TV News LIES

A federal judge has prohibited the justice department from searching electronic devices it seized from a Washington Post reporter, ruling that the court will search the devices for documents related to a national security investigation itself.

In his ruling, magistrate judge William Porter criticized the Trump administration for omitting relevant case law in its application for a search warrant to seize the devices in the first place, but acknowledged “the possibility that classified national security information may be among the seized material” complicated the matter.

On 14 January, the FBI raided the home of Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials. A self described “federal government whisperer”, Natanson has also reported on federal employees who were laid off by the Trump administration during Elon Musk’s Doge cuts – developing nearly 1,200 confidential sources from across 120 government agencies.

More...

A federal judge appointed by President Trump held the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in civil contempt for violating the court’s order when they transported a detainee to a Texas facility in January.

A federal judge appointed by President Trump held the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in civil contempt for violating the court’s order when they transported a detainee to a Texas facility in January.

In a Monday ruling, Minnesota District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud required the federal government to compensate the detainee, identified only as “Fernando T.,” for his return flight to Minnesota.

Tostrud noted that Fernando, a Mexican citizen, was released from the Texas detainment facility in late January without his belongings and said federal officials “have not explained why they withheld Fernando’s belongings when they released him.”

More...

Pennsylvania Democrats are projected to win two special elections for state House, keeping their majority intact, according to Decision Desk HQ. 

Democrats Ana Tiburcio and Jennifer Mazzocco won their Tuesday elections to represent  Pennsylvania House Districts 22 in Lehigh County and 42 in Allegheny County, respectively.

The seats were vacated after former state Rep. Josh Siegel (D) was elected as Lehigh County executive and  ex-state Rep. Dan Miller (D) won a spot on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. 

Democrats were expected to keep both blue-leaning seats. But the party risked a tied 100-100 state House if they were to have come up short, which would have complicated Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) ability to pass his legislative priorities in the Keystone State.

More...

Last month, Colleen Fagan was observing an immigration enforcement operation at an apartment complex in Portland, Maine, when federal agents scanned her face with a smartphone and appeared to record her car license plate number.

In a social media video she recorded, Fagan can be heard asking why the agent was taking her information. What the agent said next made the video go viral.

"Cause we have a nice little database," the masked agent said. "And now you're considered a domestic terrorist."

Fagan, who is a social worker, has now joined a federal class action lawsuit that argues the Department of Homeland Security and a number of its sub-agencies are violating the First Amendment and are taking actions "designed to chill, suppress, and control speech that they do not like."

"A federal agent called me a domestic terrorist just because I recorded agents operating in public in my community. But I have a right to do that, and so do others," Fagan said in a statement. "I want people to know how important it is to use our First Amendment rights to observe and document what is happening. Peaceful dissent is not a crime."

Though Fagan's video went viral, her full name had not been widely publicized until this lawsuit.

More,,,

New Utah voting districts that give Democrats an improved shot at winning a US House seat can be used in this year’s election, a federal court ruled Monday while turning aside a Republican request to block the new map.

The ruling marked the second setback in recent days for Republicans, who also lost an appeal at Utah’s state supreme court.

A Utah judge imposed the new districts last November after striking down the congressional districts that the Republican-led legislature had adopted after the 2020 census. The judge ruled that the legislature had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters.

The ruling thrust Utah into a national redistricting battle being waged among states ahead of the midterm elections. Donald Trump has pressed Republican-led states such as Texas, Missouri and North Carolina to redraw their districts to give the GOP an advantage in the November elections, prompting Democratic-led states such as California and Virginia to respond with their own redistricting plans.

More...

The gold medal-winning U.S. women’s hockey team turned down Donald Trump’s invitation to his State of the Union address following his controversial comments about inviting them to the nation’s capital along with the men’s team.

A spokesperson for USA Hockey, which oversees both teams, told NBC News that the White House invited the American women to attend the president’s address but cited “timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments” as reasons for the players declining the offer.

“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement...They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment,” the spokesperson said.

The news arrives after the U.S. men’s team took home gold by defeating rival Canada by a score of 2-1 in overtime at the Winter Olympics, the exact same result that the American women achieved in their final just days prior.

More...