Month: August 2025

The active shooter situation that saw dozens of law enforcement officials responding to an alert from Villanova University was later deemed a hoax, according to officials.

Police responded after Villanova University issued a warning for an active shooter on its Pennsylvania campus on Thursday. The school told students to stay clear of Law School Scarpa Hall. The campus is located approximately 12 miles northwest of Philadelphia’s Center City.

According a post by the Radnor Township Police Department on its Facebook page, all nearby residents and students were asked to shelter in place, with those on campus asked to move to a secure location and to lock or barricade doors, the university posted on its website. The Radnor Police Department later shared on social media that no victims had yet been reported.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro later said local and federal law enforcement are on site responding to the reports of an active shooter, posting on X: “Avoid the area and follow the direction of local authorities. We will share additional information as it becomes available.”

In a letter to students and families, Peter M. Donohue, president of Villanova University, said the incident was a hoax, writing in part: “Today, as we are celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome our newest Villanovans and their families to our community, panic and terror ensued with the news of a possible shooter at the Law School. Mercifully, no one was injured, and we now know that it was a cruel hoax—there was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms present on campus. While that is a blessing and relief, I know today’s events have shaken our entire community I would like to thank everyone involved in securing the safety of our community, especially our Villanova Public Safety … department and the first responders from Radnor Police and other local police departments. I would also like to thank our Orientation Counselors and all of the Villanova staff in attendance at the Orientation Mass, who responded calmly and compassionately to a very frightening and unnerving situation … Amid my thanks, I would like to apologize to our first-year students and their families. This is not the introduction to Villanova that I had hoped for you.”

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A New York appeals court threw out the $500M judgment against President Donald Trump stemming from NY Attorney General Letitia James’ business fraud case against Trump and his business. Trump, 78, was found to have fraudulently inflated his net worth by billions of dollars over a decade to obtain better loan and insurance terms. James said she would ask the state’s highest court to overturn the revocation of the fine.

The Appellate Division, First Department, overturned the $464 million judgment in a 323-page decision which included three separate opinions. All agreed the fine against Trump, which had grown to $515 million including interest, was “excessive.”

The First Judicial Department of the Appellate Division of New York Supreme Court upheld the fraud ruling, but eliminating the penalty means Trump can move the case to the highest state court, giving him another chance to fight the guilty verdict. The appeals court said the penalty, “which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the state of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”

The main opinion by Judges Dianne T. Renwick and Peter H. Moulton read: “While the injunctive relief ordered by the court is well crafted to curb defendants’ business culture, the court’s disgorgement order, which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the State of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.” Moulton added: “While harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half-billion-dollar award to the state.”

The five-judge panel kept in place a ban on Trump and his two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, from running a company in New York for several years; as well as an order for an outside monitor to oversee and file reports on the Trump Organization’s business dealings for three years.

Trump lauded the ruling on Truth Social, writing: “TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case! I greatly respect the fact that the court had the courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful decision that was hurting business all throughout New York State. Others were afraid to do business there. The amount, including interest and penalties, was over $550 million dollars. It was a political witch hunt, in a business sense, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.”

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A federal judge in New York who presided over the sex trafficking case against the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.

The ruling Wednesday by federal Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell also turned down the government’s request. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women.

According to Berman’s ruling, no victims testified before the Epstein grand jury.Berman said the decision to reject the request was based on the fact that the sealed grand jury materials contain a limited amount of information compared to what the DOJ has in its investigation files, writing that “the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts pales in comparison to the Epstein investigation information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.”  In addition, Berman stated that the only witness was an FBI agent “who had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay.” The agent testified over two days, on June 18 and July 2, 2019. The rest of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow shown during the June 18 session and a call log shown during the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Both of those will also remain sealed, Berman ruled.

The committee subpoenaed the Justice Department recently for all files related to Epstein — who committed suicide in his jail cell in 2019; and Maxwell, who sat down for a two-day interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche weeks ago. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., announced on Monday that the Justice Department will begin turning over the documents on Friday, and that congressional lawmakers are set to receive the first set of Epstein files within the coming days.

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Target CEO Brian Cornell, who has served as the company’s chief executive for more than a decade, will leave his role at the beginning of 2026, according to CNN. Cornell will officially be succeeded on February 1, 2026, by Michael Fiddelke — the Minneapolis-based retailer’s current chief operating officer who began his career at Target as an intern two decades ago.

Cornell said the board considered both internal and external candidates before selecting Fiddelke, calling him “the right leader to guide Target back to growth.” Cornell said in a statement on Wednesday: “With the board’s unanimous decision to appoint Michael Fiddelke as Target’s next CEO, I want to express my full confidence in his leadership and focus on driving improved results and sustainable growth. Michael brings a deep understanding of our business and a genuine commitment to accelerating our progress,” adding that he  will be staying on as executive chairman.

The transition comes at a turbulent time for Target, who has been losing ground to rivals like Walmart, Amazon, and Costco; and sales growth has weakened since the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped consumer habits. The retailer’s difficulties mirror broader challenges across the retail sector, as more shoppers gravitate toward online marketplaces and discount chains. Target, which operates 1,980 stores across the country, reported a 21% decline in net income for the quarter ending August 2, according to the Associated Press. Comparable sales have either fallen or remained flat in eight of the past ten quarters, underscoring ongoing struggles. Analysts point to value-driven competitors such as Walmart and TJ Maxx as additional pressure points on Target’s performance.

Cornell acknowledged a “challenging retail environment,” but he touted “encouraging signs of recovery, including improved traffic and sales trends.  As we enter the critical back-to-school and holiday seasons, our team remains focused on consistent execution and building momentum as we look ahead to the new year.”

Adding to the challenges, Target has faced consumer pushback this year after scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The move drew criticism from multiple quarters, including Anne and Lucy Dayton, daughters of one of Target’s original co-founders, who called the decision “a betrayal.”

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Hurricane Erin has prompted a state of emergency in North Carolina, as it travels towards the east coast. Erin, now a Category 2 hurricane, is expected to bring dangerous waves and rip currents to beaches along the East Coast. The hurricane’s tropical force winds are expected to reach North Carolina’s coast on Wednesday and Thursday, with most impacts felt on the Outer Banks – which is expected to get heavy rain, winds over 40 mph and a storm surge of 2 to 4 feet this week.

A Category 2 hurricane is defined as “having maximum sustained winds from 96 mph to 110 mph.” Erin is capable of causing devastating damage with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph, and forecasters said fluctuations in Erin’s strength were possible over the next few days. The center of the storm was expected to pass east of the Bahamas and move between Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as Hurricane Erin makes its way towards the eastern coast. Stein said on Tuesday: “To folks on the coast, now is the time to prepare. Hurricane Erin will bring threats of coastal flooding, beach erosion and dangerous surf conditions. North Carolinians along the coast should get prepared now, ensure their emergency kit is ready, and listen to local emergency guidelines and alerts in the event they need to evacuate.”

The governor’s office said that resources and personnel have been mobilized to provide assistance along the coast while the state prepares for the hurricane’s impacts. During the next 48 hours, Erin is expected to increase in size and strength, and is forecasted to cause beach erosion from 15-to-20 20-foot waves, coastal flooding and life-threatening rip currents this week. Prior to the governor’s state of emergency, local states of emergency were declared in Dare and Hyde counties, with mandatory evacuations set in place for Ocracoke and Hatteras islands. Warren County Emergency Management’s State Operated Disaster Shelter on 113 Wilcox Street in Warrenton will provide shelter to residents evacuated from the coast, and will also allow pets.

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The Trump administration has significantly widened the scope of its 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, discreetly adding more than 400 new product categories to the list. The expanded duties, which took effect Monday, mark a major escalation in the administration’s trade policy.

The tariffs, originally aimed at core steel and aluminum imports, now apply to a broad range of goods that either contain those metals or are made from them. Newly affected items include machinery, building materials, specialty chemicals, and even fire extinguishers.

Brian Baldwin, vice president of customs at Kuehne + Nagel International AG, wrote in a LinkedIn post: “Auto parts, chemicals, plastics, furniture components—essentially anything with a metallic element or connection to aluminum and steel is likely included. This isn’t just a tariff adjustment—it represents a fundamental change in how steel and aluminum-based products are regulated.”

According to the Commerce Department, the expansion covers 407 new product groups. In a statement, Jeffrey Kessler, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, said the move was designed to close loopholes that allowed companies to sidestep earlier tariffs. “Today’s action broadens the scope of the steel and aluminum duties and prevents circumvention—further supporting the recovery of the U.S. metals industry,” Kessler said.

The official tariff list is presented using only the detailed customs codes that classify imported goods. For instance, fire extinguishers are identified simply as “8424.10.0000,” making it difficult for the public to clearly identify the full range of products now subject to the higher duties.

Trade experts say the expansion represents a substantial increase in the economic impact of the tariffs. Jason Miller, a supply chain management professor at Michigan State University, estimated the duties now cover at least $320 billion worth of imports, based on 2024 customs data. “This is going to intensify inflationary pressures by driving up costs on top of the already rising prices domestic producers are charging, as shown in July’s Producer Price Index,” Miller noted on LinkedIn.

President Trump has leaned heavily on targeted tariffs to advance his broader trade agenda. In June, he announced that steel and aluminum tariffs would double to 50% for most foreign suppliers, a move that rattled U.S. businesses and trading partners alike. The latest expansion underscores the administration’s intent to keep tightening restrictions on products tied to the steel and aluminum industries.

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