Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, July 2, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we’ve got some very pressing stories to get to this holiday week, and here’s what’s going on.
The Supreme Court rules in favor of former President Donald Trump, one of his former advisers goes to prison, and 150 mph winds are hitting the Caribbean. Also, an Oklahoma state immigration law is ruled unconstitutional, and new rules are being proposed in the cell phone industry that you need to know about.
Supreme Court Rules Trump Has Some Immunity in Federal Election Case
The Supreme Court has just ruled, by a vote of 6–3, that presidents enjoy certain levels of immunity.The justices held that under the constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of presidential power entitles the president to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts, although the high court ruled there is no immunity for unofficial acts.
The ruling is a partial win for former President Trump, who asked for a broader form of immunity than the justices ultimately granted. He had asked the court to rule that he enjoyed immunity from criminal prosecution for his official acts unless Congress had impeached and convicted him for those acts.
The case was initially heard by D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who rejected the idea that presidents enjoyed immunity from criminal prosecution. It was then brought to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit before finally being appealed to the Supreme Court.
Mr. Trump responded to the high court’s decision on his social media platform, TruthSocial, by saying: “BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
Interesting to note, the last time the Supreme Court issued a major ruling on presidential immunity was in 1982, in Nixon v. Fitzgerald. Back then, the high court ruled that presidents enjoy absolute immunity from civil liability for actions that fall within the outer perimeter of their official duties.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, and the dissenting opinion was written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
So you know, this week’s much anticipated high court ruling is expected to delay former President Trump’s trial in the federal election case in Washington.
Steve Bannon Surrenders to Prison for Contempt Sentence
Steve Bannon, a one-time adviser to President Trump, has reported to a federal prison in Connecticut to begin serving his four-month prison sentence for a contempt-of-Congress conviction.Mr. Bannon declined to cooperate with a House panel investigating the January 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol, so the House then voted to recommend prosecution. He was tried by the U.S. Department of Justice, and jurors convicted him on two counts—one for not sitting for testimony and another for not providing documents the House requested.
Mr. Bannon was sentenced back in 2022, and he appealed the conviction, arguing that he was following advice of counsel when he defied subpoenas from the House of Representatives committee.
A judge recently ordered him to report to prison because his attempts to overturn the order were rejected by an appeals court and the Supreme Court.
You should know that the case is ongoing and could ultimately result in a positive ruling for Mr. Bannon, which was one reason his lawyers said the high court justices should step in. Federal officials disagreed, saying Mr. Bannon should surrender and start his sentence in light of the appeals court ruling.
Mr. Bannon spoke outside the Federal Correctional Institution Danbury, saying: “I’m proud to go to prison today.” He added that, “if this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny ... I’m proud to do it.”
Hurricane Beryl Nears Category 5 Strength as US Embassy Issues Warning
The U.S. Embassy is warning American citizens in the Caribbean island region to be vigilant while Hurricane Beryl nears Category 5 strength as it moves closer to land. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that Beryl had winds of 150 mph—which is about 7 mph shy of a Category 5 hurricane.State Department officials say they’ve shut down the U.S. embassy offices in Grenada and Barbados.
The NHC says the storm will continue to “produce catastrophic winds and life-threatening storm surge” for the Grenadine Islands, Carriacou Island, and Grenada.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, Grenada, Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as thousands of people are hunkered down in homes and shelters and a hurricane watch has been issued for Jamaica. You should also know that a tropical storm warning is in effect for St. Lucia, Martinique, and Trinidad.
Forecasters are warning of a life-threatening storm surge of up to 9 feet in areas where Beryl makes landfall, with 3 to 6 inches of rain for Barbados and nearby islands and possibly 10 inches in Grenada and the Grenadines.
Beryl is the second named storm of this hurricane season. Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Alberto came ashore in northeastern Mexico with heavy rains that resulted in four deaths.
You should know that an average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, but this season forecasters predict as many as 25 named storms.
Interesting to note that the last strong hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago, which killed dozens of people in Grenada.
The official Atlantic hurricane season started on June 1, it ends Nov. 30, and peak activity usually happens in early September.
Federal Judge Blocks Oklahoma Law That Bars Illegal Immigrants
A law enabling Oklahoma officials to order illegal immigrants to leave the state was blocked last week by a federal judge, who said the statute is likely unconstitutional.Oklahoma House Bill 4156 (H.B. 4156), which was signed into law in April by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, would have allowed the state to prosecute illegal immigrants found in Oklahoma and force those convicted of a crime to leave the state within 72 hours.
Federal officials sued the state before the law could take effect this week, arguing that it violated the U.S. Constitution by adopting a state-based immigration system that clashes with the federal system.
Oklahoma’s attorney general told the judge not to grant the government’s bid to block the statute because it would render the states helpless in enforcing their immigration laws.
U.S. District Judge Bernard Jones sided with the federal government in his ruling, saying that H.B. 4156 criminalizes conduct that currently falls under federal law, and entered an injunction as the case proceeds.
Judge Jones also noted that both a U.S. district judge and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently ruled against a similar law in Texas that lets state law enforcers arrest illegal immigrants and bring charges against them.
FCC Proposes Carriers Unlock All Phones Within 60 Days
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just issued a new proposal that says cell phone service carriers would be required to unlock customers’ cell phones within 60 days after activation.The FCC says these new unlocking rules would allow consumers the freedom to take their existing phones and switch from one cell phone provider to another more easily—so long as the consumer’s phone is compatible with the new provider’s wireless network.
The agency says the proposed rules will also benefit consumers by opening the door to increased competition in the market, giving consumers more flexibility when switching service providers, and reducing customer confusion by applying the same unlocking rules to all cell phone service providers.
Back in March, Verizon sent a letter responding to the FCC’s proposal, saying the unlocking requirement may discourage a carrier from discounting a phone because it can’t recoup its subsidy if a customer immediately moves to another carrier.
You should know that providers, like Verizon, tend to lock mobile phones to their network as their devices are sold at a discounted price. In exchange, buyers are required to commit to a network plan that typically lasts for months or even years.
These agreements oftentimes carry an early termination clause mandating a penalty if the deal is ended before the commitment period expires.
In February, four consumer groups wrote to the FCC saying locked phones, especially those tied to pre-paid plans, can disadvantage low-income customers most of all, because they might not have the resources to switch carriers or buy new phones. They added that “unlocked phones also facilitate a robust secondary market for used devices, providing consumers with more affordable options.”
The FCC is set to vote on the proposal July 18, at its open meeting.
Looks like our time is just about up for today, so let’s call it a wrap for the Tuesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
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*(Don’t forget the News Brief Motto): We’re portable, affordable, and we’re always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap things up with a very “notable” quote:
It was Michael Altshuler, the American author and motivational speaker, who once said: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
As a licensed pilot myself, I always enjoyed that quote. Now, as the pilot in command of your life, what will your course heading be today?
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas, and thanks a million for hanging out with us on what will be an amazing Tuesday. Enjoy the rest of your day, and we’ll see you right back tomorrow for the Wednesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief! Have an inspiring day today, stay on course, and bye for now.
