Top eight today

Top eight stories for today including the Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed to side with parents who want Maine to provide public funds for their children’s religious education; President Biden signed an executive order aimed at meeting a carbon neutrality goal of 2050; A California judge declined to block the LA Unified School District's student vaccine mandate, and more.

National

Conservative justices push to give religious schools public funding

During nearly two hours of oral arguments Wednesday morning, the conservative justices on the Supreme Court seemed to side with parents who want Maine to provide public funds for their children’s religious education.

Defense bill signals changes to military justice system, shift of focus to Pacific threats

Sending the $768 billion defense authorization bill to the Senate for a vote later this week, House lawmakers have voted in a budget that is notable both for its long-awaited changes to sexual assault investigations in the military and for formally shifting the security threat focus away from the Middle East to placing an emphasis on China.

The 2021 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is lit Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, after a ceremony on the West Front Lawn of Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Feds go all-electric to meet Biden’s 2050 carbon neutrality goal

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday that would electrify the federal government’s fleet of vehicles, create clean infrastructure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet a carbon neutrality goal of 2050.

President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the General Motors Factory ZERO electric vehicle assembly plant, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

No jail for Kansas grandmother who rioted at US Capitol

Two friends from Kansas attended former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally and were eating their lunch later when they saw people running into the Capitol building and decided to join them. On Wednesday, one of them was sentenced to 24 months of probation.

The government provided this photo in their cases against Jennifer Parks (left) and Esther Schwemmer (right). (Photo via Courthouse News)

Regional

State court could put cellphone ‘Dragnets’ in knots

The Massachusetts Supreme Court struggled Wednesday to reconcile arguments about police using cellphone location data to identify everyone who was in the vicinity of a crime when there are no suspects otherwise.

Cellular site equipment. (AP Photo/Raphael Satter)

Judge refuses to block LA Unified student vaccine mandate — for now

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge declined to block the LA Unified School District's student vaccine mandate Wednesday, but he did say he would consider the arguments made by the plaintiffs fighting it.

Attorney Rita Barnett-Rose, speaking at a press conference. Behind her is attorney Nicole Pearson and Amy Bohn, executive director of Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (Hillel Aron/Courthouse News)

International

Dyson loses bid for compensation over EU energy label rules

British vacuum maker Dyson on Wednesday lost its lawsuit seeking nearly $200 million in damages over European Union energy labeling requirements.

Refugees sue Facebook over alleged role in Myanmar genocide

A class action lawsuit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court accuses Meta Platforms, the company formerly known as Facebook, of knowingly helping the spread of "hate speech, misinformation, and incitement of violence" in Myanmar, which led to the genocide of the Muslim Rohingya people.

Rohingya refugees headed to the Bhasan Char island prepare to board navy vessels from the south eastern port city of Chattogram, Bangladesh in February 2021. (AP Photo, File)