Utah Supreme Court upholds a block on a strict abortion ban
NYTimes — The Utah Supreme Court upheld Thursday a suspension of the state’s near-total ban on abortion, meaning the procedure remains legal while a court challenge to the law proceeds. When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, it cleared the way for two Utah laws to come into force: a ban on most abortions after the 18th week of pregnancy and a near-total abortion ban passed in 2020 that would prohibit the procedure at any time during pregnancy, with very limited exceptions. The near-total ban took effect in 2022, but the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah filed a lawsuit seeking to block the ban.
Harris says she and Biden
‘never stopped fighting’
for Americans’ release
NYTimes — Vice President Kamala Harris said she and President Joe Biden had “never stopped fighting” for the release of wrongfully detained Americans like the ones who were released from Russian custody Thursday. Harris, who made the remarks after a campaign swing through Houston, was seeking to establish her part in a monthslong negotiation that ultimately involved 24 prisoners. Harris’ aides have often cited her work at the Munich Security Conference as evidence of her growth in foreign policy. Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser, told reporters Thursday that she had engaged with Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, at the conference to talk about the release of prisoners.
In a 911 call, Sonya
Massey’s mother asked
that police not hurt her
NYTimes — The day before the fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey in Springfield, Illinois, her mother called 911, saying that her daughter was having a mental breakdown, according to call recordings released by county officials in Illinois on Wednesday. In a phone call made July 5, Donna Massey told the dispatcher: “I don’t want you guys to hurt her, please.” Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, called police for help July 6 and was fatally shot inside her home by a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy. On Wednesday, Sangamon County released 911 call recordings and reports showing that local law enforcement were aware of Massey’s mental health issues.
Amazon cautions that
when the news gets
nutty, people shop less
NYTimes — A chaotic summer of news has distracted consumers, making it hard to know how they will spend, Amazon said Thursday. The admission came as Amazon reported Thursday one of its most profitable quarters on record. But it also told investors to expect a somewhat slower and less profitable third quarter than anticipated. The company had $148 billion in sales from April through June, up 10% from a year earlier. Profit hit $13.5 billion, roughly double since the same period last year. The profit surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, though the sales fell short.
As misery multiplies, Pakistanis rise up against the ruling elite
NYTimes — In almost every corner of Pakistan, anger at the ruling elite is nearing a boiling point. Thousands have protested soaring electricity bills just outside the capital, Islamabad. In a major port city in the southwest, dozens have clashed with security officers over what they described as forced disappearances of activists. In the northwest, protesters have admonished the country’s generals for a recent surge in terrorist attacks. The demonstrations over the past few weeks reflect frustration with Pakistan’s shaky, 5-month-old government and with its military, the country’s ultimate authority. The unrest threatens to plunge Pakistan back into the depths of political turmoil that has flared in recent years.
First famine declared in
war-torn Darfur region of Sudan
NYTimes — Famine has officially been declared in the Darfur region of Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of people under siege have fled their homes during the country’s 15-month civil war. People who fled to a camp called Zamzam near the city of El Fasher, in North Darfur state, have been facing famine since June, and no food aid is reaching them, prompting the official declaration. The Zamzam camp has grown recently and now holds about half a million people. An official declaration of famine is rare, but it serves to draw global attention and push donor governments to increase funding for aid agencies.
A stabbing attack, viral
falsehoods and fears of a
summer of unrest in the UK
NYTimes — Seeking to quell a surge of misinformation-fueled unrest, a British judge Thursday took the unusual step of naming the 17-year-old suspect in a stabbing rampage that left three children dead and eight injured in northwestern England this week. The suspect, Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, appeared in a Liverpool court to face three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. The stabbing spree, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town of Southport on Monday, stunned Britain and ignited two days of racially fueled riots, in multiple cities, that were incited by far-right provocateurs.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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