New research based on satellite data shows the depletion of groundwater in the Colorado River Basin far exceeds losses from the river’s reservoirs. Scientists say overpumping is leading to alarmingly rapid declines in groundwater at a time when climate change is putting growing strains on the Southwest’s water supplies.

(Subscription required) As the U.S. Supreme Court considers limiting the use of nationwide injunctions, a federal judge in San Francisco has issued a sweeping order blocking the Trump administration from initiating mass layoffs of government employees without congressional approval. The ruling, now on appeal, deepens a growing legal clash over executive power and the judiciary's role in checking it.

The California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) invites public comment on a draft formal opinion addressing disclosure and disqualification requirements in cases involving Racial Justice Act claims.

(Subscription required) When a federal court in Florida issued an order in an unprecedented wrongful death lawsuit against Character.AI, it reasoned that free speech protections did not apply to the output of the generative AI-powered chatbot service. Experts say that the judge's watershed order may move the needle on navigating future products liability cases involving artificial intelligence.