Trial begins of 4 accused of helping Russia sow political division in U.S.
CBSN
Tampa, Fla. — The trial began in Florida Tuesday of four activists accused of illegally acting as Russian agents to help the Kremlin sow political discord and interfere in U.S. elections.
All four are or were affiliated with the African People's Socialist Party and Uhuru Movement, which has locations in St. Petersburg, Florida, and St. Louis. Among those charged is Omali Yeshitela, the 82-year-old chairman of the U.S.-based organization focused on Black empowerment and the effort to obtain reparations for slavery and what it considers the past genocide of Africans.
In an opening statement, Yeshitela attorney Ade Griffin said the group shared many goals of a Russian organization called the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia but wasn't acting under control of that nation's government.

The Federal Communication Commission announced Thursday evening that it had approved the $6.2 billion merger of major broadcast station owners Nexstar and Tegna. The move came on the same day that attorneys general in eight states and DirecTV filed separate lawsuits seeking to block the deal, arguing that it will lead to higher prices for consumers and stifle local journalism. In:

Washington — A group of senators met with border czar Tom Homan on Thursday as negotiators continue to seek an agreement to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement and end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Nikole Killion, Alan He and Caitlin Huey-Burns contributed to this report.











