6/19/2025: A Tale of Two Trials

PLUS: Middle East Updates; Bieber-Braun Settlement; and Confessions Clunker

Today is Thursday, June 19, 2025.

It is the 170th day of the year.

195 days remain.

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

WHAT’S ON TAP

NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: Airport staff rescue a damsel in distress.

DIDDY won’t testify and TYLER PERRY is accused of sexual harassment. More in SHOWBIZ.

The ladies of “The View” compare perpetuated racism to tyranny. Details in CASTING CALL.

MEGHAN SUSSEX’s confusing entrepreneurial pursuits continue. Details in ROYALS.

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– PRESIDENT TRUMP reportedly approved a plan of action to attack Iran on Tuesday – but still hasn’t given the order to go through with it, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump continues to push for a diplomatic resolution that definitively ends Iran’s nuclear development program.

– Trump said on Wednesday that Iranian officials have asked to meet at the White House to negotiate a ceasefire and nuclear deal. Trump said he hasn’t made up his mind on how to proceed and that the Islamic Republic should’ve made a deal before Trump’s 60-day deadline.

In response, Iran’s delegation to the United Nations issued a statement that said in part, “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House,” adding, “Iran shall respond to any threat with a counter-threat, and to any action with reciprocal measures.”

– The US State Department has begun facilitating flights for Americans who voluntarily want to leave Israel. The American embassy there remains closed through at least Friday.

– Internet access across Iran went offline Wednesday. Conflicting reports suggest it’s either an offensive intelligence operation by Mossad or Iranian officials attempting to stop coordination between revolutionaries trying to topple the regime from within.

– A CNN poll shows 83% of Republicans and 79% of Democrats believe Iran should not obtain a nuclear weapon, and 70% overall would approve American airstrikes to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

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Another well-known company has entered the commercial space race: On Tuesday, HONDA successfully launched and landed a reusable rocket prototype – sort of.

The first mission only reached an altitude of 889 feet (not a typo), a far cry from orbit, but an important step toward achieving rapid reusability.

The Japanese company best known for car manufacturing has kept its space technology research and development largely under wraps. The announcement took many by surprise, though the company has publicly said it wants to develop rockets capable of reaching orbit by 2029.

In a statement, Honda said it is currently developing its own technology without a strategy for monetization, at least for now. [via Gizmodo]

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Airport staff don’t typically have a reputation for going the extra mile in customer service, but the facilities crew at Pittsburgh International Airport have earned a gold star.

Last Friday, April Schmitt returned to Pittsburgh after a work trip to Los Angeles. About a half hour after collecting her bags, on her way home, she realized the diamond was missing from her engagement ring.

She immediately returned to the carousel, where four airport employees soon joined her in her quest to find the shiny rock. They pulled up panels and inspected the machinery trying to track it down, but after their first pass came up empty.

While Schmitt returned home, the crew didn’t give up. They taped two paint sticks together to sweep underneath the carousel, and after four hours, they found the one-and-a-quarter carat diamond. [via CBS News]

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A TALE OF TWO TRIALS

IN IDAHO: The judge overseeing the murder trial of Bryan Kohberger appeared to rebuff the defense’s attempt to yet again delay proceedings past the August start date. “I fully encourage everyone to continue as if the trial is going to take place when it is scheduled for,” the judge said on Wednesday.

The development comes as the prosecution announced a witness who says she saw Kohberger at the scene of the crime when she delivered a DoorDash order.

IN MASSACHUSETTS: KAREN READ was found not guilty on murder and manslaughter charges on Wednesday. The jury did convict her on drunken driving charges and she was sentenced to one year probation.

Her first trial ended in mistrial with a hung jury last summer. No word yet on any civil proceedings. [via AP]

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Seven men have been charged with the theft of $100 million worth of gold, diamonds, high-end watches, and other items in what the Department of Justice is calling the biggest jewelry heist in U.S. history.

The thieves ambushed a Brinks armored truck at a rest stop in July 2022. They made off with 73 bags full of loot; some of which was recovered this week during a search warrant executed by federal agents.

The men face up to 20 years in prison. [via NY Post]

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