Nightly Brief

Your Friday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News

Top CNS stories for today including the Supreme Court took up its first batch of cases since the summer recess; Vice President Mike Pence is the latest to be pulled into Democrats’ impeachment inquiry; Microsoft said a hacking group linked to the Iranian government launched attacks on email accounts associated with an undisclosed U.S. presidential campaign, and more.

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National

1.) Taking up its first batch of cases since the summer recess, the Supreme Court accepted dueling appeals over new Louisiana abortion rules.

2.) Vice President Mike Pence is the latest to be pulled into Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, as House lawmakers on Friday requested the second-in-command turn over records related to President Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s leader that sparked the probe.

3.) A hacking organization linked to the Iranian government launched attacks on Microsoft email accounts associated with an undisclosed U.S. presidential campaign, the tech giant said Friday.

4.) American employers fell short of expectations and added just 136,000 jobs in September, while the U.S. trade deficit widened as imports and exports both ticked up.

Regional

5.) The Trump administration opened about approximately 720,000 acres of land for oil and gas development in California’s Central Coast as the administration pursues its energy agenda despite local opposition.

6.) A new jury will decide whether Derick Almena is criminally liable for the deaths of 36 people in a fire at the Ghost Ship artist collective, after the judge in the case set a new trial date Friday.

7.) Following months of complaints from the Midwest, the Trump administration announced fuel-blend requirements Friday that will boost ethanol demand, turning the page on oil-refinery exemptions that crippled some corn farmers.

8.) Brushing aside his disclosure of a potential conflict of interest, an Illinois judge gave a special prosecutor the green light Friday to continue investigating how the State’s Attorney’s Office handled the brief prosecution of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett.

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