Latest News
Trump Threatens Jail for Journalists Who Revealed Airman Lost in Iran
Another dispute over Donald Trump’s antagonism with the media appears to be headed to court soon after the president said unnamed journalists will “go to jail” for publicly leaking information about the two-man crew of an F-15E fighter jet downed in Iran this month.
The two men were injured when their airplane was shot down by a shoulder-fired heat-seeking missile that detonated in their engine.
One of them was rescued within hours but the other was forced to hide in a mountain crevice for more than two days before the U.S. military found and extracted him in a daring aerial maneuver.
Before he was found, multiple news organizations reported that he was lost somewhere in the Iranian mountains.
The reports led Iran's government to offer a $60,000 reward for his capture and to launch an intense search for him by the Iranian military and civilians.
Democrats Want Trump Out of Presidency, Saying His Threats Imperil World Peace
Growing numbers of congressional Democrats are invoking constitutional authority to remove President Donald Trump from office amid his increasing reliance on military action to achieve his policy goals.
They cite what they describe as irrational rhetoric related to war with Iran, an attack in January on Venezuela and militarization of immigration policy. They say he is exceeding presidential powers by acting without approval by Congress.
Rather than a symbolic condemnation of his actions through impeachment, more than 70 lawmakers want Trump out of the presidency.
Their proposals are based on Article 25 of the U.S. Constitution, which authorizes removal of a president for incompetence. In Trump’s case, they are questioning his mental health.
An example they mention is Trump’s threat days ago to destroy a “whole civilization” in Iran.
Supreme Court Vacates Bannon Conviction, Signaling Shift in Jan. 6, 2021 Prosecutions
The Supreme Court last week vacated the criminal conviction of an adviser to President Donald Trump over his refusal to testify during the congressional investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
The Justice Department wants the contempt of Congress charges against Steve Bannon dismissed.
The Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court for a new ruling that will erase one of the highest-profile criminal convictions tied to the Jan. 6 investigation.
It also reflects a broader shift by the Justice Department under the Trump administration on prosecutions of the president's supporters.
Bannon was convicted in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress. A judge from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sentenced him to four months in prison.
Legal Briefs
Three Psychiatric Workers Indicted After Death of Patient in D.C.
Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., last week indicted three former employees of the Psychiatric Institute of Washington on charges of criminal negligence in connection with the death of a patient who authorities say was left without lifesaving care for more than 20 minutes.
The indictment, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, alleges the workers failed to properly respond to a medical emergency involving a 58-year-old patient who stopped breathing while in the hospital’s care. The patient died in April 2020.
Those charged are Nelson Kuma, 37, Richard Hounnou, 45, and Norma Munoz-Bent, 68, all residents of Maryland. According to the indictment, Kuma and Hounnou worked as psychiatric counselors at the facility, while Munoz-Bent was a registered nurse.
Prosecutors allege the three employees delayed care at least 21 minutes after the patient began convulsing and appeared to stop breathing. The delay violated fundamental medical standards, according to the charges.
“This trio did nothing to help this patient,” Pirro said during a news conference announcing the case. “This man didn’t have a chance there. He was left to die.”
The patient was admitted to the psychiatric hospital on April 13, 2020, and died 13 days later. Although the indictment refers to him only by his initials, a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by a relative identifies him as Gary Wilson, a man who reportedly had a pre-existing heart condition.
According to allegations in the lawsuit, the patient had been under doctor’s orders requiring constant supervision but instead was left unattended.
The hospital is a 130-bed private psychiatric facility that provides behavioral health treatment for children, adolescents and adults. It is operated by a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, a Pennsylvania-based hospital company that owns and manages medical facilities across the United States.
D.C. in Brief
Maryland Reaches Tentative Settlement Over Key Bridge Collision and Collapse
The State of Maryland reached a "settlement in principle" last week with the owner and operator of the massive cargo ship that struck and toppled the Francis Scott Key Bridge two years ago in Baltimore.
It was one of the nation's most catastrophic maritime disasters.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said that Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., which owns and manages the M/V Dali, agreed to resolve a significant portion of the state’s claims.
The March 26, 2024, disaster claimed the lives of six construction workers and paralyzed the Port of Baltimore for months. The state’s lawsuit alleged the disaster resulted from negligence and the "reckless operation" of an unseaworthy vessel.
"For two years, Maryland workers, families, and communities have carried the weight of a disaster that should never have happened," Brown said in a statement. "Our work is not finished, but this settlement is an important step toward accountability."
The state’s announcement follows a separate $350 million settlement reached this month between the ship’s owners and ACE American Insurance Company, the bridge’s primary insurer.
ACE American Insurance is now legally authorized to recover its payout from any parties found negligent in the collision, which most likely means the ship’s owners.
Maryland officials estimate the price tag for a replacement bridge has soared to between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with a projected completion date of 2030. The federal government is offering to help pay for much of the reconstruction.
U.S. District Judge James Bredar has told the remaining parties, such as the City of Baltimore and the families of the victims, to be prepared for a high-stakes bench trial scheduled to begin June 1. The trial will address the shipowners’ ongoing attempt to use an 1851 maritime law to cap their total liability at roughly $44 million.
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