Deliberations Begin in Dramatic Case of Man Who Aimed Malfunctioning Gun at Pismo Beach Officer

PISMO BEACH, Calif. — Deliberations began Friday in the trial of Charles Ammons, 48, accused of attempting to murder a local police officer during a traffic stop in April 2022. The incident has gripped the coastal community, drawing renewed attention to the risks law enforcement officers face. Ammons, who was reportedly intoxicated at the time, had been pulled over by Pismo Beach Police Officer Chris Siglin for a vehicle code violation on Pomeroy Avenue. What should have been a routine stop escalated dramatically when Ammons allegedly aimed a semiautomatic pistol at Siglin and pulled the … Read more

Federal Court Halts New Biden Rule Aimed at Curbing Gas Flaring at Oil Sites

Houston, Texas — A federal judge in Texas has issued a temporary injunction against a new Biden administration regulation aimed at reducing the flaring of natural gas at oil production sites. The rule, which was set to take effect, seeks to limit the volume of natural gas that can be burned off or released into the atmosphere during oil extraction. The decision comes after a lawsuit was filed by a coalition of oil and gas companies arguing that the restrictions would impose undue financial burdens and potentially lead to a decrease in oil production. The … Read more

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Biden’s Immigration Rule Aimed at Keeping Mixed-Status Families Together

A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked a new immigration policy designed to safeguard non-citizen spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens while they attempt to regularize their status in the country. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker, on August 26, imposed a 14-day administrative stay on the “Keeping Families Together” rule, a move that can be extended and was swiftly challenged by a cohort of 16 states led by Texas. Introduced by the Biden administration on June 18, the rule aimed to permit mixed-status families to stay intact within the U.S. as they pursued … Read more

Federal Judge Upholds Utah’s Social Media Laws Aimed to Protect Minors, Dismisses Tech Group’s First Amendment Claim

SALT LAKE CITY — A pivotal lawsuit aimed at challenging Utah’s regulations on social media usage among minors faced a recent setback when a federal judge upheld the state’s rights over certain platform functionalities. These regulations, which restrict features like autoplay and infinite scrolling for minor-owned accounts, were defended as necessary protections against the potential harms of social media on youth. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby dismissed a key claim by NetChoice, a tech industry group representing major platforms such as YouTube and Facebook. NetChoice had contested that Utah’s rules were preempted … Read more