Judge orders removal of fence around Oregon federal building
EUGENE, Ore. (CN) — A federal judge sided Monday with the free speech activists who challenged the government’s erection of a $270,000 fence around a federal building in an Oregon college town, blocking off a plaza traditionally used as a public meeting ground. “The...
Environmentalists sue feds for records behind executive order boosting herbicide production
WASHINGTON (CN) — The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump administration on Monday over the Department of Agriculture’s refusal to provide documents that would reveal any advocates for an executive order to accelerate the production of glyphosate, a popular...
Wall Street trader jailed on sex abuse charges fights rejection of $75 million bail package
MANHATTAN (CN) — Howard Rubin, a retired financier who’s accused of brutalizing and raping women in a BDSM dungeon in his Manhattan penthouse, asked an appeals court on Monday to grant him bail after a federal judge rejected his multimillion-dollar bail...
Federal judge blocks Trump’s national citizenship database
WASHINGTON (CN) — A federal judge on Monday slammed the Trump administration’s attempt at creating a searchable national citizenship database as a clear threat to voting rights. U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan sided with the League of Women Voters to...
Palisades Fire suspect’s expert witness testifies there was no arson
LOS ANGELES (CN) — An expert called by the suspect accused of starting the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles last year testified Monday that he didn’t think the initial brushfire was caused by arson. Edward Nordskog, a retired LA Sheriff’s...
Carlos Mencia’s six years of tax avoidance ‘a mistake,’ lawyer says
LOS ANGELES (CN) — Comedian Carlos Mencia was arraigned in a Van Nuys court on Monday on charges of tax evasion for failing to report $8.7 million in income over the course of six years. He entered a not-guilty plea, although his attorney, Dana Cole, told reporters...
Environmentalists sue feds to protect dwindling sunflower sea star
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — An environmental nonprofit sued the National Marine Fisheries Service on Monday in a bid to push the federal agency to issue protection guidelines for the sunflower sea star, one of the largest sea star species in the world. The Center for...
California sues EPA over bid to revoke waivers for stricter emission standards
WASHINGTON (CN) — The state of California sued the Trump administration on Monday over its effort to nullify the state’s recent Clean Air Act waivers that allow California to enact stricter emission standards than the federal government. In a federal lawsuit...
Judge rejects subpoenas of Minnesota officials, rebukes Trump administration’s ‘coercive’ actions
MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — A federal judge delivered a blow to the Trump administration Monday, blocking a series of “unconstitutional” grand jury subpoenas aimed at top Minnesota state and local officials. In his 29-page order, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz found...