US Domestic News Round: Dispute over Ross, Immigration violations, Sanctuary city case, Kavanaugh sworn

Senate confirmed him to the court and Republicans dismissed accusations of sexual misconduct against the conservative judge.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 07-10-2018 05:59 IST | Created: 07-10-2018 05:23 IST
US Domestic News Round: Dispute over Ross, Immigration violations, Sanctuary city case, Kavanaugh sworn
Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as U.S. Supreme Court justice on Saturday, the court said, after a deeply divided U.S. (Image Credit: Twitter)
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Supreme Court sidesteps dispute over Ross questioning in census suit

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined to halt an order compelling Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to answer questions by lawyers for a group of states suing over a Trump administration decision to ask respondents to the 2020 census whether they are citizens. In a one-sentence order, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg denied the Trump administration's request to stay a lower court's ruling that allowed for the deposition of Ross and another administration official while a federal appeals court in New York reviews the dispute.

Banks back Democrats in bid to rebuild bipartisan support

Banks are going to bat for Democrats in the U.S. November midterm congressional elections as part of an ambitious strategy to rebuild the bipartisan support they enjoyed before the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Commercial banks have so far donated a total of $2.5 million to U.S. Senate Democrats in the 2018 election cycle, the largest sum since 2008, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Immigration violations, possible sex trafficking found at Nevada brothels

An investigation of three legal Nevada brothels owned by a reality TV star and candidate for the state legislature found immigration violations and indications of possible human trafficking, the county sheriff said. An inspection this week of the Bunny Ranch, Kit Kat Ranch and Love Ranch, all owned by Dennis Hof, capped a four-month probe by the Lyon County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Sheriff Al McNeil said in a statement.

Court rules for California over Trump in sanctuary city case

A U.S. judge on Friday blocked the Trump Administration from placing conditions on public safety grants to further its crackdown on illegal immigration, and he ordered the grant money to be released to California "sanctuary cities." However, while Judge William Orrick in San Francisco found that the conditions placed last year on public safety grants by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions were unconstitutional, he stayed a nationwide injunction pending appeal.

Melania Trump praises Kavanaugh, laments attention on her clothes

Melania Trump concluded her trip to Africa on Saturday by voicing support for her husband's controversial Supreme Court pick and urging people to pay less attention to what she wears. The U.S. first lady said the message of her tour to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt was to show the world that "we care."

Brett Kavanaugh sworn in as U.S. Supreme Court justice

Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as U.S. Supreme Court justice on Saturday, the court said, after a deeply divided U.S. Senate confirmed him to the court and Republicans dismissed accusations of sexual misconduct against the conservative judge.

Chicago police officer guilty of murder in 2014 shooting of black teen

White Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder on Friday for the 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald, touching off celebratory street demonstrations in a case that had laid bare tensions between the black community and police. Van Dyke, 40, was also convicted of 16 counts of aggravated battery, one count for each of the shots fired. McDonald, 17, was killed while armed with a knife as he walked down the centre of a street in the third-largest U.S. city.

Utah man charged with ricin mail threat against Trump, Mattis

A U.S. Navy veteran from Utah was charged on Friday with threatening President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary James Mattis, the FBI director and an admiral by mailing them letters containing castor beans, from which the deadly poison ricin is derived. The criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, charged William Clyde Allen III with one count of threatening to use a biological toxin as a weapon and four counts of mailing threatening communications.

Storm Michael could soon form, hit U.S. midweek

A tropical storm is likely to develop in the northwestern Caribbean in coming days and could bring storm surge and heavy rainfall to the U.S. Gulf Coast by midweek, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday. It is still too early to say how strong the storm could be, but the system is set to bring heavy rain and flash flooding to areas of Central America, western Cuba and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula in coming days, the centre said in a tweet.

Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court: sparks or harmony?

When Clarence Thomas took a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991, he had only barely survived a series of bitter Senate hearings on allegations of sexual harassment that divided the country. But he said he was quickly welcomed by his eight fellow justices.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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