What's Happening
Politics
President-elect Donald Trump Is No Longer Facing a Federal Indictment
What's going on: Yesterday, a federal judge dismissed all charges against President-elect Donald Trump in the Jan. 6 election subversion case. The move came hours after special counsel Jack Smith asked the courts to toss the case and to also drop all charges alleging Trump mishandled classified documents. In the filing, Smith said he moved to dismiss both cases because of the Justice Department’s policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Still, the special counsel made it clear that the changes are not a reflection of the “merits of the prosecution.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump — who pleaded not guilty in each case — said the charges were “empty and lawless, and should never have been brought.”
What it means: Smith’s move effectively clears Trump of immediate legal risks related to the two federal cases. The dismissal, while expected, is a blow to efforts trying to hold Trump accountable for his actions during his presidency. However, Smith suggested that Trump could be prosecuted after leaving office — though the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity and the statute of limitations would likely make that challenging. Some experts say the president-elect could attempt an unprecedented self-pardon to shield himself from future federal prosecution. Meanwhile, Trump still has pending cases in New York and Georgia.
Related: Trump’s Plans for Canada, Mexico, and China: You Get a Tariff and You Get a Tariff (Wall Street Journal Gift Link)
International
Report: The Most Dangerous Place for a Woman Is…Their Home
What's going on: A new report from the United Nations is shining light on a crisis: roughly 140 women and girls are killed every day by a partner or family member — about one woman or girl every 10 minutes. Experts say this is likely an undercount, as some women’s deaths are either misclassified or go unrecorded, and some global data wasn’t available. “We see the numbers in this report as the tip of the iceberg,” said Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Women’s deputy executive director. The report reveals that 85,000 women and girls were killed by men last year, with 60% of those deaths caused by someone they knew. Yes, that means many women are safer at work or in public spaces than in their homes.
What it means: Advocacy groups have tried to raise awareness about the high rates of femicide, or the killing of women and girls, for decades. There’s a haunting traveling art installation featuring hundreds of empty red shoes — heels, ballet flats, tiny toddler booties — to represent lives lost through gender-based violence. There was outrage after Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei was killed by her ex-partner in Uganda earlier this year. Meanwhile, women in Turkey, Kenya, and India have recently protested rising femicide rates. Some countries, like Chile, have passed laws increasing penalties for gender violence, though many experts say the solution needs to start early and go beyond the criminal justice system.
Related: How Dowries & Marriage-Payment Disputes Contribute to Femicide in India (The New Yorker)
Business
A Macy's Employee Gobbled Up to $154 Million For Years
What's going on: Thanksgiving is supposed to be the one time of the year when Macy’s confidently takes center stage. Instead, news that a former employee intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses is raining on their parade. It’s not clear why the employee fudged the company’s numbers since 2021 (or how Macy’s missed it for so long). The amount isn’t chump change, but it represents only a portion of Macy’s $4.36 billion in delivery expenses during that time frame. The company, which didn’t share many details, said it’s delaying the release of its quarterly earnings report (which was supposed to drop today) by nearly two weeks while it works to understand what happened. It’s unclear whether it’ll pursue criminal charges.
What it means: Macy’s has struggled to maintain profitability for years. Earlier this year, it announced it would close 150 locations in an attempt to refocus on luxury goods. Wall Street was also waiting for this report amid uncertainty over what spending this holiday season could look like thanks to inflation. The company tried to reassure investors that the financial misstep wouldn’t affect its cash flow management or vendor payments. Still, one expert said the delay in results was “not a good look.”
Related: Meanwhile, One Couple Allegedly Stole $1 Million in Lululemon Goods (CBS)
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