A US federal judge this week ruled in favour of a prominent Palestinian-American academic and activist in a decision that deemed the search and seizure of his phones by customs officers to be illegal.
Osama Abu Irshaid, the executive director of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), had his phones taken from him and searched at Washington Dulles International Airport on two occasions in 2024, upon his return from trips to the Middle East.
On Wednesday, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia determined that Abu Irshaid was indeed entitled to his Fourth Amendment claim, because "the evidence marshaled by Defendants... does not rise to the level of reasonable suspicion" of ongoing criminal activity, the decision read.
The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and requires that warrants be issued by a judge based on probable cause.
"Not only is this a victory for Dr Abu Irshaid, but a victory for the pro-Palestine movement overall. For decades, allies who support Palestinian human rights have been systematically targeted by the US government for daring to speak out against Apartheid Israel," AMP said in a statement following the ruling.
US judge rules in favour of Palestinian-American activist after phone seizure
Tusk Welcomes Zelensky’s 5-Point Plan as Poland-Ukraine Tensions Ease
“We are ready for a serious and friendly dialogue on the issues that unite us and those that divide us today,” Tusk wrote on X.
Tusk’s response followed a high-level meeting chaired by Zelensky on Friday devoted to bilateral relations. The president emphasized that “all of us in Europe need good-neighborly, equal, and mutually beneficial relations built on respect,” while expressing gratitude for Poland’s extensive military, political and logistical support since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Zelensky also stressed that defending Ukraine’s independence directly contributes to Poland’s security.
Off-duty employee at Colorado ICE facility arrested for shooting protester
An employee of a company that runs an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Colorado is under arrest after shooting and injuring a woman on Thursday evening. The incident happened after the woman participated in a protest in front of the facility earlier that day, according to the Aurora police department.
When officers arrived on the scene, they said they found the woman with a gunshot wound in her lower body. She had a friend with her, who was unharmed.
Police said they stopped a man in his vehicle not far from the scene. They seized his car and gun and identified him as Brandon Booth, 42, an employee for Geo Group.
“We are aware that an off-duty Aurora ICE Processing Center employee was involved in a shooting incident,” a spokesperson for Geo Group said in an email. “This individual has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, and we will fully cooperate with law enforcement.”
Memphis rallies for progressive Democrat after four fatal shootings by taskforce: ‘Fight of our lives’
More than a thousand people rallied for Justin Pearson, a Democratic state representative running for Congress, in the wake of four fatal shootings by members of the Memphis Safe Task Force over the last two months.
Crowds packed New Direction Christian Church in the city’s Hickory Hill neighborhood in support of Pearson, who is running in the now-fractured ninth congressional district’s Democratic primary.
“Today we are in the fight of our lives to make this district, our state, and this nation better for ourselves and for those who will come after us,” Pearson said.
“If God be for us, it doesn’t matter if every white supremacist in the Tennessee General Assembly is against us, and that nothing can separate us from the love of God that’s found in Christ Jesus. No matter what they call us, no matter where they redline us, no matter how they try and lynch us, no matter what. Grandmama said, “‘If God be for us, it doesn’t matter who or what is against.’”
U.S. To Tighten Visa Regulations For Foreign Students, Journalists
The Trump administration moved on Thursday to tighten the duration of visas for foreign students, cultural exchange visitors and journalists.
The new final rule from the Department of Homeland Security creates a fixed time period for F visas for international students, J visas that allow visitors on cultural exchange programs to work in the U.S., and I visas for members of the media. Those visas are currently available for the duration of the program or employment in the U.S.
Under the new regulations, the student and exchange visa periods would be no longer than four years. The visa for journalists — which currently can last years — would be up to 240 days or, in the case of Chinese nationals, 90 days.
The effective date is 60 days from publication in the federal register, subject to congressional review. President Donald Trump, a Republican, kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office in January 2025. His administration has increased scrutiny of legal immigration, revoking student visas and green cards of university students over their ideological views and stripping legal status from hundreds of thousands of migrants.
Federal judge bars Trump administration from using obscure clause to make huge funding cuts
A federal judge in Boston on Friday ruled the Trump administration can't use an obscure clause relating to agency priorities to make billions of dollars in funding cuts.
Twenty-three states had a filed a lawsuit last year accusing the administration of using the clause to make cuts to everything from crime prevention to food security to scientific research. They were concerned that it would be used to cancel current and future grants.
U.S. District granted a summary judgment preventing the administration from relying on the clause to make cuts and denied a motion by the government to dismiss the case.
"Defendants' interpretation of the Termination Clause is not clearly supported by the text of the provision, runs counter to the regulatory scheme, receives no support in the rulemaking history, and would violate the Spending Clause's requirement that conditions be imposed unambiguously," Talwani, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, wrote.
Appeals court says NJ’s AR-15, high-capacity magazine bans violate Second Amendment
A federal appeals court invalidated New Jersey’s ban on “assault” firearms and high-capacity magazines in a 10-5 vote on Friday, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment.
The decision by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hands gun rights advocates one of their biggest legal victories yet on the issue as the Supreme Court gears up to provide a nationwide resolution next term in a separate case.
“The text of the Second Amendment covers all magazines, not just magazines that New Jersey considers ‘standard capacity,’” U.S. Circuit Judge Arianna Freeman wrote for the majority.
New Jersey originally enacted the restrictions in 1990. It effectively bans magazines exceeding 10 rounds and weapons deemed an “assault firearm,” a definition that covers AR-15s and similar models.
It’s the latest gun restriction to fall in the wake of the Supreme Court’s expansion of Second Amendment rights. A test laid out by the high court’s 6-3 conservative majority requires states to point to historical analogues to justify their gun control measures.
Sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard: broken water pipe floods LA-area hotspot
A century-old water pipe buried below a bustling boulevard in a Los Angeles county city burst early Thursday, sending a shock of water spewing into the streets and snarling traffic as several major roads shut down.
The 36in riveted steel pipe’s rupture left a protruding sinkhole and cracked pavement in West Hollywood. Images of the aftermath showed local metro buses partially submerged in murky brown water.
No injuries had been reported, according to John Heilman, the city’s mayor. “All of our residents to our knowledge are safe,” he said during a Thursday press conference, adding that there was no immediate need for evacuations.
“We know these road closures and traffic impacts are disruptive, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as crews work to stabilize the area, assess the damage, and begin repairs,” Heilman also said in a statement.
Trump wants ABC and NBC licenses revoked. Can that happen?
President Donald Trump called for ABC and NBC’s licenses to be revoked over not airing his July 16 primetime address focused on election security.
Toward the end of his nearly 26-minute long address from the White House, Trump criticized the networks for not broadcasting it live, alleging that the decision was made “because of the fact that they don’t like the topic.”
“Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses,” he said. “They use our public, multi-billion dollar in value, airways for absolutely no money. They pay nothing. All we want is honesty in our elections and honesty in reporting.”
The networks did air his speech on their respective streaming platforms and provide coverage of his statements afterward.
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