Australia
Judge rejects U.S. Marine pilot’s appeal against extradition to U.S.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian judge on Thursday rejected an appeal by former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan to avoid extradition to the United States over allegations that he illegally trained Chinese military aviators more than a decade ago.
Duggan is accused of training Chinese military pilots while working as an instructor for the Test Flying Academy of South Africa. Duggan has denied the allegations, contending they were political posturing and that the U.S. was unfairly singling him out.
Federal Court Justice James Stellios ruled in dismissing the appeal that no jurisdiction error was made in 2024 by the then Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in ordering Duggan’s extradition.
Duggan’s wife and mother of his six children, Saffrine Duggan, told reporters outside the court in Canberra that his lawyers would consider a further appeal. Lawyers are also asking Dreyfus’s successor as attorney-general, Michelle Rowland, to reverse the extradition order.
“We are very disappointed by this ruling and we will consider our options carefully. But make no mistake, we will not give up,” Saffrine Duggan said. “Today does not end our search for justice.”
Rowland’s office noted the court ruling and said in a statement Daniel Duggan would “remain in extradition custody in Australia until his surrender to the United States.”
A 2016 indictment from the U.S. District Court in Washington, which was unsealed in late 2022, alleges Duggan conspired with others to provide training to Chinese military pilots in 2010 and 2012, and possibly other times, without applying for an appropriate license.
Prosecutors allege Duggan received about nine payments totaling around 88,000 Australian dollars ($61,000) from another conspirator as well as travel to the U.S., South Africa and China for what was sometimes described as “personal development training.”
Duggan, who is 57 and was born in Boston, has been held in maximum security prisons since he was arrested in 2022 at a supermarket near his family home in New South Wales.
New York
2 men plead not guilty in alleged Islamic State-inspired bomb attempt outside mayor’s home
NEW YORK (AP) — Two men pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges they brought homemade bombs to an anti-Islam protest outside the New York City’s mayor’s home in a failed attempt at a terror attack inspired by the Islamic State group.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, entered the pleas during a brief appearance in federal court in Manhattan.
The two, who are both from the Philadelphia area, face charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction.
Prosecutors say Balat and Kayumi drove from their home state to Manhattan in order to attack a March 7 anti-Islam demonstration in front of Gracie Mansion. The protest was hosted by Jake Lang, a far-right activist and critic of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim to hold the office.
Prosecutors say the pair threw two devices containing the explosive TATP and shrapnel, but the jar-sized bombs failed to detonate. No one was injured and the two were quickly detained. The mayor and his wife were not home at the time.
Balat and Kayumi later told police they were inspired by the Islamic State group, according to a federal complaint. The two were also recorded on their vehicle’s dashcam describing their plan to kill as many as 60 people in a bid to “start terror,” according to prosecutors.
Balat’s lawyer declined to comment after the hearing. Kayumi’s attorneys didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Their next court date is June 16.
Florida
Tiger Woods’ lawyer vows to fight subpoena for prescription records in DUI
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods ‘ attorney intends to fight an attempt by prosecutors to subpoena the golfer’s prescription drug records following his arrest last month in Florida on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Attorney Doug Duncan said this week in a court filing that Woods has a constitutional right to privacy when it comes to his prescription medications. The attorney asked a judge overseeing the case in Martin County, Florida to hold a hearing to determine if the drug records are necessary for the criminal investigation.
If the judge determines the drug records are necessary, Duncan asked for a protective order limiting their release only to prosecutors, law enforcement officers, state experts and Woods’ defense team.
Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. A sheriff’s office report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a truck’s trailer and rolled over on its side.
Woods was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island with a 30 mph (nearly 50 kph) speed limit when his Land Rover caused $5,000 in damage to the truck, according to an incident report. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but refused a urine test, authorities said.
Prosecutors told the court they would issue a subpoena seeking copies of all prescription medication records for the legendary golfer on file at Lewis Pharmacy in Palm Beach, Florida from the start of the year through the end of last month.
Prosecutors also demanded in court papers on Wednesday that Woods reveal the names and locations of any witnesses he plans to present in his defense.
Florida
Injured passenger awarded $300K after jury finds Carnival over-served her alcohol
MIAMI (AP) — Carnival Cruise Line must pay $300,000 to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found that the company was negligent in serving the woman more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell down some stairs and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury.
The Miami federal jury decided last Friday in favor of Diana Sanders, a 45-year-old nurse from Vacaville, California.
“Taking on a corporate giant like Carnival is a massive undertaking, and I have enormous respect for my client’s resilience throughout this 18-month litigation,” Sanders’ attorney Spencer Aronfeld said in an email. “This case highlights the inherent dangers of all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritize tips over safety.”
A statement from Carnival Corporation said it respectfully disagrees with the verdict and believes there are grounds for a new trial and appeal, which it will pursue.
According to the lawsuit, Sanders was a passenger aboard the Carnival Radiance on Jan. 5, 2024, when was served at least 14 shots between approximately 2:58 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. She experienced a fall some time between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m. that caused her to suffer a concussion, headaches, a possible traumatic brain injury, back injuries, tailbone injuries, bruising and other injuries, the complaint said.
Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the Casino bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area.
In a separate case that is still ongoing, the fiancée of a man who died on a cruise ship filed a wrongful death lawsuit last year against Royal Caribbean, alleging it negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable for his death after crew members tackled him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight.
Maryland
Judge extends pause on work to turn warehouse into immigrant detention
A federal judge extended a pause Wednesday on transforming a massive Maryland warehouse into a processing facility for immigrants in a development that comes as federal immigration officials review a plan to house tens of thousands in converted industrial buildings.
The Department of Homeland Security purchased the 825,000-square-foot (76,645-square-meter) building near the Washington County town of Hagerstown in January for $102.4 million. Among the 11 warehouses purchased nationwide, the Maryland facility was supposed to be one of the first to open, capable of housing 500 to 1,500 detainees.
But the federal government has faced such fierce opposition nationwide that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is reviewing the warehouse plan. And while officials in Washington County approved a proclamation declaring their “unwavering support” for DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the state sued.
The Maryland lawsuit alleged that the federal government didn’t conduct the required environmental reviews. It said the building is in a flood plain and the federal government didn’t seek public comment on its plans until more than a month after the building was purchased.
Several groups raised concerns before the public comment period closed on March 5. But the suit said Immigration and Customs Enforcement, flush with cash from a massive congressional appropriation, issued a contract the very next day worth $113 million to renovate the building, with that work expected to wrap up by May 4.
Ultimately, a federal judge issued a short-term temporary restraining order soon afterward that halted work to retrofit the building. After a hearing Wednesday, the judge agreed to a longer-term preliminary injunction that will allow only limited work, like the installation of a fence and heating and cooling work, until the case is decided.
DHS said in a statement that it strongly disagrees with the ruling.
“Let’s be honest about what is happening,” the statement said. “This isn’t about the environment. It’s about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe.”
In an earlier court filing, the federal government had said “ICE is reconsidering the plans and scope of the warehouse.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the preliminary injunction a “major and welcome step forward.” And Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said it proves that “no one, not even the federal government, is above the law.”
Matthew Schindler, a Maryland state delegate who also has opposed the warehouse, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the plan immigration officials were pursuing was “outpacing accountability.”
He added: “We don’t want to see our community compromised because corners were cut.”
The Maryland lawsuit is one of three pending in federal court, and officials elsewhere have tried to block warehouse conversions by arguing that water and sewage infrastructure is inadequate.
“Washington County has become basically ground zero for all these warehouse fights,” said Kyle McCarthy, of Hagerstown Rapid Response, which is fighting the project. “We’ve helped show a blueprint for how other communities can fight and stop these from happening. We’ve been throwing sand in the gears at every possible moment.”
Judge rejects U.S. Marine pilot’s appeal against extradition to U.S.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian judge on Thursday rejected an appeal by former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan to avoid extradition to the United States over allegations that he illegally trained Chinese military aviators more than a decade ago.
Duggan is accused of training Chinese military pilots while working as an instructor for the Test Flying Academy of South Africa. Duggan has denied the allegations, contending they were political posturing and that the U.S. was unfairly singling him out.
Federal Court Justice James Stellios ruled in dismissing the appeal that no jurisdiction error was made in 2024 by the then Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in ordering Duggan’s extradition.
Duggan’s wife and mother of his six children, Saffrine Duggan, told reporters outside the court in Canberra that his lawyers would consider a further appeal. Lawyers are also asking Dreyfus’s successor as attorney-general, Michelle Rowland, to reverse the extradition order.
“We are very disappointed by this ruling and we will consider our options carefully. But make no mistake, we will not give up,” Saffrine Duggan said. “Today does not end our search for justice.”
Rowland’s office noted the court ruling and said in a statement Daniel Duggan would “remain in extradition custody in Australia until his surrender to the United States.”
A 2016 indictment from the U.S. District Court in Washington, which was unsealed in late 2022, alleges Duggan conspired with others to provide training to Chinese military pilots in 2010 and 2012, and possibly other times, without applying for an appropriate license.
Prosecutors allege Duggan received about nine payments totaling around 88,000 Australian dollars ($61,000) from another conspirator as well as travel to the U.S., South Africa and China for what was sometimes described as “personal development training.”
Duggan, who is 57 and was born in Boston, has been held in maximum security prisons since he was arrested in 2022 at a supermarket near his family home in New South Wales.
New York
2 men plead not guilty in alleged Islamic State-inspired bomb attempt outside mayor’s home
NEW YORK (AP) — Two men pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges they brought homemade bombs to an anti-Islam protest outside the New York City’s mayor’s home in a failed attempt at a terror attack inspired by the Islamic State group.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, entered the pleas during a brief appearance in federal court in Manhattan.
The two, who are both from the Philadelphia area, face charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction.
Prosecutors say Balat and Kayumi drove from their home state to Manhattan in order to attack a March 7 anti-Islam demonstration in front of Gracie Mansion. The protest was hosted by Jake Lang, a far-right activist and critic of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim to hold the office.
Prosecutors say the pair threw two devices containing the explosive TATP and shrapnel, but the jar-sized bombs failed to detonate. No one was injured and the two were quickly detained. The mayor and his wife were not home at the time.
Balat and Kayumi later told police they were inspired by the Islamic State group, according to a federal complaint. The two were also recorded on their vehicle’s dashcam describing their plan to kill as many as 60 people in a bid to “start terror,” according to prosecutors.
Balat’s lawyer declined to comment after the hearing. Kayumi’s attorneys didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Their next court date is June 16.
Florida
Tiger Woods’ lawyer vows to fight subpoena for prescription records in DUI
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods ‘ attorney intends to fight an attempt by prosecutors to subpoena the golfer’s prescription drug records following his arrest last month in Florida on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Attorney Doug Duncan said this week in a court filing that Woods has a constitutional right to privacy when it comes to his prescription medications. The attorney asked a judge overseeing the case in Martin County, Florida to hold a hearing to determine if the drug records are necessary for the criminal investigation.
If the judge determines the drug records are necessary, Duncan asked for a protective order limiting their release only to prosecutors, law enforcement officers, state experts and Woods’ defense team.
Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. A sheriff’s office report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a truck’s trailer and rolled over on its side.
Woods was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island with a 30 mph (nearly 50 kph) speed limit when his Land Rover caused $5,000 in damage to the truck, according to an incident report. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but refused a urine test, authorities said.
Prosecutors told the court they would issue a subpoena seeking copies of all prescription medication records for the legendary golfer on file at Lewis Pharmacy in Palm Beach, Florida from the start of the year through the end of last month.
Prosecutors also demanded in court papers on Wednesday that Woods reveal the names and locations of any witnesses he plans to present in his defense.
Florida
Injured passenger awarded $300K after jury finds Carnival over-served her alcohol
MIAMI (AP) — Carnival Cruise Line must pay $300,000 to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found that the company was negligent in serving the woman more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell down some stairs and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury.
The Miami federal jury decided last Friday in favor of Diana Sanders, a 45-year-old nurse from Vacaville, California.
“Taking on a corporate giant like Carnival is a massive undertaking, and I have enormous respect for my client’s resilience throughout this 18-month litigation,” Sanders’ attorney Spencer Aronfeld said in an email. “This case highlights the inherent dangers of all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritize tips over safety.”
A statement from Carnival Corporation said it respectfully disagrees with the verdict and believes there are grounds for a new trial and appeal, which it will pursue.
According to the lawsuit, Sanders was a passenger aboard the Carnival Radiance on Jan. 5, 2024, when was served at least 14 shots between approximately 2:58 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. She experienced a fall some time between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m. that caused her to suffer a concussion, headaches, a possible traumatic brain injury, back injuries, tailbone injuries, bruising and other injuries, the complaint said.
Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the Casino bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area.
In a separate case that is still ongoing, the fiancée of a man who died on a cruise ship filed a wrongful death lawsuit last year against Royal Caribbean, alleging it negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable for his death after crew members tackled him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight.
Maryland
Judge extends pause on work to turn warehouse into immigrant detention
A federal judge extended a pause Wednesday on transforming a massive Maryland warehouse into a processing facility for immigrants in a development that comes as federal immigration officials review a plan to house tens of thousands in converted industrial buildings.
The Department of Homeland Security purchased the 825,000-square-foot (76,645-square-meter) building near the Washington County town of Hagerstown in January for $102.4 million. Among the 11 warehouses purchased nationwide, the Maryland facility was supposed to be one of the first to open, capable of housing 500 to 1,500 detainees.
But the federal government has faced such fierce opposition nationwide that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is reviewing the warehouse plan. And while officials in Washington County approved a proclamation declaring their “unwavering support” for DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the state sued.
The Maryland lawsuit alleged that the federal government didn’t conduct the required environmental reviews. It said the building is in a flood plain and the federal government didn’t seek public comment on its plans until more than a month after the building was purchased.
Several groups raised concerns before the public comment period closed on March 5. But the suit said Immigration and Customs Enforcement, flush with cash from a massive congressional appropriation, issued a contract the very next day worth $113 million to renovate the building, with that work expected to wrap up by May 4.
Ultimately, a federal judge issued a short-term temporary restraining order soon afterward that halted work to retrofit the building. After a hearing Wednesday, the judge agreed to a longer-term preliminary injunction that will allow only limited work, like the installation of a fence and heating and cooling work, until the case is decided.
DHS said in a statement that it strongly disagrees with the ruling.
“Let’s be honest about what is happening,” the statement said. “This isn’t about the environment. It’s about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe.”
In an earlier court filing, the federal government had said “ICE is reconsidering the plans and scope of the warehouse.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the preliminary injunction a “major and welcome step forward.” And Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said it proves that “no one, not even the federal government, is above the law.”
Matthew Schindler, a Maryland state delegate who also has opposed the warehouse, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the plan immigration officials were pursuing was “outpacing accountability.”
He added: “We don’t want to see our community compromised because corners were cut.”
The Maryland lawsuit is one of three pending in federal court, and officials elsewhere have tried to block warehouse conversions by arguing that water and sewage infrastructure is inadequate.
“Washington County has become basically ground zero for all these warehouse fights,” said Kyle McCarthy, of Hagerstown Rapid Response, which is fighting the project. “We’ve helped show a blueprint for how other communities can fight and stop these from happening. We’ve been throwing sand in the gears at every possible moment.”
