Men charged in Homeland Security impersonation plot released pending trial
CNN
The two men accused of impersonating federal agents will be released from jail, a federal judge ruled Tuesday after three days of marathon hearings where prosecutors and defense lawyers clashed over whether the men were operatives of a hostile government.
Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey said the Justice Department had not met the legal standard required to keep either Arian Taherzadeh or Haider Ali in jail.
"There is no evidence of foreign ties in this case," Harvey said, adding that there was no "suggestion that any foreign government that is hostile to the United States" was involved in the alleged plot.
Venezuelan authorities are investigating opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for alleged treason after she expressed support for a US bipartisan bill that seeks to block Washington from doing business with any entity that has commercial ties with the government of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Russell Vought as his pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget, he said in a Truth Social post.
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday announced Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon as his pick to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Labor.
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the intelligence community, was briefly placed on a Transportation Security Administration list that prompts additional security screening before flights after her overseas travel patterns and foreign connections triggered a government algorithm earlier this year, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
The Supreme Court agreed Friday to wade into a fight over Congress’ ability to delegate power to federal agencies — opening the next chapter in a decadeslong effort by conservatives and business interests to reduce the power of the federal government.
At least three professional sports leagues warned their teams this week that organized and skilled groups are targeting the homes of athletes for break-ins, including while the players are away at games. The warnings came after reports of burglaries at the homes of players in the NBA and the NFL.
The Nicaraguan parliament, dominated by the ruling Sandinista Front, on Friday approved a constitutional reform that hands more power to President Daniel Ortega as well as the Central American nation’s police and military.
A Norwegian man working as a security guard for the US Embassy in Oslo was arrested this week on allegations of spying for Russia and Iran.
Gorilla at Calgary Zoo died after worker mistakenly activated wrong door, zoo officials say
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler the job as of secretary of the Department of Agriculture, two people familiar with the matter told CNN.
Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general on Thursday, said Friday he will not be returning to Congress next year.