US Supreme Court rejects bid to give lawmakers unchecked power over elections

By Andrew Chung (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rebuffed a legal theory favored by many conservatives that could hand sweeping power to state legislatures to establish rules for presidential and congressional elections and draft electoral maps giving huge advantages to the party already in control. The justices, in a 6-3 decision authored by…

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Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack preceded by intelligence agency failures -Senate report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A new report detailing intelligence failures leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol said government agencies responsible for anticipating trouble downplayed the threat – even as the building was being stormed in an attempt to stop Congress’ certification of Joe Biden as the 46th president. The 105-page report,…

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Georgia election official Raffensperger to speak with Jan. 6 investigators

By Joseph Ax (Reuters) – Georgia’s top election official, Brad Raffensperger, is scheduled on Wednesday to answer questions from federal investigators examining former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, a spokesperson for Raffensperger’s office said. Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, will likely be asked about a phone call he received…

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Tesla charging technology put on fast track to become US standard

By Hyunjoo Jin and Trevor Hunnicutt (Reuters) -Tesla’s electric-vehicle charging technology is being put on a fast track to become a North American standard, giving a further boost to the automaker’s plan to expand access to its once-exclusive chargers. Tesla’s charging technology has been gathering momentum for weeks. Volvo Car on Tuesday joined General Motors,…

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Trump team lobbying for primary rule changes to boost his 2024 chances

By Nathan Layne, Alexandra Ulmer and Gram Slattery (Reuters) – Former President Donald Trump is leveraging his connections to loyalists in key primary states to lobby for voting rules and dates that could cement his front-runner status in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, his team and sources in several states told Reuters….

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South Carolina top court appears open to upholding new abortion ban

By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) – South Carolina’s highest court on Tuesday appeared open to upholding a new state law banning abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, months after it blocked a similar ban. Abortion providers, led by Planned Parenthood, last month won a court order temporarily blocking the law from taking effect until their…

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Bosnian Serb lawmakers vote to suspend rulings of Bosnia’s top court

By Daria Sito-Sucic SARAJEVO (Reuters) – Lawmakers in Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic voted on Tuesday to suspend rulings by Bosnia’s constitutional court, a move described by experts as a “legal secession” that is set to deepen political divisions in the volatile Balkan country. The region’s separatist pro-Russian President Milorad Dodik, who has long criticised the…

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Canada launches first-ever climate adaptation strategy

By Nia Williams (Reuters) – Canada launched its first-ever national climate adaptation strategy on Tuesday, aimed at reducing the risk from extreme weather events like floods and wildfires and mitigating slow the impacts of fossil fuel-driven global warming, including melting permafrost. The strategy come as Canada tackles its worst-ever wildfire season, with 7.8 million hectares…

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US’s Sherman, China’s ambassador hold call after Blinken’s Beijing trip

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held a call with China’s ambassador to the United States on Tuesday to follow up on issues discussed during U.S. top diplomat Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing last week, the State Department said. In the call with Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng, Sherman reiterated the importance…

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