A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from suspending billions of dollars in funding for a rail tunnel under the Hudson River, while also ordering Uber to pay $8.5 million in a sexual assault case, and a Colorado funeral home director was sentenced to 40 years for corpse abuse. These developments, along with news about a controversial video shared by the former president and a TV adaptation of a popular video game, dominated headlines on Friday.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas of the Southern District of New York ordered the federal government to unlock billions in federal grants for the Gateway Tunnel Project, according to the New York Times. The project, the largest transportation infrastructure undertaking in the United States, had stalled after the Trump administration suspended its funding four months prior. If the administration complies with the order, construction could soon restart.
In other legal news, Uber was ordered to pay $8.5 million to a woman who claimed she was raped by a driver, as reported by BBC Technology. The jury in Arizona found Uber responsible for the driver's actions, though the company intends to appeal the verdict. The ruling could influence thousands of other cases against the ride-sharing company.
Meanwhile, a Colorado funeral home director, Jon Hallford, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for corpse abuse, as detailed by BBC World. Hallford, the co-owner of the Return to Nature home, where nearly 200 decaying bodies were found, apologized in court. Family members described their nightmares about their loved ones decomposing in his care, calling him a "monster." His ex-wife and co-owner, Carie Hallford, has pleaded guilty to similar charges and is awaiting sentencing. The funeral home had given fake ashes to grieving relatives instead of their loved ones' remains.
Former President Donald Trump addressed a controversial social media video that included a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, according to BBC World. Trump stated he "didn't see" the clip, which was at the end of a 62-second video he shared containing claims about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. He added that he had only seen the beginning of the video before it was posted by a staff member and didn't know it contained the clip.
Finally, the award-winning fantasy game series Baldur's Gate is being turned into a TV series, as reported by BBC Technology. The show will be headed up by Craig Mazin, who also made HBO's PlayStation adaptation The Last of Us. However, Baldur's Gate developers Larian Studios will not be directly involved in this adaptation.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment