Scores of graduating students staged a walkout from Yale University’s commencement exercises on Monday, protesting the Israeli war in Gaza, Yale’s financial ties to weapons makers, and its response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. The walkout drew cheers from fellow students but was otherwise peaceful, with no mention made from the stage.
Julian Assange has been granted permission to appeal against extradition to the U.S. by arguing that he might not have free speech rights in a U.S. court. The appeal is based on concerns that he could be discriminated against as a foreign national. Assange is wanted in the U.S. on 18 charges related to WikiLeaks’ release of secret U.S. documents. The appeal was welcomed by his supporters, who gathered outside the court. If the ruling had gone against him, Assange could have been extradited to the U.S. within 24 hours. U.S. assurances that Assange could rely on First Amendment protections were deemed inadequate by his legal team. The appeal will now cover all 18 charges against him.
Julian Assange was given permission to have a full appeal over his extradition to the United States after arguing at London’s High Court that he might not be able to rely on his right to free speech at a trial.
Fact: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former fixer, testified that Trump ordered him to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to stay quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter, and then approved a plan to reimburse Cohen through bogus invoices.
Film director Roman Polanski was acquitted by a French court of defaming British actress Charlotte Lewis, who accused him of raping her when she was a teenager. Lewis alleged the abuse occurred in 1983 when she was 16, after traveling to Paris for a casting session. Polanski called her accusations a “heinous lie” in a 2019 interview, leading to the defamation lawsuit. Lewis disputed a quote attributed to her in a 1999 interview, and Polanski’s lawyer celebrated the verdict as a win for free speech. Despite the acquittal, Lewis expressed disappointment and stated she would appeal. Polanski has faced multiple sexual assault allegations, denying them all, and has struggled to secure distribution deals for his films in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Stormy Daniels will be called as a witness in Donald Trump’s criminal trial on Tuesday. Prosecutors say Trump covered up a 0,000 hush money payment to Daniels. Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Cohen has previously said Trump directed him to make the payment. Trump denies any sexual encounter with Daniels and pleads not guilty to falsifying business records. Prosecutors aim to show Trump was responsible for an illegal cover-up. Trump’s defense team argues that Daniels’ testimony is not relevant to the case. Cohen pleaded guilty to violating federal campaign finance law through the payment to Daniels. Daniels claims she had sex with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel. Trump’s legal team says her claim is false. Trump has been fined for violating a gag order restricting him from speaking about witnesses. The trial is seen as an attempt to hinder Trump’s bid for the presidency.
Stormy Daniels testified at Donald Trump’s criminal trial, where prosecutors claim Trump covered up a 0,000 hush money payment made to Daniels by his former lawyer Michael Cohen. Cohen has stated that Trump directed him to make the payment to keep quiet about a sexual encounter Daniels says she had with Trump in 2006.
Police arrested at least 25 pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Virginia and cleared an encampment as tensions flared on campus. The protesters were violating university policies by setting up tents and using amplified sound. The protests are part of a larger movement across U.S. campuses calling for an end to the Gaza war and divestment from companies supporting Israel. Other campuses, like the University of Michigan, saw peaceful disruptions at graduation ceremonies by pro-Palestinian protesters. Many schools have called in police to quell protests, resulting in over 2,000 arrests nationwide. The protests have become a political flashpoint in a divisive U.S. election year.
Fact: The bill aimed at criminalizing ‘reprehensible behavior’ online targets threats, obvious fake news, and threatening behavior that would be against the law if carried out outside of the internet. Individuals cannot take private cases if they are annoyed by people.