The Supreme Court unanimously sided with former President Trump.

Staying on the Ballot

The Story

The Supreme Court unanimously sided with former President Trump.

About?

His eligibility to be on the ballot. One day before Super Tuesday, the Supremes agreed that states don’t have the authority to take Trump or anyone running for federal office off ballots. This is in response to the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to boot Trump from the state’s presidential primary for violating the 14th Amendment — specifically the “insurrection clause” — due to his actions on Jan 6. Now, the country’s highest court says only Congress holds the power to bar presidential candidates from running for office.

Why?

The justices said giving states the power to kick federal candidates off ballots would lead to national chaos during election years — with a candidate being ineligible in some states but not others. However, the three liberal justices wrote in a concurring opinion that the ruling goes too far and could “insulate all alleged insurrectionists from future challenges.” Trump-appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett said in a one-page opinion that the court reached its decision unanimously and “that is the message Americans should take home.” Worth noting: The Court made no mention of whether Trump's involvement on Jan 6 constitutes an insurrection, it only clarified whether states had the power to remove federal candidates per the 14th Amendment.

So what does this mean for 2024?

Challenges to Trump’s ballot eligibility across more than 30 states now have no legal basis. This is especially important in Illinois and Maine, where officials already barred Trump from primary ballots. Trump hailed the SCOTUS ruling as a “big win for America.” However, this isn’t the end of the legal road for Trump. Next month, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether Trump can claim presidential immunity in federal cases against him.

theSkimm

Not since Bush v. Gore in 2000 has the Supreme Court played such a big role in an election. Monday’s decision is a big win for the GOP: Their frontrunner gets to stay on the ballot ahead of a likely rematch with President Biden. Today's Super Tuesday races are a big step towards whether that rematch will happen or not. If you're in one of the 16 states taking part, don't forget to vote.

Violence Against Women

Yesterday, the UN reported it has “reasonable grounds” to believe that Hamas committed rape and “sexualized torture” against women during its Oct 7 attacks on Israel. The team visited Israel and the West Bank to collect information for the UN’s annual report on sexual violence in conflict. They reviewed more than 5,000 photos, 50 hours of footage, and spoke with survivors and witnesses of the attacks as the basis of their findings. The report is part of a larger UN initiative and the envoy involved recommends that Israel work with the UN to carry out a more formal investigation into Hamas' actions. Hamas has previously denied allegations of sexual violence.

Meanwhile, there are growing divisions between the Biden administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over its handling of the war. Since the Oct 7 attack, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Biden admin is getting pressure to push for a permanent cease-fire, but Netanyahu has remained steadfast in his goal of eliminating Hamas. Yesterday, VP Kamala Harris met with Benny Gantz — a member of Israel’s wartime Cabinet and a centrist rival to Netanyahu — to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza amid military operations. Netanyahu did not authorize the visit and reportedly said Israel has "just one prime minister."

What’s saying ‘my body, my choice’...

France. Yesterday, it became the first country in the world to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution, making it a “guaranteed freedom.” Ahead of the vote, France’s prime minister said, “we are sending the message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one has the right to control it in your stead.” The change was spurred by threatened abortion rights across the US in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. But the historic move also highlights the widespread support for abortion in France, where it has been legal since 1975, and a successful campaign by feminists and lawmakers from several parties. The amendment faced little pushback, with Catholic groups among the few to oppose it.

…Oh and speaking of reproductive health, Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill approved in the US, will make its official debut in the coming weeks. It's expected to increase access to birth control since it does not require a prescription. But it's not likely to be covered by insurance and will cost around $20 a month.

What’s coughing up the cash...

Apple. Yesterday, the European Union fined the iPhone maker about $2 billion for preventing other apps, like Spotify, from promoting cheaper music subscriptions outside of Apple’s App Store. The EU said that’s illegal under its antitrust rules. Spotify said the ruling sent a “powerful message” that “not even a monopoly like Apple, can wield power abusively to control how other companies interact with their customers.” Apple said it will appeal the decision.

While Jason Kelce is saying 'bye' on his own terms...

Russell Wilson is not.

Who's saying 'nothing to see here'...

Kate Middleton.

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