Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at 87. President Trump said he'll likely nominate a woman on the Supreme Court. Here's the weekend's biggest news.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a legal pioneer for gender equality, died Friday of complications from cancer. She was 87. Known for her withering dissents and unrivaled work ethic, Ginsburg was the second woman to serve on the nation's highest court. Her unparalleled legacy is cemented as a preeminent litigator for women's rights and more recently as the leader of the high court's liberal bloc. Just days before her death, Ginsburg shared her last wish: that her Supreme Court replacement be picked by a president other than Donald Trump. "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed," she said.
What does it mean for the Supreme Court?
Trump, however, said Saturday that he will likely nominate a woman to the court next week and that she should be confirmed as soon as possible. The nomination would solidify conservative control of the court, perhaps for decades to come. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, in opposition , said voters should decide the president who will pick the new Supreme Court justice. Two Senate Republicans have also pushed back against replacing the Supreme Court spot before the November election. Ultimately, Ginsburg's vacancy has quickly become a defining issue in the November election — namely as a catalyst to energize voters and donors.
As the United States approaches 200,000 deaths from COVID-19, more than any other country, the onset of flu season could create an even deadlier fall . Absent readily available coronavirus testing with quick results – still a major hurdle across much of the country – and the resulting confusion and proliferation of cases of COVID-19 and the flu could result in what some are calling a "twindemic." With children and young adults back in classrooms for the first time since the hurried shutdown of schools and colleges in March, the chances for disease transmission are markedly enhanced. In addition, older populations are at higher risk for the harshest effects of COVID-19 and developing the illness at the same time or successively with the flu could be fatal.
The Trump administration unilaterally declared Saturday that international sanctions on Iran, lifted as part of a 2015 nuclear accord, have been reimposed . There's one problem: The other signatories to the deal have no intention of enforcing those sanctions. The United Nations' 15-member Security Council, which endorsed the Iran agreement negotiated by the Obama administration, has concluded the U.S. has no legal standing to enforce the so-called "snapback" sanctions, since it is no longer a party to the nuclear deal. Still, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared: "The United States welcomes the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Weary Gulf Coast residents prep for yet another storm
Tropical Storm Beta was taking aim Sunday at the Gulf Coast of Texas, threatening to pound parts the region with damaging storm surge and drenching rains as the 2020 hurricane season continued to batter the region and the record books. Beta already has made history as the earliest 23rd-named tropical storm in the Atlantic, replacing Alpha, nearly 15 years ago. Alpha, which formed on Oct. 22, 2005, was the first-ever storm to be assigned a Greek letter. Beta, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, was expected to make landfall Monday or early Tuesday between Corpus Christi and Galveston, per an AccuWeather forecast.
Many Californians were getting a brief respite from smoky skies Sunday and a handful of national parks reopened over the weekend, even as major wildfires continued to rage across The Golden State. Westerly winds were pushing smoke toward the east and allowing people to get a view of clear skies that haven't been present for weeks in some areas as millions of acres have burned. The smoke, however, is moving through the Great Plains, according to the National Weather Service. "What benefits us is harming others. Someone has to be downwind," said Brandt Maxwell, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Twenty-six people have died and 3.4 million acres have burned since the blazes began in August, Cal Fire said. More than 7,800 fires big and small have broken out and more than 6,500 structures have been destroyed.
No comments:
Post a Comment