Judge Won’t Toss Indictment Against Southern Poverty Law CenterFinding no evidence of vindictive prosecution, a federal judge on Friday ruled that an indictment brought against the Southern Poverty Law Center by the Justice Department cannot be dismissed. The nonprofit group, which has investigated extremist and hate groups since the 1970s, was indicted in April. The charges were thin and largely focused on claims that SPLC committed a conspiracy to launder money through its paid informant program. The group moved to have the indictment dismissed in May, arguing the Trump administration was unfairly targeting them and attempting to silence them for their probing of the administration’s policies and support Trump has received from extremist groups like Patriot Front or the Proud Boys. (FBI director Kash Patel ended the government’s years-long relationship with SPLC last year.)U.S. District Judge Emily Marks found SPLC “fail[ed] to establish some evidence tending to show prosecutorial animus” and that nothing thus far “warrant[ed] discovery into the government’s motives.” Public comments like those from acting attorney general Todd Blanche that SPLC “stoke[s] racial hatred” didn’t count as malicious because those were part of the official claims, she found.“This case typifies modern American discourse. It is unsurprising that the parties arguments primarily comprise what has become all too common: ad hominem attacks in the form of press releases, interviews and social media posts… but our Republic recognizes different venues to vindicate different things; federal courts are not the proper forum for airing political grievances,” Marks wrote.The trial in Alabama is expected to begin in October.Latest Live UpdatesJustice Samuel Alito Is ‘Obviously’ Staying On Court For Another Term, He Tells WSJSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told The Wall Street Journal he is staying on the Court for another term after now-retracted reporting from NPR said the opposite.“Obviously I’m here for another term,” Alito, 76, told the Journal over a month after the NPR story was published on June 30. He also addressed calls for him to retire. “It’s not pleasant, in the sense that it’s a reminder of mortality,” he said. “It’s like, what are those vultures doing up there? They are flying around. But it goes with life tenure.”Read more at The Wall Street Journal: Trump Threatens Lisa Cook, Again, Despite SCOTUS RulingPresident Donald Trump has revived his effort to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve, despite a Supreme Court ruling in June that found he couldn’t fire Cook over made-up charges of mortgage fraud.Sources told ABC News and the Financial Times that the White House sent a letter to Cook this week telling her it was “considering” removing her from the Reserve and demanding a response within three weeks.Cook’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, dismissed outright the accusations of mortgage fraud in a statement to the Financial Times.“These allegations are as baseless now as they were a year ago when President Trump tried to remove Governor Cook and interfere with the independence of the Federal Reserve,” Lowell said.Trump has targeted Cook and prior Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for asserting the central bank’s independence as he repeatedly and loudly implored them to lower interest rates.Senate Passes Sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill Named For Lindsey GrahamWASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a punishing Russian sanctions package Friday, the result of a year-long campaign by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham to reinforce U.S. support for Ukraine and try to force President Vladimir Putin’s hand as the grinding war drags on.The bipartisan legislation, which passed the Senate 86-11, would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports seeking to deprive Putin of revenues fueling the war. It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Capitol hours after Graham’s funeral, met with senators from both parties and watched from the gallery as the Senate took the first procedural votes last week on the sweeping legislation.Read more: Trump Tries To Save Face After His Nominee In Tennessee Loses PrimaryPresident Donald Trump did damage control on Friday after Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) lost his House primary there yesterday despite Trump’s enthusiastic backing.“Last night was another good night for Endorsements,” Trump wrote on social media. It is unclear why he capitalized the word.“8-1, and the 1 was a person who I remained loyal to even though he had virtually no chance of winning,” Trump continued, in reference to Ogles.Trump then seemed to suggest that Ogles’ opponent, Charlie Hatcher, whom he declined to endorse, was the real Trump pick in the race, describing Hatcher as “a Great ‘Trump’ Candidate.”“Good luck Charlie!” he wrote. “Run tough and hard. You have my Complete and Total Endorsement!”Earlier this week, Trump’s pick for a U.S. House seat in Michigan lost to a GOP rival who had dropped out of the race weeks earlier.Kamala Harris Endorses Abdul El-Sayed For SenateFormer Vice President Kamala Harris has endorsed Abdul El-Sayed for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat, having remained quiet during the contentious Democratic primary there.“While Michiganders struggle to afford everyday essentials — housing, gas, groceries, health care, and child care — Trump and the Republicans in Congress are giving away $1 trillion tax breaks to the wealthy and powerful,” Harris said in a statement. “Abdul knows that we need bold solutions to the crises facing America’s working families, and he is ready to take on this fight.”“I proudly stand with him to ensure we win a Democratic Senate majority in November,” she concluded.El-Sayed said he was “humbled and grateful” for her support, while assailing President Donald Trump and Republican rival Mike Rogers for “preying on our divisions.”Bill Cassidy Says He'll Support Todd Blanche For Attorney GeneralSen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced Friday that he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general, giving him the final vote he needs to be confirmed.“This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances,” Cassidy said on the Senate floor. “All things considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche.”Read more here:U.S. Economy Lost 23,000 Jobs in July, Signaling A Weakening Labor MarketThe U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, signaling a sharp contraction and cooling of the labor market.According to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.1%.The decline in jobs significantly contrasts with forecasts by economists, which predicted gains last month of about 80,000 jobs.Trump To Meet With Mining CEOs Friday Seeking To Boost Mineral Supply ChainsPresident Donald Trump is expected to attend a roundtable on Friday afternoon with top mining executives at the State Department, according to his presidential schedule.The meeting comes months after Trump’s announcement of Project Vault, a $12 billion strategic initiative that aims to build a massive emergency supply of rare earths and other materials critical for energy, defense and advanced technology products.By stockpiling these materials inside the U.S., the administration argues it will counteract foreign supply cuts, reduce reliance on China, prevent shutdowns during shortages, protect American mining companies’ financial safety, and boost a pipeline of workers.The roundtable also comes amid growing concerns about the Iran conflict and it’s depletion of weapons stockpiles, many of which rely on critical minerals.RFK Jr. To Visit CDC Atlanta Headquarters For Shooting Anniversary, Fireside Chat With BhattacharyaHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will visit the Center for Disease Control & Prevention headquarters in Atlanta on Friday, according to an internal email obtained by NOTUS and CNN.He is expected to participate in a ceremony commemorating David Rose, the officer killed in a shooting nearly a year ago at the CDC. RFK Jr. will also do a fireside chat with the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. Breaking UpdateLisa Murkowski Comes Out Against Todd BlancheSen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced Friday morning she won’t vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general. Whether Blanche’s nomination will be confirmed by the Senate now appears to hinge on Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who refused to say Thursday how he might vote. In a statement, Murkowski listed several things she doesn’t like about Blanche but in short, she doesn’t want to put a henchman for Donald Trump at the top of the Justice Department. “The politicization -- even weaponization -- of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it,” Murkowski said. “I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the President, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. Senators.”Murkowski said she also believed Trump would revive his “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to pay off Jan. 6 rioters. “I am also keenly aware that the Department’s nearly $2-billion dollar slush fund—which likely would have rewarded January 6 protesters—is only off the table because this nomination is pending and the Senate has leverage. Once we vote, that will end, and there is no telling what the future holds.”See All Updates