Reuters Legal

BREAKING: A US appeals court temporarily paused a judge's ruling that blocked the Trump administration from implementing bans on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at federal agencies and businesses that contract with the federal government. https://reut.rs/3FHiMJT

President Donald Trump's administration is expected to move ahead with a second wave of mass firings and budget cuts across the U.S. government, just one day after two federal judges ordered the reinstatement of thousands of workers. Federal agencies had faced a March 13 deadline to submit large-scale downsizing plans as part of Trump's push to radically remake the federal bureaucracy, a task he has largely left to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. So far, DOGE has overseen potential cuts of more than 100,000 jobs across the 2.3 million-member federal civilian workforce, the freezing of foreign aid, and the cancellation of thousands of programs and contracts. Read more: https://reut.rs/3DHgWZ0

Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleaded not guilty to a new indictment, which added accusations that the hip-hop mogul forced employees to work long hours and threatened to punish those who did not assist in his two-decade sex trafficking scheme.   Combs entered his plea to the new indictment before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian at a hearing in Manhattan federal court. A trial remains scheduled for May 5.   Combs previously pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.   While the new indictment added no new charges, it described what prosecutors called the ‘forced labor’ that Combs demanded in connection with the 20-year alleged racketeering conspiracy.   Read the full story for more ➡️ https://reut.rs/3RbYvyG

A federal judge said California cannot enforce a state law meant to shield children from online content that could harm them mentally or physically. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman ruled on March 13 that the trade group NetChoice deserved a preliminary injunction because it was likely to show the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act violated its members' free speech rights under the Constitution's First Amendment. NetChoice said the law would turn its 39 members, including Amazon, Google, Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms, Netflix and Elon Musk's X, into state-deputized censors and 'censor the internet under the guise of privacy.' The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta expressed disappointment and said he 'remains committed to tackling this issue and to defending California's common-sense statutes.' It plans to respond to the decision in court. Read more: https://reut.rs/4bQK7p0 

The Trump administration’s policy of deporting some foreign nationals who participate in pro-Palestinian protests is unconstitutional, lawyers for a detained Columbia University student said. In their first filing since U.S. authorities articulated the legal basis for arresting Mahmoud Khalil, his lawyers urged U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman to immediately release him from immigration detention because his free speech rights were violated. Khalil’s legal team is led by Amy Belsher of the New York Civil Liberties Foundation.   Subscribe to the Afternoon Docket here: reut.rs/3XzNBq2

The U.S. Department of Education said its office for civil rights is investigating 45 universities, citing complaints that the schools engaged with a program that set eligibility based on race. Since Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January, his administration has sought to limit efforts to provide support to people based on race, gender or ethnicity. The Department of Education said the new probe announced followed allegations that the universities partnered with a program that seeks to increase diversity in college business schools. Read more: https://reut.rs/3R9xA6F

The Trump administration has told Columbia University that it must make a series of policy changes as a precondition for talks on restoring $400 million in canceled federal contracts and grants, ratcheting up its crackdown on the school and others where pro-Palestinian protests flourished last year. The demands, made in a letter dated on March 13, coincided with a search of two student dormitory rooms by federal agents at the New York City campus, its interim president said. The searches came a week after immigration agents detained Mahmoud Khalil, the leader of last year's protests at Columbia, in a bid to deport him that so far has been blocked in court. The developments are the latest signals that the Trump administration has no plans to ease up on efforts to reshape the policies on how U.S. college campuses deal with protests. Read more: https://reut.rs/3XSjlqx

LIVE: Sean 'Diddy' Combs is due back in Manhattan federal court Sean 'Diddy' Combs is due back in Manhattan federal court to be arraigned on new indictment, which added accusations that the hip-hop mogul forced employees to work long hours and threatened to punish those who did not assist in his two-decade sex trafficking scheme. Combs previously pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. While the new indictment added no new charges, it described what prosecutors called the 'forced labor' that Combs demanded in connection with the racketeering conspiracy. #Reuters #News #SeanDiddyCombs #Court #Manhattan #Indictment Keep up with the latest news from around the world: https://www.reuters.com/

The FDA's chief counsel Hilary Perkins has resigned, just two days after her appointment was announced.   The resignation comes after Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri openly criticized Martin Makary, President Donald Trump's nominee for FDA Commissioner, for Perkins' appointment.   Hawley also criticized Perkins for being pro-abortion and having supported vaccine mandates.   Subscribe to The Daily Docket for more: https://reut.rs/4aBvwvO

U.S. agencies are defying a court order blocking President Donald Trump's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at businesses and organizations that contract with the federal government, groups suing over the ban said in a court filing on March 13. The groups, along with the city of Baltimore, told U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Maryland that federal agencies are continuing to threaten contractors with loss of funding if they do not sign contracts with anti-DEI language, despite the judge's order last month barring enforcement of the policy while the lawsuit proceeds. The lawsuit was brought by the NADOHE - National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and the city of Baltimore. They argue that the anti-DEI policy violates their freedom of speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Brendan Pierson has more: https://reut.rs/3DSz8il