Nightly Brief

Top CNS stories for today including the Justice Department released Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump; The Trump administration suffered a legal defeat at the Ninth Circuit as a panel denied its attempt to prevent California from implementing sanctuary laws meant to protect residents from federal immigration enforcement officials; The Indiana Supreme Court heard oral arguments over whether police can force criminal suspects to unlock their cellphones, and more.

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National

Special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election as released on Thursday, April 18, 2019, is photographed in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

1.) Offering insight into an investigation that captivated the nation for two years, the Justice Department on Thursday released Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump.

A small group of sanctuary state supporters gather outside the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting in Santa Ana, Calif., as they prepare to discuss joining a DOJ lawsuit against the state of California on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

2.) The Trump administration suffered a legal defeat at the Ninth Circuit on Thursday as a panel denied its attempt to prevent California from implementing sanctuary laws meant to protect residents from federal immigration enforcement officials.

3.) In a case involving an accused stalker, the Indiana Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday over whether police can force criminal suspects to unlock or decrypt their cellphones.

International

4.) Some of Europe’s last tracts of old-growth forest, left untouched for centuries due to their remoteness in the steep Carpathian Mountains of Romania, are being cut down, often by lucrative illegal logging operations, scientists and advocacy groups warn.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center left, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo walk together before their meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Pompeo said that he and Kim made unspecified progress Sunday toward an agreement for the North to give up its nuclear weapons, though there was no immediate indication whether Pompeo had managed to arrange a much-anticipated second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

5.) North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday it no longer wants Secretary of State Mike Pompeo involved in ongoing disarmament negotiations, after Pyongyang claimed he has been too reckless in his remarks about the talks.

CORRECTS NAME OF BOAT This undated photo released by by French NGO "SOS Mediterranee" on Monday June 11, 2018 and posted on it's Twitter account, shows migrants about to board the SOS Mediterranee's Aquarius ship and MSF (Doctors Without Borders) NGOs, in the Mediterranean Sea. Italy and Malta dug in for a second day and refused to let the rescue ship Aquarius with 629 people aboard dock in their ports, leaving the migrants at sea as a diplomatic standoff escalated under Italy's new anti-immigrant government. (Kenny Karpov/SOS Mediterranee via AP)

6.) A group of lawyers accused Greek authorities on Thursday of violating human-rights laws when they arrested a man in 2016 for trying to help asylum-seekers at sea reach Europe’s shores.

Science

7.) Interpreting DNA from the bones of 13th-century Crusaders has given researchers insight into the remarkable story of their genetic diversity and highlights the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to fill in the gaps of historical events.

8.) A study published Thursday found that the unusually persistent reign of the South American empire immediately preceding the Inca is attributable to one major factor — a steady supply of beer.

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