Trump news at a glance: Battle with judiciary escalates as FBI arrests county judge

Dugan vows to ‘defend herself vigorously’

Hannah Dugan will appear in court again on 15 May and “looks forward to be exonerated”, an attorney for the judge said in a statement, published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Hannah C Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge,” it said, adding that she “will defend herself vigorously”.

Leftwing senator Bernie Sanders accused the Trump administration of “moving this country towards authoritarianism” in response to Dugan’s arrest, while Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren said the case “rings serious alarm bells”.

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Son of CIA deputy director killed while fighting for Russia, report says

An American man identified as the son of a deputy director of the CIA was killed in eastern Ukraine in 2024 while fighting under contract for the Russian military, according to an investigation by independent Russian media.

Michael Alexander Gloss, 21, died on 4 April last year in “eastern Europe”, according to an obituary published by his family. He was the son of Juliane Gallina, who was appointed the deputy director for digital innovation at the Central Intelligence Agency in February 2024.

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Witkoff meets Putin hours after killing of Russian general

Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has met Vladimir Putin in Moscow for high-stakes peace talks hours after a senior Russian military official was killed in a car explosion near Moscow. But no apparent breakthrough was reached on Friday.

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Santos given seven-year prison term

George Santos, the disgraced former representative, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on Friday, bringing an end to an extraordinary controversy that began with a fraudulent congressional campaign.

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Attorney general rescinds Biden-era protections for journalists

Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, has revoked a Biden administration-era policy that restricted subpoenas of reporters’ phone records in criminal investigations. An internal memo, first reported by ABC News, shows Bondi rescinding protections issued by her predecessor, Merrick Garland, for members of the media from having their records seized or being forced to testify in the course of leak investigations.

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Hegseth’s controversial chief of staff leaves unexpectedly

Joe Kasper, the controversial chief of staff to the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who was central to a dramatic power struggle at the Pentagon, has left his post in an unexpected departure.

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Trump administration investigates California university over foreign gifts

The Trump administration launched an investigation into the University of California, Berkeley, centered on foreign funding, making it the latest university to be targeted by the federal government.

The investigation revives criticism from several years ago about the university’s partnership with China’s Tsinghua University. It comes after Trump earlier this week signed a series of executive orders focused on universities that he views as liberal adversaries to his political agenda.

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