June 27, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 124 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• President Joe Biden is expected to announce today that the U.S. will provide advanced surface-to-air missile systems, additional artillery ammunition, and radar systems in the latest round of U.S. military aid to Ukraine. [more]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed attendees of the G-7 summit by video link today, calling for sustained support for Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invasion. [more]
• Russia expanded its air and missile attacks on cities across Ukraine over the weekend, hitting cities that have not been targeted for weeks or months, including the capitol Kyiv. [more]
• A new BBC report details evidence that appears to support accusations that Russia has been stealing grain and other crops from Ukrainian stockpiles and transferring them to Russian-controlled territory. [more]

ABORTION | In a 5-4 ruling issued Friday, 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 came 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 possible 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.
• Protests against the ruling were held across the U.S. over the weekend.
• [more coverage] [PDF of Supreme Court ruling]

G-7 | Leaders of the Group of Seven economic powers are participating in a three-day summit in Germany, where they are expected to focus on continued military and humanitarian support for Ukraine in their fight against Russia, the challenges posed by China's economic strength, and climate issues. [more]

GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE | Members of the G-7 economic powers have announced the launch of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which aims to disburse $600 billion in international infrastructure investments by 2027. [more]

SOUTH AFRICA | At least 21 young people were found dead Sunday morning at a nightclub in the South African city of East London. Investigations are ongoing, but reports say police are focusing on possible exposure to a poisonous substance or gas as the cause of death. [more]

RUSSIA | With the expiration of a 30-day grace period for foreign debt interest payments yesterday, Russia has defaulted on its international debt obligations for the first time since 1918. Russia says international sanctions related to its operations in Ukraine have complicated its debt payments, while U.S. officials suggested the default shows how dramatically the sanctions are impacting Russia's economy. [more]

E.U. ENERGY | The European Union Council adopted a gas storage regulation today that calls for all natural gas storage in the 27-nation bloc to be topped up to at least 80% capacity for next winter in anticipation of possible further reductions in gas exports by Russia. [more]

YEMEN | The World Food Programme said yesterday that it must dramatically cut food aid to some 13 million people in Yemen due to lack of funding and global economic conditions. [more]

IRAN | Iranian state media cites an advisor to the country's top nuclear negotiator as saying Qatar will host indirect talks between Iran and the United States in the coming days amidst efforts to reinstate a 2015 international nuclear pact with Iran. [more]

NORWAY | Two people were killed and 20 others wounded when a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen originally from Iran opened fire in Oslo's entertainment district early Saturday. Police have characterized the attack as an "Islamist terror act," though the suspect, who is in police custody, has reportedly not commented on his motives. A Pride parade scheduled for Saturday in Oslo was cancelled because of the shooting. [more]

TURKEY | Reports say as many as 100 people were arrested in Istanbul yesterday after LGBTQ supporters gathered in contravention of the city's ban of an LGBTQ Pride march. [more]

NORTH KOREA | In a statement posted online yesterday, the North Korean foreign ministry accused the U.S. of attempting to set up a NATO-like military alliance in Asia and vowed to strengthen its defenses. The statement comes following recent joint military training exercises involving U.S., South Korean, and Japanese forces. [more]

ECUADOR | Reports say Ecuador could suspend oil production completely within 48 hours due to ongoing protests that have involved roadblocks and vandalizing of oil wells. The country has seen mass anti-government protests since June 13. [more]

FUEL PRICES | The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. fell 4 cents last week to $5.05 -- the first drop in nine weeks -- according to the Lundberg Survey of nationwide fuel prices. [more]

GUN LEGISLATION | U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed into law a package of gun-related measures aimed at reducing gun violence. The bill 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]

ENVIRONMENT | The five-day U.N. Ocean Conference opens today in Lisbon, Portugal, where the focus is expected to be on building international cooperation on protecting the world's oceans from the effects of global warming, pollution, acidification, and other problems. [more]

BREXIT | Debate in the U.K. House of Commons is expected to open today on legislation that would remove checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K., which E.U. officials say would go against agreements made when Britain left the E.U. in 2020. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Sean “Diddy” Combs received the Lifetime Achievement Award at last night's BET Awards. Past recipients of the award include Prince, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Samuel L. Jackson, Lionel Richie, Anita Baker, and New Edition. [more]

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE | "Elvis" and "Top Gun: Maverick" both had an estimated $30.5 million in North American ticket sales over the weekend, tying for the top spot, with "Jurassic World: Dominion" coming in third. [more]

HOCKEY | The Colorado Avalanche beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, last night to win Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final and claim the NHL championship for the third time in franchise history. [more]

NCAA BASEBALL | The Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Oklahoma Sooners, 4-2, yesterday to win the 2022 NCAA College World Series. The victory is Ole Miss' first national baseball title. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | First minted in 1869, the yen was adopted as Japan's official monetary unit on this date in 1871, when the government suspended the exchange of clan notes, money issued by feudal lords that had circulated since the 16th century. [more history]