Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin; Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes will have to wait to find out how much she owes investors; The Ninth Circuit handed a win to Uber and Postmates, and more.

National

Russian, Chinese nuclear cooperation spurs House to sound alarm

Calling it a threat to U.S. national security, a group of House Republicans urged immediate action Friday on the collaboration between Russia’s state-owned atomic energy company and China’s strategic nuclear forces.

Visitors at the Beijing Exhibition Hall on Oct. 12, 2022, tour past military vehicles carrying the Dong Feng 41 and DF-17 ballistic missiles, highlighting President Xi Jinping and China's achievements under his leadership. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Poop-themed dog toys will test the limits of parody at the Supreme Court

Next week the Supreme Court will review a suit from a famous whiskey maker to decide if poop-themed dog toys mimicking the brand are free speech or a trademark violation.

In its petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, Jack Daniel's shows a bottle of its signature Tennessee whiskey alongside a dog toy called Bad Spaniels from VIP Products. (Image via Courthouse News)

Elizabeth Holmes in limbo on restitution, release pending appeal

Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of the failed $9 billion blood-testing startup Theranos, will likely wait until April to find out how much she owes investors and whether a judge will release her while she appeals her wire fraud conviction.

Elizabeth Holmes, center, walks into federal court in San Jose, Calif., Monday. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Regional

Uber challenge to California worker-classification law revived by Ninth Circuit

In a second win this week for gig-economy businesses, the Ninth Circuit reinstated a challenge by Uber and Postmates of a California law that requires them to classify their workers as employees rather than independent contractors.

Members of Rideshare Drivers United stand outside Los Angeles federal courthouse on Feb. 7, 2020, holding signs supporting enforcement of a California labor law that requires some gig economy companies such as Uber and Postmates to classify independent contractors as employees. (Martin Macias, Jr. / CNS)

Hawaii police officers charged over car chase

Four Hawaii Police Department officers have been charged for their involvement — or rather their lack of involvement — in a September 2021 car crash on Oahu that injured six people, two of them severely.

International

International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Putin

The International Criminal Court announced on Friday it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The exterior view of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, on March 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

Turkey gives green light to Finland NATO membership

What for long seemed like a dual entry into NATO for Sweden and Finland is now turning into a solo run, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday his country is prepared to approve Finland's application.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Finland's President Sauli Niinisto inspect a military honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Record heat wave puts Argentina harvests in jeopardy

The scorching summer heat has smashed multiple records in Argentina and has projections for agriculture exports for 2023 in steep decline due to drought across the fertile grasslands of the Pampas.

People cool down in a park in Salta, Argentina, as the country experiences its warmest summer since the 1960s. (Municipality of Salta via Courthouse News)