5 states where the abortion fight is likely to play out next

BY CAROLINE VAKIL

© MEGAN JELINGER/AFP via Getty Images

A handful of purple and red states are poised to be the next battlegrounds in the abortion rights fight after advocates won a major victory in Ohio this month. 

Ohioans passed a proposed constitutional amendment earlier this month that enshrines abortion rights protections — seen as a major feat in a state that has trended increasingly red in recent years.  

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These 3 states could decide the GOP presidential nominee

BY JULIA MUELLER

Voting starts in just a few weeks for the GOP’s 2024 presidential primary, and early-state results could significantly shape the crowded field and even solidify the Republican nominee for the White House.  

Former President Trump remains the front-runner by a significant margin in most polling, while the rest of the party’s presidential hopefuls have been jostling for months to best each other and stand out as the strongest Trump challenger.  

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Ranking the swing states: Where is Biden most in danger against Trump?

BY HANNA TRUDO

President Biden’s reelection will largely come down to how he performs in six key battleground states in 2024 as he prepares for a rematch against former President Trump.

Despite Biden’s considerable pickups in 2020, some Democrats are sounding the alarm about his chances next year and are careful not to be overly optimistic.

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Biden ‘expects’ some Americans will be released during Israel-Hamas truce

BY NICK ROBERTSON

President Biden said Friday that he expects Americans to be among dozens of hostages released by Hamas in Gaza this week during a truce deal in the Israel-Hamas war.

At a press conference Friday, Biden said he could not confirm the health status of the approximately 10 Americans believed to be held hostage by Hamas, but that he “expects” some of them to be among the 50 hostages planned to be released in the coming days.

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Calls for ‘conditions’ in aid to Israel add to Democrats’ divisions

BY MIKE LILLIS 

The battle among Democrats over U.S. policy on Israel has found a new front this month in the form of liberal calls to set “conditions” on any new military aid delivered to Tel Aviv. 

A number of leading progressives in both the House and Senate have warned in recent days that they would oppose any aid package that fails to apply new limits on Israel’s forceful engagement with Palestinians in the wake of Hamas’s brutal attacks on Israeli civilians last month, including strikes in Gaza that have killed thousands more Palestinian civilians.

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Biden: Conditions on aid to Israel a ‘worthwhile thought’

BY NICK ROBERTSON

President Biden conceded to critics within his party Friday that calls to put specific conditions on aid to Israel are a “worthwhile thought” amid the country’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

But at a press conference marking a four-day truce in the war to free 50 hostages taken by Hamas, Biden also implied that those conditions could hamper diplomacy.

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What we know about the first hostages released by Hamas

BY NICK ROBERTSON

About two dozen hostages were released by Hamas in Gaza on Friday, the first wave of what is expected to be 50 released by the terrorist organization as part of a four-day cease-fire in the war with Israel in Gaza.

On the other side of the deal Friday, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners — mostly women and teenagers.

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Bipartisan senators want to take on 'forever chemical' pollution. Environmental activists are wary.

BY RACHEL FRAZIN

A bipartisan pair of senators is working on what they see as a compromise to address a persistent pollution problem. 

Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) are looking to tackle a class of chemicals called PFAS that are known to linger in the environment and have been linked to health issues including cancer, weakened immune systems and high cholesterol.

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Rep. Dean Phillips won’t run for reelection amid presidential bid

BY NICK ROBERTSON

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) announced Friday that he will not seek reelection in 2024 as he continues a long-shot primary challenge to President Biden.

“It’s been the most joyful experience of my life representing the most civically engaged community in the nation in Congress,” Phillips said on X, formerly Twitter. “But it’s time to pass the torch, it’s time for change, and our best days are yet to come!”

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How Netanyahu could beat the odds and stay in power

BY EYAL LURIE-PARDES

OPINION | There has been much speculation that the military and intelligence failure to prevent the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7 (which became known in Israel as the “Black Shabbat”) means that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s days in office are numbered.

But Netanyahu is signaling that he will not step down without a fight. He is preparing the ground for blaming military officials for the failure and continuing to promote the overhaul of the judiciary, which was at the center of the political debate in Israel in the months before Hamas’s attack.

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Patients need access to critical medication information. A new FDA rule would limit it.

BY DR. JOHN WHYTE

OPINION | Medical professionals know that sharing clear and accurate health information with patients empowers them to make wise decisions that set them on a path to healthier living.

Educating patients about their prescription medications is especially important. Since millions of Americans rely on prescription medication, effective patient medication information (PMI) is more important than ever. 

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The New York Times: Who Would Donald Trump Choose as His Running Mate?

BY MICHAEL C. BENDER AND REBECCA LIEBERMAN

Donald J. Trump hasn’t won a single primary or caucus vote yet, let alone the Republican nomination, but his lead in the polls has left much of the political world viewing his nomination as all but inevitable.

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The Wall Street Journal: The Biggest Winner in the OpenAI Fiasco

BY BEN COHEN AND TOM DOTAN

Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella made a huge bet on the world’s hottest AI company. After it nearly blew up on him, he now emerges with closer ties to its leader, Sam Altman.

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Associated Press: Ukraine’s military says Russia has launched its largest drone attack since the start of the invasion

BY SAMYA KULLAB

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia on Saturday morning launched its most intense drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in 2022, targeting the Ukrainian capital, military officials said.

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The Washington Post: Mexicans victimized in El Paso mass killing struggle to heal, obtain visas

BY ARELIS R. HERNÁNDEZ

The survivors of the shooting fueled by racial hatred have seen slow progress after border shutdowns, the pandemic and financial struggles.

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