Biden to codify Roe if Dems keep Congress

Biden promises to enshrine abortion rights into federal law; Russian airstrikes trigger blackouts across Ukraine.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Biden promises abortion law if Dems control Congress

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

• Tuesday, President Joe Biden promised to codify abortion rights into law if Democrats maintain control of the legislature in the upcoming midterm elections. [Associated Press / Seung Min Kim]
• Democrats need to keep control of the House and add to their majority in the Senate to make good on Biden’s promise. They appear unlikely to do so, based on current polling. [Politico / Christopher Cadelago and Alice Miranda Ollstein]
• At least 14 states have banned most abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June — though some bans currently face court challenges. [New York Times / Alan Rappeport]
• Residents of eight states could see more abortion rights restrictions depending on the outcome of state midterm elections. [Vox / Nicole Narea]
• It’s unclear how much Biden’s pledge will motivate voters; recent polling suggests persistent inflation and the economy are top concerns. [CNN / MJ Lee, Jeremy Diamond, and Kevin Liptak]

Russian missiles destroy Ukraine power stations

• Russian missile strikes destroyed critical energy infrastructure across Ukraine on Tuesday, cutting electricity and water supply for hundreds of thousands of people. [AP / Hanna Arhirova]
• Since last week, Russia has fired hundreds of missiles at civilian targets in Ukraine. The Kremlin claims the attacks are retaliation for Kyiv destroying a bridge from Crimea to Russia. [Vox / Daniel Drezner]
• Kyiv and the West accused Russia of using the strikes to intimidate Ukrainian civilians as winter approaches. [Reuters / Max Hunder and Jonathan Landay]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes had destroyed a third of the country’s power stations. Energy workers are rationing electricity supply to ensure the grid continues to work. [The Hill / Brad Dress]

📍 If you read just one story

Vox’s Jen Kirby explains why Vladimir Putin’s barrage of missile attacks across Ukraine might not change the war outcome for Russia. [Vox / Jen Kirby]

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Amazon workers at an Albany, New York, warehouse have voted 406-206 against forming a union. [Vox / Jason Del Rey]

• Using hair-straightening chemicals can lead to an increased risk of developing uterine cancer for some women, according to a study released Monday. [Washington Post / Adela Suliman]
• A French cement company agreed to pay nearly $780 million in fines after pleading guilty to making payments to the Islamic State and other terrorist groups. [Reuters / Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld]
• Police in Florida arrested a man in the killings of four bicyclists found shot and dismembered in an Oklahoma river last week. [NBC News / David K. Li]

“The first bill I will send to the Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade. And when Congress passes it, I’ll sign it in January, 50 years after Roe was first decided the law of the land.”

[President Joe Biden, promising to enshrine federal abortion rights / CNN]

The most interesting issues on the ballot

Midterm elections are three weeks away, and candidates aren’t the only ones on the ballot. Voters across the country will decide new laws and policy through ballot initiatives.  But how do these issues get on the ballot in the first place, and will they stay there? Vox policy editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson) explains.

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