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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In this case, Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh dissented: “A closely-divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Border Patrol agents to cut through or move razor wire Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border as part of an effort by the state to prevent illegal border crossings. The court on a 5-4 vote granted an emergency request filed by the Biden administration, which had argued that Texas was preventing agents from carrying out their duties.”
* Lost at sea: “The Navy on Monday identified two SEALs who were declared dead after they were lost at sea during a nighttime raid near Somalia. Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers, 37, and Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram, 27, were out on the waters on the night of Jan. 11, seizing ‘a vessel illegally transporting advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen,’ according to a Navy statement.”
* Impasse: “American, Qatari, and Egyptian officials continue to push for an agreement that would free an estimated 130 captives believed to remain in Gaza, most likely hidden underground in tunnels or in private homes. Hamas is demanding the permanent halt of fighting, a complete withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including some who carried out the Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli officials.”
* A new Jan. 6 case: “A man who was convicted of manslaughter for killing a civilian while deployed in Iraq nearly 20 years ago has been arrested and charged with assaulting law enforcement officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6.”
* On the anniversary of Roe: “President Joe Biden will convene key members of his Cabinet on Monday to discuss abortion rights on the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling, according to a White House official. The president will ‘hear directly from physicians on the frontlines of the fallout’ since the landmark decision was reversed and detail new actions his administration is taking to strengthen access to contraception and medication abortion, as well as ensuring patients can receive emergency medical care.”
* The right’s anti-trans push has never just been about minors: “Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced proposals this month that transgender advocates say could block access to gender-affirming care provided by independent clinics and general practitioners, leaving thousands of adults scrambling for treatment and facing health risks.”
* Third Circuit Court of Appeals: "A U.S. Senate panel on Thursday narrowly advanced the nomination of Adeel Mangi to become the nation’s first Muslim American federal appeals court judge, after Democrats accused Republican senators of subjecting him to 'blatantly Islamophobic lines of questioning and insinuations.'”
See you tomorrow.