Don Lemon, Nekima Levy Armstrong plead not guilty in church protest

MINNEAPOLIS — The federal prosecution tied to an anti-ICE demonstration at a St. Paul church moved ahead Friday, with arraignments held for some of the protesters from the rally and former CNN journalist Don Lemon, who reported on the protest.

Lemon, along with Minneapolis civil rights activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, military veteran Will Kelly, St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen and student activist Jerome Richardson entered not guilty pleas to alleged crimes of conspiracy against rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and violating the FACE Act, which typically protects houses of worship.

Asked how he pleads, Lemon leaned into the microphone and said “not guilty” when arraigned before Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko. Lemon was flanked by his defense attorneys Abbe Lowell and Joe Thompson. Thompson, the former acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, is among several former federal prosecutors who left the office since the beginning of Operation Metro Surge.

Justice Department prosecutors allege that nine defendants charged in the indictment “intimidated, harassed, oppressed and terrorized” the parishioners of Cities Church on Jan. 18 during a demonstration, which was organized after the protesters determined one of the pastors, David Easterwood, is the acting director of the ICE field office in St. Paul.

—The Minnesota Star Tribune

'Shocked' Michigan Dems urge Trump to reverse stance on Gordie Howe bridge

WASHINGTON ― Democrats in Michigan's congressional delegation wrote Friday to President Donald Trump, urging him to support the opening the Gordie Howe International Bridge on schedule in early 2026 and reiterating its importance to the economy and jobs in Michigan and around the country.

“This critical conduit of international commerce will bring jobs to the United States and support our long-standing relationship with Canada," the Michigan Democrats wrote. "Your recent comments put those benefits and years of bipartisan work towards the opening of the bridge in jeopardy."

The letter comes after Trump abruptly threatened Monday to halt the opening of the new span on the border between Detroit and Windsor, which Canada paid $4.7 billion to build. The structure is jointly owned by Michigan and Canada.

The White House has suggested that Trump wants to renegotiate a key 2013 permit granted during the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama to secure a cut of the toll revenues and "a better deal for the American people."

—The Detroit News

Florida lawmakers consider funding for struggling mobile home owners

MIAMI — Florida mobile home owners struggling with affordability might soon get some short-term help.

The Florida House of Representatives is debating a bill that would make it easier for local governments to provide financial assistance to mobile home owners facing rising lot fees.

And, as mobile home parks like Sweetwater’s Li’l Abner shutter across South Florida to make way for new developments, the bill requires counties and cities to create contingency plans to assist the people displaced by park closures.

House Bill 267 relaxes funding restrictions to the State Housing Initiatives Program, known as SHIP, which provides local governments with money to promote housing affordability for residents.

—Miami Herald

Europe talks nuclear weapons after US delivers reality check

When the U.S. briefly stopped sharing battlefield intelligence with Ukraine in March 2025, the results were immediate. Kyiv’s forces suffered decisive setbacks on the battlefield as its European allies watched in horror.

The outage only lasted a few days, but it sent shockwaves through Europe as a new reality dawned: Washington was no longer a reliable military partner, and the continent needed a plan B.

Europe has been fighting to keep an increasingly hostile U.S. in NATO while countries race to rearm. And now for the first time since the end of the Cold War, European capitals are discussing how to develop their own nuclear deterrent, according to people familiar with the matter, citing conversations between militaries and governments.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed it was a live issue in a speech on Friday at the Munich Security Conference. “I have begun confidential talks with the French president on European nuclear deterrence,” he said. “We will not allow zones of differing security to emerge in Europe.”

—Bloomberg News