Southern Progressives

Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems pulled back from the brink of a contentious libel trial with a little assist from overseas. Two days before the $787 million settlement was announced on Tuesday, the two sides brought on a veteran mediator to help, even though he was on a vacation cruise with his wife on the Danube River at the time. Mediator Jerry Roscoe said he imposed his own deadline, wanting to reach a deal before opening statements because in his experience that makes it much harder for two sides to come together. The deal was finally announced 2 1/2 hours before the opening statements were to begin, as lawyers and spectators waited in a Delaware courtroom.

The Supreme Court initially gave itself a deadline of Wednesday to decide whether women seeking access to a widely used abortion pill would face more restrictions while a court case plays out. But on the day of the highly anticipated decision the justices had only this to say: We need more time. In a one-sentence order, the court said it now expects to act by Friday evening. There was no explanation of the reason for the delay. The new abortion controversy comes less than a year after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.

Two men appeared in courtrooms in different parts of the country on Wednesday, charged in shootings that came after minor missteps on everyday tasks.

The Tennessee Republican House Caucus whines about unforced errors made in expelling Democratic Reps. Justin Jones an Justin Pearson.

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