Top eight today

Top eight stories for today including the war in Ukraine continued to intensify ahead of a major speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin; American employers added 428,000 jobs; Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused the state bar of political gamesmanship, and more.

National

Labor market hot streak continues as US adds 428,000 jobs

The U.S. economy added 428,000 jobs in April while the unemployment rate stayed at a pandemic-era low of 3.6%.

A hiring sign is displayed at a restaurant in Schaumburg, Ill., on April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Massive market correction barrels on, though midweek volatility eases losses

Another positive jobs report and calming statements by the Federal Reserve should have smoothed things out for investors, but markets took on wild swings to continue a losing streak.

The New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

It’s not Halloween: post-Roe America could see rise of ‘zombie’ abortion bans

In the aftermath of the leaked draft opinion signaling the Supreme Court’s intent to overturn Roe v. Wade, four states are confronting a legal landscape where century-old abortion bans could spring back to life.

(Image by DaModernDaVinci from Pixabay via Courthouse News)

Judge’s son who stormed Capitol sentenced to 8 months

The son of a Brooklyn judge must spend eight months behind bars after a video went viral showing him wearing a fur pelt and a police-issue ballistics vest inside the Capitol during last year’s insurrection.

Aaron Mostofsky appears in a video interview with a reporter during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Image from YouTube via Courthouse News)

Regional

Will the impending Roe decision upend the LA mayor’s race?

When Politico revealed it had obtained a draft of a U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, some Democrats were immediately hopeful that the issue would galvanize their voters later this year. But the next morning, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Karen Bass was not one of them.

Karen Bass, left, and Rick Caruso, right, face each other in a runoff to become the next mayor of Los Angeles (Bass campaign; Hillel Aron)

Texans were leaving the state for abortions long before six-week ban

While abortion rights advocates say Senate Bill 8 has been particularly damaging to patients, Texas lawmakers have spent years finding ways to limit those rights.

Women protest against Texas' six-week abortion ban at the state Capitol in Austin on Sept. 1, 2021. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Texas AG denounces state bar’s impending lawsuit against him

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused the state bar of political gamesmanship Friday, saying it is suing him for professional misconduct on the eve of his Republican primary runoff election.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Austin Police Association in Austin, Texas, in September 2020. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

International

Ukraine war heats up ahead of Putin speech

The war in Ukraine is veering dangerously toward a new sharp escalation with Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to make a major speech about the war on Monday in conjunction with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.

Unexploded shells, grenades and other devices are seen after recent fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces at the Antonov airport on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, May 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Categories / Closing Arguments

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.