Trump Immunity, Karen Read Mistrial, and a Rocket Crash.

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Big Stories

Karen Read Cop Murder Case

A judge declared a mistrial in the murder trial of Karen Read after jurors couldn't agree on a verdict.

• Read is accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, by hitting him with her SUV in January 2022. The jury remained deadlocked after five days of deliberation following a nine-week trial. Some jurors believed there was enough evidence to convict, while others did not.

• Prosecutors argued that Read and O’Keefe had a rocky relationship, leading to Read backing her SUV into him and leaving him to die. They presented evidence, including vehicle data and DNA, to support their claim. The defense, however, argued that Read was framed by law enforcement to cover up a beating O’Keefe allegedly suffered at a party. They pointed to compromised investigators and manipulated evidence as part of the cover-up.

• Despite the mistrial, O’Keefe's family received support from the district attorney's office, which plans to retry the case. Read's lawyer criticized the investigation and vowed to continue fighting. The case may take years to resolve.

California Bars/Clubs Must Provide Drug-Testing Devices

A new law in California requires bars and clubs to offer drug-testing devices to protect guests from drinks spiked with "date rape drugs."

• Assembly Bill 1013 took effect on Monday and applies to 2,400 establishments with Type 48 licenses, which allow the sale of beer, wine, and spirits. The law requires these venues to provide drug test kits for free or at a reasonable cost and to display signs informing patrons about the availability of these kits.

• Test kits will be either strips, stickers, straws, or other devices that can detect drugs like flunitrazepam, ketamine, and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) — substances often used to incapacitate victims of sexual assault. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says that these drugs have strong sedative and memory-impairing effects, especially when combined with alcohol. They’re dangerous and often undetectable when dissolved in drinks.

• The DEA described the harmful effects of these drugs, noting that flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) and GHB are particularly notorious as date rape drugs. Their misuse can lead to severe health issues, including unconsciousness and death at high doses. Establishments can have their licenses revoked if they don’t comply with the new law.

Trump Immunity

The Supreme Court ruled that presidents have immunity for official acts, but didn't decide if former President Trump's actions on January 6 were protected.

• The 6-3 decision means Trump's January 6 case won't go to trial before the 2024 presidential election. The trial, initially set for earlier this year, was postponed indefinitely.

• Chief Justice John Roberts said that a former president has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their official duties, but no immunity for unofficial acts. Roberts noted that Trump is immune for his discussions with Justice Department officials and his attempts to influence then-Vice President Mike Pence, but it's up to the district court to decide the scope of his immunity. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will now decide if Trump's actions in the indictment were official.

• The court's liberal justices disagreed with the ruling, arguing it puts the president above the law. The Supreme Court's decision implies former presidents have some immunity but not the complete immunity Trump sought.

Little Stories

• The U.S. men's national soccer team was knocked out of the first round of the 2024 Copa America after losing 1-0 to Uruguay in Kansas City. The disappointing performance might lead to big changes for the team, especially for coach Gregg Berhalter's job status. The team had hoped to use Copa America to gain momentum for the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. (More)

• The Boston Celtics' majority ownership group, led by Wyc Grousbeck, plans to sell the team. Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca bought the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million. Team values have soared since, with recent sales like the Phoenix Suns going for $4 billion and the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks each selling for $3.5 billion (More)

• A teenage computer whiz named Carlo Acutis, who used the early internet to spread the Catholic faith, will become the church's first millennial saint. Acutis died of leukemia at 15 in 2006. He is known as "God's influencer" and the "patron saint of the internet" for his work recording communion miracles. (More)

• A Chinese private company's space rocket crashed and exploded near a city on Sunday after accidentally launching during a test. The Tianlong-3 rocket had a structural failure and left its launch pad, landing in a hilly area of Gongyi in central China. No casualties were reported. (More)

• Steve Bannon, a key ally of Donald Trump, went to prison on Monday to serve a four-month sentence for defying a congressional subpoena about the January 6th Capitol attack. At the prison, he told reporters that he considered himself a "political prisoner." Bannon said he was proud of what he did and had no regrets. (More)

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