In a significant legal development, a federal judge in New York has overturned a Trump-era policy designed to suspend visa processing for nationals from 75 countries deemed likely to need public assistance in the United States. This group included nations such as Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, deemed the policy unlawful and beyond the scope of statutory authority, announcing her decision to nullify it on Friday.

Judge Vargas declared that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had acted beyond his legal power by implementing the policy. She pointed out that it conflicted with the Immigration and Nationality Act by enforcing visa denials on otherwise eligible applicants without any legal precedent.

Judge says power lies with consular officers

Furthermore, Vargas emphasized that the policy undermined the congressional mandate that assigns consular officers the primary role in visa decision-making processes.

“Congress endowed these officers with unique authority and the discretion to assess if an immigrant qualifies for a visa based on a comprehensive review of specific criteria outlined in the statute,” Vargas articulated. “The Policy, which outright bans the issuance of immigrant visas based on an applicant’s nationality, directly contravenes this established statutory framework.”

The policy was challenged by two nonprofit organizations along with 11 individuals, including six whose family members had been refused visas. The remaining five are outside the country and had filed “employment-based petitions” to come to the United States.

Advocates say keeping families apart is cruel

“We welcome this ruling because, at its heart, this case is about keeping families together,” said Anna Gallagher, the executive director of CLINIC, a national nonprofit that provides training, resources, and support to a network of immigration legal service providers and was one of the plaintiffs.

“Catholic social teaching calls us to uphold the dignity of every person and recognize the family as the foundation of society,” she said in a statement. “This decision affirms both those values and the rule of law, allowing families to once again move forward toward reunification.”Another plaintiff is African Communities Together, a Harlem-based nonprofit. One of its leaders called the ruling “a tremendous victory for the rule of law.”

“This unlawful and racist ban caused immeasurable harm, cruelly keeping families and loved ones apart,” Diana Konate, deputy executive director for policy and advocacy, said in a statement. “Today, we are elated to tell our community members: this ban is no more.”

Trump expands his anti-immigration agenda

President Donald Trump has imposed a growing list of immigration and travel bans mostly for people from Africa, Asia and Latin America. The State Department said Saturday that the Trump administration is “protecting the American people by upholding the highest standards of screening and vetting of visa applicants,” and that it would not comment on pending litigation.

At the time the policy was issued, the State Department said it had instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the 75 countries in accordance with a broader order in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become “public charges.” Relying on Council of Economic Advisers data, the State Department said that more than 30 percent of households with immigrants from these countries received some form of public assistance.

A separate notice sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates said that non-immigrant visa applicants also should be “fully vetted and screened” for the possibility that they might seek public benefits in the United States.

The cable, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, noted several times that the applicant must prove they won’t apply for public benefits while in the U.S., and that consular officers who suspect the applicant might apply should require them to fill out a form proving their financial bona fides.

The ruling is the latest example of the courts upending Trump’s immigration agenda. In June, a federal judge struck down a Trump administration policy that made it harder for immigrants from dozens of countries to enter and stay in America — affecting elements like asylum, work permits, green cards, and citizenship applications. That judge said the policy threw countless immigrants’ lives “into indeterminate legal limbo,” and accused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of ignoring the law.

Veteran actor Michael Wright, renowned for his roles in The Five Heartbeats, Streamers, and Oz, has passed away at the age of 70.

His family confirmed to TMZ that Wright succumbed to heart failure in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Complications arose from Marchiafava-Bignami, a rare neurological disorder he was battling.

His wife, Susan Wright, announced the death of her husband on Friday evening in an emotional post on Instagram that was accompanied by a carousel of photos including one from their wedding and behind-the-scenes stills.

“It is with an overwhelming sense of sorrow and a heart full of grief that I announce the death of my dear husband, Michael Wright,” she expressed.

Michael Wright, born on April 30, 1956, in New York City, spent his formative years there, carving out a long-standing and respected career in film and television.

In the early stage of his journey, Wright was committed and humble, tirelessly honing his craft. He even took on janitorial duties at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute to afford his acting tuition, he revealed to Sheen Magazine in 2021.

He was well-known for his roles in the films The Five Heartbeats (1991); Streamers (1983), for which he won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival; Sugar Hill (1994) with Wesley Snipes; and The Wanderers (1979), in which he played Clinton, the leader of the Del Bombers gang.

His many television credits included the 1980s sci-fi series V and HBO’s prison drama series Oz (2001-2003), in which he played the poet-inmate Omar White.

But Wright’s most iconic and best-known role was in The Five Heartbeats, directed by Robert Townsend, about a fictional Motown band.

Wright earned praise for his intense performance as the troubled lead singer Eddie King Jr, depicting the change from confident superstar to broken man whose alcohol and drug addiction forces him to leave the band.

Wright’s portrayal of Eddie remains an unforgettable screen presence that fans still quote to this day, according to the director’s Instagram.

‘Michael was a husband, a father (Manon Wright, Byron Barr, Brittney Briggs, Brianna Barr, Sir Barr, a grandfather (Yoko), loved one, a friend, and an extraordinary artist whose work touched generations,’ his wife shared.

‘Many knew and loved him through “The Five Heartbeats,” “The Wanderers,” “V,” “The Principal,” “Streamers,” and the many other characters he brought to life throughout his remarkable career.

‘His talent, presence, and contributions to film and television will live on, but to those of us who loved him personally, he was so much more than the roles the world knew him for.’

Susan’s statement continued: ‘Our family is grieving an enormous and deeply personal loss. We understand how much Michael meant to so many people, and we are grateful for the love, prayers, memories, and condolences already being shared….’

Susan added that official plans regarding a memorial service will be shared at a later date.

‘In the coming days, when we are ready, we will share additional information regarding Michael’s life, legacy, and how we intend to honor and celebrate him,’ she wrote.

In conclusion, she added: ‘Michael, your work will live forever, but your love will live even longer in the hearts of those who knew you best. Rest peacefully, my love. You will be missed beyond words.’

In that 2021 interview with Sheen Magazine, Wright was asked to name ‘something that people might not know about you.’

‘I love to fish… I’ve been diving all around the world, fished around the world, lived with the Maasai in Tanzania, lived in Dakar and Senegal. I’ve swam with sharks. I’ve been everywhere,’ he answered.

When speaking about the ‘biggest life lesson [he] learned along the way,’ Wright said: ‘Well, you know… go everywhere, do everything you possibly can. Enrich your experience. 

‘That’s the best way to be the best that you can be. Leave nothing to chance. Focus yourself and just do it.’

Wright went on to tell the outlet: ‘The greatest sin an actor can commit, is to fail to be interesting.

‘I always try to make my characters interesting. I want you to be riveted and wonder what’s going on behind my eyes. I want the audience to think along with me and go on an internal journey.

‘It’s the minute things that you do that make a characterization compelling. The thing I longed for the most was when I knew that the audience was so captivated that I could hear the chairs creak as they were bending forward with anticipation.

‘That is the most fulfilling moment, it’s incredible. You’ve captivated them, you’ve bonded with them and they are hanging on your every emotion. That’s powerful,’ he added.

Though born and raised in New York City, later in life Wright lived in Los Angeles. 

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) — This past Saturday brought a welcome announcement for the residents of northwest Indiana who have been grappling with power outages for almost two weeks.

Lending their support over the weekend, ComEd, in partnership with the Chicago Bears, joined forces to offer relief.

Since August 11, thousands of residents in Indiana have been navigating life without electricity as severe thunderstorms swept across the Chicago area, resulting in widespread power outages.

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As of Saturday afternoon, energy provider NIPSCO reported that more than 30,000 customers in northwest Indiana were still in the dark, struggling with ongoing power disruptions.

In response to the continued outages, ComEd announced the deployment of 60 employees dedicated to assisting NIPSCO in their efforts to restore electricity to the affected areas in northwest Indiana.

More than 410,000 ComED customers had their power restored in northern Illinois after the severe weather, the company said.

The ComEd crews were expected to depart for Indiana around 3 p.m. Saturday. They expect the restoration efforts to last several more days.

Also Saturday, the Chicago Bears announced $200,000 in donations to storm relief efforts in southeast Cook County and northwest Indiana.

The team said $100,000 is going to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and $100,000 is going to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary.

Indiana Governor Mike Braun is asking the federal government to issue a major disaster declaration to help with relief efforts across the state. The request estimates property damage costs have topped $5 billion.

Meanwhile, a class-action lawsuit against Northern Indiana Public Service Company has been filed. The lawsuit claims NIPSCO inadequately performed vegetation management in and around power lines and that fallen trees led to power outages that impacted people’s lives.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Indiana residents alleges the widespread outages could have been prevented. Attorneys representing plaintiffs claim NIPSCO failed to properly manage vegetation and did not conduct adequate inspections of utility poles and power lines.

NIPSCO denied the allegations, saying it maintains an active vegetation management program and plans to vigorously defend itself through the legal process.

The utility also addressed concerns from customers who remain without power while continuing to receive utility bills.

“With respect to customer’s bills, we’ve suspended any kind of disconnection through the next week,” said NIPSCO President Melody Birmingham. “We’ll continue to work with our customers and put programs in place for any customers who have a difficult time paying that bill.”

NIPSCO issued the following statement Friday:
“We strongly disagree with the characterization of NIPSCO’s vegetation management practices in the Amended Complaint and the various press conferences held by the law firm of Kenneth Allen Law Group. We will vigorously defend the company through the legal process. NIPSCO’s electric operations, including its active vegetation management program, are overseen by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. NIPSCO’s vegetation management spend has more than doubled since 2016, demonstrating our commitment and focus on maintaining a safe and reliable electric system. NIPSCO understands the impact that prolonged outages can have on our customers and communities, particularly following storms, and in particular, the severe weather events that caused unprecedented damage across NIPSCO’s electric system that recently transpired. Safety and reliability are fundamental to how we operate, and we have established processes and procedures to maintain our electric system, including our vegetation management program. Our immediate focus remains on restoring service to affected customers safely and as quickly as possible.”

In a separate alarming incident in Nashville, four individuals undergoing routine joint replacement surgeries allegedly received the wrong medication injected into their spines. The mistake left at least one woman paralyzed, as reported by her family.

Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville publicly admitted to a “medication error” within their pharmacy. This blunder resulted in patients being injected with potassium phosphate rather than the intended anesthetic, causing serious adverse health effects, according to several news outlets.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has confirmed to News Media that it has launched an inquiry into the incident following a tip-off from the Tennessee Healthcare Facilities Commission received on Friday.

“The joint replacement went wonderful. Her knee is great. The rest of her is not,” Kristina Dorton told WKRN-TV, saying that her mother-in-law was left paralyzed. “It was supposed to be the anesthetic. It was supposed to be Bupivacaine, and it was potassium, and we don’t know what quantity,” Dorton said.

Dorton said her mother-in-law currently has no feeling from her breastbone down.

“We don’t know what recovery looks like or if there is recovery,” she said.

The other three patients allegedly suffered serious complications from the mix-up, with CBS News reporting that a second patient is also saying they were left paralyzed.

Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, president & CEO of the hospital, said in a statement earlier this week, per WSMV, “Our hearts are with the four patients and their families impacted by this event. On behalf of our leadership and care teams, I am deeply sorry for the harm caused to our patients. We have met directly with each of the families to express our deep support, connected them with spiritual care teams, and ensured they have access to all appropriate resources and ongoing care needed.”

Jagasia continued, “Providing safe, high-quality care is at the core of everything we do, and any gap in meeting that standard receives our immediate, uncompromising attention. The day of the event, we self-reported to state regulators and launched a thorough investigation. We identified the cause and have implemented corrective safeguards.”

She added that the hospital’s clinical teams are actively using enhanced safety protocols to “ensure the highest level of safety at Midtown.”

But Dorton told WKRN that the treatment to help her mother-in-law recover isn’t working.

“This is life-changing. You don’t come out of this without some type of life-altering, catastrophic deficit,” she said, adding that their family is hoping someone, somewhere will know how to help her mother-in-law.

“Time is of the essence here for recovery,” she added.

News Media has reached out to the hospital for comment.

In a bid to confront the alarming surge in red-light violations, Sacramento is considering a revival of its red-light camera program. This move comes two years after the city had halted the use of these cameras, as running red lights has become a critical issue in California’s bustling capital.

City officials in Sacramento are contemplating a proposal to deploy up to 20 new red-light cameras at accident-prone intersections known for their high rates of traffic signal violations. These potential sites include prominent stretches such as I Street, Capitol Avenue, and 16th Street, as well as Florin Road and Power Inn Road.

This proposal emerges in response to startling statistics indicating that nearly one-third of all serious traffic accidents in Sacramento are attributable to motorists blatantly disregarding red lights.

“Red-light running is becoming an epidemic in our city,” emphasized Dan Allison, a vocal advocate for transportation safety, highlighting the urgency of the issue.

Chris Dougherty, who oversees funding and asset planning for Sacramento, supported the efficacy of red-light camera programs, pointing to evidence that such initiatives have led to a 21% reduction in collisions caused by red-light runners.

The city has launched a survey to gather public input on where residents think the cameras should be installed. The cameras would be brought back under a new state law that classifies red light violations as traffic tickets instead of criminal moving violations.

Cameras would only capture rear license plates and not faces, city officials said. It would not be connected to police databases.

Fines would start at $100 for the first violation and increase up to $500, and low-income residents would qualify for reductions and low payment plans.

“Red light enforcement we can do immediately, and we’re looking for any strategy that we can find that can get people to slow down and drive a little safer,” City Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum told KCRA.

Sacramento did have traffic cameras back in 2024, but the program was scrapped due to operating costs. It had cost the city $898,000 per year, which was higher than the money generated from violation tickets.

Still, some residents were unsure about bringing the cameras back.

“Technology malfunctions. It’s not always effective. I’ve seen in the past where it randomly goes off and gives people tickets when they don’t deserve it,” resident Peyton Sievers said told CBS.

Plans for Meghan Markle’s much-anticipated return to the screen have reportedly been shelved. Her potential role in the third season of “The Gentlemen” has been axed following public criticism.

According to royal commentator Tina Brown, Guy Ritchie’s popular Netflix series withdrew its offer to the Duchess of Sussex after the backlash in the UK became overwhelming.

Brown remarked, “I’ve heard that Meghan Markle’s role has been rescinded. The controversy surrounding her casting grew too intense, making it impossible to proceed.”

In the “Fresh Hell” newsletter on Substack, she further commented, “This development casts doubt on Meghan’s potential return to acting.”

Back in 2019, Meghan firmly stated she had no intention of resuming her acting career. In a 2022 interview with Variety magazine, she asserted, “I’m done. I think it’s never say never, but my plan is definitely not to.”

Now, however, her return to the screen has been touted by sources ‘close to the duchess’ as one of the reasons she and Prince Harry are returning to Britain.

But commentators have suggested that any acting role for Meghan and a subsequent return to the spotlight could be problematic both for the Sussexes and the Royal Family in general.

Baroness Wheatcroft, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said: ‘The first thing any actress wants is publicity and Meghan may be a good actress. She is certainly going to be offered roles but she has to be very careful when the inevitable interviews come along not to embarrass the royals.’

Before marrying Harry, Meghan enjoyed a successful seven-season run as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits. She reportedly earned around $40,000 per episode by the time her final episode aired in April 2018 – just one month before she walked down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Meghan has a small cameo in the upcoming film Close Personal Friends, starring Brie Larson and Lily Collins. But a source connected with the project described the appearance to The Mail on Sunday as little more than fleeting. A role in Ritchie’s The Gentlemen would have marked a far more significant return to acting.

Last night Netflix declined to comment while a spokesman for the duchess refused to confirm or deny that the offer had been withdrawn.

The possibility of Meghan appearing in the show emerged last week with sources claiming she was in ‘advanced discussions’ about joining the third season.

The Gentleman, based on Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name, follows an English aristocrat who discovers that the estate he has inherited conceals a lucrative marijuana-growing operation.

The second season arrives on Netflix next month.

Reports that Ritchie was considering creating a role for Meghan were met with an immediate torrent of online criticism.

On Netflix’s Instagram account for The Gentlemen, one viewer warned: ‘If Guy Ritchie hires Markle to go on Season 3, his ratings will drop fast.’

Another wrote: ‘Many will boycott The Gentlemen if MM is in the cast. I loved the series but cannot watch the new series if she is in it.’

Others said they would refuse to watch the programme ‘out of principle’, citing anger over Meghan’s claims about her treatment by the Royal Family.

A source at Disney studios told The MoS last night: ‘Every so often people around [Hollywood] get calls about whether there are any gigs for Meghan but she’s a polarising choice… She’s not someone I would want in one of my shows because you’re alienating a large part of your audience before you shoot a single frame.’

Tina Brown believes the duchess may have become too toxic for mainstream TV roles.

The author of The Diana Chronicles and The Palace Papers told the MoS: ‘The backlash was too intense for Ritchie to proceed.’

Meghan and Harry signed a $100million five-year deal with Netflix in 2020, but that lapsed last year with the streaming giant declining to renew it. Their Harry & Meghan docuseries was the most-viewed in Netflix history, but subsequent projects failed. The lifestyle show ‘With Love, Meghan’ attracted mixed reviews and was not renewed, while Harry’s ‘Polo’ series was a flop.

But the MoS has learned that Meghan could find success in the theatre. Mark Borkowski, a West End PR expert, said: ‘I’ve had two West End managements calling me up for a PR view on if they should approach Meghan… They were asking if she would sell tickets and I told them absolutely.’