Top Eight

Your Monday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News

Top eight CNS stories for today including Democrats warned of the risks of acquittal during closing arguments in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial; Iowa Democrats are bracing for what could be a record turnout of voters at the state’s precinct caucuses; A measure to remove Civil War monuments in Virginia passed its first legislative hurdle, and more.

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National

1.) On the eve of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, Democrats rolled into closing arguments Monday at the Senate impeachment trial warning of the risks of acquittal.

2.) Iowa Democrats are bracing for what could be a record turnout of voters at the state’s precinct caucuses Monday night based on the field of candidates who have been attracting massive numbers of people to their forums and rallies for the past year.

3.) Senator Ron Wyden asked Attorney General William Barr on Monday to recuse himself from the record-breaking money laundering prosecution of Turkey’s state-run Halkbank, amid reports that President Donald Trump has a compromised relationship with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

4.) Senator Bernie Sanders has opened a decisive lead in New Hampshire as voting begins in Iowa, a Monday poll from Emerson College shows.

Regional

5.) A measure to remove Civil War monuments in Virginia passed its first hurdle Monday morning, while a related effort by a rural Republican lawmaker shook up another committee meeting.

6.) Virginia lawmakers advanced a bill Monday aimed at preventing frivolous litigation that could chill speech, in the wake of headline-making defamation lawsuits filed in state courts by out-of-state celebrities and politicians.

Science

7.) Researchers warn that future freshwater damming efforts could present significant dangers to aquatic life if allowed to proceed as planned, potentially threatening the habitats of up to 10,000 fish species.

8.) Fireflies around the world are at risk of extinction due in part to habitat loss, pesticides and shockingly, artificial sources of light, according to new research released Monday.

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