Florida Legislature Passes Six-Week Abortion Ban
Florida lawmakers voted Thursday to prohibit abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, culminating a rapid effort by elected Republicans and Gov. Ron DeSantis to transform the state into one of the most restrictive in the country. DeSantis has indicated he will sign the new ban, which passed the state Senate this month. As recently as a year ago, Florida allowed abortions until 24 weeks of pregnancy. Then, last spring, DeSantis and state lawmakers limited access to the procedure after 15 weeks, a major change that took effect in July and is still being legally challenged. The new six-week ban is contingent, in part, on whether the Florida Supreme Court upholds the 15-week restriction.
Biden Will Expand Health Care Access for DACA Immigrants
President Joe Biden on Thursday said his administration would expand health care coverage for nearly 600,000 immigrants by allowing those covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to sign up for health insurance through Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. The move comes as DACA is in legal limbo and the Biden administration is trying to increase pressure on Congress to protect the young immigrants. A federal appeals court panel ruled last year that DACA was illegal but allowed those already enrolled to renew their status. Unless lawmakers step in with a legislative remedy, the Supreme Court will likely decide the fate of DACA.
Tech Consultant Arrested in San Francisco Killing of Cash App Creator
Police said Thursday that they had arrested an acquaintance of prominent tech executive Bob Lee, who was fatally stabbed April 4 in San Francisco, on suspicion of murder. Law enforcement officials identified the man accused in the killing as Nima Momeni, 38, a tech entrepreneur and consultant who family members said Lee had known personally. Momeni was booked Thursday into the San Francisco County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned on a murder charge Friday. Police officials declined to discuss details, and Lee’s brother said his family was not well acquainted with the suspect.
Justice Department to Seek Emergency Supreme Court Action on Abortion Ruling
The Justice Department said Thursday that it would ask the Supreme Court to block a ruling by a federal appeals court that limited distribution and access to the abortion pill mifepristone. A three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled late Wednesday that mifepristone could remain available while a lawsuit filed against the Food and Drug Administration by anti-abortion groups proceeds through the courts. But the appeals panel said it was overturning steps the FDA took in recent years to ease access to the drug. “The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Fifth Circuit’s decision,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Thursday.
2 Indianapolis Police Officers Face Manslaughter Charges in Death of Black Man
Two Indianapolis police officers were indicted on manslaughter charges Thursday in the death of Herman Whitfield III, a Black man who died last year after his parents called 911 because he was having a mental health crisis. Police body camera footage from April 25, 2022, shows the responding officers using a Taser on an agitated Whitfield, then restraining him face down. Whitfield was pronounced dead at a hospital later that morning. The Marion County Coroner later ruled his death a homicide. Officers Adam Ahmad, 31, and Steven Sanchez, 34, also face felony charges of reckless homicide and battery and a misdemeanor count of battery.
California Wants to Cover Its Canals With Solar Panels
The California Department of Water Resources is providing $20 million to a pilot project that will install solar panels over canals and aqueducts in the San Joaquin Valley. The goal is to fight drought by limiting evaporation, while also generating energy. “If you drive up and down the state, you see a lot of open canals,” said Jordan Harris, CEO of the Bay Area company designing and overseeing the initiative. “How much are we losing to evaporation?” The project, expected to break ground this fall, will start out on just 2 miles of canals. The results will very likely be closely watched.
New Leaked Documents Show Broad Infighting Among Russian Officials
The depth of the infighting inside the Russian government appears broader and deeper than previously understood, judging from a newly discovered cache of classified intelligence documents that has been leaked online. The additional documents paint a picture of the Russian government feuding over the count of the dead and wounded in the Ukraine war, with the domestic intelligence agency accusing the military of obscuring the scale of casualties that Russia has suffered. The documents underscore several of the overarching reasons why, many analysts believe, President Vladimir Putin of Russia has failed to secure a military victory in Ukraine after more than 13 months of war.
After Shunning Assad for Years, the Arab World Is Returning Him to the Fold
Saudi Arabia, like many other Arab states, had refused to engage with President Bashar Assad of Syria for more than a decade after he violently crushed his country’s Arab Spring uprising — bombing, gassing and torturing his own people in a conflict that has morphed into a long-running war. So when Syria’s foreign minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, it seemed to put to rest any notion that Assad’s regime would remain isolated in the Middle East. In a joint statement, the countries said they had discussed steps to facilitate “the return of Syria to its Arab fold,” and would start procedures to resume consular services and flights.
Iran and Nicaragua Discussed Military Cooperation, Leaked Report Says
Iran and Nicaragua held discussions in February about bolstering their military cooperation as a way of countering U.S. influence in Latin America, according to an intelligence update contained in a cache of leaked documents that appears to be based on electronic intercepts gathered by the CIA. A trip by an Iranian delegation to Nicaragua that month was no secret. Both Nicaraguan and Iranian authorities trumpeted the visit, although their announcements were vague on details, focused generally on trade and did not mention any talks about military cooperation. Iran has long sought to shore up relationships with Latin American countries, in particular those that it considers outside the U.S. sphere of influence.
By wire sources
