Author: Gist It

  • Judge issues gag order on Trump in business fraud case

    Judge Arthur Engoron has issued a gag order on former President Donald Trump and his legal team in the ongoing business fraud case involving Trump Organization. Enforced restrictions: The gag order, prompted by a social media post about the judge’s staff, prevents Trump and his team from publicly posting or speaking about any member of […]

  • A Department of Defense official faces up to 5 years in prison in dogfighting case

    A senior Department of Defense official, Frederick Moorefield Jr., and another man, Mario Flythe, are charged with promoting dogfighting and could face up to five years in prison each. Charges and evidence: Both men were charged last month with “promoting and furthering” dogfighting. * They allegedly used an encrypted messaging app to discuss dogfighting bets, […]

  • The Supreme Court seems skeptical of a challenge to consumer agency

    The Supreme Court is considering a key case regarding the funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), with the majority of justices seeming likely to support current funding methods. Case Background: The CFPB, established to protect consumers from deceptive practices by financial institutions after the 2008 crash, is funded through banking fees rather than […]

  • Will the Democrats help save Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s job?

    Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces a potential ousting by conservative Republicans, with uncertainty about how Democrats will respond. The backdrop: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is currently enduring a campaign from within his own party to remove him from his position. The Big Question: It remains unclear whether or not Democrats will intervene to support […]

  • Up First briefing: FTX fraud trial begins; how tech shapes our bodies

    The founder of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, is in court for a fraud trial, Ukrainian troops are pushing back against Russian-occupied land, Pope Francis is holding a synod discussing LGBTQ+ Catholics, the U.N. approved a resolution for an armed force in Haiti, and technology is impacting our physical health. Important Court Proceedings: Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of […]

  • 3 scientists win Nobel Prize in physics for looking at electrons in atoms

    The Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to three scientists for their work on studying electrons in atoms. Winners Unveiled: The laureates are Pierre Agostini of The Ohio State University, Ferenc Krausz of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and Anne L’Huillier of Lund University in Sweden. […]

  • Making cities ‘spongy’ could help fight flooding — by steering the water underground

    Urban landscape design called ‘sponge cities’ could help fight flooding by ensuring landscapes absorb water, a concept being explored in China. The backstory: Landscape architect Yu Kongjian developed the “sponge city” concept to combat frequent floodings in China due to heavy urbanization and climate change. * The method involves replacing the common “gray infrastructure” like […]

  • Consumer watchdog agency’s fate at Supreme Court could nix other agencies too

    The existence of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and potentially other federal agencies is being challenged at the Supreme Court. The backdrop: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court hears a major case that could determine the existence of the CFPB, created in response to the 2008 financial crisis. * Since its inception, the CFPB […]

  • PrEP prevents HIV infections, but it’s not reaching Black women

    PrEP, a medication highly effective in preventing HIV infections, is failing to reach one of the groups that would benefit most – Black women in the United States. Context: PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) reduces the risk of contracting HIV, but over a decade after its first approval in the US, it has largely failed to reach […]

  • Montana inmates with mental illness languish in jail awaiting treatment before trial

    Montana inmates with mental illness are waiting extensive periods in jail for necessary treatments which are required before they can stand trial, due to a bottleneck in services. Highlighting the issue: One woman charged with burglary in 2022 has been waiting for months to receive required treatment at the Montana State Hospital’s forensic unit. * […]