News Wrap: Iowa Supreme Court upholds 6-week abortion ban

In our news wrap Friday, Iowa’s Supreme Court is allowing a law that bans most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, Iran voters cast their ballots for a new president, choosing between three hard-liners and one reformist candidate and the Pentagon announced the temporary pier it built off Gaza has been removed once again amid rough seas.
Geoff Bennett:
Iowa’s Supreme Court is letting a law go into effect that bans most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.
The decision removes a lower court’s temporary block on the measure, which was passed with only Republican support last year. There are exceptions for rape, incest, or if the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother; 14 states now have near-total abortion bans, and three others ban abortions after six weeks.
The former police chief for schools in Uvalde, Texas, failed to identify the 2022 attack at Robb Elementary School as an active shooting. That’s according to an indictment unsealed today. Pete Arredondo was arrested and released last night. He faces 10 felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child.
The indictment said Arredondo slowed down the response when he directed law enforcement officers to evacuate the wing before confronting the shooter. Security footage shows officers retreating as gunfire could be heard down the hall; 19 students and two teachers were killed.
In Iran, voters cast their ballots today for a new president. The snap elections were called to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last month. Voters are choosing from a tightly controlled group of four candidates loyal to Iran’s supreme leader at a time of growing frustration.
But voters are still making their voices heard.
Azam Fakhimi, Iranian Voter (through interpreter):
Unfortunately, some people think that the president has already been selected, but we must vote. If I don’t vote, someone else would vote, and the candidate who is not the best might be elected, unfortunately. That would harm the Iranian nation.
Geoff Bennett:
A final result is expected this weekend. If no candidate receives a clear majority, the top two finishers will advance to a run-off on July 5.
The Pentagon announced today that the temporary pier it built off Gaza has been removed once again amid rough seas and provided no timeline for its return. The pier started operating in may to increase aid deliveries. Just days later, it was damaged by rough seas and taken down for repairs. The pier was reinstalled earlier this month, but humanitarian groups have since suspended distributions, citing security concerns.
That’s left supplies piling up at a distribution point on the beach. The Pentagon official said today that resuming pier operations could depend on freeing up that backlog.
Sabrina Singh, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary:
If there’s not enough room on the marshaling yard, then it doesn’t make sense to put our men and women out there when there’s nothing to move. But we do need to see that marshaling yard open up to allow for aid groups to continue that distribution so that we can get more aid in.
Geoff Bennett:
Meantime, the IDF released video today of tanks pushing further into Northern Gaza and troops operating in the southern city of Rafah. Palestinian officials say tank shelling there killed at least 11 people today.
The Biden administration will expand temporary protected status to more than 300,000 Haitians already living in the U.S. The program gives work permits and protections from deportation to those fleeing conflict or disasters. The designation lasts six to 18 months and can be extended. More than 260,000 Haitians are already in the U.S. under the program. Ongoing gang and criminal activity has left Haiti increasingly dangerous.
The U.N. says more than five million Haitians are facing severe food insecurity and more than half-a-million have been displaced.
NASA said today that the first two astronauts to travel aboard Boeing’s Starliner to the International Space Station will stay up there for a couple of weeks longer. Engineers will use that time to investigate the craft’s thruster issues, which have already delayed the return trip multiple times.
Woman:
Lots of cheering here in the room. Big hugs.
Geoff Bennett:
Veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams celebrated a successful docking with the ISS on June 6. They were due to stay on board for only about a week.
And on Wall Street today, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 45 points, the Nasdaq fell more than 120 points on the day. The S&P 500 also ended lower.