Judges tell Devin Nunes he cannot continue suing CNN. Here’s where all of his lawsuits stand
WASHINGTON — A panel of federal judges denied former Congressman Devin Nunes’ appeal to reopen a lawsuit against CNN over a 2019 report that the California Republican went to Vienna to gather political dirt on President Joe Biden.
In a split 2-1 decision on April 14, judges for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan affirmed a lower court ruling that Nunes did not seek a retraction promptly, as is needed under California law for most damages, and that he failed to show he deserved special damages.
It marks another legal setback for the former congressman, who is now the chief executive officer of former President Donald Trump’s social media company.
Earlier this month, a different set of appeals court judges said Nunes could not revive a lawsuit against the Washington Post over a 2020 story about an intelligence briefing.
Nunes, who represented the area around Tulare for nearly two decades, has filed 10 lawsuits against media organizations and critics whom he claims have defamed or conspired against him since 2019.
—McClatchy Washington Bureau
The name of this butte is a slur. It and 71 other Idaho place names are to be changed
BOISE, Idaho — For generations, names for many Idaho geographical features have used “squaw,” a derogatory term for Native American women. Squaw Butte. Little Squaw Creek. Squaw Flat. Squaw Meadow. Squaw Joe Canyon.
Of the 660 features on federal lands across the U.S. that use the word, 72, or 11%, are found in Idaho. They’re spread among 21 of Idaho’s 44 counties.
Soon they’ll disappear. The U.S. Department of the Interior will rename the buttes and creeks and canyons after taking public comment.
“Racist terms have no place in our vernacular or on our federal lands. Our nation’s lands and waters should be places to celebrate the outdoors and our shared cultural heritage – not to perpetuate the legacies of oppression,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a news release issued in November.
—Idaho Statesman
17-year-old good Samaritan dies trying to save teen driver who crashed in Florida canal
SUNRISE, Fla. — Two teenagers are dead after a car plunged into a canal in Sunrise, killing the driver and the 17-year-old good Samaritan who witnessed the one-car crash and tried to save the driver.
The car went into the water about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday near Northwest 12th Street and Silver Palm Boulevard, which is near Sawgrass Mills Mall, Sunrise police said.
The 18-year-old driver lost control of his car and veered into the water.
The 17-year-old who tried to rescue the driver was taking a walk with his mother when they witnessed the crash. The 17-year-old went into the water to rescue the driver but ended up being rescued himself. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The accident was a single-car crash. Sunrise police think the 18-year-old was the only occupant in the car but the car hasn’t yet been retrieved. Police said the 18-year-old isn’t from Sunrise and might not have known the area.
—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Hamas says it's ready to escalate fighting as Jerusalem tensions soar
RAMALLAH/TEL AVIV — The head of Hamas in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, on Thursday threatened to escalate the latest outbreak of fighting with Israel after both sides once again traded fire overnight.
"We are only at the beginning of the struggle," Haniya said, according to Palestinian news agency Ma'an. "Just as we defeated the so-called march of flags, we will defeat the policy of intrusion (on the Noble Sanctuary/Temple Mount)."
Israeli police on Wednesday stopped a flag march by right-wing nationalist Israelis who planned to trace the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. Militant Palestinian organizations had earlier issued strong warnings against holding the rally in the divided city.
Israel's next steps will affect "all strategic dimensions" of the conflict, Haniya warned.
Gaza militants fired rockets at the Israeli border late Wednesday and in the early hours of Thursday. Warning sirens sounded twice in the southern part of the country, the Israeli army announced on Twitter.
—dpa
