International
The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily allows emergency abortions to be done in Idaho
– The United States Supreme Court decided on Thursday to temporarily allow abortions in medical emergencies in the state of Idaho to protect the life and health of the mother.
The Supreme Court, with a conservative majority, formally dismissed an appeal on the strict prohibition of abortion in Idaho by 6 votes to 3, although the central issues of the case were not considered.
The document was published a day after it was briefly posted by mistake on the Supreme Court’s website and published by a news agency.
The decision re-establishes, therefore, a ruling of a lower court that temporarily allowed state hospitals to perform emergency abortions in hospitals if necessary to protect the mother’s health, while the case progresses in the lower courts.
Three of the court conservatives (President John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett) sided with the three liberals (Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson) when they dismissed Idaho’s appeal.
Judges Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissaged.
The case focuses on whether a federal law aimed at guaranteeing emergency care for any patient – the Medical Treatment and Emergency Work Act (Emtala) – replaces the abortion ban in Idaho, one of the strictest in the country.
This has been the first time that the highest court has studied the state restrictions on abortion that came after the TS itself eliminated the Roe vs Wade doctrine that had protected the right to abortion at the national level.
This timid victory for abortion advocates is in addition to the victory achieved after the decision of the Supreme Court to reject a challenge to the approval of the abortion pill, the most widely used method to abort today in the United States.
On that occasion, again, the highest court did not rule on the merits of the case.
After the decision was heard, President Joe Biden recalled in a statement that it is only valid “while this case returns to the lower courts.”
“No woman should be denied attention, forced to wait until she is on the verge of death or forced to flee her state of origin just to receive the medical attention she needs. This should never happen in the United States,” but “it’s exactly what is happening in states across the country since the Supreme Court annulled Roe against Wade,” he said.
According to Biden, who tonight is facing the first debate of the White House race against Donald Trump, doctors “should be able to practice medicine” and “patients should be able to receive the care they need.”
“We will continue to fight for women’s right to make deeply personal health care decisions and we will continue to fight to restore Roe’s protections against Wade in federal law, for all women in all states of the country,” she said.
Since in June 2022 the U.S. supreme court, with a conservative majority, eliminated federal protection against abortion by annulling the ‘Roe vs. Wade’ ruling, dozens of states – Idaho among them – have carried out a frontal attack on women’s rights by implementing restrictive anti-abortion laws.
That same year, the Administration of the current US President, Joe Biden, sued the state of Idaho alleging that the restrictions on this procedure are regulated in part by federal law and cannot be interposed when it comes to saving the lives of pregnant women.
To defend this position, the 40-year-old Emtala Law was invoked, which obliges hospitals that receive federal funds to provide emergency medical care to anyone, also for reproductive reasons.
In the opinion of the vice president of reproductive rights and health of the National Center for Women’s Law, Gretchen Borchelt, “the Supreme Court does not deserve any credit for this decision.”
“This is the minimum that pregnant people and suppliers in Idaho deserve,” he said in a statement.
“Instead of issuing a decision that would unequivocally reaffirm that emergency abortion care is protected by a long-standing federal law, the Court ruled out this issue, opening the possibility that in the future more pregnant women will be denied care that saves their lives and health,” he added.
International
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.
The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.
Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.
The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.
The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.
International
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated Monday that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, as a 60-day deadline set under a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran expired without an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East.
“The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way or under any circumstances, a nuclear weapon,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The memorandum, signed on June 17, called for an “immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts” as part of a broader negotiation process aimed at ending the conflict. However, the deadline expired Monday without a peace agreement, while both Washington and Tehran continued to maintain their respective positions.
The expiration is largely symbolic, as military clashes resumed during the 60-day period. The Strait of Hormuz also remains blocked, contributing to elevated global oil prices.
Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Tehran last Friday, saying he planned to declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory after defeating Iran.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, very soon I will essentially declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory,” Trump said during a political rally in Long Island, New York. He also claimed that the United States currently controls the passage of vessels through the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is preparing additional economic measures against Iran that he described as unprecedented.
“Stay tuned for new announcements next week because we are going to implement measures unlike anything ever seen in the history of the economic isolation of a country,” Bessent said.
The Treasury secretary indicated that the measures would form part of a broader “double hit” strategy that could also involve maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports.
International
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Public security took center stage Sunday as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro formally launched their election campaigns, positioning themselves as the leading rivals ahead of the October presidential vote.
Lula, who leads most opinion polls, kicked off his campaign at the Vila Euclides stadium in São Bernardo do Campo, in São Paulo state, while Bolsonaro held his event in Rio de Janeiro, a political stronghold of his family.
During his speech, Lula announced plans to create a new Ministry of Public Security aimed at strengthening coordination between the federal government and Brazil’s states in the fight against crime.
The president pledged a tougher strategy to reclaim territories controlled or influenced by criminal groups. The proposed ministry would help “share responsibilities with the states” and confront those who seek to control favelas and impoverished neighborhoods, Lula told supporters.
The initiative places public security at the heart of Lula’s campaign as he seeks another term in office amid persistent concerns over crime and organized criminal activity in Brazil.
Lula also used his first campaign speech to reinforce his position as a leading figure of Brazil’s left and to criticize his political opponents on the right.
“I will not allow the right to take power,” Lula said, accusing his opponents of having previously mocked children who died because they lacked access to medicine.
“I don’t know what future these people imagine for the Brazilian people,” he added.
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
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Three U.S. Executions Set for Same Day as Trump Pushes to Expand Death Penalty
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ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
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