Friday morning news - June 24, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

SCOTUS gun ruling / Dobbs ruling could come today » New Yorkers will no longer have to justify their need for a firearm to get a license to carry one.

That after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state’s requirements violated the Second Amendment rights of its residents.

The 6-to-3 ruling reversed a lower court’s decision. And Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul was not happy about it.

HOCHUL: We do not need people entering our subways, our restaurants, our movie theaters with concealed weapons. We don’t need more guns on our streets.

But Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association says restricting the carry rights of law-abiding citizens doesn’t solve anything. He said criminals don’t care whether it’s illegal to carry a gun.

KING: We are not the problem. The problem is the criminals. And the politicians have to learn that because there wouldn’t be a gun problem if it wasn’t for the crime.

King’s group was among the plaintiffs in the high court case. Thursday’s decision is expected to affect gun restrictions in several other states.

The Supreme Court could release its much-anticipated Dobbs v. Jackson decision today, which could spell the end of Roe v. Wade.

Senate gun legislation » Meantime, on Capitol Hill, the Senate on Thursday advanced a bipartisan gun safety bill, clearing the way for final passage as soon as today.

The compromise legislation would expand background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21. It would also fund local programs for school safety and mental health, along with so-called red flag laws.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill is not a cure for gun violence…

SCHUMER: But it is a long overdue step in the right direction it's significant it's going to save lives.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell agreed that the bill will help to save lives while also protecting the rights of gun owners.

McCONNELL: The American people want their constitutional rights protected and their kids to be safe in school.

McConnell said the bill accomplishes both objectives.

The price tag on the 80-page bill is $13 billion.

Capitol riot hearing » Hours later in the House, the panel probing last year’s Capitol riot gathered once again with cameras in the room.

Former Justice Department officials testified Thursday, including former acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue.

DONOGHUE: I felt in that conversation that it was incumbent on me to make it very clear to the president what our investigations had revealed.

He said the department did not find evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The committee continues to assert that Trump’s election fraud claims triggered the Capitol riot.

Republican leaders say the hearings are a partisan witch hunt.

The panel is comprised mostly of Democratic lawmakers and entirely of ardent Trump critics.

The committee has no further public hearings planned for the time being.

Ukraine EU » Ukraine is officially a candidate to join the European Union.

The European Parliament voted Thursday to grant Ukraine candidate status.

AUDIO: The vote is closed and it is overwhelmingly adopted.

Ukraine still has a long way to go before the EU will grant membership status. But European leaders had good things to say. They noted Ukraine's electoral system is fair, its schools are well developed and its economy was strong before the war.

The EU also gave candidate status to Moldova, a tiny country that borders Ukraine.

Leaders recognized Georgia as well but did not grant it candidate status.

Many see Thursday’s announcement as largely symbolic. If the countries ultimately qualify for membership, it could take many years for that to happen.

Biden admin Title IX » The Biden administration is proposing big changes and LGBT accommodations in Title IX rules on college campuses. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown has more.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN, REPORTER: Title IX of the 1972 anti-discrimination law prohibits discrimination in education based on sex.

But Education Secretary Miguel Cardona wants to add protections for—quote—“sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.”

He announced the proposals on Title IX’s 50th anniversary.

The new rules would also roll back Trump-era due process protections for those accused of wrongdoing. The changes remove the requirement for in-person hearings in sexual misconduct cases and loosen the definition of sexual misconduct.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

Juul e-cigarettes no longer in stores » Stores across the country are pulling Juul e-cigarettes off their shelves.

They’re following orders from the FDA, which has also ordered Juul Labs to stop selling its vaping products.

The FDA says the company has likely played a big role in fueling a surge in teen vaping.

Juul faces a slew of investigations into its marketing practices, many of which involved distributing free e-cigarettes at concerts, and at parties hosted by young influencers.

John Williams stepping away from films » MUSIC: [Jaws theme]

The man responsible for some of the most iconic music in Hollywood history…

MUSIC: [Star Wars theme]

… Is stepping away from the movie business.

John Williams is currently working on the score for Indiana Jones 5, and he said it will likely be his last film. The 90-year-old composer said the pressures of scoring a movie are a bit much at this stage of life. But he will continue composing concert music.

A note of correction now regarding our Thursday report on Louisiana’s new pro-life law. We mentioned that Gov. John Bel Edwards’ objected to a provision that would have made it a punishable offense for a mother to receive an abortion illegally. That was a provision in an earlier draft of the legislation. It was not part of the bill signed into law, though our report gave the opposite impression. The error was mine, and I apologize.

I'm Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org.

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