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Texas Surrogacy Custody Clash Over Critically Ill Baby With Rare Heart Defect
11 hours ago•Source: The Guardian
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Extradition bid blocked for ICE officer, potential release looms in Texas
A federal judge declined to order Texas to extradite ICE officer Christian Castro, who is charged in Minnesota with assault and falsely reporting a crime after a Jan. 14 Minneapolis shooting. Castro remains in Brownsville, Texas and could be released after 90 days unless extradition is granted, as Minnesota sought a temporary restraining order to prevent release. Minnesota argued he is a flight risk based on calls to a woman in Mexico and plans to settle there; Gov. Greg Abbott has not moved on the extradition request, leaving the outcome uncertain as the case unfolds in federal court in Brownsville.
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Surveillance Video Spurs Lawsuit Against Amazon After Elk Grove Punch
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Ex-child actor sues Disney over alleged on-set abuse during Poof Point filming
Raquel Lee Bolleau, a former child actor, filed a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against Walt Disney Co. alleging a middle-aged Disney employee repeatedly raped and supplied alcohol to her when she was 14 during the 2001 film The Poof Point, with abuse said to be visible on set and not intervened. The suit claims Disney executives blamed her for the deterioration of her health and canceled a future role, and it frames the case as part of a broader pattern of failures tied to Weinstein and a convicted coach. Disney denies the allegations.
Full-Tuition Law School Offer Crumbles in Penn State Cocaine Case
A Penn State cocaine-trafficking investigation led to the withdrawal of Thomas Robinson's admission to New England Law Boston, despite a full-tuition O’Connor scholarship; authorities say he was a supplier in a fraternity drug operation, and his father—an attorney—faces related charges in the case.
Texas Court Slashes Alex Jones’s Sandy Hook Damages to $1.5 Million
A Texas appeals court reduced Alex Jones’s $50 million verdict for claiming the Sandy Hook mass shooting was a hoax to $1.5 million, saying the harassment evidence didn’t exceed the state’s $750,000 cap. The Connecticut judgment remains at about $1.4 billion. Jones has sought bankruptcy protection and Infowars may be leased to The Onion’s Global Tetrahedron as part of efforts to fund judgments, while the Supreme Court previously declined to hear the larger award.
Jurors Rule NYT Defamed Alabama Athlete
A jury ruled that The New York Times defamed an Alabama college football player in a defamation lawsuit, delivering a verdict against the newspaper regarding statements about the player.
Surrogate defends life-focused decision in high-stakes surrogacy battle
A Texas-born baby with hypoplastic left heart syndrome is at the center of a multi-state surrogate custody fight. The surrogate, McKenna West, says her decision to carry the child isn’t political theater and emphasizes giving the infant a chance at life after a Norwood procedure, amid ongoing court battles across Alaska, California, and Texas over parental rights and the child’s medical care.
Colleges and Unions Fight DHS Rule Limiting International Students to Four Years
Unions (including UAW and AFT) and college groups are suing DHS in Massachusetts to block a final rule that would cap international students’ stay in the US at four years, require extensions, and also limit J-1 exchange visitors to four years and I visas to 240 days. The plaintiffs argue the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act and failed to adequately weigh costs or respond to public comments, potentially hurting colleges and the US’s global talent competitiveness; they seek a preliminary injunction before the September 15 effective date.
Judge blocks FBI HQ move to Reagan Building, preserves Greenbelt site
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from relocating the FBI headquarters to the Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. and from redirecting funds intended for the Greenbelt site after it was chosen by the GSA, ruling the move violates the Administrative Procedure Act and would cause irreparable harm to Maryland and Prince George’s County, effectively nullifying the relocation plan.
Surrogate-born infant with heart defect receives major surgery amid custody fight
A baby named Rumi, born via surrogacy in Texas and diagnosed prenatally with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, underwent a Norwood procedure as part of a multistate legal battle over care and custody between the surrogate and the child’s biological parents. The Texas attorney general had sought a court order to ensure lifesaving treatment, while the parents insist they always prioritized the child’s health and privacy, with Rumi recovering in Texas under medical care.
SCOTUS refuses to revive Carroll verdict in Trump case
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear President Trump’s bid to overturn a jury verdict awarding $5 million to writer E. Jean Carroll for alleged sexual abuse and defamation, after he sought reconsideration of a June ruling. The court rarely grants such requests, and Trump has already paid the award plus interest. He also faces a separate defamation appeal over an $83 million judgment, linked to immunity questions, with a decision not expected until later this year.
Supreme Court rejects second bid to dodge Carroll verdicts
The Supreme Court declined to reconsider Trump’s bid to avoid paying about $5.6 million to E. Jean Carroll after a 2023 civil verdict, leaving the Carroll judgment intact and tying into a separate 2024 defamation award of $83.3 million; the court gave no reasons for the denial, and the immunity argument was not central to this appeal.