The Southern District of New York — a federal judicial district
The Qatar-donated Air Force One has entered service but is undergoing security upgrades. Lawmakers have questioned funding and oversight as the jet is retrofit for presidential use, while the outgoing model remains in use for certain trips. The presidency is balancing diplomatic gifts with rigorous security needs amid ongoing scrutiny.
The Department of Justice has withdrawn grand jury subpoenas that sought New York Times reporters' testimony and phone records after a federal judge sharply questioned the government's handling of the leak probe into reporting about President Trump's new Air Force One. The DOJ has said the investigation remains ongoing.
The Senate has confirmed Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence by a 51-47 vote, removing acting DNI Bill Pulte. Clayton has faced tough questioning over his refusal to plainly say Joe Biden won the 2020 election and about his willingness to resist political pressure. His confirmation clears the way for renewed talks on reauthorising Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into the Al‑Khair Foundation after the arrest in the UK of Mohammad Yousef Hasna on US charges alleging he channelled money and supplies to Hamas through a purported humanitarian network. The regulator has restricted some transactions, is examining partnerships and finances, and Al‑Khair says it is cooperating.
Trump Media & Technology Group has launched Truth API, a paid, millisecond‑latency feed selling prioritized access to posts from the platform's top accounts to institutional clients, including high‑frequency trading firms and news organisations. The feed has already been linked to large, rapid market moves and has drawn legal and congressional scrutiny over conflicts of interest.
Federal authorities have arrested 11 individuals tied to a multiyear scheme that manufactured more than 1,000 sham marriages between U.S. citizens and immigrants to obtain permanent residency. Defendants faced charges including marriage fraud, immigration document fraud, and conspiring to encourage unlawful residence.
Lawyers and federal prosecutors have scheduled a Friday hearing after reports that Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty in the federal stalking case tied to the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The plea would cover federal stalking counts that carry life sentences and will prompt legal fights over whether New York state murder charges can proceed.
A federal judge has vacated a policy that would have blocked immigrant visas to 75 countries, ruling Secretary of State Rubio exceeded his authority and violated the Immigration and Nationality Act. The decision reinforces consular officers’ control over visa eligibility and sparks renewed debate over the administration’s immigration agenda.
Federal prosecutors have mounted and shifted several politically charged investigations. A judge has ruled that withholding funds from a named project violates the law and the government has dropped a challenge. Separately, the Justice Department has unsealed charges against five alleged Russian intelligence operatives, and a high‑profile DOJ advisor, Joe diGenova, has resigned from a Florida investigation.
The United States has filed a new indictment charging Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiracy to commit torture, adding to existing drug-trafficking and weapon charges. The couple, captured in Caracas and detained in Brooklyn, plead not guilty and await trial set for June in New York as prosecutors portray a system of repression linked to narcoterrorism and organized crime.
Federal prosecutors have paused Sue Mi Terry's case for a year and will drop all charges if she remains out of legal trouble, after she faced trial on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The deal defers prosecution to allow ongoing interests of both Terry and the United States to be served. The agreement notes she passed notes to a South Korean intelligence officer and accepted designer items valued at about $9,245.