Good morning Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
A Federal Judge Held Kris Kobach In Contempt For Failing To Follow A Court Order That Registered Voters
A Kansas federal judge made the ruling on Wednesday after Kobach, Kansas' secretary of state, failed to follow the judge's order to "register voters who had signed up to vote at the DMV, but failed to present proof of citizenship,"HuffPost reports.
The order came as a result of Kobach losing a challenge to the ACLU over a law that went into effect in Kansas in 2013, which required proof of citizenship to register to vote (The New York Timescalled the law one of the "strictest in the country"). Afterwards, Kobach was supposed to use postcards to notify the 18,000 people whose registrations had been blocked, letting them know they could indeed vote. He didn't. The ACLU was responsible for bringing Kobach back to court. He claimed his office had "orally instructed county clerks to send out the postcards, but could not force them to do anything."
The judge found that Kris Kobach:
❌ Disobeyed court order by failing to give registered voters consistent information
❌ Failed to ensure that county elections officials were properly trained
❌ Has a 'history of noncompliance and disrespect for court’s decisions.’#ACLUvKobach— ACLU (@ACLU) April 18, 2018
In addition to being held in contempt, Kobach was ordered to pay the ACLU for attorneys fees. According to HuffPost, the judge also said that "any further remedial measures" will be decided when she "ruled on the merits of the case."
Kobach served as the former vice chairman of the Trump administration's now-disbanded presidential commission on voter fraud. He's also running for governor in Kansas.
President Trump Still Plans To Meet With Kim Jong-Un
Trump made the announcement after confirming an earlier news story that CIA Director Mike Pompeo secretly visited the North Korean leader at the beginning of April. The White House had previously declined to comment on Pompeo's visit, which the Washington Post first reported on, noting that he went "as Trump's envoy to lay the groundwork for direct talks between Trump and Kim about North Korea's nuclear weapons program."
Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of Summit are being worked out now. Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018
According to a tweet from Trump (which mistakenly said Pompeo met Kim last week when it was actually over Easter weekend), the meeting "went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed." Regarding a meeting between Kim and Trump himself, the president said it could take place by early June or sooner, Bloomberg reports.
Trump also told reporters that his administration had "starting talking to North Korea directly" and they're currently discussing five potential sites for the meeting. However, if things don't go a certain way, he apparently won't hesitate to walk out. "If the meeting when I'm there is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting," Trump said.
Three Men Were Found Guilty In A 2016 Plot To Kill Muslim Refugees
Curtis Allen, Gavin Wright and Patrick Stein were convicted on Wednesday after "plotting to blow up an apartment complex where Somali refugees live and pray" in Garden City, Kansas, The New York Times reports. The men had been arrested about a month before Election Day, and were initially charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy against rights. Wright garnered an additional charge: lying to the FBI. The three were found guilty on all counts, and will be sentenced in June — possibly facing life in prison.
The New York Times said threats like these — against religious and racial minorities — are "rising nationally."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a statement on the conviction. "The defendants in this case acted with clear premeditation in an attempt to kill people on the basis of their religion and national origin," he said. "That’s not just illegal — it’s immoral and unacceptable, and we’re not going to stand for it."
What to look for...
The end of a Shondaland era. Scandal's series finale is tonight, bringing the six-year show to a conclusion.