Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including the Justice Department said absolute immunity is off the table in lawsuits looking to hold Donald Trump liable for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol; Federal prosecutors grilled a former Ohio House speaker on the passage of bailout legislation during a lengthy cross-examination; The Supreme Court asked for additional briefing in a major elections case, and more.

National

Justice Dep’t opposes immunity for Trump in police suits over Capitol riot

Absolute immunity is off the table, government lawyers told the D.C. Circuit on Thursday, weighing in on the fate of lawsuits that look to hold former President Donald Trump liable for the chaos his supporters brought to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump supporters rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. (John Minchillo/AP)

Major elections case on the skids as Supreme Court questions jurisdiction

The U.S. Supreme Court asked for additional briefing Thursday in a major elections case following the state high court’s decision to reconsider the case itself.

The Supreme Court building in Washington on Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Congressional clerk recounts anxiety as riot put US Capitol on lockdown

A longtime Hill staffer recounted panic among elected lawmakers and their aides as a mob tried to overthrow the government on Jan. 6, 2021.

Capitol security officers stand with guns drawn in the House Chamber as rioters attempt to break in on Jan. 6, 2021. (House Select Committee via Courthouse News)

Regional

California groundwater management agencies falling behind on conservation goals

California water authorities say some regional groundwater sustainability plans to control aquifers do not stack up to the state’s legal standards to protect water resources in future droughts.

A map of groundwater land feature sites surveyed across California's valleys. (California Natural Resources Agency / Courthouse News)

Mobile home park fights Christian university over forced eviction

Grand Canyon University bought the Periwinkle Mobile Home Park property in 2016 with plans to expand its student housing. Residents of the mobile home park now have three months to find a new place to live.

Grand Canyon University apartments loom in the background over Periwinkle Mobile Home Park. Residents were given until May 28 to be off the premises so the land can be used for more student housing.

Storms lift California out of extreme drought but bring other problems

An onslaught of strong winter storms has lifted many parts of California out of severe drought, but they've also led Governor Gavin Newsom to declare states of emergency in many counties.

State Route 138 winds through snow-covered trees near Hesperia, Calif., Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Tremendous rains and snowfall since late last year have freed half of California from drought, but low groundwater levels remain a persistent problem, U.S. Drought Monitor data showed Thursday, March 2. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Federal prosecutors grill ex-Ohio speaker on cross-examination in bribery trial

In the final act of a six-week drama, Larry Householder's self-projected image as Ohio's political underdog from Appalachia was put to the test when federal prosecutors hammered him on his relationship with FirstEnergy and the passage of bailout legislation during a lengthy cross-examination.

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder waits to retrieve his personal items after going through security at Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse in Cincinnati on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, before jury selection in his federal bribery trial. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Science

Genetic study reveals dual domestication of wine grapevine

A new study published Thursday indicates there were two domestication events for the cultivation of wine separated during the last glacial advance: one in Western Asia and one in the Caucasus region.