Trump fires more immigration judges in what some suspect is a move to bend courts to his will

The Justice Department's move last week to fire at least eight immigration judges, including four from California, is raising fears among Democratic leaders, academics and others that the Trump Administration is chipping away at due process protections for immigrants.

"These firings made no sense," said Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the union representing the nation's 700 immigration judges. "When you do the simple math, each judge does 500 to 700 cases a year. Most of them are deportation cases. So what he's effectively done is he's increased the already huge backlog that the immigration courts face."

The Executive Office for Immigration Review, or EOIR, which runs the immigration court system, fired at least two dozen more immigration judges and supervising judges in February, including five from California courts, according to the judge's union. The administration also eliminated five in leadership positions at the EOIR and removed nine Board of Immigration Appeals judges appointed under Biden.

An additional 85 professional court staff members — including 19 judges, interpreters, legal assistants and IT specialists took buyouts after receiving a "Fork in the Road" email that offered federal workers "deferred resignations."

—Los Angeles Times

Michelle Obama breaks silence on skipping Trump inauguration

Michelle Obama addressed her decision not to attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

The former First Lady got candid about the controversial move while talking with her brother Craig Robinson on their podcast, “IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson.”

“My decision to skip the inauguration — or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me — were met with such ridicule and criticism,” Michelle said on the April 23 episode. “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason, that they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart.”

The-61-year old was quick to dispel the divorce rumors that followed her decision not to attend the inaugural festivities, reiterating that the decision was about doing what “was right” for her.

—New York Daily News

Social media warning label bill moves forward in California legislature

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A bill that would add a black box warning to social media home screens moved forward in the California Legislature Tuesday, after emotional testimony from witnesses and Assembly members.

AB 56, authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, would show users of all ages a black box warning for 10 seconds when the home screen is first opened for the day, a larger warning box for at least 90 seconds after 3 hours of active use, and once an hour after that. The bill initially suggested a 90 second warning when users first access the sites or apps, but was watered down over the course of negotiations.

The amended warning would read: “The Surgeon General has warned that while social media may have benefits for some young users, social media is associated with significant mental health harms and has not been proven safe for young users.”

Last summer, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a surgeon general’s warning label to be placed on social media platforms to address the youth mental health crisis.

—The Sacramento Bee

Modi summons ministers after 26 die in Kashmir attack

Gunmen killed as many as 26 people in the northern Indian region of Jammu and Kashmir, one of the worst attacks in years on civilians in the region that prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia and summon an urgent meeting with his top ministers.

Local officials confirmed at least 16 dead, although people familiar with the matter said the death toll was about 25 to 26, with several others injured. The people asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. The army and police have started a search operation to locate the attackers.

The gunmen started firing indiscriminately at tourists near the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) east of Srinagar, Press Trust of India reported. Two foreigners were among those killed in the attack, it said. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Modi returned to India, cutting short his two-day trip to Saudi Arabia, where he had earlier met with the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The prime minister condemned the attack and said those behind the act “will be brought to justice.”

—Bloomberg News