Top eight today

Top eight stories for today including the Senate Judiciary Committee split evenly on three nominees to the federal bench; An EU court adviser said plans to tie funding to rule of law are permitted; A federal judge blocked a Texas law aimed at restricting social media platforms from censoring users over political speech, and more.

National

Partisan confirmation vote strands judicial nominee trio

A politically tense Senate Judiciary Committee pushed ahead a slew of federal judicial nominees Thursday morning but remained sharply divided over three judges, leaving their chances at the federal bench in peril.

Ninth Circuit nominee Holly Thomas speaks at an Oct. 20, 2021, hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Screenshot via Courthouse News)

Roberts guiding the needle as GOP justices push to unravel Roe

The conservative chief justice’s arguments to preserve at least some of the court’s 50-year precedent appeared moderate as his colleagues moved to overturn the constitutional right to abortion.

This artist sketch depicts Center for Reproductive Rights Litigation Director Julie Rikelman speaking to the Supreme Court, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, in Washington. Seated to Rikelman's right is Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

President urges vaccination, boosters as cases of omicron variant emerge

Reiterating that he sees the presence of the omicron variant as “cause for concern but not panic,” President Joe Biden rolled out a new plan to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus Thursday heading into the winter months.

President Joe Biden speaks at a press conference Dec. 2, 2021, encouraging Covid-19 vaccination and boosters for all adults amid the emergence of the coronavirus's new omicron variant.

Regional

Federal judge blocks social media censorship law passed by Texas GOP

A federal judge blocked Texas’ controversial new law requiring social media companies to share information about content and user moderation, including how users are removed from their sites.

The icons of Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp are seen on an iPhone. (Martin Meissner/AP)

Gun makers immune in Las Vegas massacre, Nevada high court rules

The Nevada Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that state law grants immunity to gun makers and sellers from lawsuits pertaining to the 2017 mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert.

Police officers stand at the scene of the October 2017 mass shooting near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

International

EU adviser backs privacy complaints brought by consumer groups

National authorities are not the only ones who can take companies to court over data privacy violations, an adviser to the EU’s high court said Thursday, finding that consumer watchdog organizations can also bring such cases.

A Facebook employee walks past a sign at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

López Obrador defends militarization of Mexico, but experts still concerned

During his third State of the Union address, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador defended his actions to broaden the responsibilities of the nation's armed forces, saying, “it’s going to take time to restore peace to the country.”

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his wife Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller wave to supporters at his third State of the Union address in Mexico City on December 1, 2021. (Courthouse News via Twitter)

Top EU court adviser OKs budget plan tying funds to rule of law

An adviser to the European Union’s highest court has found that plans to tie funding to rule of law are permitted under the bloc's legal framework.

The European Court of Justice, based in Luxembourg, is the European Union’s supreme court in matters concerning EU law. (Molly Quell/Courthouse News)

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