Leaked abortion draft opinion, Russia's next moves, Midwest primaries: 5 things to know Tuesday

Editors
·5 min read

Leaked draft of Supreme Court Roe v. Wade opinion shocks Washington, nation

Shockwaves were still being felt Tuesday in Washington and across the U.S. after a draft Supreme Court opinion published by Politico Monday suggested the court is considering a decision that would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. The stunning leak of a draft opinion, which USA TODAY could not independently verify, set off an unexpected firestorm around one of the nation's most divisive culture war issues and simultaneously raised questions about the court's deliberations and its ability to keep those discussions secret. "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the draft obtained by Politico. "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled." Within hours of the leaked report, throngs began to congregate in front of the high court in Washington to celebrate and condemn what would be a politically seismic ruling. A crowd gathered late Monday and remained there early Tuesday.

'Weaker' Russian military may push toward annexing parts of Ukraine

The British military said Tuesday on Twitter that it believes the Russian military is now "significantly weaker, both materially and conceptually" after suffering losses in its war on Ukraine. It added that, "Recovery from this will be exacerbated by sanctions." The statement from the British comes amidst the possibility that Russia may try to abduct local mayors in Ukraine's eastern region and install Kremlin "puppets" in the latest phase of the war. A top State Department official said Monday the strategy would be part of a push toward annexing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine and to "engineer a referendum" about having those areas join Russia. Dmitri Alperovitch of public policy nonprofit Silverado Policy Accelerator said the focus in Ukraine's south and east is the last major offensive Russia's military can undertake for a while. This phase of the war, Alperovitch said, is likely to end "one way or another" in the next four to five weeks.

Trump looms over Republican Senate primary in Ohio

Ohio Republicans will select their Senate nominee Tuesday in a race to succeed retiring Rob Portman. Seven candidates are vying for the nomination: former state treasurer Josh Mandel, "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance, investment banker Mike Gibbons, former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, state Sen. Matt Dolan, and businessmen Mark Pukita and Neil Patel. Vance is the favorite to win after nabbing Donald Trump's endorsement; he jumped in the most recent Fox News poll from a distant third to leading the pack, though about a quarter of voters still are undecided. But that hasn't stopped Vance's rivals from trying to sell themselves as the "Trump candidate." Ohio is one of two states holding its primary Tuesday. Indiana, Ohio's neighbor to the west, is the other.

Severe storms, tornadoes expected in central US throughout the week

More wild weather is on tap for Tuesday. Cities such as Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, could both see severe weather as the storm risk area shifts into the Ohio Valley region. Yet another severe weather outbreak is likely on Wednesday and Thursday with severe storms in the forecast from the southern Plains through the southern U.S., the National Weather Service said. On top of the severe weather threat, the Storm Prediction Center issued a "critical risk" of fire weather over the southern Rockies. That threat is due to gusty winds, dry fuels and low relative humidity. Authorities were encouraged by a forecast for Tuesday of improving humidity and shifting winds. Still, the blaze in New Mexico is expected to keep growing, putting it on track to possibly be one of the largest and most destructive fires in the state’s recorded history.

Celebrate your favorite educators on Teacher Appreciation Day

Take time to shout-out the important educators in your life Tuesday, which is Teacher Appreciation Day, also known as National Teacher Day. The National Education Association says National Teacher Day is "a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives." National Teacher Day originated as an idea by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1953 when she pleaded to Congress that there needed to be a day when teachers were recognized, according to School Specialty. Despite receiving congressional support, the first National Teacher Day did not occur until March 7, 1980.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Leaked abortion draft opinion, Russia's next moves: 5 things to know Tuesday