Daily Briefing: 'Ghost guns' on the 'shadow docket'

The Supreme Court is reinstating a regulation aimed at reining in the proliferation of firearms without serial numbers, called ghost guns. Also in the news: Three men have been charged with assault following a brawl that broke out on a dock in Alabama and went viral. Voters in Ohio rejected a GOP-backed proposal that would have made it tougher to protect abortion rights.

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Now, here we go with Wednesday's news.

Supreme Court backs Biden's tougher federal rules on 'ghost guns'

A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday backed a Biden administration effort to regulate “ghost guns,” temporarily allowing the government to require manufacturers of the untraceable weapon kits to conduct background checks on customers and mark their products with serial numbers. Biden last year required companies selling parts that can be assembled into guns to adhere to the same rules as other gunmakers. The Supreme Court's ruling arrived on its "shadow docket," where such emergency cases are handled. The court did not decide whether the rule is legal. Rather, the court allowed regulation to stand while the case continues. Read more

Voters reject Issue 1 in Ohio special election

Ohio voters rejected a ballot measure in Tuesday's highly charged special election that would have made it more difficult to change the state's constitution. The vote is a blow to Ohio Republicans who wanted to hamstring a November ballot question on abortion rights. Republicans pushed for the election to try and preempt the ballot question that would enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution. The higher threshold required would have made it difficult, if not impossible, for the November proposal to succeed, based on polling figures. Read more

• A Texas judge sided with women who were denied abortions after dangerous pregnancies.

More news to know now

• Ron DeSantis ousted his campaign manager as he trails Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.

• Sacramento's mayor traded barbs with the DA over an ''unprecedented'' homelessness crisis.

• July was the globe's hottest month on record.

• The Perseid meteor shower is this week. Here's a visual guide on where, when and how to see it.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, a look ahead to the first Republican debate. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

World watches Montgomery riverfront brawl

A video taking over social media shows an incident on an Alabama dock where an employee argued with several people about a pontoon boat blocking the space needed to park a riverboat.

The brawl began Saturday night when Damien Pickett, the co-captain of an Alabama River cruise ship, the Harriott II, tried to dock at its designated spot but was blocked by a private boat.

• A different boat picked up Pickett and brought him to the pier so he could try to talk to the owners of the private boat to allow the Harriott II to dock and its 227 passengers to disembark, officials said.

• Several people associated with the private boat attacked Pickett after they exchanged words for several minutes, police said.

• It's an incident that's taken on a life of its own, with the online video creating odd comparisons to events like the Boston Tea Party.

Thousands of Los Angeles city workers stage a 24-hour strike

Thousands of city workers in Los Angeles abandoned their jobs Tuesday in a one-day strike, calling attention to their claims of unfair labor practices and what they say is the city's unwillingness to bargain in good faith. The strike is the first work stoppage for employees in America's second-largest city in more than 40 years. About 11,000 city workers for SEIU Local 721, including sanitation workers, heavy-duty mechanics and engineers at the Los Angeles International Airport, custodians at public schools and lifeguards staged the walkout and took to picket lines early Tuesday. Read more

• Biden will reinstate a labor rule shelved by Reagan, giving construction workers a pay boost.

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• At this lab, the secrets of the atom — and the universe — are being discovered.

• Koi fish, bananas and puppies: How smugglers bring illegal drugs into the US.

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Tory Lanez sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion

Rapper Tory Lanez asked the judge for mercy just before he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. Tuesday brought an end to a dramatic trial that created a cultural firestorm in the hip-hop community, churning up issues including the reluctance of Black victims to speak to police, gender politics in hip-hop, online toxicity, protecting Black women and the ramifications of misogynoir, a particular brand of misogyny Black women experience. In a written statement Monday, Megan Thee Stallion said she has suffered daily since Lanez shot her in the feet three years ago. Read more

Quick hits

• Taylor Swift leads the VMA nominations and could make history as the most awarded artist in MTV history.

• Review: Meryl Streep keeps ''Only Murders in the Building'' alive for Season 3.

• $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot winning ticket sold in Florida.

• After the USWNT's 2023 World Cup loss, self-proclaimed patriots show hate for an American team.

• MLB announcers expressed outrage after reports of the Orioles suspending TV voice Kevin Brown.

• Use a different address for your kid's school placement? In some states you’ve committed a crime.

Photo of the day: Biden designates new national monument on tribal lands near the Grand Canyon

President Joe Biden announced a new national monument north and south of Grand Canyon National Park on Tuesday to preserve Native American cultural sites and protect the region from new uranium mining, the administration confirmed. Read more

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Ghost guns,' Ohio election, abortion, Montgomery brawl, Los Angeles strike, Tory Lanez, Megan Thee Stallion: Daily Briefing