Report of second major U.S. Supreme Court leak draws calls for probe:
The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, U.S., June 26, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
On Saturday, calls were made to investigate the US Supreme Court. This is due to the New York Times report that a former pro-life leader was told the outcome of a major 2014 US Supreme Court case involving contraceptives in advance. Rev. Rob Schenck was quoted by The Times as saying he was informed weeks before the announcement of the ruling shortly, when his conservative allies had dinner at the home of Justice Samuel Alito and his wife. Schenck, who used to lead an evangelical nonprofit in Washington, said in interviews that he was informed ahead of time about the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby ruling. According to The Times, Schenck used this knowledge to prepare a public relations campaign and to tip off the president of Hobby Lobby on the case’s outcome. Alito said in a statement that any allegation that he or his wife leaked the 2014 decision was "completely false." Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat and head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a written statement that the committee is reviewing the allegations. He urged passage of legislation pending in Congress that would create a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. Justices on the top court currently are not required to follow a binding code of ethics for judges in lower federal courts, which Durbin called "unacceptable."
US and China work to manage differences to avoid conflict:
U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, in Nusa Dua, in Bali, Indonesia.
On Monday, US President Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and said in their first in-person meeting since taking office that the two leaders should manage their differences. Biden opened their Indonesia meeting by saying, “As the leaders of our two nations, we share a responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming anything ever near conflict and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual cooperation.” In a press conference last week, Biden announced his intention to address his views on US commitments to defending Taiwan in his bilateral meeting with Xi. Biden has said that he believes the US should come to Taiwan’s defense if China invades, but will not pursue American military intervention. Xi, in his opening remarks on Monday, said that lessons can be learned from the US and China’s over-50-year relationship.
Reporters traveling with Biden listened to the opening remarks at the top of the meeting. Monday’s meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 follows better-than-expected midterm elections for Biden, with Democrats holding on to control of the Senate.
Children’s hospitals seek declaration of emergency in the face of RSV surge:
Kazuma Seki | Istock | Getty Images
The Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics warned President Joe Biden and Health Secretary Xavier Becerra in a letter this week that “unprecedented levels” of RSV combined with increasing flu circulation are pushing some hospitals to the breaking point. Infants 6 months and younger are being hospitalized with RSV at over seven times the weekly rate observed before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As respiratory viruses surge, more than three-fourths of pediatric hospital beds are occupied across the US. Seventeen states are reporting that more than 80% of beds are full with children’s hospitals in Arizona, the DC, Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Kentucky, and Utah all at near-total capacity. An emergency declaration would provide hospitals with the flexibility needed to free up bed capacity and staffing to ensure children get the care they need, Children’s Hospital Association CEO Mark Wietecha and AAP CEO Mark Del Monte told Biden and Becerra in the letter this week.
Sources:
Report of second major U.S. Supreme Court leak draws calls for probe | Reuters
Children's hospitals call on Biden to declare emergency in response to 'unprecedented' RSV surge