In the news today: A look at landmark Supreme Court arguments on Trump’s immunity claims; Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now; and a new rule from the Biden administration blocking blanket transgender bathroom laws could conflict with laws in Republican-controlled states. Also, corals bred in a zoo have joined Europe’s largest reef, offering scientists hope. |
Artist sketch of Supreme Court justices during arguments on Capitol Hill on Thursday. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)
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Key moments from landmark Supreme Court arguments on Trump’s immunity claims |
The Supreme Court heard more than 2 1/2 hours worth of arguments on the landmark question of whether former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Read more. |
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There was no reference in the arguments to “November.” Nor to “2024.” Yet there’s no question that the 2024 election was the elephant in the room. In the background of Thursday’s session was the tacit acknowledgment that the court is helping decide not only whether Trump is immune from prosecution but also whether he can stand trial before the election.
The judges' remarks focused more on the future than the past as it contemplated the ruling ahead. The historic stakes of the case and the potential for precedent that will stand the test of time, for conservative justices, seemed a way to set aside the facts of the Trump indictment and the abuse of power it alleges and focus instead on the implication of a court ruling on cases that have yet to be charged — but theoretically could be.
- The justices appeared likely to reject Trump’s absolute immunity claim, but several justices did suggest the case may have to be sent back for more legal wrangling before it could go to trial. Such a ruling would be a victory for Trump as it would almost certainly delay the trial until after the election.
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Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats |
Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, according to two U.S. military officials who spoke to The Associated Press. Read more. |
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The U.S. agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after an aggressive monthslong campaign by Kyiv arguing that the tanks, which cost about $10 million apiece, were vital to its ability to breach Russian lines. But the battlefield has changed substantially since then: Ukraine has only employed them in a limited fashion and has not made combined arms warfare part of its operations. While drones are a significant threat, the Ukrainians have not adopted tactics that could have made the tanks more effective, one U.S. defense official said.
The U.S. is expected to announce Friday that it will also provide about $6 billion in long-term military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials said, adding that it will include much sought-after munitions for Patriot air defense systems. The U.S. also confirmed for the first time that it is providing long-range ballistic missiles known as ATACMs, which allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian-occupied areas.
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For now, the tanks have been moved from the front lines, and the U.S. will work with the Ukrainians to reset tactics, said Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady and a defense official who confirmed the move on the condition of anonymity.
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New federal rule bars transgender school bathroom bans, but it likely isn’t the final word |
A new rule from President Joe Biden’s administration blocking blanket transgender bathroom laws could conflict with laws in Republican-controlled states. The clash over bathroom policy and other elements of a federal regulation finalized last week could set the stage for another wave of legal battles over how transgender kids should be treated in the U.S. Read more.
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The regulation. The 1,577-page regulation seeks to clarify Title IX, the 1972 sex discrimination law originally passed to address women’s rights, and applies to schools and colleges that receive federal money. The regulation, which takes effect in August, bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, too.
Bathroom laws. At least 11 states have adopted laws barring transgender girls and women from using girls’ and women’s bathrooms at public schools. The new regulation opposes those sweeping policies. These laws are currently in effect in several states.
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Parental notification and pronoun restrictions. At least seven states have laws or policies calling for schools to notify parents if their children are transgender. The regulation seems to authorize those requirements. But on refusal to use the pronouns transgender or nonbinary students prefer, the regulations finds that this could “constitute discrimination on the basis of sex under Title IX in certain circumstances.”
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Divers nestle self-bred corals in Europe's largest coral reef at the Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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Corals bred in a zoo have joined Europe’s largest reef
Self-bred corals from the World Coral Conservatory project this week joined their cousins in Europe’s largest coral reef at the Burgers’ Zoo in the Netherlands. It’s among several projects worldwide seeking to address the decline of coral reef populations, which are suffering from bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures. Corals are central to marine ecosystems, and while these projects won’t stem the tide of damage from human-caused climate change, they are seen as part of broader solutions.
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