Coping with an empty cell. Thomas Koskovich, a man serving life at New Jersey State Prison, recounts the secondhand trauma of a recent death in his unit: “Adding to the collective stress is how little we prisoners know about what’s happening in real time. When you’re locked in a cell, you have to rely on obstructed views, surrounding sounds and chatter to fill in the gaps.” The Marshall Project

An admission of guilt. An Ohio judge who funneled lucrative divorce cases to her longtime friend and court-appointed receiver has filed a formal motion admitting her guilt. Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze was slated to face numerous misconduct charges Monday in a two-day hearing with the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel, which will no longer take place. The Marshall Project - Cleveland

Another student disappeared. A University of Alabama doctoral student from Iran was detained by federal immigration authorities on Tuesday, one of multiple students to be detained by ICE in recent weeks. Alireza Doroudi, who had been in the U.S. since January 2023, was arrested by ICE officers at his home at around 5 a.m. As of Thursday afternoon, he was being held at the Pickens County Jail. The Crimson White

“It’s not really an FBI thing.” Despite President Donald Trump’s claim, the reality is that, for decades, the FBI and Justice Department have been responsible for investigating the mishandling of national defense information, much like the kind members of his administration shared on Signal. The Associated Press National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and other top Trump officials left their Venmo “friends” lists public—until journalists asked about it. Wired Reporters digging around the internet found private contact details—including mobile phone numbers, email addresses and even some passwords—of Trump’s most important security advisers. Der Spiegel

Too hot to handle. A federal judge on Wednesday found the extreme heat in Texas prisons is “plainly unconstitutional,” but declined to order the state to immediately start installing air conditioning, which could cost billions. About two-thirds of Texas prisons are not fully air-conditioned, and dozens of inmates have died in the sweltering heat. The Texas Tribune TMP Context: How incarcerated journalists survived extreme heat in prison. The Marshall Project

Dodgy on DOGE. One of the most visible members of Elon Musk’s DOGE team once provided tech support for a cybercrime group that bragged about trafficking in stolen data and cyberstalking an FBI agent, according to records reviewed by Reuters. Nineteen-year-old Edward Coristine, also known by his nickname “Big Balls,” ran the company while he was still in high school. Reuters

The courts fight back. The U.S. federal judiciary launched a task force Wednesday to combat Republican threats to limit the security and independence of the federal courts. The formation of the Judicial Security and Independence Task Force comes after President Trump and his Republican allies made calls to limit the reach of judges’ rulings, reduce funding and impeach judges who rule against the Trump administration. Reuters

Last year, Louisiana reversed its “Raise the Age” law, moving all 17-year-olds back into the adult criminal system. Now, some state lawmakers want to go a step further, proposing an amendment to the state constitution that would give themselves more leeway to decide what crimes can send children even younger than 17 into adult court—and potentially adult prison. Bolts TMP Context: When Louisiana youth were held in solitary confinement. The Marshall Project

A former North Dakota lawmaker was sentenced to 10 years in prison this week for traveling to Europe with the intent to pay for sex with a minor. Federal prosecutors said former state Sen. Ray Holmberg had a “decades-long track record of identifying extremely vulnerable young men, grooming them and eventually using them for sex.” The Associated Press

A sheriff in Mississippi used people locked up in county jail as labor on his mother’s commercial chicken farm. It’s the same Rankin County sheriff already under investigation for torturing two Black men. The New York Times

A police chief in New Jersey has been accused by several of his officers of “Animal House”-like antics, such as defecating on the office floor, spiking the office coffee pot with Adderall and Viagra, and jabbing one officer in the penis with a hypodermic needle. NBC News

Lawyers who fought back. During the Red Scare, one scrappy law firm distinguished itself by taking a stand against witch-hunting, and representing hundreds of federal employees accused of disloyalty by the Truman administration. As law firms bend the knee under threats from President Donald Trump, the story of the firm Arnold, Fortas & Porter “offers a refreshing example of a firm that went the other direction and stood on principle when its peers did not.” Politico

Tuna chino bowls, layered cheesecakes and chicken mole. In prison, cooking requires creativity, including foregoing measuring cups and spoons and utilizing ingredients from the commissary, such as Chick-o-stick candies, electrolyte drinks, and pork skins. In the cookbook, “Hot Pot Chef: Texas Prisons Cookbook,” one incarcerated chef breaks down how he cooks healthy, delicious meals in prison—and how you can do it at home. Prison Journalism Project

Both incompetent and evil. Sharing classified information over a text messaging app. False allegations of fraud leading to the decimation of the Social Security Administration. Are they “‘the dumbest motherfuckers alive’? Or are we looking at a sinister plot to destroy America as we know it? The answer is ‘yes.’” Paul Krugman

Nonviolent protests. Trump officials have accused the “Tesla Takedown” protest movement of calling for violence against Musk. As the group prepares for another nationwide protest on March 29, a member of the communications team reiterates that the movement is nonviolent and insists there has been no violence or property destruction at any of the group’s events. “Tesla Takedown is a nonviolent, decentralized grassroots protest movement. We absolutely oppose violence and the destruction of property. Full stop.” The Big Picture

Criminalizing miscarriage. Though an autopsy showed her pregnancy loss was a natural miscarriage, a 24-year-old woman in Georgia remains criminally charged with one count of concealing the death of another person and one count of abandonment of a dead body—because the remains were found in a dumpster. WALB TMP Context: How a person handles a pregnancy loss—and where it occurs—can be the difference between a private medical issue and criminal charges. The Marshall Project

The cost of a wrong turn. A Guatemalan woman who lives in the U.S. without legal status accidentally plugged in the address for a Costco in Canada—and ended up in ICE detention. Her children were also held, even though they are U.S. citizens. NPR

A hummingbird and a palm tree. The Trump administration claims the men deported to El Salvador were members of the Venezuelan gang “Tren de Aragua.” But interviews by Mother Jones suggest immigration officials merely rounded up Venezuelan men with tattoos before President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act and immediately deported them. Many of the men's families insist they have no connection to the gang, with the tattoos of one man displaying a hummingbird as a symbol of “harmony and good energy,” and a palm tree to honor his late mother. Mother Jones

Officer names to be released. A federal judge ruled that Ohio’s Marsy’s Law, which is intended to protect crime victims, does not apply to police officers. The court ordered the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to release the names of the Columbus police officers who shot and killed 36-year-old Jamie Overstreet in August 2023. A grand jury declined to impose criminal charges, but Overstreet’s family had filed suit. WOSU 89.7

A movement’s legacy. In a new documentary, the Panther cubs describe their experience of growing up as the children of the founders of the Black Panther movement—and the pain and pride that comes along with the multi-generational fight for change. The Guardian