Diddy trial latest: Jurors reach partial verdict but will return to decide on final count
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The Independent
10 minutes ago
- The Independent
University of Virginia president resigned after ‘pressure campaign' from Trump admin to remove him from post
The president of the University of Virginia has resigned after facing pressure from the Justice Department over his institution's alleged failure to DEI values, according to reports. James Ryan submitted his resignation on Friday and posted an open letter on social media explaining the decision, saying he had made it 'with a very heavy heart' and that, while he is 'inclined to fight for what I believe in,' he could not 'make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job.' His departure from the school he has served since 2018 will be effective 'no later than August 15,' The New York Times has since reported. The NYT first reported that the administration was trying to force Ryan out of his role on Thursday, a saga that began earlier this year when members of the UVA board alleged that it was not in compliance with Trump's January executive order banning organizations that receive federal funding from engaging in DEI hiring practices. The UVA's Board of Visitors voted unanimously to shut down its DEI offices in March but Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department's civil rights division, went on to write to Ryan on April 28 notifying him about the complaints regarding his leadership. That was followed by another letter on June 17 that warned the administrator: 'Time is running short, and the department's patience is wearing thin.' Ryan's resignation letter last week made clear that he felt he faced an ultimatum: step down or cost the university millions of dollars in vital support. 'While there are very important principles at play here, I would at a very practical level be fighting to keep my job for one more year while knowingly and willingly sacrificing others in this community,' he wrote. Dhillon, who happens to be an alumna of the UVA School of Law, responded to his ousting by saying: 'The United States Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal discrimination in publicly-funded universities. We have made this clear in many ways to the nation's most prominent institutions of higher education, including the University of Virginia. 'When university leaders lack commitment to ending illegal discrimination in hiring, admissions, and student benefits – they expose the institutions they lead to legal and financial peril. We welcome leadership changes in higher education that signal institutional commitment to our nation's venerable federal civil rights laws.' A spokesperson for the university said: 'UVA is committed to complying with all federal laws and has been cooperating with the Department of Justice in the ongoing inquiries. The federal government's support of the university is essential to continue the core mission of research, education and clinical care.' Two of the state's Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, have since leapt to Ryan's defense, declaring in a joint statement: 'It is outrageous that officials in the Trump Department of Justice demanded the Commonwealth's globally recognized university remove President Ryan – a strong leader who has served UVA honorably and moved the university forward – over ridiculous 'culture war' traps. 'Decisions about UVA's leadership belong solely to its Board of Visitors, in keeping with Virginia's well-established and respected system of higher education governance. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia's future.' Warner also spoke up for Ryan on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday morning, telling anchor Margaret Brennan: 'This is the most outrageous action, I think, this crowd has taken on education. 'Jim Ryan had done a very good job; just completed a major capital campaign. For him to be threatened, and, literally, there was indication that they received the letter that if he didn't resign on a day last week, by five o'clock, all these cuts would take place.' The Trump administration has shown an appetite for taking on America's elite Ivy League universities as centers of entitlement and liberal values, attacking both Harvard and Columbia in a very public manner, although its battle with UVA was conducted much more discreetly, a process enabled by internal conservative opposition to Ryan's tenure. Several members of UVA's board were appointed by the state's Republican governor Glenn Youngkin while the institution also has an outspoken right-leaning alumni organization known as the Jefferson Council, whose co-founder, Jim Bacon, has accused Ryan of 'indoctrinating' students by championing social justice and diversity. Ross Mugler, acting CEO and board chair of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, warned: 'The situation at the University of Virginia represents a serious escalation in the political pressure campaign against higher education – and a clear signal that this fight is not confined to elite private institutions like Harvard or Columbia. 'What we're seeing is a widening effort to reshape governance, leadership and institutional autonomy across the entire sector – including public universities that serve as civic anchors and engines of opportunity in their states.'
Daily Mirror
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Diddy kids share blunt response to verdict after supporting through grim trial
Diddy's family have spoken out after he was cleared of the most serious charges. When asked how his dad was, Diddy's son, Christian, known professionally as King Combs, responded: "Great," while his daughters added: "Good, happy." The hip hop mogul had been found not guilty of racketeering and of sex trafficking former girlfriend Cassie Ventura and another woman referred to as 'Jane.' As the verdict, decided by eight men and four women, acquitted him of the most serious counts, he dropped to the floor. But he was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, relating to Ventura and Jane. During the two-month trial, the court heard how Diddy flew people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act. However, he was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, relating to allegations that he forced his former girlfriends into drug-fuelled sex encounters, which had been known as 'freak offs.' Shortly before the verdicts were delivered following days of deliberation, Diddy asked the courtroom to pray for his family, and this was received with applause. When the news was delivered, he fell to his knees, with his head down in his chair, appearing to pray after avoiding the strongest sentence – life in prison for the highest charge. Diddy's family, who had supported him throughout the case, clapped and cheered. His defence lawyers hugged one another, and Diddy then stopped and embraced his lawyer, Brian Steel. The mixed result came on day three of deliberations. Throughout the ongoing trial, Diddy had pleaded not guilty to all allegations made against him. Diddy appeared overwhelmed as the court adjourned for at le This is a breaking showbiz news story. Join The Mirror's WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage.
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Gateway megachurch announces it is cutting services as it continues to face blowback from Robert Morris sex-abuse allegations
A Texas megachurch that has been losing members and facing mass layoffs amid allegations that its pastor sexually abused a young girl for years, announced it would be cutting services. Gateway Church, which once regularly drew over 100,000 worshippers, says it will be cutting Saturday services at nearly all of its locations, excluding its main Southlake campus. "As we continue to strengthen our relationship with the Gateway Church family and community, we're making a shift at several of our DFW campuses by hosting our church services on Sundays only," a church spokesperson told WFAA. "This adjustment will allow us to minister to and love our congregation well while prioritizing the needs of our individual campus communities. Throughout all our locations, our commitment to loving God and loving people remains unchanged." The church, one of the largest American megachurches, has previously acknowledged decreased attendance and financial issues, which it said last month would soon amount to mass layoffs of staff. The church did not specify how many people would lose their jobs. Turmoil at the church comes after a grand jury indicted its pastor, Robert Morris, in March on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. Morris, who founded Gateway Church 25 years ago, is currently out on bond while awaiting trial. The pastor has pleaded not guilty but stepped down from his role at the church in June 2024. Morris' alleged abuse began in 1982 when his accuser, Cindy Clemishire, was 12 years old and Morris was a traveling evangelist staying with her family in Hominy, Oklahoma. Clemishire alleges that the abuse spanned years. She filed a lawsuit last month against Morris, seeking at least $1 million for slander, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress in the years following his abuse. Morris has acknowledged he had been 'sexually immoral' when he was younger, but in the past year has continued to claim his alleged abuse of Clemishire was an 'extramarital affair.' The former pastor, who served on President Donald Trump's spiritual advisory board in 2016 during his first presidential campaign, has filed a lawsuit against Gateway for over $1 million in deferred compensation and intellectual rights to his books, sermons and social media.
