Your Wednesday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News
Top CNS stories for today including vulgar comments reportedly made on Facebook by Customs and Border Patrol agents about Democratic lawmakers and immigrants prompted the Department of Homeland Security to open an investigation into agents’ social media activity; President Donald Trump played down financial concerns on the eve of what is promised to be an extravagant military display for Independence Day; Europe’s 28 national leaders agreed to nominate two high-profile women to lead the European Union, and more.
Sign up for CNS Nightly Brief, a roundup of the day’s top stories delivered directly to your email Monday through Friday.
National
1.) Vulgar comments reportedly made on Facebook by Customs and Border Patrol agents about Democratic lawmakers and immigrants prompted the Department of Homeland Security to open an investigation Wednesday into agents’ social media activity.
2.) The Second Circuit on Wednesday ordered sunlight for nearly 2,000 pages of files related to the wealthy tycoon Jeffrey Epstein and the dozens of girls whose assault claims he buried with an expansive plea deal.
3.) On the eve of what is promised to be an extravagant military display for Independence Day, President Donald Trump played down financial concerns.
4.) The overall U.S. trade gap surged to a five-month high of $55.5 billion in May, while the closely watched deficits with both China and Mexico also grew.
International
5.) In a sign of strengthening cooperation between France and Germany and growing determination to steer a troubled Europe into brighter days, Europe’s 28 national leaders agreed to nominate two high-profile women to lead the European Union. If approved by the European Parliament, it would be the first time women are in charge of the EU’s key institutions.
6.) Airbus, the world’s second largest aerospace and defense company, will finally be moving the parts needed for its Ariane 6 rocket to its manufacturing facility after winning a contract dispute with one of its suppliers.
Science
7.) All is not yet lost in the fight against climate change if certain moist tropical forests are restored, according to a report published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.
8.) A team of international scientists have used ancient DNA to shed some light on the origins of the Philistines, the arch enemies of the Israelites as told in the Hebrew Bible.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.