Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including the Supreme Court padded its docket with a second challenge to President Biden’s student debt relief plan; The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added two species of caribou to its list of federally protected species under the Endangered Species Act; A federal judge indicated a case against San Francisco by pretrial detainees complaining about jail conditions will likely go to trial, and more.

National

Supreme Court sets up doubleheader on Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan

The Supreme Court on Monday padded its docket with a second challenge to President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan.

President Joe Biden unveils his plan to forgive student loan borrowers in an August 24, 2022, broadcast from the White House. (Screenshot via Courthouse News.)

Canadian caribou species wins Endangered Species Act protection

Just in time for Christmas, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday added two species of caribou or “reindeer” to its list of federally protected species under the Endangered Species Act.

A herd of Dolphin and Union caribou stand in the snow in Arctic Canada. (Kim Poole, M.Sc., RPBio, Wildlife Research Biologist/Aurora Wildlife Research via Courthouse News)

Supreme Court clears the way for California ban on flavored tobacco

The high court snuffed an emergency challenge Monday to California's new law that bans the sale of flavored tobacco products.

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

Michigan State loses bid for high court audience with spurned swimmers

The Supreme Court turned down an opportunity on Monday to intervene in a battle between Michigan State University and female swimmers fighting to revive their team.

Regional

Former Fort Worth cop testifies in trial over killing of Black woman in her home

Former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean disastrously admitted to jurors several times Monday that he failed to perform good police work in the killing of Atatiana Jefferson during a welfare call three years ago.

Former police officer Aaron Dean looks towards his attorneys during the second day of his murder trial in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. (Amanda McCoy/Star-Telegram via AP, Pool)

Trial likely in suit over San Francisco jail conditions

A federal judge indicated Monday that a case against San Francisco by pretrial detainees complaining about jail conditions will likely go to trial.

(Image by Pixabay user Ichigo121212 via Courthouse News)

International

Seeking authentic in Mexican town that introduced world to magic mushrooms

Mazatec curandera María Sabina put Huautla de Jiménez on the map when she shared her ceremonial psychedelic mushroom practice with outsiders in the 1950s, but the misty mountain town has retained its sense of authenticity amid the world-changing events that followed.