Your Thursday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News
Top eight CNS stories for today including a Texas state judge blocked Governor Greg Abbott’s limit of one absentee ballot drop-off box per county; The novel coronavirus is wreaking havoc again in Europe; The Senate Judiciary Committee set a vote for Oct. 22 on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to sit on the Supreme Court, and more.
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National
1.) A national survey taken during the first weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic shows a strong surge in support for an active government role in universal health care, paid sick leave policies, and unemployment benefits.

2.) A federal judge said Thursday she is disinclined to lift a block on the U.S. government’s ban on the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat.

3.) Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham steamrolled precedent Thursday and set a vote for Oct. 22 on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to sit on the Supreme Court.

Regional
4.) A Texas state judge blocked Governor Greg Abbott’s limit of one absentee ballot drop-off box per county Thursday, two days after the Fifth Circuit reinstated it in a parallel federal case.

5.) The judge hearing the cases against four fired Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd affirmed Thursday afternoon that new filings by prosecutors and the defense will be made public without delay.

International
6.) The novel coronavirus is wreaking havoc again in Europe and its rapid spread is forcing countries to impose curfews, close down nightlife in cities like Paris, Barcelona and Prague and prepare for a wave of sick patients.

7.) A European magistrate urged more scrutiny Thursday on whether Spain’s tax laws unfairly benefit its top soccer clubs, which are among the world’s best and most profitable teams.

8.) Polish and Hungarian taxes on businesses based on how much money they taken in rather than profit do not violate EU regulations, an adviser to the union’s top court said on Thursday.

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