Domestic
This week, a long-dormant law that banned nearly all abortions was brought back to life by the Arizona State Supreme Court through a landmark decision, drastically changing the reproductive healthcare standards in the state. The law, written in 1864 and predating Arizona’s statehood, implies doctors performing abortions can be criminally prosecuted if the abortion is not of the purpose to save the life of the mother. Additionally, the decision threw out an earlier lower-court decision which concluded that doctors couldn’t be charged for performing abortions in the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called on the state Legislature to repeal the ban. Democrats alike came out fervently against the ruling, with President Joe Biden vowing to protect a women’s right to choose as he campaigns. President Donald Trump claimed this case went too far, but earlier this week acknowledged his affinity to respecting state decisions in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, something he credits himself for doing. The issue of abortion is likely to be a salient issue in the 2024 elections, as Arizona will likely be a state that determines the balance of power in the House, Senate and the Presidency.
Millions across North America looked to the skies this past Monday to see a thrilling once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse, which caused many to witness a sunny sky turn into a chilly darkness. The eclipse entered America through the Texas border as clouds blanketed most of the state as the total solar eclipse began its diagonal dash across the country. After leaving Texas, it made its way to the Northeast, before exiting into the North Atlantic near Newfoundland. It was the continent’s biggest eclipse audience ever with a couple hundred million people living in or near the shadow’s path, plus scores of out-of-towners flocking in to see it. With the next coast-to-coast eclipse 21 years out, the pressure was on to catch this one.
International
Through a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, Ireland elected lawmaker Simon Harris as its new prime minister, making him the youngest-ever leader at the age of 37. Harris served as Higher Education Minister in former Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s cabinet. Lawmakers in the Dáil, the lower house of Ireland’s parliament, confirmed Harris as taoiseach, or prime minister, by a 88-69 vote. After that, Prudent Michael D. Higgins formally appointed him to the role in Dublin. He enters his job as Ireland faces many challenges, such as a precarious health service, rising housing costs and a mass leave of Fine Gael lawmakers threatening to change up the nature of Parliament.
Exit polls and ongoing ballot counts indicated that South Korea’s liberal opposition parties were poised for a sweeping triumph in Wednesday’s parliamentary election. If confirmed, this outcome would render conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol a lame duck for the duration of his remaining three years in office. The collective exit polls conducted by South Korea’s television networks indicated that the primary opposition Democratic Party and its affiliated satellite party were projected to secure between 178 to 197 seats out of the 300-member National Assembly. Additionally, they anticipated that another emerging liberal opposition party would garner approximately 12 to 14 seats while the People Power Party and its satellite party would project to win 85 of 105 seats. Despite the results, Yoon will remain in power and his major foreign policies will likely be unchanged. But the ruling party’s big election defeat could set back Yoon’s domestic agenda and leave him facing an increasing political offensive by his liberal opponents.
