Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including a man who claimed he could get a message to Donald Trump in the final weeks of his presidency testified at the Oath Keepers sedition trial; A South Korean businessman asked the Supreme Court to prevent the U.S. from sending him back to his home country; A state judge ordered a county in northern Virginia to change its lineup of poll workers, and more.

National

Message to Trump from head of Oath Keepers takes center stage

A man who claimed he could get a message to Donald Trump in the final weeks of Trump's presidency testified Wednesday at the trial of Stewart Rhodes and four associates of his right-wing militia group charged with seditious conspiracy.

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally outside the White House in 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

South Korea’s most-wanted man asks Supreme Court to block extradition

A South Korean businessman asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to prevent the U.S. from sending him back to his home country to face charges related to a 2014 ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people.

The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 14, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Regional

Nevadans in early voting slugfest for control of key offices

In Nevada, it’s down to the wire. It’s a neck-and-neck battle. It’s anybody’s race. No, this isn’t the latest scene at the sportsbook with bettors wagering on the ponies. Republicans and Democrats are vying for power in the polarizing midterm elections on Nov. 8.

Early voters are seen at Henderson (Nevada) City Hall on Oct. 31, 2022. Tight races put Nevada in the national spotlight for the midterm elections on Nov. 8. (Bob Leal/Courthouse News)

In win for GOP, Virginia county ordered to assign new poll workers

With just days to go before the midterm election, a state judge on Wednesday ordered a county in northern Virginia to change its lineup of poll workers to ensure more precincts have both Republicans and Democrats overseeing voting.

The Prince William County Courthouse in Manassas, Va. (Billy Hathorn/Wikipedia Commons via Courthouse News)

Investment firms blamed for making California’s housing crisis worse. But is it earned?

While some experts believe investment firms stymie affordable housing by snatching up all the properties, others blame cities for refusing to greenlight new housing.

A Berkeley home for sale in a typical single family neighborhood is priced at $1 million or higher. (Natalie Hanson / Courthouse News)

Mississippi lawmakers pass incentives for $2.5B aluminum mill project

The Mississippi Legislature convened in a special session Wednesday to pass bills aimed at incentivizing a $2.5 billion investment Republican Governor Tate Reeves characterized as “the single largest economic development project in state history.”

The Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Chinese developer saw LA City Councilman as ‘investment,’ aide testifies

Former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar was an "investment" for a Chinese real-estate developer who sought to construct the tallest tower west of the Mississippi in downtown LA, Huizar's former aide testified at the developer's bribery trial.

Los Angeles Councilman José Huizar, center, arrives at the First Street federal courthouse for a hearing to set a tentative trial date on charges of accepting bribes from developers. (Courthouse News photo / Nathan Solis)

International

Europe warming at twice the global average over last 30 years

Temperatures in Europe are increasing at a faster pace than any other continent, a rate more than twice the global average over the past 30 years, according to a report released Wednesday by the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization.

In 2021 alone, higher temperatures in Europe “directly affected more than half a million people and caused economic damages exceeding $50 billion," according to the United Nations. (World Meteorological Organization via Courthouse News)

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