Daily News Digest

The latest news on Gun ban overturned, Campaign finance, War funding, McCain and social conservatives, Midwest floods, African-American survey, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Gaza, Climate change, Editorials, and Commentary.

+ Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »

Gun ban overturned. Justices Reject D.C. Ban On Handgun Ownership "The Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handgun possession and decided for the first time in the nation's history that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to own a gun for self-defense." Landmark Ruling Enshrines Right to Own Guns "The landmark ruling overturned the District of Columbia ban on handguns, the strictest gun-control law in the country, and appeared certain to usher in a new round of litigation over gun rights throughout the country." Supreme Court affirms gun rights "The Supreme Court ruled for the first time that the 2nd Amendment explicitly protects Americans' right to own guns for self-defense -- resolving one of the Constitution's oldest disputes and reviving the debate over gun rights, crime and violence."

Historic Decision Renews Old Debate "With yesterday's decision, the Supreme Court pushed the gun issue back to the forefront of the nation's agenda, opening a new chapter in what has been one of the most contentious and divisive debates in American politics for the past four decades." What's next after Supreme Court's gun decision? "The Supreme Court's landmark decision striking down the District of Columbia's gun ban will have wide-ranging legal, political and public safety consequences." Coming Next, Court Fights on Guns in Cities "The legal battlegrounds will be cities with ordinances similar to Washington's essentially complete ban, most notably Chicago." Gun ruling galvanizes groups "Within minutes of the Supreme Court ruling overturning the District's gun ban, leaders of the National Rifle Association began work on legal challenges against gun restrictions in Chicago and San Francisco, while gun-control groups said the decision would only strengthen their efforts."

Campaign finance. Supreme Court strikes down 'millionaire's amendment' "By 5-4, the court ruled that Congress went too far when it loosened fundraising restraints for politicians facing millionaires who invest in their own campaigns." High Court Deals Blow To Campaign Finance Law "The Supreme Court dealt another blow to the landmark 2002 campaign finance law crafted by Sens. John McCain and Russell Feingold, declaring unconstitutional a provision that eased fundraising restrictions for political candidates running against wealthy opponents who were bankrolling their own bids for federal office."

War funding. Senate Passes Broad War Funding Measure "In a 92 to 6 vote, the Senate approved unrestricted funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that allows continuation of the current military course of action through the end of President Bush's term and beyond." Congress passes Iraq war spending bill "The package, approved 92-6, includes a doubling of GI Bill college benefits for troops and veterans. It also provides a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits and $2.7 billion in emergency flood relief for the Midwest."

McCain and social conservatives. McCain makes his pitch to Ohio base "John McCain acknowledged that he still has work to do to energize his Ohio base, but he said he expects the support of the conservative and evangelical voters who helped President Bush carry the Buckeye State in 2004." McCain seeks to reassure conservatives in Ohio "Sen. John McCain, who has struggled to win the trust of evangelical voters, met privately in Ohio with several influential social conservatives who have been critical of him -- and impressed them, while telling them only some of what they wanted to hear."

Midwest floods. Levee breaks, threatening eastern Mo. homes "The National Weather Service says a corner of an earthen levee has broken, and officials say the leak will "ultimately inundate" part of an eastern Missouri town." As floodwaters recede in the Midwest, anger rises "As an early tally of damage reaches billions of dollars, some towns say the federal government in years past turned its back on their pleas for help building or bolstering flood protection barriers."

African-American survey. Sweeping study finds blacks in U.S. diverse, optimistic "The digital divide between blacks and whites is fast disappearing. The hip-hop generation, often portrayed as rebellious, has tremendous respect for its elders. Prejudice persists, but most blacks are optimistic about their future. Those are among the findings of one of the largest surveys ever taken of black Americans; it is to be released today."

Zimbabwe . Zimbabweans told they must vote in runoff "With longtime incumbent Robert Mugabe continuing to campaign despite his opponent's withdrawal, Zimbabwean voters were warned of violent repercussions if they fail to vote in today's presidential runoff." Mugabe using force to raise turnout in one-man election, critics say "President Robert Mugabe may be the only candidate contesting Friday's internationally condemned election in Zimbabwe, but opposition party officials said that militias loyal to him have threatened people across the country: Show up to vote or else." Complex Ties Lead Ally Not to Condemn Mugabe "Mr. Mbeki's policy, typically called "quiet diplomacy," is built on the staunch conviction that his special bond with Mr. Mugabe can resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe through patient negotiations,"

North Korea . North Korea destroys reactor tower "North Korea demolished a cooling tower for its main nuclear reactor in a televised spectacle designed to display its sincerity about dismantling its weapons program." N Korea demolishes reactor tower "The move comes a day after the isolated state handed over long-awaited details of its programme, but no account of the weapons many fear it has stockpiled." Bush Rebuffs Hard-Liners to Ease North Korean CurbsIn the internal Bush administration war between the State Department and Mr. Cheney's office over North Korea, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her top North Korea envoy, Christopher R. Hill, won a major battle against the Cheney camp."

Gaza. Israel allows Gaza fuel supplies "Israel has allowed fuel into the Gaza Strip, but kept border crossings closed to all other goods after a Palestinian rocket fire violated a truce." Truce Is Strained as Militants Launch Rockets and Israel Keeps Goods Out of Gaza "A barely week-old truce between Israel and the Hamas rulers of Gaza frayed further on Thursday when Palestinian militants launched two rockets against Israel, and Israel prevented goods from entering Gaza for a second day."

Climate change. Tony Blair: G8 must bridge chasm on climate change "Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Blair said his new report, Breaking the Climate Deadlock, was "designed to be a practical way through; not yet another campaigning polemic to wake the world up to the challenges of global warming." Exclusive: No ice at the North Pole "It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year." Study: Global warming chases plants uphill "Faced with global warming, plants are heading for the hills. A study of 171 forest species in Western Europe shows that most of them are shifting their favored locations to higher, cooler spots."

Editorials.

Repeal the 2nd Amendment (Chicago Tribune) "On Tuesday, five members of the court edited the 2nd Amendment. In essence, they said: Scratch the preamble, only 14 words count. In doing so, they have curtailed the power of the legislatures and the city councils to protect their citizens."

Lock and Load (New York Times) "In a radical break from 70 years of Supreme Court precedent, Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, declared that the Second Amendment guarantees individuals the right to bear arms for nonmilitary uses, even though the amendment clearly links the right to service in a "militia."

Handguns Supreme (Washington Post) "IT IS deeply disappointing, though not surprising, that the Supreme Court yesterday struck down the District's gun laws after finding that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms."

Commentary.

The D.C. Handgun Ruling (E. J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) "In knocking down the District's 32-year-old ban on handgun possession, the conservatives on the Supreme Court have again shown their willingness to abandon precedent in order to do whatever is necessary to further the agenda of the contemporary political right."

America's 21st-century gun right (Cass Sunstein, Boston Globe) "FOR THE FIRST time in the nation's history, the US Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment creates an individual right to possess guns for nonmilitary purposes."