A bipartisan compromise on same-sex marriage

The US Senate enshrines same-sex marriage protections into law; NATO vows to help support Ukraine through a harsh winter.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

The Senate passes landmark same-sex marriage protections

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

• The Senate passed landmark federal protections for same-sex marriage on Tuesday, reflecting how far Congress and Americans have come on marriage equality. [Vox / Li Zhou]
• A bipartisan group of senators, including 12 Republicans, voted 61-36 to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which requires states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages. [New York Times / Annie Karni]
• The bill’s passage comes after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas suggested revisiting gay marriage in a concurring opinion striking down federal abortion rights. [Washington Post / Liz Goodwin]
• While the measure does not require all states to marry same-sex couples, it would protect same-sex unions if the Supreme Court overturned same-sex marriage. [Associated Press / Mary Clare Jalonick]
• The bill now heads to the House, where it’s expected to pass next week, after which President Joe Biden will sign it into law. [CNN / Ali Zaslav and Ted Barrett]

NATO rallies for Ukraine

• NATO pledged additional support for Ukraine amid a wave of Russian missile attacks that have devastated the country’s energy infrastructure. [AP / Stephen McGrath, Lorne Cook, and Ellen Knickmeyer]
• At a Tuesday meeting with NATO officials, the US announced $53 million to help Ukraine repair its energy grid as millions brace for winter without heat. [NYT /Edward Wong and Steven Erlanger]
• Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO stands by Ukraine’s future membership while urging more military support. [WSJ / Isabel Coles]
• Meanwhile, the European Union is working to establish an international court to investigate Russia for targeting civilians and other suspected war crimes. [Reuters]

📍 If you read just one story

Vox’s Jen Kirby explains how Russian missile strikes have destroyed energy infrastructure across Ukraine. [Vox / Jen Kirby]

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Democrats elected Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) House minority leader on Wednesday. He becomes the first Black House leader. [Vox / Li Zhou]

• A jury found Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes guilty of seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol and for blocking the peaceful transition of power. [CNN]
• The Biden administration will provide $75 million to help three Native tribes in Washington and Alaska move from areas impacted by climate change. [NYT / Christopher Flavelle]
• Researchers have found the first drug that slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease — but it comes with side effects. [BBC / James Gallagher]

“It’s a relief. It doesn’t go as far as the Obergefell decision, but it’s a step in the right direction when you consider the threat of this Supreme Court.”

[Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) on the Senate bill / Vox]

The rebirth of industrial policy

Vox senior correspondent Dylan Matthews sits down with Felicia Wong (@FeliciaWongRI), president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute.  They discuss the theory of modern supply-side economics, the passage of the Inflation Reduction and CHIPS acts, and how much common ground exists between the political left and the right.

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