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Boasberg Threatens Contempt & Letitia James Investigated | Afternoon Update | 4.16.25
Wed, 16 Apr 2025
An Obama-appointed judge moves to hold Trump in contempt, The administration sues Maine over Title IX, and New York AG Letitia James stands accused of a federal crime. Developing stories you need to know just in time for your drive home. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Beam: Head to https://shopbeam.com/WIRE and use code WIRE at checkout for up to 40% off.Fast Growing Trees: Get 15% off your first purchase when using the code WIRE at checkout or by visiting https://fastgrowingtrees.com/wire
Chapter 1: Who is the sponsor and what deals are available?
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Chapter 2: What are the latest legal actions involving Trump and Judge Boasberg?
An Obama-appointed judge moves to hold Trump in contempt. The administration sues Maine over Title IX. And New York AG Letitia James stands accused of a federal crime. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Wednesday, April 16th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
A federal judge claims he has probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for defying a court order. Obama-appointed judge James Boasberg ruled today that the administration showed willful disregard by failing to return two planes of migrants to the U.S. after his March 15th order. He's demanding answers by April 23rd, or he'll refer the case for prosecution.
Boasberg calls the government's response unsatisfactory and warns those responsible could face legal consequences.
Chapter 3: What is the status of US-Japan trade talks amid tariff pauses?
The U.S. is kicking off trade talks with Japan today, making them the first country to test Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. President Trump, alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, will meet with Japan's economic revitalization minister. They're planning to discuss a wide range of things from tariffs and military support all the way to energy and currency issues.
Ahead of the meeting, Japan's prime minister signaled Japan won't rush into a deal or other major concessions, but ruled out retaliation for now. Japan was recently hit with 24% levies and still faces a 25% duty on auto exports.
And as more and more countries begin trade negotiations with Trump, California became the first state to announce legal action in response. Governor Gavin Newsom announced he's suing the president, claiming that his sweeping tariffs are unlawful and harmful to the Golden State's economy. Here's Newsom.
Chapter 4: Why is California suing the Trump administration over tariffs?
No state will be impacted more than the state of California as it relates to the unilateral authority that's being asserted by the Trump administration to impose the largest tax increase in modern American history.
The suit challenges Trump's use of emergency powers to impose a 10% tariff on all imports and higher rates on Mexico, Canada, and China. Newsom claims the levies are wreaking chaos on families and businesses, driving up prices and threatening jobs. Trump says his tariffs are justified under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act.
The law allows the president to employ certain economic policies in the event of an emergency.
The Trump administration is filing suit against the state of Maine for refusing to comply with Title IX. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo has the latest.
Attorney General Pam Bondi says the administration has given the state plenty of warning to align itself with Title IX.
We have exhausted every other remedy. We tried to get Maine to comply. We don't like standing up here and filing lawsuits. We want to get states to comply with us. That's what this is about.
She cited specific incidents, including a male athlete winning a girls pole vaulting state final and another dominating a women's 5K ski race. The lawsuit demands that Maine halt its current policies on transgender sports, and it also seeks to retroactively revoke federal funding tied to past noncompliance.
Bondi was joined on stage by Maine State Representative Laurel Libby, advocate Riley Gaines, and several other female athletes. All of them praised President Trump for bringing accountability back to the White House. The lawsuit follows Governor Janet Mills defying a federal order banning males from girls' sports, citing state law.
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Chapter 5: What is Maine's dispute with the Trump administration regarding Title IX?
The noncompliance sparked widespread investigations into her state.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing a federal criminal referral over suspected mortgage fraud. Daily Wire Deputy Managing Editor Tim Rice has more.
The referral sent by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte accuses James of falsifying loan records to secure favorable terms on a Virginia property she claimed was her primary residence while still serving in New York. Additional allegations involve a Brooklyn property misrepresented to lenders.
Pulte says James's actions could also constitute wire and bank fraud, among other federal charges. James's office denies wrongdoing, calling the referral a political attack by the Trump administration. Legal experts and others have been quick to point out the irony, with James once saying no one is above the law while prosecuting President Trump.
A Texas teen charged with murder has come under new scrutiny. 17-year-old Carmelo Anthony is accused of fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf at a track meet earlier this month. He was released Monday on $250,000 bond and is now under house arrest. Anthony has reportedly moved into a $900,000 gated community home. That's despite claiming financial hardship to reduce his $1 million bond.
Neighbors in the upscale Frisco neighborhood say they're shocked and concerned about his presence. Meanwhile, a fundraiser for Anthony's legal defense is approaching half a million dollars.
And the UK's Supreme Court appears to have answered Matt Walsh's infamous question, what is a woman?
The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
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