Latest news with #Merkel
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Spokane Valley City Council to consider settlement with sitting member over public records lawsuit
Jun. 2—Spokane Valley's public records lawsuit against one of its sitting city council members could come to a close without a day in court if the council approves a settlement proposal this week. The Spokane Valley City Council will hear a settlement offer from Councilman Al Merkel Tuesday that would end the city's lawsuit against him — a monthslong legal dispute centered around the councilman's use of the social media platform NextDoor. The city opened an independent investigation into Merkel's NextDoor use last June following a complaint from Councilwoman Jessica Yaeger that he was using the platform as a form of city-related communication without keeping proper records of his activity. Rebecca Dean, a Seattle-based attorney who conducted the investigation, determined Merkel's use likely violated the state's Public Records Act and city code governing council members. Merkel has maintained that he does not believe his activity, whether posts, surveys or messages, constitute public records, and unsuccessfully appealed the investigation findings to the city's hearing examiner last fall. Citing a lack of compliance from Merkel following the investigation, and the hearing examiner's decision to uphold it, the Spokane Valley City Council voted to sue Merkel in February to force him to comply with open records rules. Merkel's fellow members on the city council voted unanimously to strip him of committee assignments, and to publicly censure Merkel — a formal condemnation for his actions — in a special meeting Dec. 19 following the appeal. The punishments are among the most severe available to the council when disciplining a fellow board member, and will remain in effect for the remaining three years of Merkel's term. The settlement offer, passed along by Merkel's attorney Patrick Kirby, comes just before the lawsuit was to appear before Spokane County Superior Court Judge Rachelle Anderson on July 18. If approved by the city council, the settlement would lead to the dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning the city could not refile the same claim down the road for events before the settlement took effect. The city would also cover all of Merkel's attorney fees past, present and future, "as they pertain to this dispute," according to meeting materials including in the agenda for Tuesday. Merkel is also requesting the city come to agreement with him on appointing an "independent master" to review his social media and determine what activity constitutes a public record, and to have the city cover the costs of the role. Merkel would only be legally obligated to produce social media posts the "master" determined to be public records, the settlement terms state. The city would pay for an attorney to serve as the "independent master." The city already has a staff that is trained in public record's law to fill records requests, and the city covered the costs of two independent experts already for the investigation and hearing examiner proceedings. The settlement would preempt a court from weighing in on whether, or to what extent, Merkel's activity on NextDoor is a public record. It would also preempt a court from directing him to provide those posts and to comply with state law and city policies moving forward, which is highlighted as a potential concern in the meeting materials. "Both determined Councilmember Merkel violated the Governance Manual social media policy and did not comply with his good faith obligations under Washington case law," the agenda item states. "Councilmember Merkel did not adhere to those determinations, and thus it would remain to be seen whether he would adhere to a third independent attorney's determinations in this regard when not in his favor." City Attorney Kelly Konkright will brief the council on the offer from Merkel at its regular 6 p.m. Tuesday meeting.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Germany's Merz Secures Long-Awaited Trump Meeting on June 5
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington for his inaugural meeting with US President Donald Trump next week, almost a month after starting his term leading Europe's largest economy. The 69-year-old conservative, who became Germany's chancellor on May 6, will meet the US leader at the White House on June 5, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in an emailed statement on Saturday.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Germany's Merz Secures Long-Awaited Trump Meeting on Thursday
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington for his inaugural meeting with US President Donald Trump next week, almost a month after starting his term leading Europe's largest economy. The 69-year-old conservative, who became Germany's chancellor on May 6, will travel to Washington for a meeting at the White House on Thursday, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in an emailed statement on Saturday.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ex-German Chancellor warns Europe of destruction over Merz's migration policies: ‘We can't…'
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has issued a chilling warning: Europe could be destroyed if national migration and border control policies tighten further. Merkel criticises Germany's new asylum rules, stressing that only EU-wide solutions can protect freedom of movement and the Schengen zone. Merkel's stark prediction highlights the risks to European unity and stability. Discover what's at stake for the EU, the impact on migration policy, and why Merkel believes unilateral action threatens Europe's future.
NHK
27-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
German Chancellor Merz blasts Israeli military operations in Gaza
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has slammed Israel's recent actions in Gaza. The military operations have been causing increasing numbers of civilian casualties. The Israeli military announced on Monday that it had conducted airstrikes over a two-day period against more than 20 targets in Gaza, including strongholds belonging to the Islamic group Hamas. Palestinian media outlets have reported that Israel bombed a school where a number of residents were taking shelter. Health officials in the enclave say 38 people were killed during the previous 24 hours, due to attacks by the Israeli military. Merz said in a TV interview on Monday that he no longer understands why Israel is harming the civilian population. He also suggested that Israel's behavior can no longer be justified or described as a fight against terrorism perpetrated by Hamas. The chancellor indicated, however, that Germany will remain on Israel's side. He added that the Israeli government must not do anything that its best friends are no longer prepared to accept. German media outlets have noted that it is unusual for pro-Israel Germany to criticize the Israeli government. Germany has taken a pro-Israel stance because of its history. The Nazis killed millions of Jews in the Holocaust during World War Two.
