Top eight today

Top eight stories for today including the U.S. agreed to ship large volumes of liquefied natural gas to Europe to replace Russian gas; House leaders are calling for Republican Representative Jeff Fortenberry to resign after he was convicted of lying to the FBI; California is outpacing the rest of the nation in job creation, and more.

National

Shiny new ballots: Record number of states eyeing ranked-choice voting

Twenty-two legislatures considered bills this year that would bring in a voting system where voters get more say on the ballot. Well, more chad punches, anyway.

FILE - In this June 15, 2018 file photo, Maine's election officials begin to collect the nation's first ranked-choice ballots in a statewide primary from across the state, in Augusta, Maine. The new system was used to decide results in the Democratic primary and also will be used in the November general election. (AP Photo/Marina Villeneuve, File)

House leaders call for Jeff Fortenberry to resign over felony convictions

Hours after Republican Representative Jeff Fortenberry was convicted of lying to the FBI about illegal campaign contributions, calls for the Nebraska lawmaker’s resignation from Congress began to make their away around Capitol Hill.

U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican from Nebraska, and his wife Celeste arrive at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles on March 16, 2022. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

Giuliani-linked Parnas pleads guilty to Fraud Guarantee scheme

Giuliani crony Lev Parnas, already convicted of campaign finance crimes, pleaded guilty on Friday morning to an additional count of wire fraud conspiracy.

Lev Parnas, left, and his lawyer Joseph Bondy leave federal court following closing arguments in his trial on Oct. 21, 2021, in New York. (Stefan Jeremiah/AP)

Markets forge ahead, unmoved by newly hawkish Fed or rising oil prices

The Federal Reserve has done a heel turn and turned hawkish on interest rates, but investors seem relatively unperturbed by the move, posting a second consecutive week of gains.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies during a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Thursday, March 3, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Tom Williams, Pool via AP, File)

Regional

Latest jobs report shows big gains for California, as unemployment falls to 5.4%

The Golden State is outpacing the rest of the nation in job creation, according to the latest jobs report from the state Employment Development Department that suggests the state is recovering from the ravages of the pandemic-induced business shutdowns of two years ago.

Charts showing unemployment rates and job creation in California. (California Employment Development Department)

Judge tosses out Maryland’s redistricting map as gerrymandered

Saying a new U.S. House district map passed by Maryland’s General Assembly was skewed to unfairly favor Democrats, a state court judge blocked the drawing Friday.

Tamara Debnam, an elections assistant for the Baltimore City Board of Elections, sorts mail-in ballots at a canvasing warehouse ahead of the 7th Congressional District special election on April 27, 2020, in Baltimore. (Julio Cortez/AP)

International

US to deliver natural gas to Europe, Biden gets close to warzone

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said the United States will begin shipping large amounts of liquefied natural gas to European nations vowing to wean themselves off cheap Russian gas, the main source of income underpinning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.

President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talk to the press about the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the U.S. Mission in Brussels on Friday, March 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

British royals face backlash from pro-republic activists in Jamaica

An official state visit to Jamaica by the second in line to the British throne has been overshadowed by a burgeoning republican movement calling for the removal of the monarchy and demanding reparations.

People protest to demand an apology and slavery reparations during a visit to the former British colony by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate, in Kingston, Jamaica, on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)