“A majority of Supreme Court justices Monday seemed willing to allow a challenge by abortion providers to a unique Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks and allows enforcement by private citizens.
The court’s three liberal justices have already said that the law is unconstitutional and that it should be halted until federal courts can look at it more closely. The court in a 5-to-4 vote turned that option down before the law went into effect Sept. 1.
But at Monday’s three-hour hearing, Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — part of that five-justice majority — repeatedly countered Texas’s arguments and seemed more swayed by challengers’ arguments that the law improperly blocked the judicial review necessary when constitutional rights are at stake.” Read more at Washington Post
“The government’s vaccination program for children ages 5 to 11 will be fully running Nov. 8, said Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus coordinator, at a news conference Monday.
The announcement comes just days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized coronavirus vaccines for U.S. children ages 5 to 11 on Friday. After signoff by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expected to come late Tuesday, parents will be able to visit vaccines.gov to find vaccine locations for their children.
The administration had already asked states, pharmacies and community centers to place their orders for vaccines and create detailed plans for distribution before the FDA’s authorization was announced, Zients said.” Read more at Washington Post
“A global summit convened in Glasgow, Scotland, widely seen as the most important international climate negotiations since the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord, began on Monday with speeches by world leaders, including President Biden, who warned that climate change is “ravaging the world.” In remarks at a smaller meeting just after his formal speech, he apologized for the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord under former president Donald Trump. ‘I guess I shouldn’t apologize, but I do apologize,’ he said.” Read more at Washington Post
“Methane push | U.S. President Joe Biden is launching an assault on methane, advancing initiatives to keep the potent heat-trapping gas from escaping landfills, oil wells and farms. He’ll also announce that more than 90 nations have signed a pledge to cut global methane emissions 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.
“In from the cold? India on Monday ended its status as a holdout in climate pledges after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070. The timeframe puts it ten years behind China and Saudi Arabia and two decades after the United States and European Union. Modi also promised India would receive 50 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, a goal it is already well on track to achieve.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Sen. Joe Manchin again raised concerns about Democrats’ $1.85 trillion social and climate bill. The West Virginia Democrat made clear that he wasn’t convinced he could give his support to the measure ‘without greater clarity’ about inflation and debt. Manchin’s comments echo public remarks he made before Democrats scaled back what had been a $3.5 trillion framework—one the White House said would be fully paid for—to win his support.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Republican Glenn Youngkin, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe are vying for Virginia governorship in a much-anticipated race.
“US voters will head to the polls today to decide a series of races and policies that will test the national political landscape a year into President Joe Biden’s administration, and a year before the all-important midterm elections. Perhaps the most critical race today is in Virginia, where Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin are vying to be the state’s next governor. Biden handily won the state in the 2020 election, and Democrats are hoping to keep the state blue. Youngkin, meanwhile, has tried to walk a fine line on handling support from former President Donald Trump, and if he wins, it would provide Republicans with a road map on how to leverage Trump’s influence.” Read more at CNN
“Voters in New York City will head to the polls Tuesday to vote on who will be the city's next mayor . Democrat Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Silwa are both on the ballot, with Adams considered a heavy favorite to win. Adams, a former police captain and state senator, is generally considered a moderate Democrat compared to some of his primary challengers, though he has a history of pressing for reform in the New York Police Department. If elected, Adams would be the city's second Black mayor. While two recent mayors, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, won their first elections as Republican candidates, Democratic voters now outnumber Republicans 7-to-1 in the city.” Read more at USA Today
“The pace of change in Minneapolis on policing could speed up dramatically Tuesday when its citizens will decide if they'd like to to erase their police department from the city's charter. Instead, Minnesota's biggest city would create a new Department of Public Safety focused on mental health, civilian wellbeing and social services. The police measure, known as as Question 2, is one of three ballot measures that would dramatically change government in Minneapolis. Question 1 would strip the mayor of some power over city matters — including policing — and hand more control to the city council. The third measure would allow the council to enact rent control. If passed, the new charter language would become effective 30 days following the election, or on Dec. 3.” Read more at USA Today
“The Atlanta Braves will look to win their first championship since 1995 Tuesday when they take on the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the World Series Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park (8:09 p.m. ET, FOX). Tuesday's matchup comes after the Astros kept their season alive Sunday by rallying from an early 4-0 hole to beat the Braves 9-5 in Atlanta , sending the series back to Houston. Game 5 saw the vaunted Astros lineup return to form as they scored nine runs on 12 hits, after scoring just two runs on 10 hits in Games 3 and 4 combined. The Braves will turn to ace Max Fried in Game 6, while Houston will send Luis Garcia to the mound. Fried will try to rebound from a loss in Game 2 that saw him give up six runs in five innings. Garcia last pitched in Game 3, taking the tough-luck loss after surrendering one run in 3 2/3 innings in the Braves' 2-0 win.” Read more at USA Today
Kyle Rittenhouse looks back at the gallery in the courtroom at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Nov. 1. (Sean Krajacic/AP)
“KENOSHA, Wis. — A jury was selected Monday evening in Kyle Rittenhouse’s homicide trial here, paving the way for opening statements to begin in the volatile case.
They were seated at the end of a marathon day after the judge dismissed a string of potential jurors who said their minds were firmly made up, underscoring the difficulties in seating an impartial jury in such a polarizing, high-profile case.Rittenhouse, 18, is charged with killing two people and wounding a third amid the chaotic unrest that erupted in Kenosha after a police shooting last year.
The case instantly became a flash point in a fiercely divided country, with Rittenhouse hailed by supporters as a hero who defended himself and assailed by opponents as a violent vigilante. Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and his attorneys are expected to argue that he acted in self-defense.
As trial proceedings got underway Monday with jury selection, the case’s notoriety was an unmissable backdrop. Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder acknowledged that ‘this case has enjoyed a lot of publicity,’ asking for a show of hands from jurors who had not read or heard about the case. No hands went up.” Read more at Washington Post
“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) faced four more fines Monday for refusing to wear a mask on the House floor and has racked up at least $15,500 in fines for violating the pandemic-dictated rule.
Greene has been cited at least seven times for breaking the House rule, which was established in January. Members are fined $500 for their first offense and $2,500 for each subsequent offense. The fines are deducted from their congressional pay of $174,000 annually.” Read more at Washington Post
“NEW YORK — Robert Durst was indicted Monday for murder in the death of his first wife, Kathie Durst, whose disappearance nearly four decades ago has long shadowed the incarcerated millionaire, contributing to his increasingly bizarre and violent behavior and leading to an infamous on-camera confession.
A grand jury in the New York City suburbs returned the second-degree murder indictment just weeks after an investigator in the case filed a criminal complaint in town court charging the 78-year-old real estate heir with murder, Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah said.
Durst is serving a life sentence in California for killing a confidante who helped him cover up Kathie Durst’s slaying. Durst was hospitalized on a ventilator with COVID-19 after his Oct. 14 sentencing in the Los Angeles case and was transferred last week to a state prison hospital. His medical condition was not released but a mug shot showed no sign of a ventilator.” Read more at Washington Post
“An American Airlines flight attendant who was struck on her nose by a passenger last week sustained a concussion and had to be taken by stretcher from the plane after it was diverted to Denver, where the passenger was taken into custody, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Colorado.
The passenger, Brian Hsu, 20, of Irvine, Calif., was charged with assault and interference with a flight crew, according to the criminal complaint.
The flight attendant was taken to a hospital after the flight, American Airlines Flight 976 from New York City to Santa Ana, Calif., was diverted to Denver International Airport on Wednesday.
Doctors found that the flight attendant had a concussion, according to the filing from an F.B.I. agent who investigated the case. She underwent a CT scan, but doctors were ‘unable to determine if her nose was fractured because of the swelling,’ the filing said.
According to statements that passengers who witnessed the episode made to the F.B.I. agent, the flight attendant asked Mr. Hsu to stay away from the bathroom, and Mr. Hsu ‘punched her in the face with sufficient force to cause her to hit the lavatory door. ‘Another witness described the passenger ‘striking her with his fist in a way that appeared practiced or trained.’
After the flight attendant was struck, another flight attendant repeatedly asked Mr. Hsu to sit in his seat, according to the filing. Mr. Hsu did not initially comply but finally sat down, and then, one witness told the authorities, Mr. Hsu was restrained with tape and later ‘plastic bonds.’
Mr. Hsu told the authorities a different account. He said that he was returning to California from New York after having brain surgery in Rhode Island to ‘reconstruct portions of his skull’ after he was assaulted in New York City in fall 2020 and sustained a skull injury, according to the filing.
Mr. Hsu said he got up from his seat on the plane to use the restroom and stretch. While he was stretching, Mr. Hsu said, he accidentally bumped the flight attendant, and she began swinging at him with her hands, the filing said. Mr. Hsu said that he ‘backed up towards his seat and raised his hands defensively ‘and that she ‘hit her nose against the palm of his right hand.’
Mr. Hsu told the authorities that he sometimes experiences a ‘mental ‘fog’’ and that ‘he became scared because an impact to his head in its current state could cause him severe injury or death,’ according to the complaint.
The flight attendant told the authorities that she had told Mr. Hsu he could not use the bathroom because the pilot had turned on the plane’s ‘fasten seatbelt’ signs, and that he needed to return to his seat, according to the filing.
Mr. Hsu then ‘charged at her, flailing his arms,’ the complaint said.
A federal public defender assigned to represent Mr. Hsu did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday night.
In a video message posted on Instagram, Doug Parker, the chief executive of American Airlines, called the encounter ‘one of the worst displays of unruly behavior we’ve ever witnessed.’
Mr. Hsu will never be allowed to fly again with American Airlines, Mr. Parker said in the video message, adding that such altercations are ‘happening far too often.’
‘This type of behavior has to stop,’ he said.
The episode is one of thousands that have occurred this year, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Through Oct. 26, the F.A.A. had recorded more than 4,900 reports of unruly passengers this year, in addition to more than 3,500 face mask-related incident reports.
In a statement on Oct. 28, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants said that barring the passenger from future American Airlines flights ‘does not address the root problem,’ and called for the F.A.A. and the Department of Transportation to implement a ‘no-fly’ list to include all airlines.
‘We need to keep pushing,’ the association said. ‘We need more police in airports, increased fines for egregious behavior, and stronger, enforceable criminal penalties.’” Read more at New York Times
“The International Handball Federation will no longer require women to play in bikini bottoms.” Read more at New York Times
“Lives Lived: Dr. Aaron Beck developed pragmatic, thought-monitoring psychotherapy that transformed the treatment of depression, anxiety and other mental disorders. He died at 100.” Read more at New York Times
A worker securing a roll of steel to a flatbed truck at a Nucor steel plant in Ghent, Ky. PHOTO: TIMOTHY D. EASLEY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Farewell, offshoring and outsourcing?
“The pandemic is rewriting the CEO playbook. Faced with global trade snags, business leaders are ditching overseas partners—at least temporarily—and in some cases opting to pay more to ensure reliability. Bucking the conventional wisdom of the global economy, some are moving workers and production facilities closer to home and relocating plants closer to suppliers. Others are buying their suppliers or bringing former contract work in-house. For more than a generation, many executives at large multinationals have pursued a tested strategy: securing cheap manufacturing in distant locales, outsourcing many low-skill jobs and relying on just-in-time production and ocean transportation. Today, companies are having trouble getting raw materials, hiring production workers, booking space on shipping vessels and dealing with supply line bottlenecks. As a result, many are rethinking geography for every part of their operations, at least in the near term.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Tit-for-tat | Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison denied Macron’s claim that he lied about plans to scrap a French submarine deal, saying he would defend his nation from ‘slurs.’ It comes after Macron went on the attack on the weekend and shows the lingering fallout from a defense accord struck between Australia, the U.S. and U.K. that scuttled a deal for France to sell Australia diesel-powered submarines.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Fish fight. The European Commission intervened on Monday in the simmering fishing rights dispute between the United Kingdom and France, in an effort to defuse a French threat to block port access and impose strict checks on British imports from today onward.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Monday said France had made ‘completely unreasonable threats’ and gave French authorities 48 hours to offer a resolution or face legal action, while French President Emmanuel Macron said he would delay a French response to allow time for negotiations, saying he would know by the end of today whether ‘things have fundamentally changed.’” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Perceptions of America. The U.S. health care system is a stain on the country’s reputation among other wealthy nations, a new survey by the Pew Research Center has found. The survey of 17 advanced economies found that American technological prowess was viewed the most positively, with 72 percent of respondents ranking it as either the best or above average among developed nations, followed closely by its entertainment sector and military. In contrast, 66 percent of respondents ranked the U.S. health care system as either the worst or below average.
In a sign that acrimony in Washington is influencing perceptions abroad, only 17 percent of respondents said that the U.S. democratic model is a good example for other countries to follow.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Chinese tech giant ByteDance, the owner of TikTok and its Chinese equivalent Douyin, has issued new working guidelines designed to shorten the punishing workweek common among Chinese tech workers known as ‘996’ (a 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six-day, 72-hour workweek).
As the Washington Post reports, under the new rules, workers will instead be expected to hew toward a 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., five-day workweek (quickly dubbed ‘1075’ by Chinese social media users).
The decision may have less to do with worker welfare than fears over China’s Big Tech clampdown. China’s top court declared 996 illegal in August following the deaths of several tech workers.” Read more at Foreign Policy
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