Top 8 today

Thursday's Top 8 includes coverage of efforts to investigate the ethics situation at the U.S. Supreme Court, a guilty plea by U.S. Rep. George Santos' former treasurer, the ongoing financial fraud trial of former President Donald Trump, "absolutely gobsmackingly bananas" heat globally in September, and more.

National

Senate Democrats call bunk on claims that SCOTUS ethics probe is unconstitutional

Lawmakers are investigating relationships between prominent conservative figures and the high court’s justices, but detractors have argued that the effort violates the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine.

George Santos’ campaign treasurer pleads guilty to fraud conspiracy

U.S. Representative George Santos’ former treasurer admitted to participating in schemes to embellish his campaign finance reports with fake loans and fake donors.

Nancy Marks leaves federal court, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, in Central Islip, N.Y. Marks, the ex-campaign treasurer for U.S. Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government and implicated the indicted New York Republican in court with submitting bogus campaign finance reports. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Man with gun demands to see Wisconsin governor — twice

No charges had been formally filed against the gunman as of Thursday afternoon.

Courts & the law

Missouri turns to Supreme Court to enforce pro-gun law

The state has asked the justices to block a federal judge’s ruling finding the pro-gun law unconstitutional.

Judge orders tabs kept on Trump financial transactions throughout fraud trial

The heightened financial scrutiny comes after Judge Arthur Engoron stripped Trump of his New York business certifications last week.

Former President Donald Trump, center, arrives at New York Supreme Court, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in New York. Trump made a rare, voluntary trip to court in New York for the start of a civil trial in a lawsuit that already has resulted in a judge ruling that he committed fraud in his business dealings. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Texas lobbies Fifth Circuit to approve its Rio Grande buoys

A shallow stretch of the Rio Grande absorbed a Fifth Circuit panel Thursday, with Texas arguing it should be allowed to keep buoys in place to protect its citizens from violent cartels and trespassing immigrants.

Science & research

Artificial life forms can aid medicine, researchers say

Researchers on Thursday said viral vaccines and artificial life forms may be the future of advanced medicine in tackling currently untreatable diseases.

Copernicus: September smashed heat records, 2023 on pace to become hottest year ever

“This month was, in my professional opinion as a climate scientist — absolutely gobsmackingly bananas,” said Zeke Hausfather, a scientist at Berkeley Earth, an American nonprofit that analyses climate data.

A graph from the Copernicus Climate Change Service shows September 2023 as the hottest September ever recorded on the planet. (Copernicus Climate Change Service via Courthouse News)

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