Your Wednesday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News
Top eight stories for today including 200 million Americans have been inoculated against the coronavirus; George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis has spurred a federal investigation of the city’s police department; Europe’s richest and most powerful soccer clubs scrapped plans to form a new league after an outpouring of fury, and more.
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National
1.) Over a year since the Covid-19 pandemic first barreled across the globe, a whopping 200 million Americans have been inoculated against the virus. But with most restrictions easing here now as summertime approaches, President Joe Biden told the country Wednesday that it still has a “long way to go.”
2.) Reaching out to a public now grappling with the rare murder conviction of a former police officer for actions taken in the line of duty, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday that George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis has spurred a federal investigation of the city’s police department.
3.) Forecasting another defeat for municipalities that accused Hotels.com of shortchanging them on occupancy taxes, the Supreme Court appeared ready Wednesday to make them pay over $2 million in court costs.
Regional
4.) Sensing a change in direction from the White House, California is prepping to make offshore wind the next big thing in its pursuit of clean energy.
5.) In a key test case for the “sharing” economy, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ended a free ride Wednesday for a car-sharing app that has been skirting the rental-car rules for years at Boston’s Logan Airport.
6.) In a major step toward the decriminalization of sex work, the Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance told a judge Wednesday that his office will stop prosecuting arrests for prostitution and unlicensed massage.
7.) A Kentuckian whose workers’ compensation disability benefits were reduced because she also qualifies for Social Security challenged the constitutionality of the change before the state’s high court Wednesday.
International
8.) On Sunday, 12 of Europe’s biggest soccer clubs said they were going to form a new league to offset the losses suffered from the coronavirus pandemic. By Wednesday morning, the idea was scrapped after two days of furious backlash.
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