The Algorithm Age

The family of the Egyptian national who carried out the antisemitic attack in Boulder can be deported, a US federal judge ruled. On June 1, Mohamed Sabry Soliman threw Molotov cocktails at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, while yelling “Free Palestine.” One of the people wounded on the day, 82-year-old Karen Diamond , died of her injuries on June 25. Soliman now faces over 70 charges, including first-degree murder. Following his arrest, Soliman was found to be in the United States illegally on an expired visa, and his wife and five children are also illegal immigrants. On June 4, the District of Colorado issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from deporting the mother, Hayam El Gamal, and her five children, ages 4 to 18, from the United States. The case was then transferred to the Western District of Texas on June 18, where the court extended the order for an additional 14 da...

The Supreme Court will decide whether transgender women and girls can compete in women’s sports after taking up yet another case that could have far-reaching impacts for trans Americans. Justices have agreed to hear cases involving two trans students, Becky Pepper-Jackson and Lindsay Hecox, who challenged state bans in their respective home states of West Virginia and Idaho. Both athletes — now 15 and 24 years old, respectively — won court-ordered injunctions that blocked state officials from forcing them out of women’s sports. This fall, the nation’s highest court will hear arguments from both sides over whether those bans are constitutional, with a ruling expected to have nationwide implications. In 2023, the Supreme Court voted 7-2 to temporarily block West Virginia from banning Becky, then 12 years old, from competing on her middle school’s track and field team while legal challenges played out. The ruling marked the first time that the justices had weighed in t...

Sean “Diddy” Combs entered the courtroom in a canary yellow sweater with his head down. He smiled at his family. Just moments earlier, he and his attorneys had all gathered behind closed doors. The mood was tense as it was clear the mogul’s fate would soon be clear. At 10.12 a.m. on Wednesday, Judge Arun Subramanian announced he had received a note from the jury: “We’ve reached a verdict on all counts. ” The courtroom pews were fully packed. Subramanian calmly told the energized room to “maintain order.” The jury entered three minutes later to announce the verdict everyone in the courthouse, and many others far beyond, had been waiting to hear. Outside of the courthouse, a lone reporter yelled out, “Verdict!” Suddenly, a rush of people entered the barricades where journalists were set up broadcast cameras. Combs’ fans, the devoted trial live-streamers, reporters, and tourists who were passing by, then smushed into the area, holding their collective breath while wa...

A line has been seen forming outside the Latrobe Valley law courts from the crack of dawn. People from as far away as Melbourne have been travelling to Morwell for each day of the trial of Erin Patterson. Ms Patterson is charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in relation to a beef Wellington meal which contained death cap mushrooms. She has always maintained her innocence and her defence team says the inclusion of the mushrooms was a tragic accident. The case has drawn international interest, with journalists travelling from across the globe to be in the court room. On the ground, people with no association to the case have tried not to miss a moment in the trial. School groups, aspiring authors and internationally renowned authors such as Helen Garner have even attended. Braving the cold Michelle Wilson who lives 10 minutes from the courtroom, said she rang ahead to find out how she could watch the tr...

The verdict is in — sort of. Jurors at the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs have reached a partial verdict on Tuesday, July 1, but they won't be allowed to deliver their decision yet. The panel is ordered to keep deliberating by Manhattan federal court Judge Arun Subramanian after reporting it had reached a verdict on four out of five counts. According to outlets, they couldn’t agree on the racketeering charge. “We have not reached a verdict on count 1 because we have unpersuadable jurors on both sides,” the note continued. The music mogul's intense trial in Lower Manhattan federal district court is near the end after almost two months of unsettling testimonies from ex-girlfriends, former employers and other notable names of individuals who witnessed Combs' criminal behavior throughout his time in Hollywood. Jury Deliberation Concludes in Diddy Trial Deliberations began on Monday after closing arguments concluded at the end of la...