Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate classified documents found at President Biden’s home and former office; Europe’s top rights court ruled Ukraine trampled the right to a fair trial when it dismissed several Constitutional Court judges after the 2014 revolution; Weeks of near-constant rainfall have improved California’s drought situation considerably, and more.

National

Special counsel appointed for probe into Biden classified files

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that he is appointing a special counsel to investigate classified documents discovered in the Delaware home and former office of President Joe Biden.

President Joe Biden walks to the Oval Office on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

City National Bank will pay $31 million to settle DOJ’s redlining case

City National Bank, the largest bank headquartered in Los Angeles, has agreed to pay more than $31 million to settle claims it engaged in illegal "redlining" — discrimination against loan applicants based on the their race or the racial makeup of their neighborhood — from 2017 through at least 2020. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, it is the largest redlining settlement in history.

Regional

California drought outlook improves after weeks of historic storms

No, California's drought is not over, not by a long shot. But weeks of near-constant rainfall have improved the situation considerably, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly report released Thursday.

California as of Jan. 12 sees most extreme drought conditions receding due to heavy rainfall. (California Drought Monitor / Courthouse News)

Preliminary hearing set for University of Idaho student murder suspect

The 28-year-old suspect in the slaying of four college students in Idaho appeared before a Latah County judge, who set a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against him for June 26.

Bryan Kohberger enters a courtroom in Moscow, Idaho on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, for a status hearing. The accused murderer waived his right to a quick preliminary hearing and will appear in court again on June 26. (Kai Eiselein/New York Post via AP, Pool)

International

University ethics panel finds Mexico Supreme Court justice plagiarized undergrad thesis

An ethics committee at the alma mater of Mexico Supreme Court Justice Yasmín Esquivel Mossa confirmed Wednesday evening that her undergraduate thesis was a “substantial copy” of one presented the year before.

Supreme Court Justice Yasmín Esquivel Mossa, seen here in a photo taken from her Twitter account, is accused of plagiarizing her undergraduate thesis. (Twitter via Courthouse News)

Militarization of the Metro: Mexico City mayor sends 6000 troops to subway

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced Thursday morning the deployment of over 6,000 National Guard troops to the capital Metro system in response to recent events she called “out of the ordinary.”

Mexican National Guard soldiers carry long guns among civilians on opening day at Mexico City's new airport AIFA on Mar. 21, 2022. (Cody Copeland/Courthouse News)

Science

50-50 chance global warming exceeds Paris limit by end of decade, scientists warn

Scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration held a media briefing Thursday morning to discuss the climate and weather trends of 2022, sounding the alarm on rising temperatures around the world.

A sign reading "I want a hot date, not a hot planet" is held up in the crowd during a demonstration by climate activists in Berlin, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Monika Skolimowska/dpa via AP)

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