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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Today’s other big 6-3 ruling: “The Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a website designer who wants to deny her services for same-sex weddings, though no one is asking her to provide such a service.”
* And speaking of SCOTUS: “The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a challenge to a constitutional amendment adopted by the state of Mississippi during the racist Jim Crow era aimed at preventing Black people from voting. The justices left in place a law barring certain felons from voting, which the state says is no longer tainted by the racist intentions of its original authors because it has subsequently been updated on two occasions.”
* Encouraging inflation data: “Inflation pressures eased slightly in May as consumer spending slowed considerably, according to a Commerce Department report released Friday. The personal consumption expenditures price index, a number closely watched by the Federal Reserve, increased 0.3% for the month when excluding food and energy, a number that was in line with the Dow Jones estimate. So-called core PCE increased 4.6% from a year ago, 0.1 percentage point less than expected.”
* A scary story about Taylor Taranto: “A Trump supporter who stormed the Capitol wearing a ‘Make Space Great Again’ hat had two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van when he was arrested Thursday near former President Barack Obama’s home, federal authorities said Friday.”
* An expected court ruling: “A federal judge on Thursday sharply rejected Donald Trump’s claim of ‘presidential immunity’ to fend off a defamation lawsuit from the writer E. Jean Carroll, ruling that Trump’s disparaging comments about Carroll in 2019 had no legitimate connection to his duties as president.”
* In Brazil: “Brazilian election officials on Friday blocked former President Jair Bolsonaro from seeking public office until 2030, removing a top contender from the next presidential contest and dealing a significant blow to the country’s far-right movement.”
* The alleged mishandling of classified information sure is in the news a lot lately: “The Biden administration’s special envoy for Iran has been placed on unpaid leave and had his security clearance suspended pending a review of allegations he may have mishandled classified information, U.S. officials said Thursday.”
* Quite a story: “A Virginia sheriff who prosecutors say offered police badges and gun permits in exchange for payments or political contributions has been indicted on bribery charges.”
Have a safe weekend.