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US News

Justice Thomas Allegedly Didn't Show Enough Receipts

What's going on: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted even more luxury trips and gifts than previously thought, according to Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. A report released over the weekend said he didn’t disclose a private jet flight to New York’s Adirondacks, as well as a yacht and jet excursion to New York City in 2021, all funded by billionaire Harlan Crow. It also lists over two dozen instances of luxury travel Thomas has accepted since his 1991 confirmation, valued at more than $4.75 million, and notes that the value and extravagance of his gifts have “no comparison in modern American history.” Many of Thomas’s trips went undisclosed, even after he amended some of his past financial forms. A spokesman for Crow called the 20-months-long inquiry “political, partisan, and unconstitutional from the start.”

What it means: These revelations have fueled calls for greater transparency and oversight of the Supreme Court, while reigniting the debate over its ethics. It comes as public trust in the high court has fallen to just 35%. (Thomas hasn’t been the only one called out for ethical concerns — see: Justice Sonia Sotomayor.) Critics argue the Supreme Court’s ethics code, only introduced in 2023, is insufficient because it leaves compliance up to individual justices. Without stronger accountability measures, critics warn that the Supreme Court risks further eroding its credibility and public legitimacy. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the committee chairman, called for enforceable ethical standards. However, with Republicans set to take control of the Senate, significant reform is unlikely.

Related: Biden Commuted 37 Federal Death Row Sentences Ahead of Trump's Return (NPR)

International

Authorities Search for Motive in Germany's Christmas Market Attack 

What's going on: German police are investigating the motive behind the deadly attack at a Christmas market that killed a 9-year-old boy and four adults on Friday. More than 200 others suffered injuries, with dozens in critical condition. Authorities said the suspect — identified by German outlets as Taleb A., though not officially named due to Germany’s privacy laws — drove an SUV into a crowd of people in Magdeburg. The 50-year-old man, who moved to Europe from Saudi Arabia almost two decades ago, worked as a psychiatrist and has made anti-Islam statements. He’s also expressed sympathies for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, according to CNN. Authorities said Taleb A. faces charges of murder and attempted murder.

Tell me more: German authorities said they received at least one tip about the suspect from the Saudi Arabian government before the incident. They questioned him and opened an investigation at the time, but later closed the inquiry, saying they didn’t categorize him as a potential threat. On Saturday, families of the victims and government officials attended a memorial service, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz calling the incident a “dreadful tragedy.” The incident comes years after another attack at a Christmas market in Germany in 2016.

Related: Elon Musk Is Going Global and Weighing In on German Politics Now (CNN)

Entertainment

Blake Lively Files Legal Complaint Against 'It Ends With Us' Co-Star Justin Baldoni 

What's going on: Over the weekend, the internet — a place famous for being just great to women — seemed to realize it might have been too hasty in its takedown of one particular woman: Blake Lively. This came after Lively filed a legal complaint Friday against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, along with Wayfarer Studios and others involved with the project. She accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and attempting to ruin her reputation in a smear campaign after she voiced her concerns. The New York Times published text messages and emails allegedly showing how Baldoni and his PR team — the same one hired by Johnny Depp amid his legal battle with Amber Heard — created an almost undetectable digital assault on Lively’s public profile. According to one of the messages, a publicist working with Baldoni wrote of Lively: “He wants to feel like she can be buried.” At one point, Baldoni allegedly texted his PR people a social media post in which another celebrity was accused of bullying, saying, “This is what we would need.”

Tell me more: Blake Lively’s public image took a major hit by the time the It Ends With Us press tour ended. Baldoni — who had branded himself as a feminist ally in the #MeToo movement and who has a podcast on toxic masculinity — however, came out nearly unscathed. But since the news of the complaint broke, Baldoni’s talent agency has dropped him as a client. An attorney for the movie’s studio, Wayfarer, said it “did nothing proactive nor retaliated” against Lively, and accused her of making “another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation.” In a statement after the complaint was filed, Lively said, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”

Related: These Are the Celebrities Who’ve Come Out in Support of Blake Lively (E! News)