Top eight today

Top eight stories for today including Europe’s human rights court ruled Austria was wrong to force a newspaper to hand over information about anonymous website commenters; President Biden tried to defuse tensions over Ukraine in a high-stakes call with his Russian counterpart; Mark Meadows reversed course on a deal to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, and more.

National

As Jan. 6 panel digs for facts, partisanship may obscure them

Experts warn that the committee investigating the insurrection needs both to pin down details of the attack and to ensure that Republican condemnations don't drown out their findings.

Insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump stand outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Former Trump chief of staff no longer cooperating with Jan. 6 panel

After a tentative deal to comply with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, an attorney for former President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said his client will not cooperate with the panel after breakdowns in negotiations.

Then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks on a phone on the South Lawn of the White House in October 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Defining ‘crime of violence’ leaves justices confounded

Justice Clarence Thomas invoked "Alice in Wonderland" Tuesday as the Supreme Court tackled the question of whether an attempted robbery can be considered a crime of violence.

The Supreme Court is seen in Washington on Sept. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Regional

Plumber rewarded for returning cash found stashed in Joel Osteen’s church

A Houston plumber who found a trove of stolen cash and checks in the wall of a megachurch, and returned it all to the church, received a $20,000 reward Tuesday.

Flags fly in front of Lakewood Church in Houston. (Pat Sullivan/AP)

Pittsburgh Port Authority fights to reinstate ban on Black Lives Matter masks

Defending its refusal to let uniformed employees display a political or social protest message, the Allegheny County Port Authority told the Third Circuit on Tuesday that it could open a can of worms for other messages if it allows face masks proclaiming Black Lives Matter.

(Image by Pixabay user Microfile.org via Courthouse News)

International

Newspaper forced to unmask commenters prevails at rights court

Austria was wrong to force a daily newspaper to hand over information about anonymous website commenters, Europe’s top rights court ruled Tuesday.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. (hpgruesen/Pixabay via Courthouse News)

Biden warns Putin against invading Ukraine

In high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden threatened to strike Russia with crushing economic sanctions if it moves to invade Ukraine.

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2021. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

Opinion

The one we were waiting for

We had suffered a series of defeats in our campaign over the right of access, and then along came a federal judge in Vermont who put the First Amendment train back on track.

U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss of the District of Vermont.

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