Latest news with #U.S.CourtofAppeals
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
'Hands are tied': Trump DOJ loses bid to unseal Epstein grand jury testimony
A federal judge rejected the Justice Department's bid to unseal grand jury testimony tied to Florida-based investigations of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A federal judge in Florida rejected a bid from President Donald Trump's Justice Department on July 23 to unseal grand jury testimony tied to a two-decades-old investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Department asked the federal court in the Southern District of Florida to release transcripts from grand jury investigations that took place in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2005 and 2007. However, Judge Robin L. Rosenberg ruled that she doesn't have the power to order the records' release. She said she is bound by a past ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which governs Florida federal courts and only allows for releasing grand jury records in narrow circumstances. "(T)he Court's hands are tied," Rosenberg wrote in the order. The ruling does not apply to separate requests from the Justice Department for the Manhattan federal court to unseal grand jury testimony for federal criminal cases filed in that court against Epstein and his associate, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. This is a developing story that will be updated.
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Appeals court won't reinstate Associated Press access to presidential events
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday denied an appeal by the Associated Press for a hearing on its efforts to restore full access to cover presidential events, not ending its case but allowing the White House to continue its control over access to President Donald Trump. The news outlet wanted the court to overturn a three-judge panel's June 6 ruling not to let AP back into the events until merits of the news organization's lawsuit against Trump was decided. But the court on Tuesday declined to hear that appeal. It all stems from Trump's decision in February to keep AP journalists out of the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events too small for a full press corps, in retaliation for the news outlet's decision not to follow his lead in changing the Gulf of Mexico's name. The AP sued in response. In April, a district court ruled that the administration could not exclude journalists based on their opinions. The Trump administration immediately turned to the U.S. Court of Appeals to successfully delay implementation of the ruling before the court could consider the full merits of the case. Next up: This fall, the appeals court considers those full merits. 'We are disappointed by today's procedural decision but remain focused on the strong district court opinion in support of free speech as we have our case heard,' said Patrick Maks, an AP spokesman. 'As we've said throughout, the press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation.' The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. Since the start of the case, the White House has instituted new rules for access to the limited-space events. AP photographers have been regularly permitted back, but its reporters only occasionally. On Monday, the White House said it would not allow a reporter from The Wall Street Journal onto Air Force One to cover Trump's weekend trip to Scotland because of the outlet's 'fake and defamatory conduct' in a story about the president and late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Bauder writes for the Associated Press.
16 hours ago
- Politics
Appeals court won't reinstate AP access to presidential events
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday denied an appeal by The Associated Press for a hearing on its efforts to restore full access to cover presidential events, not ending its case but allowing the White House to continue its control over access to President Donald Trump. The news outlet wanted the court to overturn a three-judge panel's June 6 ruling not to let AP back into the events until merits of the news organization's lawsuit against Trump was decided. But the court on Tuesday declined to hear that appeal. It all stems from Trump's decision in February to keep AP journalists out of the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events too small for a full press corps, in retaliation for the news outlet's decision not to follow his lead in changing the Gulf of Mexico's name. The AP sued in response. In April, a district court ruled that the administration could not exclude journalists based on their opinions. The Trump administration immediately turned to the U.S. Court of Appeals to successfully delay implementation of the ruling before the court could consider the full merits of the case. Next up: This fall, the appeals court considers those full merits. 'We are disappointed by today's procedural decision but remain focused on the strong district court opinion in support of free speech as we have our case heard,' said Patrick Maks, an AP spokesman. 'As we've said throughout, the press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation.' The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. Since the start of the case, the White House has instituted new rules for access to the limited-space events. AP photographers have been regularly permitted back, but its reporters only occasionally. On Monday, the White House said it would not allow a reporter from The Wall Street Journal onto Air Force One to cover Trump's weekend trip to Scotland because of the outlet's 'fake and defamatory conduct' in a story about the president and late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
USA Today
20 hours ago
- USA Today
Hershey, Nestle, Mars escape liability in child slavery case, court rules
A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected a proposed class action by eight Malian citizens who sought to hold Hershey HSY.N, Nestle NESN.S and five other companies liable for child labor on Ivory Coast cocoa farms. In a 3-0 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found no causal connection between the plaintiffs' forced labor and the defendants' alleged venture to obtain "cheap cocoa harvested by enslaved children." The plaintiffs said they were required to live in squalor and threatened with starvation if they did not work, after being approached by unfamiliar men who falsely promised paying jobs. They sued under a federal law protecting children and other victims of human trafficking and forced labor. Circuit Judge Justin Walker, however, said the plaintiffs alleged at most they worked in areas that supplied cocoa to the defendants, which buy an estimated 70% of Ivorian cocoa, rather than specific farms that supplied the cocoa. "Is there a 'possibility' that at least some of the importers sourced cocoa from those farms? Yes," Walker wrote. "But is it 'plausible'? Not on this complaint." Other defendants included privately-held Cargill, privately-held Mars, Mondelez International MDLZ.O, Barry Callebaut BARN.S and Olam International. Mali and the Ivory Coast share a border in West Africa. A trial judge ruled for the defendants in June 2022. Terry Collingsworth, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said his clients were "extremely disappointed" and considering their legal options. "The court rewarded the chocolate multinational defendants ... for concealing their cocoa supply chains, such that former child slaves are unable to link a specific company to the Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) farms where they were enslaved," he said. In March 2024, the same court dismissed a similar lawsuit seeking to hold five major technology companies including Apple AAPL.O and Tesla TSLA.O liable for child labor in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Collingsworth represented the plaintiffs in the cobalt case. The case is Coubaly et al v Cargill Inc et al, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 22-7104. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Alexandra Hudson
The Hill
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Appeals court won't reinstate AP access to presidential events
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday denied an appeal by The Associated Press for a hearing on its efforts to restore full access to cover presidential events, not ending its case but allowing the White House to continue its control over access to President Donald Trump. The news outlet wanted the court to overturn a three-judge panel's June 6 ruling not to let AP back into the events until merits of the news organization's lawsuit against Trump was decided. But the court on Tuesday declined to hear that appeal. It all stems from Trump's decision in February to keep AP journalists out of the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events too small for a full press corps, in retaliation for the news outlet's decision not to follow his lead in changing the Gulf of Mexico's name. The AP sued in response. In April, a district court ruled that the administration could not exclude journalists based on their opinions. The Trump administration immediately turned to the U.S. Court of Appeals to successfully delay implementation of the ruling before the court could consider the full merits of the case. Next up: This fall, the appeals court considers those full merits. 'We are disappointed by today's procedural decision but remain focused on the strong district court opinion in support of free speech as we have our case heard,' said Patrick Maks, an AP spokesman. 'As we've said throughout, the press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation.' The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. Since the start of the case, the White House has instituted new rules for access to the limited-space events. AP photographers have been regularly permitted back, but its reporters only occasionally. On Monday, the White House said it would not allow a reporter from The Wall Street Journal onto Air Force One to cover Trump's weekend trip to Scotland because of the outlet's 'fake and defamatory conduct' in a story about the president and late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
