WASHINGTON — Following a study of the court's new ethics rule, Justice Neil Gorsuch of the Supreme Court has decided not to take part in an environmental case that will be heard next week, the lawyers involved were informed in a letter on Wednesday. "Consistent with the code of conduct" was the only explanation provided in the letter from Supreme Court Clerk Scott Harris for Gorsuch's decision to recuse himself. More than a dozen members of Congress and liberal organizations encouraged him to recuse himself due to his previous ties to billionaire Philip Anschutz, which prompted the action. Due in large part to disclosures regarding Justice Clarence Thomas's connections to billionaire Harlan Crow, attention has recently been drawn to the Supreme Court justices and the regulations governing ...

Despite documented threats against him, investigators said the health insurance CEO who was shot dead in front of a crowded hotel in New York City on Wednesday did not have a personal security detail with him. In a planned, premeditated targeted attack outside the New York Hilton Midtown on Sixth Avenue in the center of Manhattan, a masked shooter shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, according to authorities. Before traveling alone to the Hilton to speak at UnitedHealth Group's investor meeting, Thompson was staying at another hotel in the area when his killer encountered him. For live coverage, follow along. "It doesn't seem like he had a security detail," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters after speaking with other staff members who accompanied him t...

On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump declared his intention to appoint wealthy businessman Jared Isaacman to head NASA. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that Jared will lead NASA's mission of inspiration and discovery, opening the door for ground-breaking advancements in space science, technology, and exploration. Shift4 is a payment processing company founded and led by 41-year-old Isaacman. He has not held a position at NASA or the federal government, but he has made two trips to orbit on commercial SpaceX missions. For an undisclosed amount, Isaacman personally paid for both of those space missions. Isaacman said in a statement that he was honored to be nominated by Trump. He commented on X, "I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human histo...

President-elect Donald Trump's lawyersrequested on Wednesday that the Fulton County racketeering case against him be dismissed by a Georgia appeals court on the grounds that a "sitting president is completely immune from indictment or any criminal process, state or federal." The 2020 election interference charges against Trump should be dropped, according to documents filed with the Georgia Court of Appeals, because of "the unconstitutionality of his continued indictment and prosecution by the State of Georgia" and because "he is President-Elect and will soon become the 47th President of the United States." For the majority of the year, the case has been on hold while Trump's attorneys have appealed a decision that rejected their attempt to bar Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis a...

Police said Wednesday morning's shooting outside the New York Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan appeared to have been a "premeditated, preplanned targeted attack" that killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO. The gunman came up behind Brian Thompson, 50, who was en route to speak at UnitedHealth Group's investor conference, and "fired several rounds," Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated during a press conference. He was hit at least once in the right calf and at least once in the back, Tisch said, adding that the suspect had been "lying in wait for several minutes." "Many people passed the suspect but he appeared to wait for his intended target," she stated. The shooting's security footage shows Thompson strolling down the relatively quiet street while wearing a blue suit. According to the vide...

The star-studded tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York City serves as an unofficial start to the Christmas season once more. "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson, whose talk show is recorded at 30 Rock, will headline the ceremony and its TV special, Christmas at Rockefeller Center, once again. More than 20 years have passed since Clarkson's first performance at the ceremony, and last year she celebrated the milestone by hosting. She mentioned her hosting duties from the previous year when she said on her show last month, "I was suddenly in a Charlie Brown movie, and it was magical." After filming at Universal Studios in Universal City, California, "The Kelly Clarkson Show" relocated to New York City last year. Clarkson expressed her excitement at hosting the tree light...

Shortly after the aircraft carrier landed in Japan, two sailors assigned to the USS George Washington passed away within days of one another, according to family members and officials. It's unclear what killed them. According to the Navy, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Japanese authorities are looking into both cases. A series of suicides plagued the George Washington two years ago. According to officials, Cuyler Condon was discovered unconscious at an on-base hotel on November 22, the day the ship arrived in Yokosuka, Japan. On the spot, medical personnel from the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka declared the electrician's mate dead. Three days later, local emergency personnel discovered 20-year-old electrician's mate fireman Dimitri Morales unconscious in the town and pr...

Despite known threats against the dead executive, officials said the healthcare CEO who was shot down in front of a bustling hotel in New York City on Wednesday did not travel with any personal security detail. In a planned, premeditated targeted attack at the New York Hilton Midtown on Sixth Avenue in the center of Manhattan, a masked shooter killed UnitedHealthcare chief Brian Thompson, 50, with a pistol equipped with a silencer, according to authorities. Before traveling alone to the Hilton to speak at UnitedHealth Group's investor meeting, Thompson was staying at another hotel in the area when his killer encountered him. "It doesn't seem like he had a security detail," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters after speaking with other staff members who accompanied him to Ne...

WASHINGTON — Longtime Representative Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., announced on Wednesday that he was withdrawing his campaign to continue serving as the leading Democrat on the influential Judiciary Committee for the next two years. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., had declared two days prior that he would run against Nadler for the coveted position. The position would be crucial in providing congressional oversight of the FBI and Justice Department under the upcoming Trump administration, and Nadler, 77, recommended Raskin, 61, for it in a letter to Democratic colleagues. Nadler added in the letter, "I am very confident that Jamie would ably lead the Judiciary Committee as we confront this growing danger as our country faces the return of Donald Trump and the renewed threats to our democracy and our way of ...