Nightly Brief

Your Thursday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News

Top CNS stories for today including a group of scientists moving the doomsday clock to two minutes to midnight; auguring success for a challenge to the president’s business ties, a Maryland federal judge cast doubt Thursday on why an earlier case that invoked the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clauses failed; in a ruling that hinged on the actor’s use of a question mark, a federal judge rejected claims that James Woods defamed an Ohio woman; fulfilling a constitutional duty for final time, California Gov. Jerry Brown paraded the state’s wares in an annual address, touting a remarkable economic comeback and commitment to fighting climate change, and more.

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National

1.) For the second time in two years, a group of scientists said humankind is closer than ever to sealing its own fate – this time thanks to fake news and misuse of information technology – and on Thursday moved the doomsday clock to two minutes to midnight.

2.) Auguring success for a challenge to the president’s business ties, a Maryland federal judge cast doubt Thursday on why an earlier case that invoked the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clauses failed.

3.) The Justice Department’s internal watchdog announced Thursday his office has found missing text messages from an FBI agent removed last summer from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigative team.

4.) In a ruling that hinged on the actor’s use of a question mark, a federal judge rejected claims that James Woods defamed an Ohio woman by identifying her on Twitter as a Bernie Sanders “agitator” who had made a Nazi salute at a Donald Trump campaign rally.

Regional

5.) Fulfilling a constitutional duty for the 16^th and final time, California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday paraded the state’s wares in an annual address, defending big-ticket infrastructure projects and touting a remarkable economic comeback and commitment to fighting climate change.

6.) In Washington state residents are warily watching a chunk of slowly sliding mountainside called Rattlesnake Ridge that geologists say will soon crash down into the valley, potentially covering the busy highway and damming the river below.

International

7.) Europe’s highest court chided Hungarian authorities Thursday for using psychological tests to assess the sexual orientation of an asylum seeker.

8.) Europe’s highest court cleared the way Thursday for a privacy suit against Facebook, but it said the Austrian plaintiff cannot represent other users.

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