Dispatches

June 26

The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to force states to redefine marriage by ruling that marriage between same-sex couples is a “fundamental right.” Its ruling requires every state to license and recognize same-sex marriages. President Barack Obama praised the decision and the White House lit up in rainbow colors to flash support, as did the social media avatars of various governmental departments, news outlets, companies, and individuals.

Repercussions were swift: Nathan Collier of Billings, Mont., on June 30 requested a marriage license to marry a second wife and said he would sue if Yellowstone County doesn’t recognize “marriage equality” for polygamy. He based his arguments on those of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s majority decision. Several county clerks, meanwhile, put their jobs on the line by refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples due to religious convictions. Churches and religious institutions braced for long-reaching effects of the ruling, with a special concern over whether the IRS will eventually challenge the tax-exempt status of institutions that refuse to recognize same-sex marriage (see “Developing the Daniel Option” in this issue).

Terror expands

June 26

Within several hours in one Friday, terrorist attacks struck three continents and killed dozens. In France, a deliveryman with reported ties to radical Islamist groups set off an explosion at a U.S.-owned chemical plant and decapitated his boss. Then in Kuwait, a suicide bomber blew himself up at one of the largest Shiite mosques, killing 27 others. Soon after in Tunisia, a young man disguised as a vacationer opened fire at a seaside resort, killing at least 38 people, 30 of them British tourists. ISIS has quickly claimed responsibility for the attacks in Tunisia and Kuwait on Twitter. One year after calling itself Islamic State and proclaiming a Muslim caliphate, ISIS is swiftly expanding due to a large pool of global recruits and a savvy social media presence that inspires, directs, and coordinates local terrorist attacks such as those on June 26.

Ferry disaster

July 2

A passenger ferry capsized minutes after leaving port in the Philippines, killing at least 61 passengers. Authorities say 145 survived, among them three Americans and all 16 crew members. Philippines police filed murder charges against the owner and crew, saying the captain and crew may have been “reckless on purpose.” The Kim Nirvana vessel was carrying a reported 189 people—though officials say there may have been more—when it tipped over about 200 yards from shore. Bad weather delayed rescue operations. The captain blames rough waters, but the country has had constant issues with poorly maintained, loosely regulated, overcrowded maritime travel over the years.

BP pays

July 2

The British oil company BP will pay $18.7 billion to five Gulf Coast states and the federal government in damages over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. The agreement settles a complex 2-year-old trial that brought media images of oil oozing into the Gulf of Mexico after a drilling rig exploded on April 20, 2010. Oil reached the coasts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and thousands of marine animals were found dead or debilitated—effects that are still felt today. BP estimates the incident will cost the company a total of about $40 billion in fines and efforts to clean up the spill.

Two more announce

June 30

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, once considered a frontrunner for the 2016 race, officially announced his candidacy, striking a bipartisan tone and promising to be the “tell it like it is” president who gets things done. Christie has seen his popularity fade in the wake of the 2013 “Bridgegate” scandal. Meanwhile, another long-shot candidate cast his bid: Former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on July 3. He’s hoping his long-standing opposition to the Iraq War and his military credentials will give him a leg up on Hillary Clinton.