Decision

• Supreme Court가 Voting Rights Act를 무력화하는 판결을 내린 지 불과 하루 만에 해당 주의 주지사와 검찰총장이 midterm 2026 primaries 연기에 착수 • Supreme Court 판결 이후 각 주들이 구역을 재획정하기 위해 서두르는 가운데 Louisiana는 primaries를 연기 • Louisiana 검찰총장 Liz Murrill과 공화당 주지사 Jeff Landry의 성명 중 일부:

• 대법원이 Voting Rights Act(투표권법)를 사실상 무력화함에 따라, 앨라배마의 흑인 의석을 대표하는 두 의원의 의석 유지 여부가 불투명해졌으며, 해당 의원들은 이번 결정이 미국을 “퇴보”하게 만드는 것이라고 말했습니다. • 수요일에 내려진 Louisiana v Callais 사건의 6 대 3 판결은 Voting Rights Act의 핵심 조항을 약화시켰으며, 이로 인해 공화당이 남부 전역의 소수자 다수 의석(majority-minority districts)을 없앨 수 있는 길이 열렸습니다. 이에 따라 Terri Sewell 의원과 Shomari Figures 의원이 위기에 처하게 되었습니다.

• 이번 탈퇴는 사우디아라비아의 위신에 타격을 주며, 지역 내 미국의 영향력을 강화할 수 있습니다. • 아랍에미리트(UAE)의 Opec 탈퇴 결정은 비즈니스적 결정인 동시에 정치적 결정이며, 이는 UAE와 사우디아라비아 간의 잠재적 갈등을 다시 점화시킬 것입니다. 그동안 양국은 미국과 이스라엘의 테헤란 공격 이후 걸프 국가들에 가해진 이란의 공격에 대해 공동의 분노를 느끼며 이러한 갈등을 덮어왔습니다. • 단기적으로 1967년 가입했던 이 석유 생산 카르텔을 떠남으로써, UAE는 장기적인 공급 제한 전망에 빠르게 대응하고 이익을 극대화할 수 있는 자유를 얻게 됩니다. 하지만 생산 쿼터를 둘러싼 UAE와 사우디 간의 긴장은 오래전부터 지속되어 왔기에, 이는 UAE가 이전에도 고려해 온 결정입니다. 계속 읽기...

River ecologist says ‘classic bureaucratic tangle’ led to government agency stopping flows to Gwydir wetlands region in March Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA leading scientist has criticised an “appalling” New South Wales government agency decision to stop water flowing to wetlands in the state’s north-west, saying it was “absolutely crazy” that researchers had to scramble to save animals buried in drying mud.Guardian Australia reported on Saturday that turtles, waterbirds, frogs and sheep had died after Water NSW abruptly stopped flows to the Gwydir wetlands region near Moree in March. Continue reading...

Guardian investigation uncovers decision by UK security officials to deny clearance before Mandelson took up role as US ambassadorOfficials debate withholding Mandelson vetting documents from parliamentFive key questions: Who overruled the decision to deny Mandelson security clearance?Peter Mandelson failed his security vetting clearance but the decision was overruled by the Foreign Office to ensure he could take up his post as ambassador to the US, an investigation by the Guardian can reveal.According to multiple sources, Mandelson was initially denied clearance in late January 2025 after a developed vetting process, a highly confidential background check by security officials. Continue reading...

• Ben Jealous has publicly opposed the NAACP board's decision to terminate his leadership, characterizing the move as "disheartening" and signaling his intent to challenge the removal. • The termination represents internal conflict within the nation's oldest civil rights organization over strategic direction and governance. • The leadership dispute within the NAACP reflects broader debates within civil rights organizations about activism, funding, and political alignment.

• A Fred Hutch Cancer Center graduate student presented over 25,000 measurements of influenza-fighting antibodies to WHO scientists via videoconference last fall. • The dataset, published in Virus Evolution, offers near real-time tracking of human immune responses to current flu strains, improving seasonal vaccine composition. • This method addresses gaps in traditional surveillance, potentially enhancing vaccine effectiveness against evolving viruses.

• A March 26 SCOTUSblog outside opinion by Neil Weare examines a Supreme Court ruling that permitted a president to redefine birthright citizenship, highlighting judicial deference in constitutional matters. • The piece critiques the court's approach to executive overreach on a core 14th Amendment right, drawing parallels to historical citizenship disputes. • It argues the decision sets a precedent for future policy changes via executive action without robust judicial checks.

Change is on offer across the political spectrum, but no one knows whether apathy or tactical voting will prevailUK politics live – latest updatesHope, change, progressive change, change with fairness at its heart – from a harbour north of Edinburgh to a hipster arts venue in Glasgow’s Barras Market, Scotland’s political parties spent the first official day of the Holyrood election campaign reaching for the phrase that best encapsulates what people will get if they vote for them on 7 May.Only one of the main parties did not hold an event to set out their stall on Thursday: possibly Reform UK was too busy firefighting after another of their Scottish parliament candidates quit, bringing to four the number who have stepped down or been suspended since they stood with party leader Nigel Farage under a storm of turquoise confetti last week. Continue reading...

Rule change follows high court challenge brought by two doctors prevented from working in specialist fieldsDoctors who have been prevented from working in the NHS while they wait for asylum decisions are celebrating after the Home Office agreed to lift the ban. The changes come into force on Thursday.The changes to the immigration rules follow a high court challenge by two specialist doctors who had the relevant qualifications to work for the NHS but were prevented from taking up work. Doctors who have a break in their practice can quickly become deskilled. Until now, the ban has remained in place despite shortages of doctors and other healthcare professionals in some parts of the NHS. Continue reading...

• Rising yields across US and international bond markets reflect growing inflation expectations stemming from the energy shock caused by the Iran-US conflict, with 10-year gilts rising 14 basis points. • Market participants are increasingly betting on a Federal Reserve rate hike later this year as inflation anchoring concerns mount amid geopolitical disruptions to energy supplies. • The bond market deterioration follows Friday's significant equity selloff and signals potential monetary policy tightening ahead, with the Fed focused on ensuring inflation expectations remain anchored despite external supply shocks.

Barrister who represented Indigenous Palm Island community says appointing Darren Robinson to the Legal Aid board is a ‘slap in the face to the family of Mulrunji Doomadgee’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA barrister who acted for Mulrunji Doomadgee’s family says it is “unacceptable” for a former police officer criticised for his conduct in investigating the 2004 death in custody to serve on the state’s Legal Aid board.Andrew Boe represented Doomadgee’s family and the Palm Island community council at an aborted coronial inquest in 2005 and then in subsequent inquests in 2006 and 2010. Continue reading...

Lawsuit says rescission of endangerment finding – which ruled greenhouse gases threaten public health – was illegalSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA coalition of 24 states, alongside a dozen cities and counties, has sued the Trump administration over its decision to revoke the bedrock scientific determination underpinning virtually all US climate regulations.The new lawsuit, filed in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Thursday, is being led by the states of Massachusetts, California, New York and Connecticut. It argues that the Environmental Protection Agency’s February rescission of the 2009 endangerment finding – which the White House described as the “single largest deregulatory action in US history” – was illegal. Continue reading...

• A federal judge on Monday blocked HHS from implementing vaccine policy changes made by RFK Jr.'s revamped CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), reversing all recent decisions. • The ruling leaves unresolved the status of the RSV vaccine for infants, potentially making it no longer free for children who need it, as its inclusion was authorized by the current advisers. • Public health experts are scrambling to understand ramifications, with health groups concerned about unintended harms and weakened vaccination recommendations for hepatitis B and COVID-19.

• US stock indexes opened lower on March 18, 2026, following accelerated Producer Price Index (PPI) data for February, with Russell 2000 down 0.84%, Dow Jones -0.42%, S&P 500 -0.28%, and Nasdaq -0.23%. • The Cboe Volatility Index rose 3.76% to 23.21, while US 10-year Treasury yield increased 2.2 basis points to 4.224%, and gold futures fell nearly 3% to $4,860.40. • Investors await Federal Reserve's afternoon decision expected to keep rates steady but provide economic insights amid inflation concerns and Iran conflict escalation.

• U.S. stocks ended higher on March 17, with the Dow Jones up 0.1% to 46,993.26, S&P 500 up 0.25% to 6,716.09, and Nasdaq up 0.47% to 22,479.53. • Energy sector led gains at 1.02% amid oil surge tied to Middle East tensions, while health care lagged down 0.92%. • Investors await Federal Reserve policy guidance from its latest meeting, boosting market sentiment despite volatility.

• The Federal Reserve opened a two-day monetary policy meeting this week with a rate decision expected Wednesday, as officials evaluate the impact of surging oil prices and Middle East conflict on inflation trajectories. • Uncertainty around geopolitical fallout is deepening divisions within the central bank over the interest rate path forward; officials are widely expected to leave rates unchanged on Wednesday despite elevated crude prices. • Rising oil and gasoline prices are weighing on earnings estimates and consumer spending forecasts, creating additional complexity for Fed policymakers balancing inflation and growth concerns.

• NATO leaders have called on President Trump to reverse his decision to suspend sanctions on Russian oil as the Iran conflict creates energy market volatility. • The call reflects concerns among European allies that easing Russian oil sanctions could destabilize energy markets further while undermining coordinated Western policy on Russia. • The disagreement between Trump and NATO allies over Russian sanctions policy during the Iran crisis highlights geopolitical divisions among Western nations at a critical moment.

EU leaders criticized President Trump's March 13, 2026, decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, estimating it could provide Moscow with $10 billion for its Ukraine war efforts. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called the move a direct boost to Russia's 'war machine' amid ongoing Middle East escalations. The policy shift exacerbates transatlantic tensions as Poland's President Duda vetoed EU defense loan access. Analysts warn it risks prolonging conflicts on multiple fronts.