May 2, 2024 | NEWS | By Charlie Dobson
This past week was slower for the U.S. government after a busy few months, but there were still several stories worth noting from around the country and beyond.
Arizona Abortion Law
In early April, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of an 1864 state law prohibiting all abortions except in cases “necessary to save” a pregnant person’s life. This is a significant win for pro-life activists, who are seeking to implement restrictive abortion measures across the country since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Overturning Roe removed the constitutional right to an abortion in the United States, so it is now up to individual states to criminalize abortions and the specific parameters around the procedure.
Last week, the Republican-controlled legislature in Arizona passed a measure allowing abortions up to 15 weeks into pregnancy –– effectively overturning the 1864 law. Three Republicans joined all 29 Democrats in voting for this measure, which is expected to be signed by the Governor of Arizona. These events are notable for many reasons. The right to an abortion is generally favored among Americans, with 61% of Americans agreeing that it should be legal in all or most cases and 37% saying it should be illegal in all or most cases. This is an overwhelming majority by the standards of many divisive issues in our country.
Donald Trump has flip-flopped on abortion throughout his life and political career, but he recently put out a video in which he stated his position on abortion is to “leave it up to the states,” disappointing many pro-life activists who hoped he would endorse a national abortion ban. For Trump, this Arizona ruling and others like it are bad news – Democrats can easily tie the severe laws to him politically. Due to the popularity of abortion rights nationwide, these sorts of strong abortion bans hurt Trump more than they help him, especially in swing states like Arizona.
Nevertheless, pro-life groups continue to push bans at the state level. As we get closer to the election, Trump is trying to walk the line of taking credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade while also distancing himself from harsh abortion bans that could give Democrats political ammunition. State-level abortion rulings will continue to be very important in the coming months leading up to the Presidential election.
Blinken Trip to the Middle East
After spending a few days in China, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken traveled to the Middle East this week to meet with representatives of various Middle Eastern countries to discuss a variety of topics — most notably the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. This visit comes at a time of increasing political pressure on the Biden administration for its part in handling the crisis. It also comes shortly after Congress approved a new foreign aid package to Israel.
Meanwhile, fears of a broader Middle Eastern war continue to rise. Blinken’s visit aimed to push a new cease-fire proposal. The deal between Hamas and Israel, which involves the returning of hostages to Israel, was dubbed “extraordinarily generous” by Blinken. However, Blinken’s main objective in his visit was to stave off an Israeli invasion of Rafah, a city where many Palestinians have found refuge. The United States is aided in Middle East talks by allies Egypt and Qatar. Reaching a deal would be a win for the Biden administration as headlines of campus protests continue to dominate the news cycle and political pressure mounts. This is an uphill battle, and there are many obstacles for Blinken, such as a potential set of charges against Israeli officials from the International Court of Justice.
Roundup
A Win for Travelers
The Department of Transportation, led by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, a former Presidential candidate, pushed forward with a rule last week that requires all airlines to offer automatic reimbursements for customers who experience severely delayed or canceled flights. This standardizes the airline industry, as previous policies varied with no rules guaranteeing passenger reimbursement. A vital goal of the Department of Transportation has been to rein in the airline industry in the wake of COVID-19, which caused a tumultuous period categorized by mass cancellations and frustrating flying experiences. The Department of Transportation has been productive in the last few years, with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, one of the Biden Administration’s main successes and the most extensive infrastructure bill in history.
No More Non-Competes
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission universally banned noncompete clauses and contracts in the United States. Noncompetes are parts of contracts that legally prohibit workers from joining or starting a competing company for a certain amount of time after they leave their jobs. The FTC argues this stifles innovation and hurts the economy. For example, if someone leaves their job at a software company, they might have signed a noncompete that would not allow them to work at another software company for two years or start their own. In recent years, noncompetes have gained popularity in the service industries and fast food establishments. Minimum-wage fast-food workers have been found to sign non-competes restricting them from working at similar restaurants after leaving their current jobs. Labor rights activists call this practice highly problematic in an industry with workers living paycheck to paycheck and high turnover rates. The FTC estimates that 30 million Americans will be freed of their noncompete agreements by this rule.