Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including a federal judge ruled Walgreens “substantially contributed” to San Francisco’s opioid crisis; Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to keep the war going until his country has reoccupied Crimea; The Supreme Court denied an effort to halt lawsuits against cryptocurrency giant Coinbase, and more.

National

Judge blasts ‘mitigation’ that would imperil both orca and salmon

A federal judge has rejected the National Marine Fisheries Service's "mitigation" for allowing continued "maximum" commercial harvests of the endangered Chinook salmon the imperiled Southern Resident killer whales need to survive — among the mitigations, that the agency will figure out better mitigations before the orcas go extinct.

Ross Sea killer whales from the Antarctic are distinguished by their narrow angled eye patch. The smallest of the three Antarctic types, these orcas eat fish that are found primarily under the ice pack, so they follow leads deep into the ice as it breaks up in the summer months. (Photo Credit: Dave Ellifrit, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

High court denies Coinbase effort to pause user suits

The Supreme Court denied an effort to halt lawsuits against cryptocurrency giant Coinbase on Wednesday.

The Coinbase app is show on a phone in New York on April 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Regional

Walgreens’ negligence contributed to flood of opioids in San Francisco, judge rules

Retail pharmacy giant Walgreens “substantially contributed” to San Francisco’s opioid crisis by ignoring red flags and continuing to fill prescriptions for drugs that later flooded the city’s streets, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

A Walgreens in San Francisco (Abe Bingham / Flickr)

Retrial begins for two men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan governor

A new trial for two of the men accused of plotting to kidnap Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer began with opening statements Wednesday following a mistrial in April.

Barry Croft Jr., left, and Adam Fox, two men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. (Kent County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Newsom picks Justice Patricia Guerrero to lead California high court

Just months after being sworn in as the first Latina on the California Supreme Court, Justice Patricia Guerrero has made history again with Governor Gavin Newsom announcing Wednesday that he chose Guerrero as the next chief justice.

Justice Patricia Guerrero speaks during her confirmation hearing to the Supreme Court of California before the Commission on Judicial Appointments Tuesday, March 22, 2022, in San Francisco. Guerrero, who grew up in the agricultural Imperial Valley, was confirmed and will be the first Latina on the state's highest court. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, Pool)

Liz Cheney, unrepentant underdog in Wyoming primary

Representative Liz Cheney faces an uphill battle to retain her congressional seat in Wyoming’s Aug. 16 primary election. While her role on the special committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection likely plays a part, her opposition to former President Trump might not be the only factor.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., listens as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington on June 16, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

California looks at millionaire tax to pay for clean vehicles and wildfire prevention

California lawmakers on Wednesday stared down a controversial measure aimed at taxing millionaires to fund greenhouse gas emission reduction programs, meet electric vehicle usage goals and beef up wildfire fighting resources.

Vice President Kamala Harris charges an electric vehicle. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

International

Zelenskyy talks tough, vows to end war with recapture of Crimea

In his latest tough video message to Ukrainians, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to keep the war going until his country has reoccupied Crimea, the peninsula in the Black Sea that's played a pivotal role in Russia's military history.

Rising smoke can be seen from the beach after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, Crimea, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. (UGC via AP)

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