Top eight today

Top eight stories for today including California lawmakers introduced a bill that would allow private citizens to sue firearm manufacturers and sellers for damages caused by illegal gun use; A court in Bolivia has ordered the first arrest in an investigation into illegal arms shipments from Argentina; Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts suggested misconduct isn’t that big of an issue in the federal judiciary, and more.

National

Texas governor takes feds to court over National Guard vaccine mandate

Texas Governor Greg Abbott sued President Joe Biden and U.S. military officials Tuesday to stop them from imposing a Covid-19 vaccine mandate on members of the Texas National Guard.

National Guardsmen stand at a Covid-19 vaccination site at Yankee Stadium in New York on Feb. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

#Metoo movement cast as threat to judicial independence in Roberts report

Just a few bad apples. No need to burn down the orchard. In his year-end report for 2021, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts suggests that misconduct really isn’t that big of an issue for the over 30,000 members of the federal judiciary.

Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court is pictured here on Jan. 29, 2020, departing the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Insurrectionist given two weeks in jail for trying to disrupt Congress

A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man was sentenced to two weeks in jail Tuesday for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol after voicing support for disrupting the peaceful transfer of power.

Jan. 6 defendant Leonard Pearson Ridge, lower left, excitedly wanders the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection. (Department of Justice via Courthouse News)

Regional

California lawmakers push bill to allow citizens to sue gun industry

Three California lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday that would allow private citizens to sue firearm manufacturers and sellers for damages caused by illegal gun use.

Parched California warns water-wasters to stop or face $500 fines

Californians will again see water-wasting rules despite a record-breaking month of snow and rain as drought regulators on Tuesday barred residents from washing cars without a shutoff nozzle, watering lawns after rainfall or hosing down driveways and sidewalks.

(Karolina Grabowska/Pixabay via Courthouse News)

Unsealed court documents complicate story of Georgia gubernatorial candidate’s business acumen

David Perdue encourages voters to put faith in his experience as a CEO for several companies — a narrative that is tested by fiduciary duty accusations from his time at Dollar General.

Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., leaves Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Texas attorney general fights to regain power to prosecute election fraud

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking for a rehearing from the state’s highest criminal appeals court after it ruled last month to strip him of his ability to prosecute election law violations.

The Texas State Capitol in Austin. (Kirk McDaniel/Courthouse News)

International

First arrest in case of Argentine arms smuggling to Bolivia during 2019 social unrest

A court in Bolivia has ordered the first arrest in an investigation into illegal arms shipments from Argentina to Bolivia during the 2019 unrest that led to the resignation of Bolivian president Evo Morales, who fled to Mexico and later Argentina.

A backer of former President Evo Morales returns a tear gas canister to police during clashes in La Paz, Bolivia, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. Bolivia's new interim president Jeanine Anez faces the challenge of stabilizing the nation and organizing national elections within three months at a time of political disputes that pushed Morales to fly off to self-exile in Mexico after 14 years in power. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

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