Midday Roundup: Chinese court rules in first same-sex marriage case

Marriage matters. A Chinese court upheld existing marriage laws in the country’s first lawsuit over same-sex marriage. A court in the Furong District, where two men sued because they were denied a marriage license, ruled China’s marriage laws clearly say marriage can only happen between a man and a woman. LGBT advocates in China said the court’s willingness to hear the case at all signifies a breakthrough in the push for same-sex marriage, and they plan to keep fighting for it. The two men who sued said they plan to appeal the ruling.

Communication breakdown. About 39,000 members of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in nine eastern states and Washington, D.C., went on strike against Verizon this morning. Picket lines and rallies took place in Philadelphia, Albany, N.Y., Manhattan, and elsewhere. The union members—mostly cable and landline workers—are demanding job security, fair wages, and a guarantee jobs won’t be outsourced overseas. Their contract expired in August. A spokesperson for Verizon said the company has trained non-union workers to fill in for those who walked off the job.

Out of the running. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called a news conference Tuesday to shut down speculation he could emerge as the Republican nominee for president at a contested GOP convention this summer. Some party leaders fear both Donald Trump and top challenger Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, could spell certain defeat in November, costing the GOP not only the White House but control of the Senate, too. “Let me say again, I’m not going to be our party’s nominee,” said Ryan, who was Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential running mate in the 2012 presidential election. “But I’ll also be clear about something else: Not running does not mean I’m going to disappear.” Ryan pledged to unveil “a policy agenda and offer a clear choice to the American people.”

Backstory. Even as professional athletes and coaches called for more gun control after the shooting death of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith, police revealed Smith had a loaded handgun in his car the night he was shot and killed. The man charged with killing Smith, Cardell Hayes, said the shooting happened after Smith rear-ended his car and drove off. Hayes said he called 911 and followed Smith briefly before an altercation broke out. A passenger in Hayes’ car came forward and alleged Smith brandished a gun and threatened to kill them before Hayes opened fire. “Smith had a gun and was going to shoot it, and Cardell may have saved both of their lives,” attorney Tanzanika Ruffin, who represents passenger Kevin O’Neal, said in a statement to WDSU-TV.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.