Judge dismisses

Trump’s lawsuit

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over a story on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Florida wrote in the order issued Monday that Trump had failed to make the argument that the article was published with the intent to be malicious, but gave the president a chance to file an amended complaint. T

rump’s lawsuit came after the Journal published an article that described a sexually suggestive letter the newspaper said bore Trump’s signature and was included in an album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Trump has denied writing it. After the ruling, Trump said he has a “powerful case” and will be refiling the complaint.

Florida

teen charged

(AP) — A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday. Timothy Hudson was indicted on March 10. But the entire case was sealed until Friday, weeks after a judge said he would be prosecuted as an adult at the request of prosecutors.

Anna Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room.

ICE arrest

investigated

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota county is investigating the arrest by federal officers of a Hmong American man as a potential case of kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher said Monday they are pursuing information from the Department of Homeland Security that they need for their investigation into the arrest of ChongLy “Scott” Thao, an American citizen. Armed federal officers bashed open the front door of Thao’s St. Paul home without a warrant in January.

They led him outside in freezing conditions wearing only his underwear and a blanket. His arrest was captured on video.