Judge Blocks Election Threats, Italy Strike, and Britain May Apologize for Slave Trade

A federal judge in California ordered the Trump administration to stop threatening local election officials with criminal charges. The threats were connected to mail-in ballots from people the government said may not be U.S. citizens. The ruling came just days before a major national election, with a record 48 million Americans already having voted early. Legal experts called the situation unlike anything seen in many decades.

Judge Trina Thompson issued a restraining order blocking the Justice Department from demanding that officials remove voters from rolls or refuse to count their ballots. The DOJ had warned California officials they could face criminal charges if they counted more than 20,000 mail-in ballots from people the administration claimed were not citizens. Reuters legal reporter Andrew Goudsward said former DOJ officials described it as 'basically unprecedented.' The DOJ also asked a judge to stop Alaska from certifying its election results over a ballot that listed two candidates with the same name, Dan Sullivan.

In Europe, large protests swept through France and Italy. More than 70,000 police officers were deployed across France on Saturday ahead of planned demonstrations about the rising cost of living. Two weeks earlier, peaceful marches had turned violent when looters damaged shops and set fire to public buildings. Authorities wanted to be ready this time.

In Italy, tens of thousands of workers and students marched in a general strike on Friday. A general strike is when large groups of workers across many industries stop working to send a message to the government. In the city of Turin, riot police used batons and water cannons to push crowds back. Protesters called for higher wages, better public services, and relief from rising prices.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to formally apologizing for Britain's role in the slave trade. This would be a major change in government policy, and it could open the door for King Charles to also apologize at a meeting of former British colonies. Mr. Burnham wrote in a newspaper essay that past leaders had refused to have an honest conversation about the UK's involvement in slavery. Historian Alan Lester told Reuters that reparations could come as development aid or reduced debt rather than direct cash payments.

It is not yet clear whether an apology will actually be made. Royal commentator Afua Hagan said Buckingham Palace had previously stated there would be no royal apology for slavery. However, she said the reparations movement was growing louder and harder to ignore. A meeting of former British colonies in Antigua was adding more pressure on both the government and the royal family.