SCOTUS Sides With NRA in Free Speech Case; Jury Continues Deliberation in Trump NY Trial

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the National Rifle Association plausibly alleged that a former New York state official violated the First Amendment by pressuring insurance companies to cut ties with the gun rights organization. “A government official can share her views freely and criticize particular beliefs, and she can do so forcefully in the hopes of persuading others to follow her lead,” Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the majority opinion on May 30.

Jurors entered the second day of deliberations in the trial of former President Donald Trump. Justice Juan Merchan read back portions of his instructions and some witness testimony, as requested by the jury. The jury has no set timeline to deliver their verdict, but any decision they make will need to be unanimous.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has requested access to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s personal email and phone records, with the panel’s chairman saying the record request relates to new evidence suggesting that Dr. Fauci used a “secret back channel” to communicate about official COVID-19 information, including possibly using his personal email account to communicate about official government business during the pandemic.