Nightly Brief

Your Wednesday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News

Top CNS stories for today including a campaign watchdog group pressing the Federal Election Commission to investigate its claims that President Donald Trump, his 2016 presidential campaign and the nonprofit Trump Foundation may have committed numerous campaign finance law violations; a new court filing by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the federal court in Virginia says former Trump campaign chairman has been captured on monitored prison calls bragging he’s being treated like a “VIP” while in custody; on the second day of a California trial over whether Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer caused a Bay Area man’s terminal cancer, his lawyers tried to convince a jury that Monsanto suppressed research showing Roundup may be carcinogenic and ghostwrote research to defend itself; the Ninth Circuit issues six opinions holding that corporations have no duty to disclose the use of slave labor in their supply chains under California law; the Pew Research Center finds that nearly half of Americans name Barack Obama as the best or second-best president in their lifetimes, with Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan following closely behind, and more.

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National

1.) A campaign watchdog group filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday claiming President Donald Trump, his 2016 presidential campaign and the nonprofit Trump Foundation may have committed numerous campaign finance law violations.

2.) A quartet of Trump judicial nominees vowed on Wednesday to follow Supreme Court precedent if confirmed, but some lawmakers on Capitol Hill appeared to remain doubtful over the nominees’ positions on issues ranging from abortion to climate change.

**3.) ** A new court filing by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the federal court in Virginia says former Trump campaign chairman has been captured on monitored prison calls bragging he’s being treated like a “VIP” while in custody.

**4.) ** In the aftermath of a landmark Supreme Court decision barring employee unions from extracting mandatory fees from workers who do not want to contribute, two government employees sued their union to get back the money they were forced to pay.

Regional

6.) On the second day of a California trial over whether Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer caused a Bay Area man’s terminal cancer, his lawyers tried to convince a jury Tuesday that Monsanto suppressed research showing Roundup may be carcinogenic and ghostwrote research to defend itself in future cancer litigation.

7.) A massive brush fire erupted near the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air as firefighters hurried to contain the blaze.

8.) A coalition of attorneys general from 10 states and the District of Columbia are demanding information from eight major fast-food chains about their use of “no-poach” agreements between franchisees, which prohibit hiring employees from another franchise in the same chain.

9.) Building on prior rulings, the Ninth Circuit issued six opinions Tuesday holding that corporations have no duty to disclose the use of slave labor in their supply chains under California law.

Science

10.) With finalists for the 2018 World Cup ready to face off this weekend, a new study released Wednesday sheds light on the cumulative impacts “heading” the soccer ball has on the neurological functions of players.

Research & Polls

11.) Nearly half of Americans name Barack Obama as the best or second-best president in their lifetimes, with Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan following closely behind, the Pew Research Center reported Wednesday.

International

12.) As it did with his brother in February, the European General Court thawed an asset freeze Wednesday that has plagued a onetime administration official for former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych.

13.) The family of James Foley — a journalist who was tortured and beheaded by the Islamic State group in 2014 — brought a $200 million complaint Tuesday to hold the Syrian government liable.