Andy Byron's wife, Megan Kerrigan, could emerge significantly wealthier if she proceeds with divorce proceedings against the now-former Astronomer CEO, who resigned Saturday after viral kiss cam footage showed him embracing company human resources executive Kristin Cabot at the concert, according to The New York Post. The Bay State's mandatory asset-splitting requirements for marriages exceeding seven years could force Byron to hand over between $10 million and $35 million to Kerrigan, who shares two children with the disgraced technology firm leader.

BREAKING: Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has officially RESIGNED after being caught cheating on his wife at a Coldplay concert

So dude's now lost his career, reputation, and probably his wife plus half his net worth all because he wanted to canoodle a coworker.

Don't cheat, kids! pic.twitter.com/5PbjhvgWQL

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 19, 2025

 Massachusetts matrimonial law mandates equal division of assets accumulated during long-term marriages, explained Nancy Chemtob, a partner at Chemtob Moss Forman & Beyda specializing in family law matters. "It's obviously a long-term relationship," Chemtob noted regarding Byron and Kerrigan's marriage, The New York Post reported. Kerrigan immediately switched to her maiden name across social media platforms after the kiss cam incident ignited internet-wide controversy.

The state's legal framework means Byron, who helped establish Astronomer before his weekend resignation, faces potential tens of millions in settlement costs to Kerrigan, Chemtob told The New York Post. Byron's net worth ranges between $20 million and $70 million according to Economic Times estimates, though the timing of his wealth accumulation remains unclear.

Cabot faces different financial circumstances regarding potential divorce proceedings, Chemtob observed to The New York Post, since she and her apparent spouse, Andrew Cabot, who owns Privateer Rum, appear to have maintained a relatively brief marriage. The presence of prenuptial or postnuptial agreements could significantly complicate matters for either couple, the attorney noted.

Certain prenuptial contracts include infidelity clauses requiring guilty parties to provide financial compensation for marital betrayal. However, Jackie Combs, a Los Angeles matrimonial and family law partner at Blank Rome, told The New York Post that courts typically resist enforcing such provisions for infidelity.

The Coldplay concert video could serve as trial evidence, though Massachusetts doesn't require proof of adultery to grant a divorce. Any "misappropriation" of marital funds to support extramarital relationships could influence financial outcomes in potential divorce cases, Combs explained to The New York Post.

The children represent the genuine casualties in this situation, Chemtob emphasized. "I think the worst thing in this case is the embarrassment factor for the kids," she told The New York Post. "The problem here is that now, the kids are embarrassed, the families are embarrassed, and there's going to be a lot of expenses with regard to therapy for the children, getting separate homes, things like that."

The status of both marriages remained uncertain following the emergence of the high-profile scandal.

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Moreover, this legal opinion specifically addresses the issue of the new aid distribution plan which, based ostensibly on a commitment to international law, requires the IDF to distribute aid even outside the designated distribution points and in any location where civilians reside. In other words, according to the opinion of the Military Advocate General, the army must deliver aid even to areas under Hamas control.

The legal memo drafted by Kohelet Policy Forum's Adv. Avraham Shalev challenges the foundational assumption that Israel is obligated under international law to transfer humanitarian aid in a way that ultimately ends up in the hands of a terrorist organization.

In a similar vein to the letter of criticism sent by members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and published in Israel Hayom calling for the imposition of a siege on the Gazan population to prevent unnecessary risks to IDF soldiers and to decisively defeat Hamas – Adv. Shalev asserts that a siege is a lawful military action rooted in international treaties and customary international law.

He further contends that international law obligates states to permit the entry of humanitarian aid unless there is a serious concern that it would be seized by enemy forces - something which has in fact occurred in Gaza for the past nineteen months.

Additionally, the legal document lays the groundwork for far more significant action in Gaza, based on international law. It states that the evacuation of the civilian population from a besieged area should take precedence over the supply of humanitarian aid. According to commonly accepted legal interpretations, civilians who refuse to evacuate may be regarded as affiliated with the combatants, and their access to humanitarian aid can therefore be lawfully restricted.

By the by, international law actually prohibits the transfer of aid to areas under Hamas control. That is the opinion in a nutshell.

Below is the broader legal interpretation provided by the Kohelet Forum attorney:
"A siege is lawful under the law of armed conflict provided its sole or primary purpose is to defeat the enemy, not to deliberately starve civilians. As with any "attack" under the law of armed conflict, collateral harm to civilians must be proportionate to the military advantage. Article 54 (1) of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions prohibits starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. Thus, a siege whose primary or sole purpose is to cause civilian starvation is unlawful".

This is in line with Israel's actions, which are not aimed at starving the civilian population but at defeating the enemy hiding amongst them.

"A party imposing a siege that allows evacuation or provides humanitarian aid cannot be deemed to have the primary purpose of starving civilians. The existence of Israeli plans to evacuate populations to safe areas alongside supervised aid distribution in southern Gaza, indicates that the siege's purpose is to defeat Hamas, not to starve civilians," determines Adv. Shalev.

He goes on to explain that, "aid provision is contingent on ensuring it reaches civilians and does not provide a military or economic advantage to the enemy. There is substantial evidence that Hamas diverts, steals and hoards aid entering Gaza at the expense of civilians."

As far as Israeli efforts at evacuating the population from battle zones, the Kohelet attorney writes that: "International law prioritizes evacuating civilians from siege areas over providing humanitarian aid… One view holds that civilians who refuse to evacuate and remain in siege areas may, in some cases, be considered affiliated with combatants, allowing restrictions on their access to aid. The UK adopts this approach, justifying restrictions on aid to civilians who refuse evacuation.

During the "Swords of Iron" war, evacuation efforts faced consistent refusal by Egypt to open its border, violating its obligations as a signatory to the African Union's Convention on Refugees. Hamas' systematic seizure of aid not only exempts Israel from allowing third-party aid transfers, but also strengthens the legitimacy and rationale for voluntary migration projects as part of civilian evacuation during wartime, especially absent an Egyptian option."

Shalev adds a legal warning: "UN Security Council Resolution 1373, adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, obligates all member states to refrain from providing terrorist organizations with: "any funds, financial assets or economic resources or financial or other related services.""

Drawing historical comparisons from battles in Fallujah and Mosul, the opinion's concluding chapter states:

"The siege on the Gaza Strip, as implemented by Israel, complies with international law, provided its primary purpose is to defeat Hamas, not to starve civilians.

International law, including the Geneva Conventions, customary law, and humanitarian law, permits sieges as a lawful military tactic, subject to proportionality and civilian protection obligations. Israel's evacuation plans to safe areas, and supervised aid distribution demonstrate commitment to humanitarian principles, while Hamas' systematic seizure of aid justifies restricting supplies to areas under its control.

Thus, Israel's policy prioritizing civilian evacuation over aid provision to areas controlled by a terrorist organization aligns with international law, balancing security needs with humanitarian obligations".

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The probe was recently launched following allegations raised in an investigative report broadcast on the television program "Uvda" regarding alleged efforts to harass a witness in her husband's ongoing corruption trial currently underway. Sara Netanyahu has been in the US for several weeks, although she is expected to return. It is unclear if she will be summoned for questioning. Her husband began an official visit to Washington on Sunday, where he is expected to become the first leader to meet President Donald Trump since his inauguration on January 20th.

The investigation, which commenced on December 26, 2024, is being conducted by the Israel Police in coordination with the State Attorney's Office Cyber Division. The prosecutor's office emphasized that the announcement of the investigation does not represent any stance on her innocence or guilt.

MK Naama Lazimi, whose office had called for the investigation, issued the following statement, referring to a previous case involving her expenses irregularities, which ended in a conviction. "The prime minister's wife is a convicted offender. I will not be silenced, I will not back down, and I will not allow this matter to be buried. Justice will prevail, and we will ensure its implementation," she said.

The lawmaker added, "The official notification from the State Attorney's Office regarding the criminal investigation into Prime Minister's wife Sara Netanyahu represents a crucial step for parliamentary oversight, judicial systems, and the rule of law. This response follows my appeal and my office's work in the wake of Sefi Ovadia's groundbreaking investigative report on 'Uvda.'"

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The family of Yonatan Samerano, whose body has been held by Hamas since October 7, filed a landmark lawsuit on Monday against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The lawsuit comes in response to Samerano's murder and abduction, which occurred at the entrance to Kibbutz Be'eri after he fled from the Nova music festival on that deadly Saturday. Intelligence gathered during the war indicates that Samerano's body was taken by Faisal Ali Mussalem al-Naami, a Hamas terrorist who was employed by UNRWA in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, and remains in captivity to this day.

The lawsuit was also filed against Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, and other agency officials who bear responsibility for employing terrorists who participated in the massacre. The Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the family, explains that under these circumstances, the defendants are not entitled to the immunity typically granted to UN organizations and their personnel for actions and omissions covered in this lawsuit.

The lawsuit argues that UNRWA has effectively become an operational arm of Hamas, thereby forfeiting any claim to diplomatic immunity – a position reinforced by recent Knesset legislation. Furthermore, the legal filing contends that UNRWA's status as a temporary agency, rather than a permanent UN institution, means it cannot claim standard diplomatic protections. The suit also maintains that UN immunity does not extend to actions that fundamentally violate the organization's humanitarian mandate.

"The Attorney General must immediately determine that UNRWA has no immunity and must stand trial for the act of massacre and kidnapping of my son," said Kobi Samerano, Yonatan's father. "This lawsuit will be another nail in UNRWA's coffin, which must pay for its actions. Since October 7, our lives have not been lives. We are waiting to get our son back. We will continue to fight until we achieve true justice."

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, president of Shurat HaDin, said that it is now clear how much UNRWA has become Hamas's largest operator in Gaza. "The war on terror does not end on the battlefield, but continues until we achieve justice for victims who were murdered for no fault of their own."

"In this lawsuit, we demand to deter any entity, under the guise of an international aid organization, from engaging in terrorism and acting against Israeli citizens. We pray for Jonathan's return home and the return of all other hostages, and we will continue to pursue those who seek to destroy us."

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Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery stood firm on her January decision to strike down the compensation package, which has now appreciated to approximately $100 billion following recent gains in Tesla's stock price, according to reporting from The New York Times.

The compensation package, initially approved in 2018, would have granted Elon Musk stock options contingent upon Tesla meeting ambitious targets for stock price, sales, and earnings growth. Despite initial skepticism about achieving these benchmarks given Tesla's early struggles with electric vehicle production and profitability, the company's subsequent success enabled Musk to qualify for all the options, which came with a five-year holding requirement.

The legal challenge was initiated by Tesla shareholder Richard Tornetta, who argued that the company's board lacked independence from Musk during the package's development and provided "materially misleading" information to investors. Chancellor McCormick agreed with this assessment in her January ruling, stating that "the process leading to the approval of Musk's compensation plan was deeply flawed."

Delaware court rejects Musk pay package again…not a surprise. We expect the Musk $56 billion pay package now goes to appeal in Delaware courts and eventually could go the Federal appeals process depending on next steps. This continues to be a soap opera playing out in Delaware

— Dan Ives (@DivesTech) December 2, 2024

Attorneys representing Tesla and Musk had contended that a second shareholder vote held in June supporting the package should have paved the way for its reinstatement. However, the court rejected this argument, maintaining its position that the original approval process was inadequate.

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For the first time since the October 7 massacre, Israeli victims without American citizenship are joining a massive lawsuit in the United States. The lawsuit, filed in the California Supreme Court, targets Changpeng Zhao, founder of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, alleging his company's services helped finance the terrorist assault that claimed numerous lives.

According to the plaintiffs, Zhao provided cryptocurrency services to the Hamas terror organization in violation of international sanctions, thereby enabling and assisting in financing the terror attack. In their complaint, the plaintiffs seek damages for wrongful death, injuries, physical and mental harm, loss of future income, and medical treatment funding. Additionally, they are seeking punitive damages intended to deter and prevent similar conduct in the future.

Changpeng Zhao, a Canadian, founder of Binance, sentenced to four months in US prison after pleading guilty to money laundering charge. According to investigations, Binance failed to prevent transactions by movements such as the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda or Hamas. pic.twitter.com/orWRsPQnZp

— Babajide | OmoAkin (@spyda247) May 1, 2024

Attorney Dr. Gideon Fisher explains: "Unlike the two previous lawsuits we filed in the US regarding October 7, which total $1 billion, this current lawsuit is against an international business figure whose wealth is estimated at tens of billions of dollars, and the lawsuit isn't just on behalf of American victims – but also on behalf of Israelis without American connections. The new lawsuit is estimated at billions of dollars. Our firm is preparing, in collaboration with experts, to file additional lawsuits, as new plaintiffs giving us power of attorney against terror entities are joining daily, both abroad and in Israel."

Neria Goelman, a Nova festival survivor who participated in the event's security, fled to the Reim base, where terrorists attacked him. Goelman hid in bushes where he treated wounded individuals. He recounts: "Later in the day, I managed to get a weapon and defend myself. We found a tank, took equipment from it, and operated its mounted machine gun. We were only evacuated toward evening. To this day, I suffer from PTSD, don't leave my room, lash out at people close to me, and have no patience. Additionally, I suffered injuries to my lungs and ears. I think the most moral thing is to stop terrorism in every way, especially its economic engine, which drives all the murder and terror."

Attorney Ortal Reisman, legal advisor to the Civil Information Center, states: "I welcome the collaboration with the October 7 Claims Task Force and invite additional citizens recognized as terror victims to join the lawsuit filed in the US against Binance's CEO, as well as future lawsuits to be filed against Hamas and its funding bodies."

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In a precedent-setting decision, the Jerusalem District Court has ordered the Palestinian Authority to pay approximately 46 million shekel ($12.3 million) in compensation to three siblings whose family members were killed in the 2001 Sbarro restaurant bombing in Jerusalem. The ruling marks the first implementation of a new Israeli law mandating punitive damages for terror victims.

Sixteen people were killed in the Sbarro attack, including five members of the Schijveschuurder family: Mordechai, 43; Tzira, 41; Ra'aya, 14; Yitzhak, 4; and Hemda, 2 (two parents and three minors). Two other daughters were injured in the attack. Three brothers who were not with the family at the time identified the bodies.

Judge Arnon Darel split the proceedings, addressing the murder of the three siblings first. The remaining matters pending before the court concern the murder of the two parents and the personal damages suffered by three surviving siblings who experienced severe psychological trauma.

While Israel's Supreme Court had previously established the Palestinian Authority's responsibility for terror attacks, it initiated about two years ago a Supreme Court ruling, which determined its responsibility for terror attacks even when it was not the initiating party, due to payments made to families of terrorists. However, the majority opinion rejected the argument that it should pay punitive damages for its "pay-to-slay" policy.

In March 2024, the Knesset reversed this position by legislating that any entity rewarding terror would pay $2.7 million in punitive damages for each person killed and $1.35 million in punitive damages for each person injured. No rulings have been issued based on this law until now, and the Palestinian Authority has argued that it is unconstitutional and void.

The plaintiffs were represented by attorneys Dr. Asaf Posner, Nathaniel Posner, and Gilad Lesser from the Dr. Asaf Posner law firm. For the first time, Jerusalem District Court Judge Arnon Darel is implementing the law and requiring the Palestinian Authority to pay $2.7 million for each victim. Additionally, Judge Darel ordered the Palestinian Authority to pay for "classic" damages, including pain and suffering, shortened life expectancy, and lost wages during the lost years, amounting to an additional $5.4 million, plus attorney fees and expenses.

Following the current lawsuit, attachment orders were issued several months ago, freezing funds that Israel holds for the Palestinian Authority. The plaintiffs' attorneys have approached state authorities demanding immediate transfer of the money to the plaintiffs, whose case has been pending in court for over 20 years.

According to the compensation law, beyond direct collection from the Palestinian Authority, damages can only be collected from funds that Israel has frozen under law due to the Palestinian Authority's payments to terrorists' families. Regular tort damages can be collected, beyond direct collection from the Palestinian Authority, from any amount held by the state, including ongoing payments transferred by Israel to the Palestinian Authority from tax revenues it collects on its behalf.

Dr. Asaf Posner noted this was a first step, welcoming the court's application of the Knesset's legislation meant to exact a significant price from the Palestinian Authority for rewarding acts of terror. He expressed hope that now, with an explicit law in place, terror victims would receive swift justice going forward.

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The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), has issued a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, demanding his testimony on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. McCaul has threatened to hold Blinken in contempt of Congress if he does not comply.

In a letter to Blinken, McCaul noted that he had requested the secretary's appearance at a September hearing back in May. The hearing is part of the GOP-led committee's investigation into what McCaul termed "the Biden-Harris administration's deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan."

"The Committee has provided extraordinary accommodation in its multiple requests and communications seeking to finalize a date in line with your schedule," McCaul wrote. "To date, the department has yet to provide any potential dates for your appearance." The State Department responded to the subpoena through spokesperson Matthew Miller, who expressed disappointment with the committee's decision to issue a subpoena, stating that Blinken is not available on the dates proposed by McCaul but has offered "reasonable" alternatives for a public hearing.

He said Blinken has appeared before McCaul's committee four times, including a hearing focused exclusively on Afghanistan. "The Secretary has testified before the Congress on Afghanistan more than 14 times – more than any other Cabinet-level official," Miller said. He added that the department has provided the committee with nearly 20,000 pages of records, multiple high-level briefings, and facilitated transcribed interviews with nearly 15 current and former State Department officials.

The subpoena comes as Republicans, including Former President Donald Trump, have renewed their attacks on the Biden administration over the Afghanistan withdrawal. The criticism intensified during the recent anniversary of the terrorist attack at Abbey Gate in Kabul, which killed 13 US service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians in August 2021.

A 2023 Biden administration review of the withdrawal concluded that both the Trump and Biden administrations' efforts were inadequate. The now-retired US commander who oversaw the withdrawal has stated that he alone bears responsibility for the Kabul airport attack.

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Mexico is weighing the use of masked judges to preside over organized crime trials, a measure aimed at shielding members of the judiciary from potential retribution by drug cartels. This proposal, added this week to a contentious package of judicial reforms, comes in response to a surge in murders of police chiefs, prosecutors, and judges as cartel power has expanded since 2018.

Mexico's courts could use masked judges for cartel trialshttps://t.co/Qvt3nlSmVH

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 28, 2024

According to The Telegraph, the amendment to the planned overhaul of the court system calls for "judges without faces," leaving the implementation details to senior judges. This consideration follows several high-profile attacks on judicial figures, including the murder of Judge Roberto Elías Martínez in the central state of Zacatecas in December 2022. Prosecutors allege that Martínez's assassination was ordered from within a prison where two defendants in cases he was overseeing were being held. In Zacatecas, 103 judges have reportedly received threats.

The proposal draws parallels to measures employed in Peru during the 1990s to try alleged members of the Shining Path terrorist group. However, the Peruvian system, which involved masked judges or those seated behind screens, proved highly controversial and led to numerous miscarriages of justice.

The United Nations has cautioned that the use of anonymous judges could potentially violate suspects' rights to due process. Despite these concerns, the judicial reform package, which also includes provisions for the election of judges, appears to have sufficient support in the Mexican Congress to pass.

Critics have labeled the reforms as populist and authoritarian, arguing they could undermine judicial independence and allow political control over the courts. The proposed changes have sparked economic concerns, with the Mexican peso's value declining as investors worry about the rule of law in the country.

US Ambassador Ken Salazar has taken the unusual step of publicly criticizing the reforms, describing them as a "threat to democracy." This statement prompted a sharp response from outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who announced on Tuesday that he was putting relations with the United States and Canada "on pause" after both countries questioned the legal reforms.

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Australian employees now have the legal right to ignore work-related communications outside their regular working hours, thanks to a new "right to disconnect" law that took effect on Monday. The legislation aims to address the increasing encroachment of work into personal time, particularly in the digital age.

Under the new rules, employees cannot face disciplinary action for declining to read or respond to work-related emails, texts, or calls during their off-hours. This move is designed to help maintain a healthier work-life balance for Australian workers.

Proponents of the law argue that it empowers employees to establish clearer boundaries between their professional and personal lives. John Hopkins, an associate professor at Swinburne University of Technology, highlighted the shift in work dynamics due to technological advancements.

"Before we had digital technology there was no encroachment, people would go home at the end of a shift and there would be no contact until they returned the following day," Hopkins told Reuters. "Now, globally it's the norm to have emails, SMS, phone calls outside those hours, even when on holiday."

The issue of unpaid overtime has been a growing concern in Australia. A survey conducted by the Australia Institute in 2023 revealed that Australians worked an average of 281 hours of unpaid overtime that year. The monetary value of this additional labor was estimated at A$130 billion ($88 billion).

With this new legislation, Australia joins approximately two dozen countries, primarily in Europe and Latin America, that have implemented similar laws to protect workers' personal time.

The "right to disconnect" law represents a significant step in addressing the blurred lines between work and personal life, which have become increasingly indistinct since the COVID-19 pandemic altered traditional work arrangements.

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