Stone says he should be free to speak in Russia probe case
WASHINGTON – A federal judge shouldn’t bar longtime Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone from making public statements about his criminal case in the Russia investigation, his attorneys said Friday. Lawyers for Stone, a political consultant who has made a career out of attention-seeking politics, say in a new court filing that any limits on their client’s comments would infringe on his right to free speech. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson is considering a gag order preventing both sides talking about the case.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – A Maryland woman faces charges that she assaulted White House counselor Kellyanne Conway during a confrontation last year at a restaurant in a Washington suburb. Mary Elizabeth Inabinett, 63, of Chevy Chase, was charged in November with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Conway told police she was attending a birthday party Oct. 14 at a Mexican restaurant when she felt somebody grab her shoulders from behind and shake her, according to a charging document.
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration’s peace envoy for Afghanistan says that although his talks with the Taliban have produced a tentative “framework” agreement, the negotiations have a long way to go. Zalmay Khalilzad said Friday that there is time to make a final deal before Afghanistan’s presidential election in July. But he also stressed that many issues remain to be resolved. He said the Taliban’s top priority is the withdrawal of U.S. troops, whereas the U.S. wants to ensure Afghanistan never again becomes a haven for extremists.
SYDNEY – Australian police arrested six people after what authorities said Friday was the largest single seizure of methamphetamine in the United States and the biggest drug haul bound for Australia. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said 3,800 pounds of the drug were seized mid-january at the Los Angeles-long Beach port complex along with smaller amounts of cocaine and heroin. Police said six people arrested in Australia on Thursday and Friday were tied to a U.s.-based syndicate. Two of those arrested are Americans.