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US judge upholds Friday deadline to restore slavery exhibit on Independence Mall in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal judge has denied the Trump administration's request to delay a Friday deadline torestore an exhibiton the history of slavery at Independence Mall in Philadelphia.

Attorney and founder of Avenging the Ancestors Coalition Michael Coard speaks during a rally celebrating the reinstallation of a slavery exhibit at the President's House Site in Philadelphia on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

La jueza Cynthia Rufe sale tras inspeccionar el lugar donde estaban los carteles explicativos sobre la esclavitud en la Sala del Presidente en Filadelfia, el 2 de febrero del 2026. (AP foto/Matt Rourke)

Attendees gather for a rally celebrating the reinstallation of a slavery exhibit at the President's House Site in Philadelphia on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Slavery Exhibit Removed

The ruling Friday morning came as restoration work begun Thursdayresumedat the site of the former President's House. Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe had set a 5 p.m. Friday deadline for its completion, and she held to that timeline, even as the administration appeals her decision.

The Interior Department has said in court papers that it planned to replace the exhibit with its own narrative on slavery, as the administration works to remove information that it deems"disparaging" to Americansfrom federal properties. Rufe said it must work with the city on new material under a longstanding cooperative agreement.

"As this court established, "(t)he government can convey a different message without restraint elsewhere if it so pleases, but it cannot do so to the President's House until it follows the law and consults with the city," Rufe, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, said in Friday's opinion.

In its own filing Friday to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Justice Department called her ruling "extraordinary" and "an improper intrusion on the workings of a co-equal branch of government."

The appeals court asked the city to respond to the request for an emergency stay of Rufe's order.

One of the panels being rehung Friday morning — titled "History Lost & Found" — details the surprising discovery of artifacts from the building during an archaeological dig in the early 2000s, as work was being done on a new pavilion for the Liberty Bell.

National Park Service employees worked with care on the exhibits, including those on the nine people enslaved by George and Martha Washington in the 1790s, when Philadelphia served as the nation's capital. The Park Service describes theoutdoor exhibitas one "that examines the paradox between slavery and freedom in the founding of the nation."

The Trump administration abruptly removed the panels in January, leading the city and other advocates to file suit. They had been on display since 2010, the result of years of research and collaboration between the city, the Park Service, historians and other private parties.

Rufe, in denying the federal government's request for a delay, said that side was unlikely to succeed at trial. And she said the public –- and the city's reputation -- was being harmed with each passing day.

The city, she said, "is responsible for the public trust in the city's telling of its own history, its own integrity in telling that history, and preventing erasure of that history, particularly in advance of the semiquincentennial."

Millions of people are expected to visit Philadelphia, the nation's birthplace, this year for the 250th anniversary of the country's founding in 1776.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia, which is representing the administration in court, declined to comment on the restoration work Friday.

Kimberly Gegner, a teacher from Philadelphia, visited the site Friday with some of her 6th- to 9th-grade students. As a Black American, she said, it had pained her to see the history removed. But she was grateful to see it going back up.

"This whole case and what happened here — the taking it down and how Mayor Parker and other Pennsylvanians had to go to court to have it restored — is an excellent case of how the Constitution was applied to win this case for Philadelphia," she said.

byCosmopolite

in

February 20, 2026

US judge upholds Friday deadline to restore slavery exhibit on Independence Mall in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal judge has denied the Trump administration's request to delay a Friday deadline toresto...

Epstein estate reaches settlement of up to $35 million with survivors

The estate ofJeffrey Epsteinagreed on Thursday to pay up to $35 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by survivors of the late convicted sex offender.

Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2004. - Rick Friedman/Corbis/Getty Images

The complaint, which was first filed in 2024, alleges that Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, co-executors of Epstein's estate, "facilitated" Epstein's "sex trafficking and abuse" and "were also integral in allowing Epstein to escape justice for years by concealing his litany of crimes."

Indyke and Kahn denied the allegations in Thursday's filing, adding that they were not involved in "the Epstein sex trafficking venture in any way" and that they do not believe "any Class Member has suffered any harm, injury, or damages as a result of their conduct." The settlement would resolve all claims against the two defendants and the estate. A judge must now sign off on the agreement.

It comes amid the fallout from the Justice Department's release of millions of pages of files related to Epstein in document dumps over the course of the last year. The files include numerousprominent names, and revelations have promptedseveral executives to step down.

The parties agreed on a settlement of up to $35 million, according to a court filing Thursday. The final figure depends on the number of survivors that signed onto the class-action lawsuit, and it could be as low as $25 million if there are less than 40 "Eligible Class Members."

An attorney for Indyke and Kahn stressed that they are not admitting to any wrongdoing by agreeing to the settlement.

"Neither of the co-executors has made any admission or concession of misconduct," lawyer Daniel Weiner said in a statement to CNN. "Because they did nothing wrong, the co-executors were prepared to fight the claims against them through to trial, but agreed to mediate and settle this lawsuit in order to achieve finality as to any potential claims against the Epstein Estate."

CNN has reached out to lawyers representing the survivors.

Several survivors have already received compensation since Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial.

In November 2019, attorneys for Epstein's estate executors filed a request to pursue a survivor compensation fund to avoid litigation and the program started in June 2020. By early 2021,payouts were pausedbecause the estate was low on cash. Before the pause, over 150 claims were filed and the program paid out over $50 million to eligible claimants.

Survivors have also reached settlements with two banks where Epstein was a client:JP Morgan Chase, which agreed to pay $290 million to settle a class-action lawsuit, andDeutsche Bank, which reached a $75 million settlement.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN's Lauren del Valle and Chris Isidore contributed to this report.

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byCosmopolite

in

February 20, 2026

Epstein estate reaches settlement of up to $35 million with survivors

The estate ofJeffrey Epsteinagreed on Thursday to pay up to $35 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by surv...

Can King Charles III pardon his brother Andrew? Why it's unlikely.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 19, his 66th birthday, for suspicion of misconduct in public life. Hours later, he was released from police custody.

The former prince allegedly leaked confidential information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to previousUSA TODAY reporting. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing.

King Charles III is the older brother of Mountbatten-Windsor and in response to the arrest, issued a statement via Buckingham Palace signaling support for a "full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities."

"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," the king added. "As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all."

Still, some might wonder if the king could pardon his brother, former Prince Andrew. The short answer: it's very unlikely. Here's what to know.

Live updates:Former Prince Andrew seen in first photo since release after arrest

Police officers, unmarked vehicles and media were seen at residences linked to disgraced former royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Feb. 19, 2026. Windsor was reportedly arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on the Sandringham estate. In a statement, Thames Valley police said they were also "carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk" as part of the investigation. See the scene outside various residences, beginning here near the entrance to Wood Farm in Sandringham, Norfolk.