June 24, 2022

Listen to this issue. (Does not include the breaking news supplement.)

0:00

/5:24

1×

ABORTION | BREAKING NEWS added at 11 am EDT: In a 5-4 ruling issued today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling, as well as the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling that reaffirmed the right to abortion.

• The ruling comes more than a month after a draft decision was leaked indicating the Court would overturn Roe v. Wade.
• Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito, along with Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, said that, "The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision," and that the authority to regulate abortion rests with the political branches, not the courts.
• Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were in dissent, writing, "With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent," and that the ruling, "eliminates a 50-year-old constitutional right that safeguards women’s freedom and equal station."
• Chief Justice John Roberts indicated that he would have stopped short of ending the abortion right and simply upheld the Mississippi law at the heart of the case, which bans abortion after 15 weeks.
• Thirteen states currently have laws on the books that ban abortion in the event of Roe v. Wade being overturned, while several others have dormant abortion ban laws that were enacted prior to the original 1973 Roe decision.
• Reports say the Biden administration is considering several responses to the ruling, including expanding access to abortion pills, declaring a health emergency to shield doctors from legal liability, and ordering the Justice Department to challenge state laws that would criminalize crossing state lines to obtain an abortion.
• [more coverage] [PDF of Supreme Court ruling]

UKRAINE | Today is day 121 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian forces have begun to withdraw from the city of Sievierodonetsk in the eastern Luhansk region to avoid encirclement, according to a statement by regional governor Serhiy Haidai. [more]
• The U.S. announced a new $450 million package of military aid to Ukraine yesterday, which includes medium-range rocket systems, tactical vehicles, patrol boats, small arms, and ammunition. [more]
• At a meeting in Brussels yesterday, the European Union voted to grant Ukraine member candidate status in the economic and political bloc. Reports say the full membership process for Ukraine could take years, or even decades, to be completed. [more]

GUN RIGHTS | The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday struck down a New York gun law that placed restrictions on carrying a concealed handgun outside the home. In a 6-3 majority opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that, "Because the State of New York issues public-carry licenses only when an applicant demonstrates a special need for self-defense, we conclude that the State's licensing regime violates the Constitution." [more]

GUN LEGISLATION | The U.S. Senate voted, 66-33, yesterday to approve a package of gun-related measures aimed at reducing gun violence. The bill, which is expected to be voted on in the House today, strengthens background checks for gun buyers under age 21, keeps firearms from more domestic violence offenders, helps states implement red flag laws, and funds programs for school safety and mental health. [more]

COVID-19 | A study published yesterday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases concludes that nearly 20 million lives were saved by COVID-19 vaccines in their first year of use. [more]

AFGHANISTAN | Afghan state media reports that the death toll from the 6.1 magnitude earthquake this week in the country's eastern regions has risen to more than 1,150. [more]

JANUARY 6 | Three Trump-era Justice Department officials testified yesterday before the House January 6 Committee to pressure by then-President Donald Trump to support false election fraud claims in the days following the 2020 presidential election. [more]

STUDENT LOANS | The U.S. Department of Education yesterday filed a settlement agreement in federal court that would wipe out nearly $6 billion in federal student loan debt for about 200,000 borrowers who claimed that they were defrauded. [more]

IRAN | European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is scheduled to travel to Iran today for talks aimed at reviving Iran's nuclear deal with world powers signed in 2015 that the United States withdrew from but is now seeking to restore. [more]

ECUADOR | Reports say at least three people have been killed and nearly 100 injured in ongoing anti-government protests in Ecuador's capital city of Quito. [more]

MIDDLE EAST | The U.N. Human Rights Office says it has evidence that the bullets that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 near the West Bank city of Jenin were fired by Israeli forces, not by Palestinians as alleged by Israeli officials. [more]

FLORIDA | A Florida judge yesterday approved a settlement regarding the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida, that killed 98 people one year ago. The settlement sets up a $1.02 billion fund for people who lost family members in the building collapse, as well as those who suffered physical or mental injuries. [more]

VAPING | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday ordered vaping devices and pods from manufacturer Juul to be removed from the U.S. market. The FDA cited insufficient and conflicting data from Juul on genotoxicity and potentially harmful chemicals in the company's products as the reason for the move. [more]

TURKEY | Turkish officials say more than 2,500 firefighters are taking part in efforts to stop the spread of a wildfire burning near the southwestern Bordubet region of Turkey. The fire has been burning for three days and has consumed about 7,400 acres of forest. [more]

TITLE IX | Under new rules proposed yesterday by the Biden administration, the Title IX women's rights law would be clarified to ensure the law protects the rights of LGBTQ students, and victims of campus sexual assault would gain new protections. The proposed changes were announced on the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Title IX legislation. [more]

FRANCE | Reports say French rail transportation unions Sud Rail, CGT, and CFDT have called for a national railway worker strike on July 6 over pay issues. [more]

U.K. POLITICS | Conservative Party losses of two parliamentary seats in by-elections yesterday prompted Britain's Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden to resign and intensified uncertainty regarding the leadership of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. [more]

MUSIC | Reports say rock band Pink Floyd is in talks to sell the rights to its music catalog for at least $500 million. [more]

BASKETBALL | The Orlando Magic selected Duke freshman Paolo Banchero as the No. 1 pick in last night's NBA draft. [more]

SOCCER | An Argentinian court ruled Wednesday that eight medical personnel involved in the care of soccer star Diego Maradona, who died while recovering from surgery in 2020, will face a public trial for criminal negligence. [more]

HOCKEY | The Colorado Avalanche face the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight in Game 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. Colorado leads the best-of-seven series, 3-1. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1812, French Emperor Napoleon—who had massed his troops in Poland in the spring to intimidate Russian Tsar Alexander I—and 600,000 troops of his Grand Army launched an ill-fated invasion of Russia. [more history]