Donald Trump’s legal woes …
Former U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to federal criminal charges under the Espionage Act that he unlawfully kept national-security documents when he left office and lied to officials who sought to recover them. Read the complete indictment. But, any potential trial could be many months away even though Special Counsel Jack Smith, heading the prosecution, has said Trump will have a “speedy” trial. Additionally, Evan Corcoran, a lawyer hired by Donald Trump to fend off a federal investigation into his handling of sensitive documents, has become a central figure in the Justice Department’s investigation. Attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise indicated that they would remain on the documents case permanently, days after two other lawyers departed. Here’s a look at the timeline of the investigation and charges. Trump is also facing several other investigations and lawsuits, including the “hush money” criminal case and the New York attorney general’s civil lawsuit. Meanwhile, a federal judge said writer E. Jean Carroll can pursue a separate $10 million defamation case against Trump. This trial has been scheduled for January 2024.
Highlight on environment cases …
The first trial in several U.S. climate change cases brought by youths kicked off in Montana, where 16 young people are seeking to hold the state accountable for fossil fuel-friendly policies. New York’s Suffolk County agreed to shut down dozens of underground cesspools across eastern Long Island in settlement with the federal government. In Oregon, a jury said Berkshire Hathaway’s PacifiCorp must pay punitive damages for four of the wildfires that devastated the state in 2020. On Thursday, Bayer reached a $6.9 million settlement with New York over claims that it misled consumers by advertising Roundup weedkiller as environmentally safe. Plus, the EPA agreed to review smog-related emission limits for new gas-fired power plants, settling a lawsuit brought by two environmental groups last year accusing the agency of shirking its regulatory responsibilities.
Bankruptcy …
3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies appealed the dismissal of its bankruptcy case, challenging a judge’s ruling that it was not in immediate jeopardy from 260,000 lawsuits alleging that 3M military earplugs caused hearing loss for veterans and U.S. service members. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that U.S. bankruptcy protections override a Native American tribe’s sovereign immunity. Instant Brands, the maker of Pyrex glassware and Instant Pot pressure cookers, filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors, with as much as $1 billion in liabilities. The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, which operates 130 treatment centers in the U.S., also filed for bankruptcy with a plan to sell itself back to its founder.
