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Federal appeals courts in New Orleans and Chicago have announced new plans to curb public operations in January as COVID-19 infections surge across the country, marking the latest moves in the federal judiciary to minimize exposure threats.

The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a statement on Tuesday the court will hear arguments by telephone or video through the end of January. The appeals court also said on-site staffing would be minimized through Jan. 31.

In New Orleans, the 5th Circuit on Wednesday said its courthouse will close to the public beginning on Jan. 3 “due to resurgence of COVID in the New Orleans area.”

The court said oral arguments will continue in person or by video, as directed by panels. The court has not made a decision regarding proceedings later in January, including a scheduled en banc session on Jan. 19.

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 The United States announced criminal charges on Thursday against two Iranians it accuses of launching a cyber disinformation campaign to meddle in the 2020 U.S. presidential election that targeted voters as well as elected members of Congress and a U.S. media company.

The U.S. Treasury also announced it was imposing sanctions on six Iranians and one Iranian group for trying to influence the 2020 U.S. election.

Continue reading “U.S. charges Iranians for alleged cyber plot to meddle in 2020 presidential election”

 The judge in the Wisconsin murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse banned MSNBC from the courthouse after a freelancer for the media network was detained by police close to a bus carrying the jury, while the jurors on Thursday deliberated for the third day.

Rittenhouse, 18, is charged with killing Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and attempted homicide in the wounding of Gaige Grosskreutz, 28, during a chaotic night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 25, 2020.

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Republican governors began filing lawsuits on Friday to stop the Biden administration’s requirement that nearly 2 million U.S. employers get workers tested or vaccinated for COVID-19, saying it trampled civil liberties.

After President Joe Biden, a Democrat, said on Thursday he will enforce the mandate starting Jan. 4, the states of Florida, Georgia and Alabama jointly sued in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.

“The federal government can’t just unilaterally impose medical policy under the guise of workplace regulation,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a press conference on Thursday.

Continue reading “Republican governors lead attack on Biden vaccine mandate”

Two California men have been indicted on charges they conspired to attack the Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento, the state’s capital city, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday.

According to the unsealed indictment, Ian Benjamin Rogers, 45, of Napa and Jarrod Copeland, 37, of Vallejo started plotting to attack Democratic targets after the 2020 presidential election. They also tried to get support from an anti-government group to further the cause.

The indictment does not name the militia group they contacted, but prosecutors in a different court filing said Copeland emailed the far-right group Proud Boys, trying to “recruit others to join the plot,” and also was a member of a militia group affiliated with the Three Percenters.

Continue reading “U.S. charges 2 men for plotting to blow up Democratic headquarters in California”