Will abortion dominate the 2024 elections? Tuesday will offer clues.
Abortion has emerged as a defining fault line of this year’s elections, with consequential contests in several states on Tuesday offering fresh tests of the issue’s political potency nearly 18 months after the Supreme Court ended a federal right to an abortion. As abortion restrictions and bans in red states have become reality, the issue is again on the ballot, both explicitly and implicitly, in races in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia. The contests give an early preview of how abortion will shape the political landscape in next year’s presidential and congressional elections — and the effectiveness of both parties’ approaches.
Lauren Boebert wants ‘mercy.’ Some Republicans want an alternative.
Since Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., was caught on a security camera vaping and groping her date shortly before being ejected from a performance of the musical “Beetlejuice” in Denver, the episode has proved surprisingly sticky. Boebert is a politician who, more than almost any other, has embodied the gleefully provocative, no-apologies politics of the Republican Party’s right wing in the Biden era. But several local Republican officials have since announced their endorsement of Jeff Hurd, a more conventional Republican challenging her in a party primary this year.
Phoenix encampment is gone, But the city’s homeless crisis persists
On Friday, all that was left of a homeless camp in downtown Phoenix were discarded clothes, trash and questions about what comes next, after an Arizona judge had declared the area a “public nuisance” earlier this year and ordered Phoenix to dismantle it by Saturday. But housing advocates say that did little to resolve a shortage of affordable housing, mental health care and addiction treatment fueling Arizona’s broader homelessness problem. Phoenix’s shelters are at capacity, and homeless advocacy groups say the city still needs tens of thousands of additional low-income housing units to serve a homeless population that has grown to more than 9,000.
Teacher shot by 6-year-old student can sue school district, judge rules
An elementary school teacher who was shot in January by her 6-year-old student in a Richneck Elementary School classroom in Newport News, Virginia, can move forward with a $40 million lawsuit against the school district, a judge ruled Friday. Lawyers for the district, Newport News Public Schools, have tried to block the lawsuit, which accuses it of gross negligence, and said the first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, 26, should only be eligible for workers’ compensation. Judge Matthew Hoffman of Newport News Circuit Court said Zwerner’s injuries “did not arise out of her employment,” making her eligible for more than workers’ compensation.
Maine gunman likely alive during most of manhunt
The gunman who fled after killing 18 people and injuring 13 others at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, last month was most likely alive during much of the sprawling two-day search that had forced thousands of residents throughout the region to remain in their homes. The assailant, Robert Card II, 40, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound 8-12 hours before his body was found in a trailer at a recycling plant where he once worked, the Maine medical examiner’s office said Friday, meaning it is likely he was alive during much of the search — a time estimate that suggests the area lockdown was justified.
U.S. officials outline steps to Israel to reduce civilian casualties
U.S. officials said they have privately outlined several steps to Israel to reduce civilian casualties in its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, including using smaller bombs, when going after Hamas leaders and infrastructure. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday during a visit to Israel that he had spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about “concrete steps” that the United States believes Israel could and should take to minimize civilian deaths, a message he repeated Saturday in Jordan after meeting with Arab leaders who demanded an immediate cease-fire. Blinken said Israel could put in place the U.S. recommendations “while still achieving its objectives of finding and finishing Hamas terrorists.”
Zelenskyy rebuke of top general signals friction in Ukrainian leadership
The office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday chastised Ukraine’s top military commander for publicly declaring the war at a stalemate, suggesting the comments would help the Russian invasion. It was a striking public rebuke that signaled an emerging rift between the military and civilian leadership at a challenging time for Ukraine. Speaking on national television, a deputy head of the office of the president, Ihor Zhovkva, said Gen. Valery Zaluzhny’s assertion that the fight against Russia was deadlocked “eases the work of the aggressor,” adding that the comments stirred “panic” among Ukraine’s Western allies.
Attack on Pakistan base heightens security fears
The Pakistani military said it had successfully repelled an attack by militants on an air base in central Pakistan on Saturday. But the episode, which came just after another brazen assault on the military, has renewed concerns about the precarious security situation in the country. The attempt to breach the Mianwali Training Air Base occurred a day after 14 soldiers traveling in a convoy were ambushed and killed in Baluchistan province, in the southwest. No group has claimed responsibility for that attack. Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, an obscure militant group, claimed responsibility for the assault on the air base, saying its aim was to destroy aircraft that it said had been used against civilians.
Filipinos push to legalize divorce
Thousands of people are trapped in long-dead marriages in the Philippines, the only country in the world, other than the Vatican, where divorce remains illegal. Steep legal fees and mounds of paperwork make annulment practically impossible for many. Partly because of their growing numbers and plight, attitudes in the country, where nearly 80% of the population is Catholic, have changed. Surveys show that half of Filipinos now support divorce. Even the president has signaled openness to the idea, and the Philippines is the closest it has ever been to legalizing divorce. But the issue is far from settled, as conservative lawmakers remain steadfast in their opposition.
New enemies of Argentina’s far right: Swifties
Javier Milei, a far-right libertarian economist, has stayed aloft in Argentina’s presidential campaign on the wings of the youth vote. To win the runoff election this month, he will need to hold on to that key demographic, pollsters say. But now, a major hurdle stands in his way: Swifties. Squadrons of Argentine fans of the pop star Taylor Swift have gotten political. They have trained their online sights on Milei and his rising libertarian party, framing them as a danger to Argentina, while Swift herself is preparing to arrive in Argentina next week for the launch of her Eras Tour outside North America.
By wire sources