Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including an American Airlines executive pushed back against claims that his company’s joint venture with JetBlue violates antitrust laws; President Biden announced pardons for federal simple marijuana possession offenses; An EU court ruled passengers with flights on separate airlines can still be eligible for compensation if their trips are delayed, and more.

National

American Airlines exec defends JetBlue deal at antitrust trial

Pushing back against claims that his company’s joint venture with JetBlue violates antitrust laws, a top American Airlines executive insisted Thursday that, far from limiting competition, it has allowed American to finally offer a legitimate challenge to Delta and United’s longtime domination of the New York and Boston markets.

In this June 16, 2020 file photo travelers wear masks as they wait at the American Airlines ticket counter at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. American Airlines has banned a man who was kicked off a plane for refusing to wear a face covering, among the first such incidents since airlines promised this week to step up enforcement of their mask rules. A spokesman for American said Thursday, June 18, 2020 that the airline decided to ban the man after reviewing the incident, which occurred Wednesday at New York's LaGuardia Airport. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Witness hints at connections between Oath Keepers and Secret Service before Capitol riot

In the months leading up to the riot at the U.S. Capitol last year, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers may have been communicating with a Secret Service agent assigned to then-President Donald Trump, one former member of the group testified Thursday.

Stewart Rhodes, founder and president of the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally at the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford on April 20, 2013. Rhodes has been arrested and charged with seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Jared Ramsdell/Journal Inquirer via AP)

Biden to pardon federal pot convictions as part of policy overhaul

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced major steps for combating years of damage done by the government’s anti-cannabis policies, including pardons for all people convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law.

This April 2018 photo shows the leaves of a marijuana plant inside Ultra Health's cultivation greenhouse in Bernalillo, N.M. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)

Alternative social media sites seen as haven for right-wing users

A study released Thursday by the Pew Research Center shows alternative social media sites like Truth Social and Parler are playing a small but growing role in the overall news and information landscape.

The website of the social media platform Parler is displayed in Berlin in January 2021. The platform's logo is on a screen in the background. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP)

Regional

‘See through the smoke’: West Coast leaders sign new climate action agreement

California Governor Gavin Newsom joined leaders from Oregon, Washington state and British Columbia on Thursday to expand a regional commitment to investing in “green energy” industries to lower greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier John Horgan sign the Pacific Coast Collaborative statement of cooperation in San Francisco on Oct. 6, 2022. (Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom photo via Courthouse News)

International

Top EU court sides with passengers delayed on connecting flights

Passengers with flights on separate airlines are still eligible for compensation if their trips are delayed, so long as they booked their tickets together, the European Union’s top court held Thursday.

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. (Molly Quell/Courthouse News)

At day 225 of Ukraine’s invasion, Prague hosts conference on peace and war

The world reached a grim milestone Thursday of 225 days since the Kremlin threw world politics into disarray by invading its neighbor.

A banner on a building in Prague shows support for Ukraine during its ongoing war with Russia on Sept. 12, 2022. (Barbara Leonard/Courthouse News Service)

Science

Scientists discover seasons in Antarctica

Radar and optical satellite imaging shows seasonal changes in Antarctica.

Conchie, Hubert, Saturn, Venus and Uranus glaciers draining into a meltwater-laden George VI Ice Shelf. (Copernicus/European Space Agency/Karla Boxall)

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