Nightly Brief

Your Tuesday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News

Top CNS stories for today including a newly released transcript shows U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told Ukraine officials the country would not receive military aid unless it agreed to launch investigations sought by President Donald Trump; Europe’s highest court overruled Poland’s attempt to force women out of the judiciary sooner than their male counterparts; America’s trade gap with all countries fell 4.7% to a five-month low while the closely watched deficit with China also edged down, and more.

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National

1.) Releasing a transcript of the closed-door deposition, impeachment investigators confirmed Tuesday that U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told Ukraine officials the country would not receive military aid unless it agreed to launch investigations sought by President Donald Trump.

2.) America’s trade gap with all countries fell 4.7% to a five-month low in September, while the closely watched deficit with China also edged down.

3.) A federal judge tipped his hand on how he views a case involving corporate espionage in the hypercompetitive industry of self-driving cars. In short, he thinks something foul is afoot.

4.) Weeks into a blockade against administration officials cooperating in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump, the Department of Justice said requests for testimony will not be considered legally valid unless a government lawyer sits in the interview.

5.) A Justice Department attorney told a Ninth Circuit panel Tuesday that the government should be allowed to open warming Arctic waters to more drilling, claiming domestic oil and gas projects will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

International

6.) Europe’s highest court cracked the whip on Poland’s ruling populists Tuesday, overruling the government’s attempt to force women out of the judiciary sooner than their male counterparts.

7.) Scientists around the world – 11,000 of them from 153 nations – have declared a state of climate emergency, calling on the world to make urgent and meaningful changes to avoid serious and unknown consequences.

8.) Protections for freedom of speech extend into the workplace, the European Court of Human Rights clarified Tuesday in the case of a bank employee fired for writing online articles about human resources issues.