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Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Saturday strenuously denied any involvement in leaking the outcome of a 2014 ruling in a lengthy statement issued in response to a New York Times report. The court has a 6-3 conservative majority that strongly favors religious rights and frequently rules in favor of conservative Christian interests. Gayle Wright told the Times she did not obtain or pass along any information to Schenck, who has since become a supporter of abortion rights. Chief Justice John Roberts announced in May that he had launched an investigation of the leak but there has been no update since. Meanwhile, liberal members of the court have suggested that the court risks undermining its legitimacy by abruptly unraveling decades of precedent.

☆ A former anti-abortion leader says he was told the decision of the landmark 2014 Hobby Lobby contraception case weeks before the Supreme Court ruling was formally announced: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

An anti-abortion leader said he was told of the Supreme Court's 2014 Hobby Lobby ruling in advance, per The New York Times. According to Schenck, the outcome of the Hobby Lobby case was only known to a very small contingent of individuals. In the letter to Roberts, Schenck spoke of the process in which the revelation about the Hobby Lobby case played out. "As I recall, we talked about the Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, and how they, too, would be interested in this information." Gayle Wright told The Times that she didn't pass on any information about the Hobby Lobby decision in advance.

☆ Former anti-abortion leader alleges Supreme Court leaked another landmark case, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A view of the U.S. Supreme Court building on the first day of the court's new term in Washington, U.S. October 3, 2022. Schenck said the ruling was also shared with a handful of advocates, according to the report. The Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision was a victory for conservatives, much like the Supreme Court's recent 5-4 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the historic ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. in 1973. In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the court ruled that it was a violation of religious freedom for family-owned businesses to be required to pay for insurance that covers contraception. Representatives for the Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts didn't immediately comment.

WASHINGTON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A New York Times report of a former anti-abortion leader's claim that he was told in advance about the outcome of a major 2014 U.S. Supreme Court case involving contraceptives triggered calls on Saturday for an investigation of a court still reeling from the leak of a landmark abortion rights ruling. Rob Schenck was quoted by The Times as saying he was informed weeks before the public announcement of the 2014 ruling shortly after two conservative allies had dinner at the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his wife. Alito said in a statement that any allegation that he or his wife leaked the 2014 decision was "completely false." Alito had called the Roe leak, which was confirmed when the ruling was announced in June, a "grave betrayal." Schenck said one of the Wrights then told him that Alito had authored the Hobby Lobby opinion and that it would be in its favor, The Times said.

"This is the highest preterm birth rate that we've ever recorded," said Dr. Zsakeba Henderson, deputy chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes. Alabama, with a preterm birth rate of 13.1%, is one of the worst ranked states in the country. Wingate has been charged with improving the state's preterm birth rate by improving maternal and fetal health. All had preterm birth rates of at least 11.5%. Only Vermont, with a preterm birth rate of less than 8.1%, scored an A on the March of Dimes report card.

☆ The Visions of Octavia Butler
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lynell George | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +27 min

As a science fiction writer, Butler forged a new path and envisioned bold possibilities. Mural with a portrait of Octavia Butler and her name, composed of dots of various densities in 3-D space. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to be awarded a MacArthur “genius” grant. “‘Kindred’ was a story of ordinary people trapped in fantastic circumstances,” Butler wrote in a 1988 notebook. Her point of view was one not traditionally found in science fiction and, simply by writing, she demanded a larger world.

Sen. Linsey Graham, a Trump ally, told reporters he voted "for change." "I welcome the contest," McConnell told reporters after Scott announced his bid. "I voted for change," he told reporters. Earlier this month during an interview with Fox News host Martha McCallum, Scott denied rumors spread by Trump that Scott "hates" McConnell. So we acquainted our members with the tools they have," McConnell told reporters at the US Capitol, adding, "I think that'll be used more often.

☆ US Customs and Border Protection chief resigns after initially declining Biden administration request to step down
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chris Magnus resigned as chief of Customs and Border Protection on Saturday, per the White House. "Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Senate confirmed Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection over the past year. "We are thankful to Commissioner Magnus for his contributions over the past year and wish him well," Mayorkas wrote in his letter. Magnus, the former police chief in Richmond, Calif., and Tucson, Ariz., had overseen over 60,000 employees who were largely focused on border security and counterterrorism issues. Border security has become a major issue for Biden, with Republicans and even some Democrats needling the administration over the level of undocumented migrants being caught by agents.

☆ Customs and Border Protection chief refusing request to step down, DHS official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — The commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency in charge of border security, is refusing to step down from his job after a request by the Biden administration, an official from the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News. As the head of CBP, Chris Magnus, 62, oversees more than 60,000 employees whose missions focus on counterterrorism, border security and trade enforcement. The Los Angeles Times was first to report the news that Magnus was asked to resign. Magnus has served in the role since Dec. 2021 after being narrowly confirmed by the Senate in a 50-47 mostly party-line vote. He had previously served as chief of police in Tucson, Ariz., from 2016 to 2020, resigning after a civilian died while in police custody.

☆ Some People Are Getting 14 Times the Average Savings Account Rate. Here Are the Best Offers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

By Martha C. WhiteAfter years of earning essentially zilch on your cash, it’s finally possible to see a real return in your savings account. (Capital One 360 Performance Savings remains our pick for Best Overall Savings Account.) Strategies to find the best savings ratesThere are a few places you can search for a savings account that offers high interest—and a couple of caveats to keep in mind. Try an aggregatorSites that aggregate banking offers can be a good place to start your search for a high-yield savings account. With lower overhead than their bricks-and-mortar counterparts, these businesses have more leeway to offer higher rates on deposits.

☆ Gov. Ron DeSantis cruises to re-election, solidifying GOP hold on Florida politics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Ron DeSantis speaks during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Fla. on July 22, 2022. One survey in the nation’s first primary state, New Hampshire, showed the two statistically tied in a primary, but another survey show Trump with a lead. Some Florida polls have also shown DeSantis leading Trump in a one-on-one primary. The poll also showed DeSantis might win a majority of Hispanic voters in Florida, which no Republican governor has done in 20 years. “In that event, Ron has a different set of issues he has to contend with if he wants to run against Trump.”

☆ Cornell frat parties suspended after students reported sex assault, druggings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Frat parties were suspended at Cornell University after at least four students reported being drugged and one described being sexually assaulted at fraternity-affiliated off-campus houses, officials said Monday. The university police department and authorities in the city of Ithaca, where the Ivy League school of nearly 23,000 students is located, are investigating, the statement said. The school statement said the alleged crimes reportedly occurred off-campus at buildings affiliated with registered fraternities. The school officials did not name the fraternities. The statement added that there will be no parties until school staff members and student leaders are confident they can occur safely.

☆ Cornell suspends frat parties and social events after reports of off-campus sexual assault and druggings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Cornell University has suspended all fraternity parties and social events. The decision comes after an alleged sexual assault and four reports of drugging at off-campus locations. In the statement, the university said police and Cornell administrative investigations are underway and the university is providing support services to those impacted. Cornell University Police department referred Insider's questions to the university's media relations department which did not respond before publication. Cornell University Interfraternity Council and the Ithaca Police Department did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ A lawyer for Donald Trump pressured Ron DeSantis not to run for president in 2024: 'Stay in Florida'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Alina Habba, a lawyer for Donald Trump, warned Ron DeSantis against a 2024 bid. "DeSantis is DeSantis because of Trump," Habba said, telling him to "stay in Florida." DeSantis is considered Trump's leading rival for the 2024 GOP nomination. He is up for re-election as Florida governor in Tuesday's midterms, and has a significant lead in most polls, per the data website FiveThirtyEight. During his stint as Florida governor he has become the only Republican whose popularity rivaled Trump's.

Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly is running against Republican Blake Masters in Arizona's high-profile Senate race. Polls closed in Arizona at 7 p.m. local time, or 9 p.m. EST, as freshman Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona faces off against newly-minted Republican candidate Blake Masters in a highly charged race for the state's US Senate seat. Embattled former President Donald Trump endorsed Masters in early June based on Masters' denial of Joe Biden's lawful victory. His opponent, Masters, has raised $12 million, spent $9.4 million, and has $2.6 million of cash still left to spend, as of October 19. Thiel's pro-Masters Saving Arizona PAC, for one, has poured more than $17 million into the race through September.

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake speaks at a get-out-the-vote rally Saturday in Scottsdale. A recent Marist College poll found Lake and Hobbs deadlocked in the final stretch of the nationally watched race. "That’s why I’ve spent the last two years working to lower costs and create better-paying jobs in Arizona." "We're getting pretty sick and tired of politicians who just lie," he went on, suggesting that Kelly "tricked" Arizona voters into thinking he was an independent when he is really a Democrat. Tucson voter Suzy Jacobs, a Democrat, said Masters represents a rising extremism in the Republican Party that she does not want to see control Arizona.

☆ Zac Efron is all flying muscle in first look at upcoming wrestling drama 'Iron Claw'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The image shows him near-horizontal in midair, muscles rippling and hair flying as he delivers the barefooted kick to his unsuspecting rival. Efron will be playing wrestling legend Kevin Von Erich in the film. Family patriarch Fritz Von Erich became a top performer in the industry, trademarking a distinctive finishing move known as “The Iron Claw,” before five of his six sons followed in their father’s footsteps to become wrestlers. Efron will portray Kevin, the last surviving brother, opposite costars Lily James (“Pam & Tommy”) and “The Affair” star Maura Tierney, who will play his mother Doris. “The Iron Claw,” which does not yet have an official release date, comes from writer-director Sean Durkin, whose credits include the 2011 Elizabeth Olsen-starring “Martha Marcy May Marlene.”

It’s those two words that best explain what makes Meet the Press, Meet the Press. Nothing is quite so intimidating or humbling than being introduced as the moderator of Meet the Press — the longest-running show on television. Learn more about "Meet the Press" and explore 75 years of history-making interviews. Watch "Meet the Press," Sunday mornings on NBC. Viewers don’t watch Meet the Press to be on the edge of their seats.

☆ Sen. Cory Booker says that Democratic party has a 'strong pathway' to control Senate despite recent polls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Taylor Ardrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Cory Booker says that Democrats have a strong chance to control the Senate. "The reality is we still have a very strong pathway," Booker told ABC News. During an appearance on ABC's "This Week," host Martha Raddatz asked Booker about a recent FiveThirtyEight poll that predicts that Republicans have a 55% chance of taking control. "That this is the party at the end of the day that's trying to protect fundamental freedoms like the right to control your own body. So I think this a tough elections season ... but I still see a pathway for us to maintain control of the Senate."

☆ Casey DeSantis, Florida's 'co-governor': Rivals, friends, and former colleagues say she's the secret behind husband Ron DeSantis' meteoric rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Lyz Lenz | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Florida's first lady, Casey DeSantis, is a close confidant to her powerful husband, several people told Insider. He added, "We would not see Ron DeSantis outside of press conferences if he did not have a wife and kids." Ron DeSantis began clawing his way into the national spotlight in 2017 as a member of the US House of Representatives. She smiled wryly and said: "Everyone knows my husband, Ron DeSantis, is endorsed by President Trump, but he's also an amazing dad. "Ron DeSantis would be a very good candidate for the St. Johns county commission if he did not have Casey DeSantis in his life," Schorsch said.

☆ Biden came to Florida to help Democratic underdogs, but barely mentioned DeSantis, one of his most vocal critics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis, who frequently criticizes him. Ron DeSantis while campaigning in Florida on Tuesday evening, one week out from Election Day. Earlier in the day, however, Biden called DeSantis "Donald Trump incarnate" during a fundraiser in Golden Beach, Florida. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, in November. Taking the stage on Tuesday, Crist said "Ron DeSantis wants to do to America what he has done to Florida."

☆ Julie Powell, author of "Julie & Julia," dies at 49
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Mirna Alsharif | Mirna Alsharif Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Julie Powell, the food writer best known for her hit memoir "Julie & Julia," has died, her publisher said Tuesday. Powell's "Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously," released in 2005 and based on a series of her blog posts, was a bestselling hit. It chronicled a yearlong journey in which she cooked all 524 recipes in Julia Child's classic cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." The book was adapted into the popular 2009 movie "Julie & Julia," starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Powell. She's written for the New York Times, Bon Appétit and Food and Wine and won the James Beard Award twice.

☆ Fact Check-Postage for mail-in ballots varies per location within Ohio; USPS says it will still deliver ballots with insufficient postage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Postal Service (USPS) has also said they would deliver ballots even if there was insufficient or unpaid postage. While Americans should pay for postage where required, at the time, USPS said it was their policy to deliver return ballots regardless of insufficient or unpaid postage. It is true that in Ohio, voters are responsible for paying for their mail-in ballot’s postage (here). In cases where a voter sends a ballot with insufficient postage, the cost of such missing postage would likely be absorbed by the relevant elections board. Postal Service has said they deliver ballots even if they have insufficient or unpaid postage.

☆ Elon Musk, who runs four other companies, will now be Twitter CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Musk, who also runs rocket company SpaceX, brain-chip startup Neuralink and tunneling firm the Boring Company, fired Twitter's previous chief, Parag Agrawal, and other top company officials last week. Musk had previously changed his Twitter bio to "Chief Twit" in an allusion to his planned move. Twitter on Monday declined comment on how long Musk might remain CEO or appoint someone else. In another filing on Monday, Musk revealed that he became the sole director of Twitter as a result of the takeover. Last week, Musk's takeover of the social media company for $44 billion concluded a months-long saga.

☆ Elon Musk has dissolved Twitter's 9-person board of directors and become its sole director
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk has scrapped Twitter's board of directors. Musk had himself tried to join Twitter's board in the spring before clashing with then-CEO Parag Agrawal. When first outlining his plans for his ownership of Twitter, Musk said he would need to take the company private to make his desired changes. The same evening, Musk also ousted CFO Ned Segal, chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde, and general counsel Sean Edgett, sources told Insider. Musk had himself been set to join Twitter's board before he offered to buy the company, but u-turned after clashing with Agrawal over text.

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