The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on an excessive-force lawsuit. A unanimous ruling Thursday revived the civil rights suit against a Texas police officer who killed a man during a traffic stop over unpaid tolls. The justices ordered the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reexamine the case of Ashtian Barnes, who died in his rental car in April 2016 in Houston. Lower courts had dismissed the lawsuit filed against Officer Roberto Felix Jr. by Mr. Barnes’ mother, Janice Hughes. – The Associated Press
The Trump administration said it will restore some key datasets. Content including funding resources and information about rural clean energy projects had been removed from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website earlier this year as part of an effort to scrub references to climate change. A coalition of farming and environmental nonprofits had sued the administration to reinstate the material, which they said included such essential tools as flood-zone maps. Earlier this week, the Department of Justice wrote in a court filing that the material should be back online within about two weeks. – Staff
Mali dissolved all of its political parties. The president of the African nation’s transitional government signed a decree doing so against a backdrop of pro-democracy opposition. The decision this week by Gen. Assimi Goïta came amid a surge in kidnappings of pro-democracy activists in the capital, Bamako, and just days after a demonstration by pro-democracy activists. Mali has been under military rule since a 2021 coup led by Mr. Goïta. – AP
Related Monitor story: In 2023, we wrote about a string of coups in Africa, including in Mali, and what they said about dependence on foreign powers.
The FAA met with airlines to address Newark airport issues. The two-day meeting, which ended Thursday, came as a series of equipment outages and staffing issues affecting Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the United States’ busiest, has caused episodes of travel chaos. The Federal Aviation Administration also cited ongoing runway construction at Newark that regularly forces the cancellation of dozens of flights and delays hundreds more. – Reuters
Harvard learned that it holds a (very) rare document. The university for decades assumed that a faded document it had bought for less than $30 was a copy of the Magna Carta. This week, two researchers concluded that it has a rare version issued in 1300 by Britain’s King Edward I. The original Magna Carta established in 1215 that the king was subject to law. It formed the basis of many constitutions. There are four copies of the original and, until now, there were thought to be only six of the 1300-issued version. Harvard reportedly has no plans to sell it. – AP