Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down state’s 1849 near-total abortion ban
ByĀ Adam Edelman The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday formally struck down an abortion ban from 1849 that had technically retaken effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights. In a 4-3Ā decisionĀ that came down along ideological lines, the courtās liberal majority affirmed a lower court ruling that overturned the 176-year-old ban and left in place a more recent law in Wisconsin allowing most abortions until about the 20th week of pregnancy. “We conclude that comprehensive legislation enacted over the last 50 years regulating in detail the ‘who, what, where, when, and how’ of abortion so thoroughly covers the entire
HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, U.S. judge says
A federal judge has ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nationās health workforce. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May. DuBose said the states had shown āirreparable harm,ā from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims thatāHHSās action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.ā
Republican-led states advance Trump’s agenda with new laws taking effect Tuesday
ByĀ Raquel Coronell Uribe WhileĀ CongressĀ scrambles to passĀ President Donald Trumpās massive domestic policy bill, many red states are already implementing key aspects of his agenda through new laws this week. For most states, Tuesday is the start of a new fiscal year, when numerous laws take effect. Some of the statutes in Trump-won states this year mirror executive orders and other directives he signed early in his second term. Here’s a sampling of the new laws set to be enforced. Targeting gender identity IndianaĀ and Georgia are instituting bans on transgender womenās participation in womenās sports. Georgiaās law is called theĀ Riley Gaines Act,
USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths over the next five years
ByĀ Aria Bendix More than 14 million people could die over the next five years because of the Trump administrationās dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to an analysisĀ published Monday in the medical journal The Lancet. Researchers calculated the lifesaving benefits of USAID funding over a 21-year period, then used the data to determine how many lives would be lost without USAID funding in the future. The analysis found that, from 2001 through 2021, USAID-funded programs prevented nearly 92 million deaths across 133 countries, including more than 25 million deaths from HIV/AIDS, around 11 million from diarrheal diseases,
Who would win and who would lose in Republicans’ ‘big, beautiful billā
By Shannon Pettypiece Legislation making its way through the Senate stands to have wide-ranging effects across the economy ā bolstering tax benefits for businesses and higher-income households while threatening health insurance for millions of Americans and putting thousands of clean energy and health care jobs at risk. The bill, which is more than 900 pages long and Republicans have dubbed the ābig, beautiful bill,ā passed a key procedural vote over the weekend in the Senate largely along party lines, with all but two Republicans voting to advance it. The Senate is debating the measure before taking a final vote. If
Canada Pauses Digital Tax Amid U.S. Trade Talks Revival
ByĀ Lim Hui Jie Canada has walked back on its digital services tax āin anticipationā of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States, Ottawa announced Sunday night, just one day before the first tax payments were due. The move comes after U.S. President Donald TrumpĀ announced over the weekendĀ that he will be āterminating ALL discussions on Trade withĀ Canadaā in response to Ottawaās decision to impose aĀ digital services taxĀ on American tech firms. āTodayās announcement will support a resumption of negotiations toward the July 21, 2025, timeline set out at this monthās G7 Leadersā Summit in Kananaskis,ā Canadian Prime Minister Mark
Senate Advances Trump-Backed Policy Bill Amid GOP Divide
By Sahil Kapur The Republican-led Senate on Saturday night advanced a sweeping domestic policy package for President Donald Trumpās agenda after a dramatic hourslong vote, moving it one step closer to passage. The vote was 51-49, with two Republicans ā Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky ā joining all Democrats in opposition. Saturdayās procedural vote was delayed for hours as party leaders scrambled to resolve internal disputes. And it hung on a knifeās edge for more than three hours on the floor, as a handful Republicans ā Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rick Scott of Florida, Mike
SCOTUS to Rule on Trump Citizenship, LGBTQ, Porn Laws
The Supreme Court will hand down its final decisions of the term on Friday, including an expected high-profile ruling on whether President Donald Trump may enforce his divisive executive order curtailing birthright citizenship. As is tradition, Chief Justice John Roberts announced the final day from the bench. The schedule sets up a blockbuster last day at the Supreme Court in which the justices will hand down six opinions in some of the biggest cases of the year, including those dealing with Trumpās birthright citizenship order, a challenge from religious parents who want to opt their children out of reading LGBTQ
Senate GOP Bill Stalls Over Medicaid, Tax Provisions
By Deidre Walsh Senate Republicans hit a major setback in their race to pass a massive tax and spending package on Thursday, as a chamber official ruled against a key Medicaid provision, putting in doubt plans for a vote by the end of the week. The nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian, who plays a key role in determining what provisions can stay in the fast-tracked bill, said the GOP change to how states can tax Medicaid providers does not adhere to rules for passing the bill with a simple majority. This was a key provision to help offset the costs of the
Siblings LaVon and Randolph Bracy Face Off in FL Senate Race
By Randall Barnes HBCU alumna LaVon Bracy Davis finds herselfĀ facing a very interestingĀ opponent in the Florida State Senate election: her brother Randolph Bracy. The seat, which represents a portion of metro Orlando, was left open following the passing of longtime state Senator Geraldine Thompson earlier this year LaVon Bracy Davis is an attorney who earned herĀ undergraduate degree from Howard UniversityĀ and herĀ Juris Doctor from Florida A&M University College of Law.Ā She now serves as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. She has publicly vowed to extend Thompsonās legacy by focusing on voting rights, job creation, and higher pay for public