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  • US judge blocks Justice Department bid to seize voter data in Rhode Island

    US judge blocks Justice Department bid to seize voter data in Rhode Island

    Ruling is latest loss for Trump administration, which has sought access to state voter data ahead of the US midterms.

    Published On 17 Apr 2026

    A federal judge in the United States has dismissed a Department of Justice lawsuit seeking to access voter data from Rhode Island.

    The decision on Friday was the latest loss for the administration of President Donald Trump, which has sought to access voter data in dozens of states across the country.

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    In the ruling, US District Court Judge Mary McElroy sided with election officials and civil rights groups, writing that the Justice Department does not have the authority “to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here”.

    Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore praised the ruling in a statement afterwards.

    “The executive branch seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states,” Amore wrote.

    “But the power of our democratic republic, built on three, coequal branches of government, is clearer than ever before.”

    The Justice Department has sued at least 30 states for their voter information, maintaining it needs the information to secure election security. State officials have said that turning over the data raises an array of privacy concerns.

    Under the US Constitution, state officials administer elections. Only Congress can pass laws related to how states oversee voting.

    But Trump has sought to transform election administration, claiming that voting has been marred by widespread fraud.

    In particular, Trump has continued to maintain that the 2020 election, in which he lost to former President Joe Biden, was “stolen”.

    No evidence has ever been put forward to support the claims.

    Federal judges have rejected attempts in California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Oregon to force the states to hand over voter files to the federal government. At least 12 states, however, have willingly provided or pledged to provide voter information to the Trump administration.

    The push for voter information is one of several actions that have raised concerns over how the Trump administration will approach the midterm elections in November, which will decide the makeup of the US Congress.

    He is currently calling on Republicans to pass the so-called SAVE America Act, a bill that would create higher documentation standards for voters to prove their citizenship when registering to vote and casting ballots.

    The majority of Republican lawmakers have embraced Trump’s claim that the law is needed to prevent non-citizens from registering to vote, despite studies showing that instances of voter fraud are glancingly rare.

    Critics say the measure would risk disenfranchising millions of voters, particularly those who have legally changed their names, which is a common practice in US marriages.

  • Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Against Nexstar-Tegna Takeover, Orders Nexstar to Halt Integration Plans

    Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Against Nexstar-Tegna Takeover, Orders Nexstar to Halt Integration Plans

    A federal judge in Sacramento has issued a preliminary injunction against Nexstar‘s acquisition of Tegna TV stations as part of DirecTV‘s lawsuit to block the merger of TV station groups.

    U.S. District Court Judge Troy Nunley of California’s Eastern District issued the 52-page ruling late Friday, siding with DirecTV’s argument that allowing Nexstar to move forward with its integration of Tegna’s 64 stations could bring “irreparable harm” to DirecTV. Nexstar has vowed to appeal.

    On March 19, Nexstar announced its acquisition of Tegna was complete despite the litigation in California and other states to block the deal. On its face, Nexstar’s absorption of Tegna puts the combined company beyond the FCC’s existing limits on the number of TV stations that a single entity can own. But the FCC is actively reviewing those ownership limit rules. Nexstar moved forward with its purchse of Tegna in a bold gamble that the rules would be changed and thus the merger would win federal approval, which it did. The FCC and Justice Department gave their greenlights to the purchase. But eight state attorneys general and DirecTV are pushing back hard.

    On March 27, Nunley granted a temporary restraining order against Nexstar’s integration. The preliminary injunction strengthens the court order for Nexstar to halt all integration efforts with Tegna. The ruling also explores the impact of the deal on local news, given that Nexstar has a history of consolidating newsgathering activity across markets and regions. The impact of the merger on local news is the primary focus of the lawsuit filed by Bonta and his counterparts in New York, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, North Carolina, Connecticut, and Virginia.

    For DirecTV, the focus is on the enlarged Nexstar’s ability to raise the retransmission consent rates that it charges cable operators and satellite providers such as DirecTV to carry its local stations.

    “The Court agrees with Plaintiffs that Defendants’ integration efforts are exactly those that would make it more difficult to divest Tegna stations, as they will eliminate competition and result in newsroom layoffs and shutdowns,” Nunley wrote. “The Court also notes Plaintiffs filed the instant suits prior to Defendants’ consummation of the Transaction. Accordingly, Defendants could have waited seven days to complete the acquisition or begin integration efforts until after this Court ruled on Plaintiffs’ motions for TRO. Therefore, especially in light of the fact that Plaintiffs raise a likelihood of success on the merits of their claims and establish an injunction is in the public interest, the Court agrees with Plaintiffs that the private benefits Nexstar could obtain by acquiring Tegna are outweighed by the harm to Plaintiffs.”

    Nexstar is the nation’s largest TV station owner with nearly 200 outlets across the country. Tegna owns Big Four network affiliate stations in key major and medium-size TV markets including Washington, D.C., Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Denver and Phoenix.

    “This transaction closed more than four weeks ago following receipt of all required regulatory approvals
    from the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Nexstar Media Group now owns Tegna and has taken steps consistent with the Court order that has been in effect,” Nexstar said in a statement. “For nearly thirty years, Nexstar has provided free over-the-air access to all its broadcast stations — local news, weather, and community-focused programming alongside major network programming. This procompetitive transaction will make local stations stronger and support continued investment in local journalism and fact-based news. We will appeal today’s decision and look forward to presenting our case on its merits before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.”

    DirecTV, on the other hand, was quick to praise Nunley’s ruling.

    “We commend the court’s decision, which reinforces the coalition of states’ and our shared belief that unchecked station consolidation will force consumers to pay more for less by reducing the quality and variety of local news coverage, driving up content prices, and increasing the threat of station blackouts,” DirecTV said. “DirecTV remains committed to a competitive, diverse, and affordable media landscape for all Americans.”

    Rob Bonta, California’s Attorney General, called Nunley’s ruling “a critical win” for the plaintiffs.

    “My office and attorneys general nationwide have secured a preliminary injunction in our lawsuit opposing the illegal and U.S. DOJ-approved merger of Nexstar/Tegna — an order that demands the broadcasting titans stop merging while our case proceeds. This is a critical win in our case,” Bonta said. “This merger is illegal, plain and simple. The federal government may have thrown in the towel, but we’ll keep fighting for consumers, for workers, for affordability and for our local news.”

  • Ice Spice Addresses Altercation at McDonald’s: ‘This Wouldn’t Happen at Wendy’s’

    Ice Spice Addresses Altercation at McDonald’s: ‘This Wouldn’t Happen at Wendy’s’

    Rapper Ice Spice has spoken out about an altercation that took place at a McDonald’s, addressing the incident on social media along with a clip of a new song.

    She took to X on Friday evening to make light of the situation and diffuse the drama surrounding it, including a clip that circulated widely on social media. “This wouldn’t happen at a Wendy’s,” she wrote, no doubt inspired by her partnership with the fast food chain.

    The video clip came to light via TMZ, showing Ice Spice sitting in a booth at a Hollywood McDonald’s early on Wednesday morning. In the footage, a woman approaches the rapper and seemingly attempts to sit next to them, only for Ice Spice to point her towards the door. The woman then slapped Ice Spice, who chased after her by climbing across the booths and tables in the establishment. Outside of the McDonald’s, the fight continued as it appeared that Ice Spice was pushed onto her back.

    In a statement to Billboard, her attorney, Bradford Cohen, said they will “hold the perpetrators responsible for their actions.” “The unprovoked attack on my client has been reported to the LAPD and we will be pursuing any and all criminal and civil avenues to hold the perpetrators responsible for their actions,” he said. “We are also exploring holding the location responsible for their apparent lack of appropriate security.”

    He continued, “Not to mention that the individuals involved obviously did not realize that we would get the video from inside the McDonald’s where the unprovoked attack occurred. They then turned their cameras on after the initial attack as if to set our client up, and as they say on the video to ‘go viral.’ The only thing that will be going viral for them is their mugshots.”

    Representatives for Ice Spice did not respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

  • The PBS Artemis II documentary is streaming on YouTube

    The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission have safely returned to Earth, but if your Moon fever has yet to break, or you’re curious to get a big picture view of how the second of a planned five Moon missions was pulled off, PBS has a new documentary you’ll want to watch. The hour-long Return to the Moon was produced for PBS’ NOVA and aired on TV on April 15, but you can view the episode in its entirety on YouTube right now.

    Return to the Moon covers the history of NASA’s Artemis program, and specifically the planning and preparation that went into Artemis II. Per the documentary’s official description:

    Follow the four members of the Artemis II crew as they embark on a perilous 10-day journey to orbit the Moon, venturing beyond Earth orbit for the first time since Apollo and farther into the Solar System than any humans have gone before. And get an inside look at the preparations needed to overcome the extreme engineering challenges of human-crewed spaceflight, all the way from launch to splashdown.

    The last Apollo mission was in 1972, so Artemis II getting a group of four astronauts anywhere near the Moon has naturally generated a lot of excitement. The crew flew further away from Earth than anyone has gone so far, captured some stunning photos of both the Moon and our home planet and managed to make everyone feel better about their dislike of Microsoft Outlook. Few Moon missions have been as well-documented or relatable.

  • 15 years after ‘Video Games,’ Lana Del Rey has an actual video game song

    The James Bond franchise has a long history of getting pop stars to record its theme songs (perhaps most memorably with Live and Let Die), and it looks like that tradition will now extend to video game adaptations about the fictional spy. IO Interactive has announced that Lana Del Rey co-wrote and performed the theme for 007 First Light, the developer’s playable James Bond origin story.

    “First Light” is written and performed by Lana Del Rey and composer David Arnold, and like the moody and abstract opening credits released alongside the song, could vaguely gesture at the themes of the game. IO Interactive has previously said that its game focuses on a young, inexperienced and more reckless Bond, before he developed his trademark cool. The developer is also integrating the stealth mechanics it perfected in Hitman into the upcoming game.

    Del Rey’s personal gaming experience may begin and end with her hit “Video Games,” which was apparently written about a former boyfriend’s love of World of Warcraft, but the artist does know how to write a song with Bond in mind. Lana Del Rey shared in 2024 that her song “24” from the album Honeymoon was originally written for 2017’s Spectre, one of several songs that were cast aside in favor of Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall.”

    007 First Light is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC on May 27, 2026. A Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game is now coming out this summer.

  • Judge Rules Caitlyn Jenner’s JENNER Memecoin Is Not a Security in Class Action Blow

    Judge Rules Caitlyn Jenner’s JENNER Memecoin Is Not a Security in Class Action Blow

    TL:DR:

    • Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. determined that the token does not meet the criteria of an investment contract, invalidating claims of unregistered securities.
    • The lead plaintiff, Lee Greenfield, reported losses exceeding $40,000 after investing in the Solana and Ethereum versions of the asset.
    • The ruling concludes that there was no “common enterprise” according to the Howey Test, exempting Jenner from federal securities fraud allegations.

    On Friday, a district judge in California issued a landmark ruling by decreeing that Caitlyn Jenner’s JENNER cryptocurrency does not constitute a financial security. The decision follows a class-action lawsuit accusing the celebrity of promoting unregulated assets.

    The court analyzed the case under the Howey Test, a legal tool that defines whether an asset is an investment contract. The judge concluded that there was no “common enterprise” or technical capital pooling mechanisms to justify the classification.

    Despite the plaintiff’s argument that Jenner’s fame influenced the expectation of profits, the ruling maintains that investors did not share profits or losses collectively. This technical nuance is crucial for differentiating memecoins from traditional stocks.

    The defense for Jenner and her late manager, Sophia Hutchins, always maintained that the Ethereum-based token lacked the characteristics of a security. The court finally validated this stance, pointing out deficiencies in the prosecution’s arguments.

    The Impact of the Howey Test on the Memecoin Ecosystem

    This verdict represents a significant precedent for the celebrity-linked cryptocurrency sector. By ruling in favor of the defense, the court limits the ability of investors to claim damages based strictly on market volatility.

    Furthermore, the resolution highlights that the simple act of investing money does not guarantee the existence of a security if there is no corporate structure behind it. This distinction protects, in part, token creators against litigation over price fluctuations.

    The judge rejected the idea that transaction taxes or marketing plans constituted an investment in a common enterprise. According to the record, resources were not pooled to generate capital beyond the coin itself.

    Consequently, Judge Blumenfeld dismissed the federal charges, suggesting that any remaining state-level claims must be resolved in other venues. The sentence closes a tense chapter for Caitlyn Jenner’s public image in the crypto space.

    U.S. justice has drawn a clear line by determining that the JENNER memecoin does not qualify as a security. The ruling underscores the lack of a common enterprise, leaving claims for economic losses outside federal securities jurisdiction.

  • Chainalysis Details ‘Shadow Crypto Economy’ Exposure as Grinex Suspends Operations

    Chainalysis Details ‘Shadow Crypto Economy’ Exposure as Grinex Suspends Operations

    Grinex’s shutdown is intensifying scrutiny of crypto laundering tactics, as fund movements suggest behavior inconsistent with typical enforcement actions. Chainalysis analysis highlights patterns that raise questions about whether the activity aligns with a conventional external hack or alternative explanations.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Chainalysis flags Grinex swaps as inconsistent with typical law enforcement seizures.
    • Tron-based conversions show illicit actors avoiding stablecoin issuer intervention.
    • Grinex activity does not clearly align with patterns of a conventional external hack.

    Grinex Shutdown Raises Questions About Crypto Laundering Tactics

    Sanctions pressure continues to test the resilience of crypto networks tied to restricted financial activity. Blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis on April 17 examined Grinex after the sanctioned exchange suspended operations. The review described the shutdown as a new stress point for infrastructure tied to sanctions evasion.

    Grinex claimed a cyberattack cost about 1 billion rubles, or $13.7 million, and published the source and destination addresses involved. Chainalysis then assessed the transfers using on-chain data rather than relying on the exchange’s narrative. The analysis found that the stolen assets were mainly a fiat-backed stablecoin before being moved through a Tron-based decentralized exchange into TRX.

    “In the case of the alleged Grinex hack, the stablecoin funds were quickly swapped for a non-freezable token, thereby avoiding the risk of having the stablecoins frozen by the issuer,” the blockchain analytics firm stated, adding:

    “This frantic swapping from stablecoins to more decentralized tokens is a hallmark tactic of cybercriminals and illicit actors attempting to launder funds before a centralized freeze can be executed.”

    Chainalysis argued that this behavior does not fit a typical Western law enforcement seizure because authorities can request freezes from centralized stablecoin issuers. The firm instead said the rapid conversion raises questions about whether the activity aligns with a conventional external hack.

    Shadow Crypto Economy Shows Deep Interconnected Structure

    Those conclusions rest on more than the attack claim alone. Chainalysis noted that the decentralized exchange used in the swap had previously served Garantex, the sanctioned predecessor to Grinex, as a liquidity source for hot wallets. That detail is notable because Chainalysis has already described Grinex as the direct successor to Garantex after international enforcement disrupted the earlier platform. The company also tied Grinex to A7A5, a ruble-backed token issued by sanctioned Kyrgyzstani company Old Vector.

    According to the analysis, A7A5 was built for a narrow Russia-linked payments ecosystem aligned with cross-border settlement needs under sanctions pressure. Chainalysis added that the exfiltrated funds were still sitting in a single address at publication time, leaving a live trail for future forensic review.

    The broader takeaway was less about one theft than about the financial system surrounding it. Chainalysis observed that the episode is the latest disruption inside a “shadow crypto economy.” That phrase captured the firm’s larger conclusion that Grinex, Garantex, A7A5, and related services formed an interlinked network designed to keep value moving despite sanctions. Chainalysis further disclosed that it labeled the relevant addresses in its products to help customers identify exposure as the funds move downstream. Even without final attribution, the firm made clear that Grinex’s suspension damages a key channel within that sanctioned ecosystem.

  • Is the FCC’s Foreign-Made Router Ban Only the Beginning?

    Is the FCC’s Foreign-Made Router Ban Only the Beginning?

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  • Pedro Pascal Didn’t Know He’d Be in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Until Right Before He Was “Being Marched Out Into the Field”

    Pedro Pascal Didn’t Know He’d Be in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Until Right Before He Was “Being Marched Out Into the Field”

    Pedro Pascal didn’t know he’d be involved in Bad Bunny‘s 2026 Super Bowl halftime performance until right before he was being brought onto the field.

    The Last of Us actor reflected on his cameo in the Grammy Award winner’s monumental Super Bowl performance in a profile with Fantastic Man. Pascal admitted that he reached out to Bad Bunny’s team about participating somehow, even if that meant he’d be volunteering or serving coffee.

    “I wanted to participate in any way — literally a volunteer position, like serving coffee if needed — and I put the feelers out through people I work with,” he said. “When it comes to representation synchronized with celebration there’s no one better than Benito at the moment, and that fills me with inspiration outside of just being super into his music.”

    The Emmy nominee explained he went into shooting Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth! and hadn’t heard back from Bad Bunny’s team, so he “sent someone an email with a selfie of me sticking my tongue out, being, like, ‘It’s really me.’ Within 25 minutes, they called me back and they were, like, ‘We want you to come to the show.’”

    Once he made it to Super Bowl LX, the actor explained he did not explicitly know he’d be taking the field to appear in Bad Bunny’s La Casita, a set piece he utilizes in his live performances. All he was told was to wear the color beige, but he quickly realized he was going to be featured in the performance.

    “I was under the impression that I would be in a suite. There was a dress code – ‘wear beige’ – but I thought it was in case there’d be a photographer,” Pascal said. “So we’re up in the stands watching the game and somebody pulls me from my seat and takes me backstage and then there’s Cardi B and there’s Young Miko and Karol G and Jessica Alba. They do a wardrobe check and then they tell me, ‘Okay, so the vibe is: you’re dancing.’”

    That’s when the Materialists star realized he’d be featured in the show, specifically in Bad Bunny’s La Casita. “I started to realize right before they started, and I was, like, ‘It’s the Casita. I’m such a fucking idiot. Oh my god, I’m going to be in the Casita,’ as I was being marched out into the field. So I think that’s why I seemed like a deer in headlights,” he added.

    As Pascal outlined, he was not the only star featured in the singer’s performance. Alongside Cardi B, Young Miko, Karol G and Jessica Alba, the “Tití Me Preguntó” singer also tapped Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga to perform with him mid-set, while Alix Earle, Dave Grutman and Ronald Acuña Jr. also appeared in Bad Bunny’s La Casita.

  • ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Names Season 18 Winner: See Who Snatched the Crown (and Miss Congeniality)

    [This story contains major spoilers from the finale of RuPaul‘s Drag Race season 18.]

    RuPaul has crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar!

    Season 18 of RuPaul’s Drag Race has come to an end, and Myki Meeks has snatched the crown.

    Heading into Friday night’s finale, Darlene Mitchell, Myki Meeks and Nini Coco were named the top three of the competition. Each drag artist dished out a performance to their own original song in the cumulative episode, though it was Myki and Nini who RuPaul named the top two queens of season 18.

    Darlene was named second runner-up, and before she exited the stage to make way for the lip sync, she jokingly turned back to RuPaul and asked, “You sure?”

    But before RuPaul’s Drag Race named its mint winner, Jane Don’t was presented with the coveted title of Miss Congeniality, voted on by the cast. While she did not win season 18, Jane Don’t was a frontrunner throughout the season, with her elimination in episode 13 coming as a surprise. (She unpacked her Drag Race tenure with THR here.)

    Miley Cyrus was on hand to receive the Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award, and the top two queens performed in a Lip Sync for the Crown to her song “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved.”

    Myki Meeks and Nini Coco in the final lip sync of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18.

    MTV

    Both queens dished out impressive performances, but it was Myki who ultimately won the lip sync, also securing her newfound title of America’s Next Drag Superstar. Onya Nurve, winner of Drag Race season 17, presented Myki with their crown and scepter.

    Hailing from Orlando, Florida, Myki was a dominating force throughout the tailend of season 18, consecutively winning the final three challenges of the installment. She won a total of four challenges, joining a lucrative list of queens from the Drag Race universe who have won a quartet of episodes on the series.

    “This is for my friends, my family, all of Orlando, live fiercely, love boldly, and write it in the books baby, the Meeks shall inherit the crown!” Myki said after snatching the top spot.

    The season 18 winner won a cash prize of $200,000, and for the first time, an official makeup collaboration with Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics. During the finale episode, Darlene, Myki and Nini each visited the makeup company’s headquarters, where they spoke with president Norvina about what their potential collaboration would look like.

    See how the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 finished below.

    Myki Meeks (WINNER)
    Nini Coco (2nd place)
    Darlene Mitchell (3rd place)
    Juicy Love Dion (4th place)
    Jane Don’t (5th place)
    Discord Addams (6th place)
    Kenya Pleaser (7th place)
    Athena Dion (8th place)
    Mia Starr (9th place)
    Vita VonTesse Starr (10th place)
    Ciara Myst (11th place)
    Briar Blush (12th place)
    Mandy Mango (13th place)
    DD Fuego (14th place)