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1 Biden Signs Executive Order On Abortion Travel
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at helping women cross state borders to get abortions, the second executive order the President has signed since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision. The new order directs the Department of Health and Human Services to “consider” allowing Medicaid funds to be used to assist people traveling between states to get abortions, and also directs the department to ensure that health care providers comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. The order signing came one day after voters in Kansas overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have removed abortion protection language from the state’s constitution.
2 Senate Votes To Support Finland, Sweden Joining NATO
The United States Senate moved Finland and Sweden one step closer to joining NATO on Wednesday evening with a 95-1 vote in favor of the two countries joining the alliance. The lone “no” vote came from Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley; Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted “present.” The vote comes several weeks after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved admitting the two countries into NATO, who announced their decision to formally join the alliance within days of each other in May, ending their long-held positions of neutrality. All 30 NATO members must ratify the two countries before they can be admitted; seven countries still must vote, including Greece, Spain, and Portugal.
3 Rep. Jackie Walorski Killed In Car Crash
Republican Representative Jackie Walorski of Indiana was killed in a car crash on Wednesday, along with two of her aides. Sheriff Jeff Siegel said Walorski was in an SUV traveling southbound when it was hit head-on by another vehicle, killing her, her district director Zachery Potts, and her communications director Emma Thomson. Authorities say the sole passenger of the other car involved in the crash was also pronounced dead at the scene. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to fly at half-staff, and flags at the White House will also be flown at half-staff through today in Walorski’s memory. Tributes poured in from colleagues in both parties after the news broke.