Top eight today

National

EPA to limit climate-warming gases used in refrigeration

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced a new rule establishing a program to dramatically slash the domestic use and production of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, chemicals commonly used in air conditioning and refrigeration and known to accelerate climate change.

Customs & Border Protection ordered to disclose social media surveillance rules

U.S. Customs and Border Protection cannot withhold information on its rules for authorizing agents to use fake identities and nongovernment accounts to spy on social media users, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge moves iconic Joshua tree closer to endangered species protections

For 2.5 million years, the Joshua tree has been a fixture of the Southern California desert, greeting everyone from the region’s earliest settlers to its throngs of modern-day tourists. That lengthy reign may be nearing an end in the coming decades, however, due to rising temperatures, increasingly severe droughts and California’s seemingly endless wildfires.

Regional

Ninth Circuit hands LA a reprieve on sweeping homeless orders

Tossing a sweeping court order requiring the city and county of Los Angeles to house homeless people living on the 50-block open air encampment known as Skid Row by October, a Ninth Circuit panel on Thursday found the federal judge in the case lacked the authority to issue such an order.

California pledges $15 billion to combat climate change

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will allocate $15 billion toward a suite of programs intended to help the state combat climate change while building resiliency in a region of increasing temperatures and declining precipitation.

Judges scan middle school lesson on Islam for proselytizing

The Third Circuit posed tough questions to both sides Thursday as it considered whether a seventh grade social studies teacher glorified Islam in the lesson plan.

Texas sued over social media censorship law

Two internet trade groups that represent the largest tech companies in America filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging a new Texas law meant to curb censorship of political speech by social media users.

International

EU magistrate flunks emissions-altering vehicle software

Volkswagen outfitted its vehicles with another defeat device, a magistrate for the European Court of Justice determined Thursday, taking aim at software that lets emissions spew freely in certain cold temperature and high altitudes.

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