A court rejected Trump’s immunity claim
A federal appeals court rejected Donald Trump’s claim of absolute immunity in a criminal indictment accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The court ruled that he was subject to federal criminal law — like any other American — and must stand trial.
The ruling is unlikely to be the final word. Trump, who is on track to win the Republican presidential nomination, is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.
But it is an important moment in American law. The ruling answered a question that an appeals court had never addressed: Can former presidents escape being held accountable by the criminal justice system for things they did while in office?
“For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant,” the panel of judges wrote. “But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as president no longer protects him against this prosecution.”
What’s next: If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, there is a chance that a trial on the election charges would occur before the general election in November. But if the justices take their time, it is possible that a trial could be delayed until after the election. Were Trump to win, he would be in a position to ask the Justice Department to dismiss the case or even seek to pardon himself.
For more: Here is where each of Trump’s four criminal cases stand.
A fifth of the Gaza hostages are dead, Israel said
Israeli intelligence officers say that at least 32 of the remaining 136 Israeli hostages have died. That’s about a fifth of all the hostages who were captured by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack.
The deaths are confirmed, and military officials said that the families have been informed. The Israeli officials also said that officers were also assessing intelligence that indicated that at least 20 other hostages may have also been killed.
The news will likely worsen a debate in Israel over the government’s approach to the war in Gaza. Survivors and families of the hostages have said that the campaign is endangering their loved ones. They have wanted Israel to prioritize a new hostage deal, instead of pressing ahead with its invasion.
Cease-fire: Hamas has responded to a cease-fire framework that could free hostages in Gaza. The U.S. secretary of state said that there is “a lot of work to be done.”
A visual investigation: An analysis of social media found Israeli soldiers in Gaza filming themselves and destroying what appears to be civilian property.
What’s next after King Charles’s diagnosis
Prince Harry arrived in London yesterday to visit his father, leading to speculation that the King’s health crisis could prompt a reconciliation between Harry and his family.
The burden of the king’s illness is likely to fall heavily on his 41-year-old heir, William, who would take on the king’s duties were he to become incapacitated. My colleague Mark Landler writes that the sidelining of Charles, who has been a highly visible royal, may finally force the royals to rethink how they choose to project themselves in a social-media age.
Context: The king’s cancer diagnosis is the latest blow to the British royal family, which has seen its ranks depleted by death (Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip), scandal (Prince Andrew), self-exile (Harry and his wife, Meghan), and other health woes (Catherine, William’s wife).
Cancer diagnosis: Experts weighed in on what type of cancer the king might have, and noted that such a diagnosis was not unheard-of during routine examinations.
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