July 2 top stories
Hello, it is July 2. Here are today’s top stories.
Supreme Court rules Trump has immunity for official acts
The Supreme Court rejected former President Donald Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from prosecution, ruling that while a former president is immune from prosecution for their official acts, they are not immune from unofficial acts.
Monday’s historic 6-3 ruling doesn’t answer the question of what is an official or unofficial act. Instead, the court kicks the question back to the lower courts to figure out precisely how to determine what constitutes an official act and apply the decision to Trump’s DC election obstruction case. It is a win for Trump, the ruling all but guarantees the case will not go to trial before Nov. 5. The court’s three liberal justices dissented.
Trump hailed the ruling in a post to Truth Social, writing: “BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion: A former president is entitled to “absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his constitutional authority. The former president is entitled to “presumptive authority” for other official acts but “no immunity for unofficial acts.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent Monday’s decision reshapes the institution of the Presidency and could lead to stark, long-term consequences for American democracy. In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law. With fear of our democracy, I dissent.
President Biden said the decision sets a “dangerous” precedent and that almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what the president can do.
At least 100 people killed in stampede at religious event in India
According to multiple sources, at least 100 people have been crushed to death at a Hindu religious gathering in northern India, with many others injured.
A large crowd had gathered on Tuesday in a village in Uttar Pradesh state’s Hathras district, about 200 km (125 miles) southeast of national capital New Delhi, for a sermon by a religious leader, Bhole Baba, but a fierce dust storm sparked panic as people were leaving.
Many were crushed or trampled, falling on top of each other, with some collapsing into a roadside drain in the chaos.
Authorities told a news outlet that they have confirmed 117 deaths so far and are focusing on providing relief and medical aid for the victims. The attendees were exiting the venue when a dust storm blinded their vision, leading to a melee and the subsequent tragic incident.
Most of the dead were women and children. Police said overcrowding may have been a factor. Initial reports suggested that over 15,000 people had gathered for the event, which had permission to host about 5,000.
Redbox DVD kiosk owner files for bankruptcy
The parent company of Redbox, those distinctive, red-colored kiosks at grocery stores that sell or rent DVDs, has filed for bankruptcy after enduring months of financial struggle.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (CSSE) revealed in a filing that it has nearly $1 billion in debt and owes millions of dollars to several entertainment companies including the BBC and Sony Pictures, plus to retailers ranging from Walmart to Walgreens.
Deadline previously reported that Redbox hadn’t paid employees for a week, and medical benefits have been suspended. Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy could help the company fix those issues if its plans are approved by a court in Delaware.
The number of Redbox kiosks has grown to about 34,000 across the U.S., largely located at grocery and drug stores. According to its website, since its 2002 launch, Redbox has rented its 1 billion discs at prices cheaper than cable.
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Ultra-orthodox Israeli men protest against military draft order
Israel’s Supreme Court last Tuesday, June 25, ordered the government to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military.
The court also ordered the government to withdraw funding from any religious schools or yeshivas, whose students do not comply with draft notices.
According to local police, protests in Jerusalem against the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli military turned violent Sunday, with demonstrators attacking both law enforcement and a minister’s car. The minister is the head of the United Torah Judaism party.
Rioters threw stones at police officers and the car of the minister. Protestors also set trash cans and the road on fire, blocking the highway. Police said they had to use force to disperse the protesters after orders for them to leave were ignored.
Since Israel’s founding, ultra-Orthodox Jews have been exempted from mandatory military service. Though both men and women are subject to Israel’s mandatory conscription, the recent ruling only applies to ultra-Orthodox men.
See Alex’s update on the 2024 Copa America.
US eliminated from Copa America
Thanks, Callie.
The U.S. Men’s National Team was eliminated from the Copa America soccer tournament after they lost to Uruguay last night in Kansas City. They also lost to Panama on Thursday night but won against Bolivia several days prior to that. Ultimately, the two losses doomed the U.S. from advancing into the Round of 16.
Coach Gregg Berhalter said he would do a review of the whole tournament and see where they fell short.
There were high hopes for the U.S., especially after its strong showing in the 2022 World Cup, where it advanced into the Round of 16 before losing to the Netherlands.
U.S. star player and captain Christian Pulisic said he felt the team had a good start and brought a lot of energy but that there was just not enough quality.
Team USA will have two years to improve before the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes around — that tournament will be hosted in Canada, U.S., and Mexico.
Thanks for this update. That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
Supreme Court rules Trump has immunity for official acts
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/01/us/politics/trump-supreme-court-immunity.html
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/01/nx-s1-5002157/supreme-court-trump-immunity
At least 90 people killed in stampede at religious event in India
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/least-27-dead-india-stampede-ndtv-reports-2024-07-02/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2g7wgj83no
Redbox DVD kiosk owner files for bankruptcy
Ultra-orthodox Israeli men protest against military draft order
US eliminated from Copa America
https://apnews.com/article/copa-america-united-states-uruguay-score-4b71dabc975c35eafce95017926234d4