Author: Olive Metuge

Empirical SCOTUS is a recurring series by Adam Feldman that looks at Supreme Court data, primarily in the form of opinions and oral arguments, to provide insights into the justices’ decision making and what we can expect from the court in the future. Among a president’s most enduring legacies are the federal judges they appoint – particularly Supreme Court justices. This permanence stems from life tenure, a constitutional provision that ensures judicial independence but also transforms each appointment into a generational bet on the nation’s legal future. Yet history is littered with presidential miscalculations. President Dwight D. Eisenhower supposedly called his appointment of Earl Warren…

A new restaurant? With stunning views of the Dubai Fountains? Yes pleaseDubai has a new reason to linger a little longer by the pool, a new restaurant in Downtown. Say hello to Solara, the city’s latest dining destination and effortlessly chic poolside escape, now open at Address Dubai Mall. Blending the breezy charm of the Mediterranean with the warmth and soul of Arabia, Solara is where laidback luxury meets some of the most captivating views in town, including that unobstructed Burj Khalifa backdrop.By day, Solara is all about sun-drenched ease. Light glints off the pool as guests settle in with…

In President Donald Trump’s first term, his Justice Department actively pursued those accused of fraud and corruption. P.G. Sittenfeld, a rising Democratic star on Cincinnati’s City Council, was charged with taking a bribe in exchange for his support of development deals. Devon Archer, a financier and corporate board member, was convicted in a scheme to defraud $60 million from a Native American tribal entity. And Brian Kelsey, a former Republican state senator from Tennessee, was the target of a federal grand jury investigation for illegally funneling nearly $100,000 into his failed congressional campaign. All three were subsequently sentenced to prison.…

US President Donald Trump has said he will take legal action against the BBC over how his speech was edited by Panorama, after the corporation apologised but refused to compensate him.Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Friday evening, Trump said: “We’ll sue them for anywhere between $1bn [£759m] and $5bn, probably sometime next week.”On Thursday, the BBC said the edit of the 6 January 2021 speech had unintentionally given “the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action” and said it would not be broadcast again.The corporation apologised to the president but…

Listen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday upheld the hate crime convictions of three white men who chased Ahmaud Arbery through their Georgia subdivision with pickup trucks before one of them killed the Black man with a shotgun.A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals took well over a year to rule after attorneys for the defendants urged the judges in March 2024 to overturn the case, arguing the men’s history of racist text messages and social…

Late last week, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett took center stage at the Federalist Society’s annual gala in the nation’s capital, offering reflections on what it means to take the judicial oath and deal with public scrutiny. Moderated by Judge Trevor McFadden, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner saw the justices address a sold-out crowd at the Washington Hilton on the first night of the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention. Barrett and Kavanaugh’s remarks echoed broader discussions at the convention on the Supreme Court’s embrace of originalism and the triumph…

Sponsored: Celebrate the season with festive feasts, spa indulgence, and New Year’s magic at Four Seasons Abu DhabiIt’s that time of year again, when fairy lights sparkle and good food takes centre stage. This festive season, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island invites guests to experience One Joy, a month-long celebration of food, wellness, and holiday magic.From December 8, 2025, to January 3, 2026, the hotel transforms into a festive wonderland filled with incredible dining, soothing spa rituals, and unforgettable celebrations. Set on Al Maryah Island, the hotel is just steps from The Galleria’s luxury boutiques and…

FBI Director Kash Patel granted waivers to Deputy Director Dan Bongino and two other newly hired senior FBI staff members, exempting them from passing polygraph exams normally required to gain access to America’s most sensitive classified information, according to a former senior FBI official and several other government officials. Bongino’s role as the FBI’s second-highest-ranking official means he is responsible for day-to-day operations of the agency, including green-lighting surveillance missions, coordinating with intelligence agency partners and managing the bureau’s 56 field offices across the country. The deputy director receives some of the country’s most closely held secrets, including the President’s…

Getty ImagesJeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump (pictured here in 1997) were friends for years, though the US president says he had a falling out with him in the early 2000sUS lawmakers have released more than 20,000 pages of documents from the estate of the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including some that mention President Donald Trump.Early on Wednesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published three email exchanges, including correspondence between Epstein, who died in 2019 in prison, and his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.They also released…

Listen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Unionized baristas from 65 Starbucks locations across the U.S. launched a strike on Thursday, strengthening their push to finalize a collective bargaining agreement addressing wage and staffing concerns.The union and the company haven’t been in active negotiations since talks broke down in December 2024. According to a statement on Starbucks Workers United’s (SBWU) website, Starbucks presented its latest economic package in April, but it was voted down by union members. In response to the vote, Starbucks issued a statement on…