Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, May 1, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, and today, we’re covering a range of topics—from a courtroom decision that might affect a former president, to an update on student protests at the Columbia University campus in New York. We’ve also got a story to share with you regarding new workplace guidelines that could change how employers treat transgender employees.
Judge Updates Trump on Barron’s Graduation
Former President Donald Trump has received permission from Judge Juan Merchan to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation on May 17. It’s not clear whether or not the trial will continue on the day of the graduation, which will be held in Florida. The judge has previously emphasized that President Trump must attend all trial sessions, warning that failure to appear could lead to his arrest.Judge Merchan said at a morning hearing Tuesday: “We picked the jury pretty quickly, so Mr. Trump can certainly attend that date.”
The judge did not permit President Trump to attend a Supreme Court hearing in Washington last week.
Additionally, Judge Merchan has cited President Trump for contempt of court for breaching a gag order through multiple posts on social media and his campaign website. He fined President Trump $1,000 for each of the nine posts. He also ordered the former president to remove the posts and he felt sorry that state law restricted him from imposing a higher fine.
The ongoing trial involves 34 felony charges against President Trump related to alleged business record falsifications and payments to adult performer Stormy Daniels. Testimonies have been given by key figures, including President Trump’s former assistant Rhona Graff and the ex-publisher of the National Enquirer, David Pecker.
President Trump has publicly criticized the prosecutors and said on Tuesday outside the courtroom: “This is a case that should have never been brought.”
Columbia University Threatens to Expel Students Occupying Building in Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
The university in New York has issued a stern warning to students involved in a pro-Palestinian protest on campus, stating they could face expulsion.Protesters first refused to obey an earlier order to disperse from the encampment they had set up at Columbia University’s Morningside campus. Then they moved to occupy Hamilton Hall on Tuesday morning, and video footage showed participants vandalizing the building and moving furniture and other items to block the entrances.
According to university spokesperson Ben Chang, students who occupied the building are at risk of expulsion, and those who ignored earlier orders to disperse have been suspended.
Access to the Morningside campus is now limited to students residing on campus and essential employees.
One week before the campus closure, University President Minouche Shafik halted in-person learning over concerns that pro-Palestinian protesters had begun to disrupt learning while harassing some students.
The protests on the Columbia campus have been organized through a number of groups, including Columbia’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter and “Columbia University Apartheid Divest.” Protesters said in a statement that they won’t leave Hamilton Hall unless the university concedes to “three demands: divestment, financial transparency, and amnesty.”
While the university has agreed to speed up the divestment process and enhance transparency, it has declined to fully divest from Israel.
Supreme Court Turns Away Musk Challenge to SEC Restrictions on His Speech
The Supreme Court recently declined to review the Tesla CEO’s challenge against a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that required a legal monitor to review his social media postings.This issue started when Mr. Musk posted on Twitter in 2018 about considering taking Tesla private, which the SEC claimed violated securities laws and was “materially false and misleading.”
Mr. Musk settled a civil action with the SEC, which requires the billionaire to obtain “preapproval” from a securities lawyer before making public statements on a wide range of topics. He later argued that the requirement to have his posts monitored infringes on his First Amendment rights and that he was coerced into the agreement.
His lawyers said in court papers that this monitoring unfairly restricts his speech, even when it’s “truthful and accurate” and not related to the SEC’s initial case against him. Mr. Musk also argued in his petition that the lower court’s decision directly contradicts the Supreme Court’s rulings on “unconstitutional” conditions. He believes it gives too much power to government agencies to force individuals to give up their constitutional rights.
However, the appeals court supported the SEC’s view that Mr. Musk had waived his rights to contest these conditions by signing the settlement. The Supreme Court denied Musk’s petition without providing an explanation.
Employers Must Honor Preferred Pronouns, Bathrooms for Employees Identifying as Transgender: Feds
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published new workplace harassment guidelines on Monday, under which an employer would be deemed liable for harassment for referring to a worker by an unwanted pronoun or requiring the worker to use a restroom that aligns with his or her biological sex.The new rules were passed by a vote of 3–2, with Democratic commissioners in favor and Republican commissioners opposed. The new regulations claim that gender identity is now protected from harassment, in the same way sex, race, religion, and disability are also protected.
While these guidelines aren’t legally binding like laws, they do reflect the EEOC’s position on these issues and offer a reference for employees facing disputes over restroom use or pronouns.
The EEOC had previously tried to set up special rules for LGBT employees at work. However, those efforts ran into some legal roadblocks.
Attorneys general from 20 states successfully sued to block these attempts, arguing that such decisions should fall to Congress and the states.
Courts in Tennessee and Texas have since ruled against the EEOC’s guidance, pointing to misinterpretations of a Supreme Court ruling, which found that it’s unconstitutional for sexual orientation and gender identity to be considered as factors in employment decisions.
First Cases of HIV Transmitted Through Cosmetic Needles Identified: CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported recently that several individuals contracted HIV after receiving cosmetic facials at an unlicensed spa in New Mexico.The facials used a technique called microneedling, which involves drawing a person’s blood, processing it to extract platelet-rich plasma, and then applying it back to the skin through tiny punctures. Three women who received this treatment at VIP Salon, referred to as “spa A” in the report, were diagnosed with HIV. The investigation pinpointed these facials as the likely method of HIV transmission.
The spa was investigated and shut down in 2019 after being linked to HIV cases, leading to felony charges against the former owner for practicing medicine without a license. A total of five HIV cases related to the spa were identified, including four individuals who had undergone microneedling and one who was in a sexual relationship with a spa client. The investigation was hindered by poor record-keeping at the spa, resulting in complicated efforts to track down potential cases and assess the full impact.
HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system and can lead to AIDS if not treated. While there is no cure for HIV, it can be controlled through available treatments.
Nearly 200 other spa clients and their sexual partners were tested through 2023 as part of the investigation, but none tested positive for HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C, according to the CDC.
The CDC’s recently released report highlights the critical importance of infection control and regulatory oversight in cosmetic procedures to prevent the transmission of bloodborne diseases. It also highlights the ongoing need to monitor new sources of HIV transmission, especially in environments lacking proper health and safety practices.
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Finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap things up with a very “notable” quote.
It was Confucius who said: “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
Confucius was China’s most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist. He was also a fine student and he studied music, mathematics, the classics, history, and more.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas, we hope you learned something new today, and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow for another edition of the Epoch Times News Brief. Have an absolutely fabulous Wednesday.
