Trump legal cases enter 'uncharted' territory | Top 10

+ judge blocks Musk's Tesla pay package US Edition - Today's top story: Supreme Court heads into uncharted, dangerous territory as it considers Trump insurrection case [View in browser]( US Edition | 11 February 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [Atlantic Ocean is headed for a tipping point − once melting glaciers shut down the Gulf Stream, we would see extreme climate change within decades, study shows]( - [Ads, food and gambling galore − 5 essential reads for the Super Bowl]( Legal issues involving former President Donald Trump dominated the news last week. And our crack politics team was all over them, with timely articles that provided readers with context, perspective and analysis from experienced political and legal scholars. It was hardly a surprise that two of the stories readers gravitated to most last week were about the two separate court cases that made big headlines – one with negative implications for Trump, the other potentially more favorable. The first was a unanimous ruling by a federal appeals court panel that Trump is not immune from prosecution for crimes committed while president. Claire Wofford, a political scientist at the College of Charleston, [explained the implications of the ruling](, both for the current cases against Trump and all presidents, past, present and future. The case is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court, which may choose to intervene or let the appeals court ruling stand. The high court was where the week’s other big Trump news took place. The justices heard oral arguments over the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove Trump from the ballot in the state because it determined Trump engaged in an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court hearing, political scientists Jessica A. Schoenherr of the University of South Carolina and Jonathan M. King of West Virginia University wrote about [what was at stake for the court](, notably its legitimacy as a nonpartisan body. And following the hearing, senior politics editor Naomi Schalit interviewed Notre Dame election law scholar Derek T. Muller to learn [what he gleaned from the justices’ questions](. In the interview, which was one of last week’s editor picks, Muller explained why he felt the justices were skeptical that a single state should decide for the whole nation whether Trump is eligible to be president. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks The U.S. Supreme Court. Larry Crain/iStock/Getty Images Plus [Supreme Court heads into uncharted, dangerous territory as it considers Trump insurrection case]( Jessica A. Schoenherr, University of South Carolina; Jonathan M. King, West Virginia University With their upcoming decision concerning whether Donald Trump can appear on the Colorado ballot, Supreme Court justices face the possibility that the ruling could be ignored or defied by the public. - [Trump was not king and can be prosecuted for crimes committed while president: Appeals court places limits on immunity]( Claire Wofford, College of Charleston Donald Trump has claimed he is immune from prosecution for actions he took as part of his job as president. An appeals court unanimously disagreed, allowing the many prosecutions of Trump to proceed. - [Why Elon Musk’s ‘self-driving’ of Tesla’s board and its decision to pay him $56B collided with the law – and what happens next]( Justin P. Klein, University of Delaware Musk can’t dodge this ruling by moving Tesla’s incorporation to Texas. - [US raids in Iraq and Syria: How retaliatory airstrikes affect network of Iran-backed militias]( Sara Harmouch, American University; Nakissa Jahanbani, United States Military Academy West Point More than 85 locations linked to militias were hit in a robust response by Washington to an earlier deadly drone attack on a US base in Jordan. - [A two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians might actually be closer than ever]( Benjamin Case, Arizona State University While the conflict between Hamas and Israel is unique, the case of South Africa’s border war – and subsequent fall of apartheid – might offer lessons that apply to the Middle East. Editors' picks Police place a fence at the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 8, 2024, before justices heard arguments over whether Donald Trump is ineligible for the 2024 ballot. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana [Supreme Court skeptical that Colorado − or any state − should decide for whole nation whether Trump is eligible for presidency]( Derek T. Muller, University of Notre Dame Partisan differences at the Supreme Court seemed to be set aside as conservative and liberal justices alike asserted concerns about giving states too much power over national elections. - [Dietary supplements and protein powders fall under a ‘wild west’ of products that necessitate caveats and caution]( Emily Hemendinger, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Katie Suleta, George Washington University Although most Americans believe dietary supplements are safe, these products often make health claims that are unproven or downright false. - [Biden is campaigning against the Lost Cause and the ‘poison’ of white supremacy in South Carolina]( Joseph Patrick Kelly, College of Charleston During a campaign speech in South Carolina, President Biden made it clear that he is not only running against Donald Trump but also against white supremacy. - [The myth of men’s full-time employment]( Sarah Damaske, Penn State; Adrianne Frech, Ohio University Think the norm is to join the workforce straight after school, work for five decades and then retire? Think again. - [Michigan mother convicted of manslaughter for school shootings by her son – after buying him a gun and letting him keep it unsecured]( Thaddeus Hoffmeister, University of Dayton Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty for a school shooting committed by her son; the father faces trial next. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. This week, questions on 🧧, 🎬 and 🎶🔵🎂 Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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