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| Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. Pete Marovich for The New York Times |
The Supreme Court granted Trump substantial immunity
The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Donald Trump was entitled to substantial immunity from prosecution on charges of trying to overturn the last election, a major statement on presidential power that could have long-term repercussions. Read the full ruling.
The crux of the ruling, which was 6 to 3 on partisan lines, is in the difference between a president’s official acts, such as policy changes or military decisions, and private conduct. Broad immunity for official conduct is needed, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority, to protect “an energetic, independent executive.”
The liberal justices warned in their dissent that the ruling extended a level of immunity that could undermine democracy, and said that the decision made the president into “a king above the law.”
What’s next: The ruling will almost certainly delay Trump’s trial on charges of plotting to subvert the 2020 election until after this year’s vote. The case now returns to the lower court, which will decide whether Trump’s actions were in an official or private capacity. If Trump wins re-election, he can simply order the Justice Department to drop the charges.
Biden: The president warned last night that the decision meant that there were “virtually no limits” on what Trump, if returned to office, could do.
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| Demonstrators in Paris on Sunday after initial results were announced. Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
France reels after far right’s victory
For many, France felt like a different place yesterday after the country’s far-right National Rally party won a record number of votes in the first round of snap elections. Already, frenetic campaigning has begun for Sunday’s runoff. Only 76 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly were won outright, and there will be a battle for the remaining seats this week.
The big question is whether the National Rally can command an absolute majority after the runoff. If that happens, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, will be forced to appoint a political adversary as prime minister, shifting domestic policy and muddling foreign policy. If not, the National Assembly will most likely be ungovernable, with Macron’s centrist party and its allies squeezed between the right and the left.
The end of ‘Macronism’: The president’s seven-year domination of national politics has been laid to rest, my colleague Roger Cohen writes in an analysis.
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| Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, center, after his release yesterday. Mohammed Salem/Reuters |
Israel released the director of Gaza’s largest hospital
Israel released Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, after having detained him for more than seven months, Palestinian health officials said. The move drew an immediate outcry in Israel even though no charges against him had been made public.
Human rights groups have said that his prolonged detention was a sign of Israeli mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners, while some Israeli officials denounced the decision to release him as an example of mismanagement of the war by Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister.
West Bank dispatch: In the towns of Tulkarm and Jenin, armed militants are flocking to more hard-line factions, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, while the Israeli military tries to rein them in.
In Gaza: The Israeli military ordered new evacuations on the outskirts of Khan Younis and Rafah, in an indication of a probable planned ground assault.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
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| Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times |
| U.S. election: In an hourlong Zoom call, President Biden’s top campaign brass tried to tamp down the panic that had captured his financial base after last week’s debate.Ukraine: The country’s security service said that it had foiled a Russian plot to stir public unrest and topple the government. It was not the first time.South Africa: After the president announced the largest cabinet in the nation’s democratic history, the challenge became getting a diverse group of politicians to agree.Myanmar: The miliary junta, which has plunged the country into economic crisis, has jailed shopkeepers who gave their employees a raise amid rising inflation.U.S.: Steve Bannon, the longtime adviser to Donald Trump, has reported for a four-month sentence in federal prison. |
| Air travel: Severe turbulence on a flight from Spain to Uruguay injured more than two dozen passengers, leaving several with neck and skull fractures.Education: Teachers in the U.S. this year saw the lingering effects of the pandemic on young students. Some can barely speak, sit still or even hold a pencil. |
Business & Technology
| E.U.: Regulators said that Meta’s ad-free subscription service essentially forced users to either pay or hand over their personal data for ad purposes, which violated the law.Space: A commercial Chinese rocket accidentally launched during a ground test before crashing into a nearby mountain and exploding, the company that owned the rocket said.China: Beijing offered subsidies for households to buy cars and appliances in a plan to stimulate the economy. But many consumers aren’t biting. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz, the defending men’s singles champion, won his first match in straight sets. Find more coverage here, and read why the Wimbledon title is the one that every player craves.Soccer: Highlights from the round of 16 at the European Championship, as France beat Belgium, 1-0, and a stunning goal rescued England from the brink.Skateboarding: At just 11 years old, Reese Nelson is comfortable performing insane tricks on nearly 15-foot-tall half pipes as she trains for the X Games with Tony Hawk. |
| MORNING READ |
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| M. Scott Brauer for The New York Times |
Just a few decades ago, many researchers considered pets to be deeply unserious study subjects. Today, companion animals like cats and dogs are scientifically in vogue. The research, which sometimes relies on data from tens of thousands of pet owners, promises to also inform human medicine.
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
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| Andrew Testa for The New York Times |
A culture war over stately homes
Dozens of properties owned by the National Trust, the nearly 130-year-old charity that manages many of Britain’s prized historic homes, have deep ties to colonial exploitation and slavery.
But when the organization highlighted these links in displays, it caused a conservative backlash. Right-wing columnists and academics accused the trust of being “woke” and “anti-British,” and they began a campaign to roll back some of the changes. For three years, that battle has played out on social media and in Britain’s right-wing newspapers.
Hilary McGrady, the trust’s director general, said that she could understand how the changes “might feel unnerving.” But she disputes claims that the trust is on “a mad campaign to undermine history.”
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
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| Johnny Miller for The New York Times |
Cook: Spinach and basil give this pasta salad its emerald hue.
