, as a result of any refunds ought to be the accountability of additional litigation in court docket.
Extra on this story right here:
Witkoff and Kushner to fulfill with Iranian officers in Geneva on Thursday as US continues to ramp up army presence in Center East
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with an Iranian delegation on Thursday in Geneva, a senior US official has confirmed to Reuters, amid an enormous US army buildup within the area as Donald Trump mulls launching airstrikes on Iran as quickly as this week.
Yesterday, Axios was first to report on the anticipated assembly to debate a promised detailed Iranian proposal for a nuclear deal. Citing US officers, the information company reported that the present diplomatic push is in all probability the final likelihood Trump will give Iran earlier than launching an enormous US-Israeli army operation geared toward forcing concessions from Tehran over its nuclear program, however that would additionally instantly goal supreme chief Ali Khamenei.
Witkoff and Kushner have each urged Trump to pursue diplomacy earlier than ordering strikes, however because the US continues to ramp up its presence within the area imminent army motion seems more and more seemingly. Trump final Thursday warned Tehran that he’s “going to get a deal a method or one other” and mentioned it might be clear “in all probability inside 10 days” whether or not they may attain one.
The Trump administration reportedly expects to obtain the Iranian proposal by tomorrow.
‘I really like America’: FBI director Patel defends beer-soaked locker room celebration with US Olympic ice hockey workforce
FBI director Kash Patel has defended his weekend beer-soaked locker room celebration with the victorious US males’s hockey workforce on the Winter Olympics in Milan, saying he had been in Italy on official enterprise and would pay his personal method for private actions.
“Sure, I really like America and was extraordinarily humbled when my buddies, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Group USA, invited me into the locker room to have a good time this historic second,” Patel wrote on X, after video footage confirmed him leaping up and down and chugging a beer within the locker room whereas the hockey workforce celebrated their 2-1 extra time victory over Canada on Sunday. (You possibly can watch the viral clip right here).
Democrats referred to as the journey a wasteful diversion. “The grift & corruption is unreal. Your taxpayer {dollars} funding the FBI Director’s Italian trip,” consultant Jason Crow of Colorado wrote on social media.
Consultant Sean Casten of Illinois mentioned on social media: “3 million pages of proof of an enormous little one intercourse trafficking ring and that is what the FBI director is doing proper now.”
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson instructed Reuters that Patel was in Italy on official enterprise and would reimburse the federal government for any private use of FBI assets.
On his official account, Patel posted photographs of himself assembly with overseas officers and US personnel who had been dealing with safety on the Olympics.
Patel has beforehand confronted criticism for allegedly utilizing the FBI jet for private journey. Democrats on the Home judiciary committee mentioned he had misused authorities assets through the use of the FBI’s Gulfstream G550 to journey to Scotland for a golf trip, fly to Pennsylvania to look at his girlfriend sing at a wrestling match, and fly to a searching ranch in Texas.
Former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public workplace
Peter Mandelson has been arrested by detectives investigating claims he dedicated misconduct in public workplace throughout his friendship with the convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Video footage confirmed him being pushed away from his residence in an unmarked automobile shortly after being escorted from his residence by officers.
Mandelson, 72, was fired from essentially the most prestigious posting in Britain’s diplomatic service in September, when the depth of his friendship with Epstein began to turn out to be clear.
London’s Metropolitan police have been investigating the alleged leaking by Mandelson of Downing Avenue emails and market-sensitive data to Epstein.
The previous UK ambassador to the US is known to imagine he has not dedicated any offence.
A police investigation into Mandelson was opened after the discharge of recordsdata by the US justice division associated to the late disgraced financier.
Emails between Mandelson and Epstein, launched by the DOJ in late January, confirmed the 2 males had a better relationship than had been publicly identified, and Mandelson had shared data with the financier when he was a minister in former prime minister Gordon Brown’s authorities in 2009.
Mandelson, who this month resigned from the Labour Celebration and stop his place within the UK parliament’s higher chamber, has beforehand mentioned he “very deeply” regretted his affiliation with Epstein. However he has not commented publicly or responded to messages searching for touch upon the newest revelations.
Extra on this creating story right here:
Democrats engaged on secret post-mortem discovered Gaza stance price Kamala Harris vital assist in 2024 election – report
Prime Democratic officers engaged on the get together’s still-secret post-mortem report of the 2024 presidential election loss to Donald Trump discovered that Kamala Harris misplaced vital assist due to the Biden administration’s strategy to Israel’s battle in Gaza, Axios has discovered.
Per Axios’s report, DNC aides compiling the post-mortem report held a closed-door assembly with activists from the pro-Palestinian group the IMEU Coverage Mission, the place they had been instructed that the Biden-Harris administration’s assist for Israel was an element within the get together’s losses as a result of it drained assist from some younger individuals and progressives.
Hamid Bendaas, a spokesperson for the IMEU Coverage Mission, instructed Axios that throughout the assembly “the DNC shared with us that their very own information additionally discovered that coverage was, of their phrases, a ‘net-negative’ within the 2024 election.” The group is now accusing the DNC of withholding its report partially due to its findings on Israel, a cost that DNC spokesperson Kendall Witmer denied to Axios.
The DNC mentioned final yr that it might not launch the evaluate of its election loss in 2024, as it might be a “distraction” from serving to the get together win going ahead.
Requested for remark, a Harris aide pointed Axios to the previous vice-president’s current feedback about Gaza on a tour cease for her memoir, 107 Days, the place she mentioned: “We should always have accomplished extra as an administration.” Harris added on the occasion that “we should always have spoken publicly about our criticism” of how Benjamin Netanyahu executed the battle.
In her guide, Harris mentioned that Biden’s unpopularity, which she argued was partly due to “his perceived clean examine” to Netanyahu, harmed her in 2024. She wrote that she privately “pleaded” with Biden to indicate extra empathy for civilians in Gaza. However throughout her marketing campaign, she declined to publicly break with him over Israel.
RootsAction, a progressive grassroots group, launched its post-mortem of the 2024 election in December, concluding that Harris targeted on courting reasonable Republicans over motivating core Democratic working-class, younger and progressive voters, a misstep compounded by her failure to interrupt from Biden on Gaza.
Harris’s refusal to sign any significant shift from the Biden administration’s deeply unpopular coverage on Israel and Gaza alienated Arab American, Muslim, younger and progressive voters, costing essential assist in swing states [like Michigan], my colleague David Smith wrote on the time.
Monday to this point
Right here’s what has occurred immediately to this point:
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Trump continued railing in opposition to the US supreme court docket’s ruling in opposition to his tariffs in a number of social media posts on Monday, threatening different nations and saying he may use different tariffs as an alternative in a “rather more highly effective and obnoxious method”.
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Whereas the excessive court docket mentioned Congress would want to approve tariffs, citing its position within the taxing energy, Trump mentioned in a publish on Monday: “As President, I wouldn’t have to return to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. It has already been gotten, in lots of varieties, a very long time in the past!”
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The US authorities has warned vacationers in western Mexico to shelter in place as journey has been largely suspended after the Mexican authorities killed drug lord “El Mencho,” which spurred retaliatory violence by the cartel.
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White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the US authorities aided within the operation in opposition to “El Mencho”, who was a part of the Jalisco New Era cartel.
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In a ruling on Monday, US federal choose Aileen Cannon completely prohibited the justice division from releasing a report put collectively by former particular counsel Jack Smith associated to categorised paperwork Trump stored at Mar-a-Lago.
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The Knight First Modification Institute at Columbia College, which had sought to get the ultimate report by Jack Smith launched, referred to as the ruling from Decide Aileen Cannon to completely bar its launch an affront to the primary modification.
Trump is ready to present his State of the Union deal with on Tuesday night. Foreshadowing the occasion, he mentioned on Monday that it might be a “lengthy” one.
After a White Home occasion, Trump mentioned he would spotlight his administration’s work on immigration and the financial system, in keeping with the Related Press.
“I’m making a speech tomorrow evening, and also you’ll be listening to me say that,” he mentioned. “I imply, it’s going to be a protracted speech as a result of we now have a lot to speak about.”