Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend
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Sen. Lindsey Graham scores win in Georgia election case as appeals court blocks subpoena
Sen. Lindsey Graham was given a momentary legal win Sunday by a federal appeals court that pumped the brakes on the Republican lawmaker complying with a subpoena from a Georgia grand jury investigating election interference. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals granted Graham’s request to block the subpoena, saying prosecutors must sort out whether the South Carolina senator is protected from answering certain questions. At issue is Graham’s involvement in trying to persuade Georgia election officials about the 2020 contest. In the weeks following the election, Graham called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff twice, seeking additional review of the absentee ballots. Graham asserted that he was engaging in legitimate inquiries as a lawmaker under the Constitution's speech and debate clause.
Previously: Sen. Lindsey Graham challenges Georgia grand jury subpoena, asserts legislative privilege.
Giuliani now a 'target' in Georgia probe: Rudy Giuliani now a 'target' in Georgia election interference investigation.
Russians outraged after Moscow car bombing kills daughter of Putin ally
Russians called Sunday for attacks on Ukrainian government buildings after the death of a prominent Putin ally in a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow. Russia's Investigative Committee said the explosion ripped through the Toyota Land Cruiser driven by Daria Dugina, 29, a conservative commentator, on Saturday night. RT reported that the vehicle belonged to her father, well-known anti-Western Russian nationalist Alexander Dugin – often called "Putin's brain'' – giving rise to suspicions that he was the intended target. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied Ukrainian involvement: "We are not a criminal state, unlike Russia." Government employees in the capital were urged to work remotely this week amid concerns that the buildings would be targeted for attack.
Latest updates on Ukraine: Melitopol radar system destroyed; US will ship another $775 million arms package.
With Starbucks out of Russia, a rapper and restaurateur pour efforts into successor Stars Coffee.
Real quick
Jill Biden tests negative for COVID-19, plans to reunite with President Joe Biden.
Hotels are already selling out for Super Bowl 2023. Here's how much you'll pay to book one.
Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck marry again at star-studded second wedding in Georgia.
Finland prime minister takes drug test as populace ponders whether she has a right to party.
Review: Sorry, but HBO's 'House of the Dragon' can't touch 'Game of Thrones' greatness.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park reopens popular lava tube after 'unusual' rock movement.
Wendy's removes lettuce from sandwiches in at least four states as part of E. coli outbreak.
Exclusive: 'Rick and Morty' unveils first-ever interactive episode before Season 6 premiere.
Woman dies after 100-foot fall on hike in Columbia River Gorge near Portland.
Hiker missing after flash flooding at Zion National Park
Authorities at Zion National Park were still searching Sunday for an Arizona woman who vanished after flash flooding, the park said, and sections of the park remained closed for search and rescue efforts. After receiving a report Friday afternoon of "multiple hikers being swept off their feet by a flash flood" in The Narrows, an imposing gorge that has rock walls 1,000 feet tall, park rangers discovered an injured hiker who had been swept downstream, and assisted several other stranded hikers to safety. After all hikers were thought to be accounted for, the National Park Service received a report that Jetal Agnihotri, 29, was missing. Flash floods, which have been a problem in the park, can easily sneak up on hikers, particularly in narrow canyons like those on The Narrows hike, according to park spokesperson Amanda Rowland.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park reopens popular lava tube after 'unusual' rock movement.
Great Smoky Mountains to charge new parking fee, ban roadside parking near popular attractions.
'I can't escape what I feel': Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa, testifies at crash photos trial
She remembers it vividly. Vanessa Bryant took to the witness stand Friday in federal court, wiping her eyes and struggling through much of her testimony as she described her reaction to a troubling discovery in February 2020. This was Day 8 of Bryant’s civil trial against Los Angeles County. Gruesome photos of her deceased daughter and husband, Kobe, the NBA legend, had apparently been taken and shared after they died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Bryant brought this case to trial after filing a lawsuit that accused county sheriff and fire department employees of using their personal phones to take and share gratuitous photos of human remains from the crash scene despite having no legitimate business reason for doing so. Two days after the accident, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy trainee even showed grisly crash scene photos to a bartender at a Mexican restaurant.
More: Why the Vanessa Bryant trial over Kobe crash photos has gotten so gruesome.
Kobe Bryant photos lawsuit: Why do cops keep and share images of dead bodies?
Utah judge pauses ban on transgender girls participating in school sports
Transgender girls in Utah will be given the opportunity to participate in girls' sports as the school year begins, after a judge on Friday reversed a ban pending legal challenges from parents. Instead of an outright ban, transgender girls will now be sent before a commission that will determine on a case-by-case basis if they can participate. Utah's Republican lawmakers created the commission in a law passed earlier this year as a fallback plan to be implemented in case of an injunction against the law. Under the law, the panel will be allowed to ask for and assess the child's height and weight in making decisions about whether a transgender girl would have an unfair advantage. The commission will include politically appointed experts from athletics and medicine.
'Deeply concerned': Children's hospitals harassed, threatened over gender-affirming care programs.
'If we don't fight this, what happens?': As trans athlete bans sweep across US, 12-year-old Becky wonders.
15 people displaced, 3 firefighters injured after fire spreads through multiple homes on Staten Island
Fifteen people were displaced and three firefighters sustained minor injuries after a fire spread across at least three homes on Staten Island late Saturday night, officials said early Sunday. The fire started on the first floor of a two-story home in Charleston, Staten Island, around 10 p.m. Saturday night, according to the FDNY. The flames then spread to two neighboring units. More than 140 firefighters responded to the scene and it took about an hour for crews to gain control of the blaze, according to officials. Strong winds complicated efforts to contain the fire by spreading the flames from one unit to another, and siding melted off of neighboring residences because of the heat. Investigators have not yet determined a cause for the blaze.
1 person killed, 9 injured in Missouri house explosion; authorities say gas leak was likely cause.
House explodes in Evansville, Indiana, leaving 3 dead and nearby homes 'uninhabitable.'
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This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lindsey Graham's subpoena blocked, Daria Dugina killed, Vanessa Bryant testifies: News you missed