Biden administration aims to Trump-proof the federal workforce
When President Joe Biden took office, he swiftly canceled an executive order his predecessor Donald Trump had issued that could have enabled Trump to fire tens of thousands of federal workers and replace them with loyalists. But Democrats never succeeded in enacting legislation to strengthen protections for the civil service system. Now, with Trump seemingly poised to win the GOP nomination again, the Biden administration is instead trying to effectively Trump-proof the civil service with a new regulation. On Friday, the White House proposed a new rule that would make it more onerous to reinstate Trump’s old executive order if Trump or a like-minded Republican wins the 2024 election.
Jury acquits 3 men accused of aiding plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor
Jurors in northern Michigan acquitted three men Friday who were accused of providing support to a plot to kidnap the state’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer. The verdict was likely to be the final chapter in the domestic terrorism case. Three previous trials related to the plot yielded five convictions and two acquittals. Four other defendants pleaded guilty. Prosecutors said the three men — Michael Null and William Null, who are twin brothers, and Eric Molitor — each went on a scouting mission to the vacation home and helped advance the plot. Unlike some of the men who have been convicted in federal court, they were not accused of orchestrating the kidnapping plot.
Texas senators begin to deliberate Paxton impeachment
Deliberations began Friday in the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, as the jury of state senators weighed allegations of bribery and abuse of office based on complaints made against him by his most senior former aides. A two-thirds vote to convict on any of the 16 articles of impeachment considered during the trial would immediately remove Paxton from office. A subsequent vote would then take place to determine whether to permanently ban him from holding future office. Paxton has been suspended as attorney general since May, when the Republican-controlled Texas House voted to impeach him in a 121-23 vote.
Witness testimony casts doubt on some Biden impeachment allegations
As Republicans plunge forward with an impeachment inquiry looking into a complex web of allegations against President Joe Biden, his family and his administration, witnesses they have summoned for interviews have undercut or pushed back against some of their major claims. In testimony this month, three witnesses from the FBI and the IRS have contradicted key assertions made by a whistleblower who claimed there was political interference in the Justice Department’s tax case against Biden’s son, Hunter, according to transcripts obtained by The New York Times. And a bookkeeper for the Biden family told investigators in an informal interview that he was not aware of any financial wrongdoing by the president.
Special counsel obtained 32 private messages from Trump’s Twitter account
The federal prosecutors who charged former President Donald Trump with a criminal conspiracy over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election obtained 32 private messages from his Twitter account through a search warrant this past winter as part of their investigation, court papers unsealed Friday said. Trump’s posts on the platform in the chaotic months after the election were mentioned several times in the indictment that special counsel Jack Smith filed against him in Washington last month. What remains unclear is whether Smith’s team sought the warrant for Trump’s account merely to confirm that he had posted the messages or whether they suspected that some private data in the account might also be important.
UAW starts strike small, but repercussions could prove far-reaching
Autoworkers walked off the job Friday at three factories that produce some of Detroit carmakers’ most popular vehicles, the opening salvos in what could become a protracted strike that hurts the U.S. economy and has an impact on the 2024 presidential election. Nearly 13,000 members of the United Auto Workers at plants in Ohio, Michigan and Missouri joined in what the union described as a targeted strike that could expand to more plants if its demands for pay raises of up to 40% and other gains were not met. The union’s four-year contracts with three automakers — General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis — expired Thursday.
TikTok fined $370 million for mishandling child data
TikTok was fined roughly $370 million Friday by European Union regulators for having weak safeguards to protect the personal information of children using the platform, a sign of increased scrutiny facing the social media service. TikTok’s default setting did not adequately protect children’s privacy, nor was the company transparent in explaining what it was doing with the data of users age 17 and younger, according to Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, which issued the penalty on behalf of the EU. The fine of 345 million euros (more than $368 million) is the first one issued against TikTok by the 27 nation bloc for violating data protection laws.
Access to Derna Is limited as Libyan authorities struggle in flood’s aftermath
Libyan authorities curbed access to much of the northeastern city of Derna on Friday, as health officials and relief crews struggled to handle thousands of victims of the floods that devastated the region. Only emergency medical workers will be allowed to enter the city, after streams of people arrived with no direction or coordination, hampering search-and-rescue efforts, an ambulance center spokesperson said. Libyans desperately seeking loved ones missing or killed, and volunteers eager to help are among those making their way to Derna. The catastrophe has prompted vows international support, including from the United States and several European countries.
China has Paused its spy balloon operations, U.S. officials say
U.S. officials said Friday that China had paused its spy balloon operations after one of the craft floated across much of the United States this year and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina. Officials said they did not know how long the pause would last, but that given the investments the Chinese government had made in the balloon program, Beijing was likely to restart it. The balloon that crossed the United States was part of a program to collect information about military bases and operations in the Pacific, U.S. officials believe. Since its downing in February, the United States has detected no additional balloon launches.
China’s defense minister is under investigation, U.S. officials say
China’s defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, has been placed under investigation, according to two U.S. officials, fueling speculation about further upheaval in the military after the abrupt removal of two top commanders in charge of the country’s nuclear force. Li has not been seen in public in more than two weeks. Asked by reporters Friday about Li’s whereabouts, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said she had no information. The investigation points to questions about Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s confidence in his own military, a pillar of his ambitions abroad and dominance at home.
By wire sources
