Majority of US Public Disapproves of Supreme Court’s Decision To Overturn Roe v. Wad

62% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, little changed since before the court’s decision

PEW  REPORTJULY 6, 2022

An anti-abortion activist protests outside the Supreme Court in Washington on June 27, 2022, days after a court ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, which had ensured a federal right to an abortion. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

How we did this

A majority of Americans disapprove of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling overturning the Roe v. Wade decision, which had guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion for nearly 50 years. Public support for legal abortion remains largely unchanged since before the decision, with 62% saying it should be legal in all or most cases.

Nearly six-in-ten adults (57%) disapprove of the court’s sweeping decision, including 43% who strongly disapprove. About four-in-ten (41%) approve of the court’s decision (25% strongly approve).

Partisan differences on the legality of abortion have widened in recent years, and Republicans and Democrats are sharply divided in their initial views of the court’s decision.

About eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (82%) disapprove of the court’s decision, including nearly two-thirds (66%) who strongly disapprove. Most Republicans and Republican leaners (70%) approve of the court’s ruling; 48% strongly approve.

The new survey by Pew Research Center, conducted among 6,174 Americans between June 27 and July 4 on the nationally representative American Trends Panel, finds that most women (62%) disapprove of the decision to end the federal right to an abortion. More than twice as many women strongly disapprove of the court’s decision (47%) as strongly approve (21%). Opinion among men is more closely divided: 52% disapprove (37% strongly), while 47% approve (28% strongly).

The court’s decision to overturn Roe gives the states the authority to set their own abortion policies. These laws vary widely, and in several cases, state laws that prohibit or place tight restrictions on access to abortion are currently facing legal challenges.

The survey finds that adults living in the 17 states where abortion is newly largely prohibited (or where prohibitions are set to take effect soon) are divided in opinions about the court’s decision to overturn Roe: 46% approve of the court’s decision, while slightly more (52%) disapprove. (Information on state laws on abortion following the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade is based on tracking data compiled by The New York Times. Data for each state is current as of July 5, 2022; see appendix for the complete categorization of states.)

Opinion also is divided among adults in the four states that have new gestational restrictions on abortion in effect (or set to soon take effect) but have not prohibited it outright: 52% in these states disapprove of the court’s decision, while 47% approve. The balance of opinion is similar in the nine states where the status of the state’s abortion laws are uncertain (in which further action may be taken in the near term by state governors, legislatures or public referendum).

In the 20 states (plus the District of Columbia) where abortions are legal through at least 24 weeks of pregnancy, 65% disapprove of the court’s decision, including half who strongly disapprove. About a third of adults in these states approve of the court’s decision (34%), with just 19% strongly approving.

The survey finds that a majority of adults nationally (62%) say abortion should be legal in all (29%) or most cases (33%); 36% say it should be illegal in all (8%) or most cases (28%). These views are little changed since March.

The partisan divide in abortion opinions remains wide. In the new survey, 84% of Democrats say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 38% of Republicans.

While the share of Democrats who favor legal abortion in either all or most cases has changed only modestly since March (from 80%), there has been a 7 percentage point increase in the share of Democrats saying abortion should be legal in all cases, from 38% to 45%; currently, a larger share of Democrats say it should be legal in all cases than say it should be legal in most cases (45% vs. 38%).

There has been virtually no change in Republicans’ views since earlier this year; a 60% majority say abortion should be illegal in most (48%) or all cases (13%).

Majorities in many demographic groups disapprove of decision to overturn Roe v. Wade; clear majority of White evangelicals approve

Americans’ opinions about the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – which ended the long-standing federal guarantee to abortion – differ widely by race and ethnicity, age, education, and religion.

Majorities of Asian American, Black, Hispanic and White adults disapprove of the decision, but opposition is most pronounced among Asian (72% disapprove) and Black adults (67%). Smaller shares of White (55%) and Hispanic adults (56%) disapprove.

The youngest adults are more likely than older people to disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion. About two-thirds of adults under the age of 30 (69%) say they disapprove of the decision – including 55% who strongly disapprove. While 60% of those ages 30 to 49 also disapprove, those 50 and older are divided (51% disapprove, 48% approve).

Two-thirds of adults with a postgraduate degree say they disapprove of the Court’s decision, with a majority (55%) saying they strongly disapprove. Nearly six-in-ten adults with a college degree or some college experience (60% each) say they disapprove of the decision. Among those with a high school degree or less, views are nearly evenly divided: 48% approve and 50% disapprove.

Among religious groups, 71% of White Evangelical Protestants approve of the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion, including a 54% majority who strongly approve. Just 27% say they disapprove.

By contrast, White Protestants who are not evangelical are more divided in their views. About half (47%) say they approve of this decision, including 28% who strongly approve. A similar share (52%) say they disapprove, including four-in-ten who strongly disapprove. Catholics are similarly divided: 48% approve of the decision and 51% disapprove.

About two-thirds of Black Protestants (68%) disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision, including roughly half (48%) who strongly disapprove. About three-in-ten (29%) say they approve of the decision.

Similarly, a large majority of religiously unaffiliated adults (77%) disapprove of the court’s decision, with 63% saying they strongly disapprove. About two-in-ten (22%) approve.

Adults who are not married or living with a partner are 10 percentage points more likely to say they disapprove of the decision than those who are married or living with a partner (64% vs. 53%, respectively).

While women (62%) are more likely than men (52%) to disapprove of the Supreme Court decision on abortion, the gender gap varies by race and ethnicity. Among White adults, a 62% majority of women disapprove of the court’s decision, compared with 47% of White men. By contrast, comparable shares of Black men (66%) and women (69%) and Hispanic men (59%) and women (54%) disapprove.

While Republicans and Republican-leaning independents approve of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, there is variation in the extent to which subgroups of Republicans – particularly by gender and age – approve of the decision.

Among Republican women, 63% approve of the decision, while 36% disapprove. By comparison, 76% of GOP men approve and 23% disapprove. Roughly eight-in-ten Democratic and Democratic-leaning men (83%) and women (81%) disapprove of the decision.

A slim majority (56%) of Republicans under the age of 30 approve of the court’s decision, while 43% say they disapprove. Older Republicans are more likely to approve of the decision. Among those ages 30 to 49, 64% approve, while 35% disapprove. And nearly eight-in-ten Republicans 50 and older (78%) approve of the decision, while just 22% disapprove. Sizable majorities of Democrats across all age groups – 80% or more – disapprove of the decision.

However, while large majorities of White, Black and Hispanic Democrats disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion, opposition is higher among White Democrats (89% disapprove) than among Black (74%) or Hispanic Democrats (69%).

Americans’ views of abortion

The wide differences in support for legal abortion across race and ethnicity, educational attainment and religious groups are little changed since earlier this year.

About six-in-ten Americans (62%) say abortion should be legal in all (29%) or most (33%) cases. Around a third of the public (36%) says abortion should be illegal in all (8%) or most (28%) cases.

Two-thirds of women (66%) say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, compared with a narrower majority (57%) of men.

About seven-in-ten Black (71%) and Asian (78%) adults say abortion should be legal in most or all cases. Smaller majorities among White (60%) and Hispanic (61%) adults also say this.

Younger adults are more supportive of legal abortion than older adults. Seven-in-ten adults ages 18 to 29 say abortion should be legal in all or most cases (including 41% who say it should be legal in all cases), as do 64% of those 30 to 49. Among those 50 and older, 57% say abortion should be legal in at least most cases.

Americans with postgraduate degrees are particularly likely to say abortion should be legal in at least most cases; 72% say this, as do 65% of those with college degrees and an identical share (65%) of those with some college experience but no degree. Adults with a high school degree or less education (55%) are the least likely to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

There are wide gaps across religious groups in views of abortion. An overwhelming share of religiously unaffiliated adults (83%) support abortion being legal in all or most cases, as do six-in-ten Catholics. Overall, Protestants are divided in their views (48% legal in all or most cases, 50% illegal in all or most cases): About three-quarters of White evangelicals say abortion should be illegal in all (20%) or most cases (53%), while majorities of Black Protestants (71%) and White non-evangelical Protestants (61%) take the position that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Americans who are married or living with a partner are somewhat less supportive of legal access to abortion (59%) than those who are not married or living with a partner (67%). There is a similar gap between parents and people who do not have any children (67% of non-parents say abortion should be legal in all or most cases vs. 59% of parents).

About three-quarters of conservative Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (73%) say abortion should be illegal in all (16%) or most (56%) cases. By contrast, a majority of moderate and liberal Republicans (60%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

About three-quarters (77%) of conservative and moderate Democrats say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, as do roughly nine-in-ten liberal Democrats (92%). However, liberal Democrats (59%) are much more likely than conservative and moderate Democrats (34%) to say abortion should be legal in all cases.

MORE HERE

Majority of Public Disapproves of Supreme Court’s Decision To Overturn Roe v. Wade | Pew Research Center

Welsh-Iraqi poet, filmmaker and artist Hanan Issa named National Poet of Wales

06 Jul 2022

Hanan Issa. Picture by Camera Sioned / Literature Wales

Hanan Issa has been named the next national poet of Wales by Literature Wales.

Hanan is a Welsh-Iraqi poet, filmmaker and artist whose recent works include her poetry collection My Body Can House Two Hearts and her contribution to Welsh (Plural): Essays on the Future of Wales and The Mab.

She co-founded the Cardiff open-mic night Where I’m Coming From and has worked with the Bush Theatre, Channel 4 and Ffilm Cymru / BBC Wales. She was also a member of the first cohort of writers who took part in Literature Wales’ Representing Wales programme in 2021.

Hanan Issa said: “Poetry exists in the bones of this country. I want people to recognise Wales as a country bursting with creativity: a land of poets and singers with so much to offer the arts.

“I’d like to continue the great work of my predecessors in promoting Wales, Welshness, and the Welsh language outside of its borders.

“More than anything, I want to capture the interest and inspiration of the public to see themselves in Welsh poetry and encourage a much more open sense of what Welshness is.”

‘Cultural ambassador’

Hanan Issa will take on the challenging and prestigious role of National Poet of Wales for the next three years (until 2025), representing and celebrating writing from Wales both at home and abroad.

Hanan will be the fifth poet to take on this role, following in the footsteps of Ifor ap Glyn, Gillian Clarke, Gwyn Thomas and Gwyneth Lewis. She was chosen as National Poet of Wales following a public call for nominations and an extensive selection process.

As National Poet of Wales, she will represent the diverse cultures and languages of Wales and act as an ambassador for the people of Wales, Literature Wales said.

She will address the most important issues of our time through poetry, take poetry to new audiences, and encourage others to use their creative voice to inspire positive change.

Dawn Bowden MS, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, and Chief Whip said: “I am delighted to welcome Hanan Issa to the role of National Poet of Wales.

“She will act as a cultural ambassador for Wales, and I look forward to hearing her verse and how she responds to events during her tenure.”

‘Outward looking’

Outgoing National Poet Ifor ap Glyn said of his successor: “Hanan is a thoughtful and engaged poet whose work I admire and she will bring a fresh voice to the national conversation. Croeso mawr i Hanan!”

On behalf of the selection panel, Ashok Ahir said: “The panel had to choose between a varied range of poetic styles and voices, and it was excellent to see the high level of talent working in Wales today.

“This is a hugely exciting appointment. Hanan’s is a cross-community voice that speaks to every part of the country. She will be a great ambassador for a culturally diverse and outward looking nation.”

Panellist Casia Wiliam, the former Bardd Plant Cymru (Welsh-language Children’s Poet Laureate) said: “This is a poet who writes widely, her words are like ribbons weaving languages and cultures together, she broadens the mind and sharpens the eyes.

“If you’re not already familiar with her work, go and look for it immediately. I can’t wait to see what Hanan will achieve in the role.”

Literature Wales said that they looked forward to working with Hanan during her tenure as National Poet of Wales 2022-25 as she makes the role her own.

“We’re excited to see how Hanan will reflect and contribute to our national conversation during her time as our National Poet,” they said.

More information about Hanan and the role of National Poet of Wales is available here.

 WALES

OPINION

Wrexham’s march showed that none of the momentum has been lost from the independence movement

03 Jul 2022 

Picture by YesCymru

Ifan Morgan Jones

Back in 2019 the Welsh independence movement held a series of three huge marches, in Cardiff, Caernarfon and Merthyr Tydfil.

The sheer size in thousands of those who attended, and the passion and positivity generated by these events, where truly historic in a Welsh context.

In a nation defined more for its political quietism, which has tended to reserve passion for the rugby pitch, this was a historic turnaround.

And then it all came with a juddering halt.

First with Covid, which cancelled three scheduled marches in 2020 in Wrexham, Tredegar and Swansea.

Then, despite a surge of members to 20,000, things turned sour within YesCymru itself, with the central committee resigning en masse in the summer of last year.

Yesterday, that long-awaited march in Wrexham finally happened, organised by AUOB Cymru, with support from YesCymru and IndyFest Wrexham.

And there were real questions about whether the momentum that had stalled over the last almost three years would or indeed could be reignited.

Like several other failed Welsh national movements in the past – most famously the CymruFydd movement of the last 19th century – would this one peter out and remain another big ‘what if’ in Welsh history?

Good time

Well, on the basis of yesterday I think it’s fair to say that the passion and dedication to political change that characterised the movement back in 2019 was still there in abundance.

The march for independence in Wrexham very much picked up where Merthyr Tydfil in autumn 2019 had left off.

The vibrant, feel-good atmosphere here felt a million miles away from the kind of rancour that has characterised the movement on social media in the intervening period.

A big march is essentially the antithesis of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The latter is all about what drives people apart – into their different political silos and echo chambers.

The aptly named All Under One Banner, like a mixture of a Wales footballing away day and an Eisteddfod, has everyone marching together to the same, literal, drum beat.

You also have to take your bucket hat off to the organisers, as the event also felt like a slicker affair than the previous ones.

In fact, the march itself felt almost incidental to an event that included a fully kitted-out main stage with speakers and huge screens, music, and a number of stalls selling beer, merchandise, books and other goods.

The emphasis was on having a good time, not just making a political point. It was less of a political chore and more of a nice family day out in a new location.

And given the large dent in my bank account made not just by the stalls but all the surrounding shops, I think that before long Wales’ towns and cities will be bidding to host an independence march, rather than putting up a fight as Wrexham Council did.

One of the stalls selling merchandise at the AUOB Cymru march for Welsh independence in Wrexham. Picture by Lluniau Lleucu

Success

What negativity there has been about the march has inevitably come online, and has focused on what some claim was a smaller crowd size than previous marches.

Having been present it didn’t feel that way at all. There were around as many people there than the Merthyr Tydfil march, and more than Cardiff.

But one thing is very important to note: Welsh independence marches aren’t a census. They are not an event by which supporters gather in one place for a headcount.

While the size of the crowd in Wrexham showed that none of the enthusiasm has gone out of Welsh independence movement, it wasn’t some kind of official barometer of its appeal.

Polls show consistently that around 25% of Wales’ population would vote for independence. Only a tiny fraction are ever going to turn out for a political rally.

Neither should we compare like for like with other Welsh independence marches. You’re obviously going to get a bigger pro-independence crowd in Caernarfon than Wrexham.

As proudly Welsh as Wrexham is, it’s obvious that some parts of Wales are going to be more fertile ground for the movement than others, for historical, cultural and political reasons.

That the Welsh independence movement managed to attract between 5,000 and 8,000 people – estimates vary depending on who you ask – to the north-east of Wales was a success.

And as Welsh independence marches become the ‘norm’, it’s likely that we’ll see the crowds shrink rather than increase in size, as the number of marches increases and their novelty fades.

Only 1,200 attended a Scottish independence march in Dumfries last month, and Scotland is closer to independence as it has ever been.

Long haul

The challenge for the Welsh independence movement now will be to keep this new momentum going.

The good news for them is that the UK Government seem entirely determined to help them out in that regard, with a series of attacks on devolution making the status quo unviable and essentially forcing a choice between further autonomy or a stripping away of powers.

There will be bumps and scrapes along the way, and many of them beyond the Welsh independence movement’s control – no one could have seen Covid coming, for instance.

But on the basis of yesterday’s march, the movement is not just Yma o Hyd, but yma for the long haul.

Boris Johnson formally rejects Scottish independence referendum – ‘his last act as PM?’

06 Jul 2022

Westminster Government Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Picture by Annika Haas (CC BY 2.0). Nicola Sturgeon picture by Arctic Circle (CC BY 2.0).

Boris Johnson has formally rejected a call from the Scottish First Minister for Holyrood to be given the power to hold a second independence vote.

In what Nicola Sturgeon suggested might be “his last act as PM”, the under-fire Prime Minister said he had “carefully considered” her request – but he insisted that he could “not agree that now is the time to return to a question which was clearly answered by the people of Scotland in 2014”.

The letter means that it will likely be up to the Supreme Court to decide whether a advisory referendum is within the Scottish Government’s competence – which could set a precedent for a referendum in Wales, too.

The letter, which the Scottish First Minister revealed on Twitter, came in the wake of a series of resignations from government at Westminster, with many Tories now urging the PM to quit.

Nicola Sturgeon insisted: “To be clear, Scotland will have the opportunity to choose independence – I hope in a referendum on 19 October 2023 but if not, through a general election.”

But Mr Johnson told her: “I have carefully considered the arguments you set out for a transfer of power from the UK Parliament to the Scottish Parliament to hold another referendum on independence.

“As our country faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, I cannot agree that now is the time to return to a question, which was clearly answered by the people of Scotland in 2014.”

Mr Johnson continued: “Our shared priorities must be to respond effectively to the global cost-of-living challenge, to support our NHS and public services as they recover from the huge disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to play our leading part in the international response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

“These are common challenges across the United Kingdom, which deserve our full attention.”

‘Slap’

The letter comes just over a week after the SNP leader formally unveiled plans to hold a second vote on Scottish independence on October 19 2023.

As well as asking for the power to hold such a vote to be transferred to Holyrood, UK Supreme Court judges have also been asked if the Scottish Government can hold a consultative ballot on the issue.

Ms Sturgeon has also made plain that if both Westminster and the courts rebuff her attempts to hold another referendum the SNP will use the next UK general election as a ‘de facto referendum’ on Scottish independence.

Labour meanwhile argued that Scots were being let down by governments on both sides of the border, with constitution spokesperson Sarah Boyack stating: “The people of Scotland are being failed by an SNP government at Holyrood that is obsessed with separation and an imploding and corrupt Tory government at Westminster.

“Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon are two sides of the same coin.

“Neither the Tories nor the SNP are focused on tackling the cost of living crisis or rebuilding our services from the pandemic, and both are damaging the future of devolution.”

Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay said the letter came as “yet another slap in the face to the people of Scotland, who have repeatedly sent pro-independence majorities to Holyrood and Westminster”.

“The people will not continue to be held hostage by the most unpopular Prime Minister in history,” she said.

“We will ensure that Scotland’s future is placed firmly in the hands of the people who live here.”

Dalai Lama marks 87th birthday by opening library and museum


By Ashwini Bhatia | AP
July 6, 2022 

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama arrives to inaugurate a museum containing the archives of the institution of the Dalai Lama in Dharmsala, India, Wednesday, July 6, 2022. Exile Tibetans also celebrated their spiritual leader’s 87th birthday today. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)

DHARMSALA, India — Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama marked his 87th birthday on Wednesday by inaugurating a library and museum in his hillside Indian headquarters.

He was cheered by a large number of followers, including American actor Richard Gere, a longtime disciple.

Hundreds of schoolchildren, monks and local residents prayed for the Dalai Lama’s health and life at Tsuglakhang Temple near his residence.

The Dalai Lama Library and Museum contain artifacts, his teachings, and books on his life and struggle for Tibetan autonomy and protection of its native Buddhist culture.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Dalai Lama by phone and wished him well on his birthday.

“Conveyed 87th birthday greetings to His Holiness the @DalaiLama over phone earlier today. We pray for his long life and good health,” Modi said in a tweet.

This is the second time Modi has publicly confirmed speaking with the Dalai Lama since becoming prime minister in 2014. The acknowledgment is significant amid deteriorating ties between India and China, which doesn’t recognize the self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile and accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China.

The Dalai Lama has made the hillside town of Dharmsala his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. India considers Tibet to be part of China, though it hosts Tibetan exiles.

The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and protection of Tibet’s native Buddhist culture.

Tunisian opposition leader faces money laundering allegations

FILE PHOTO: Tunisian anti-terrorism police summoned the country's main opposition figure for questioning, in TunisWed, July 6, 2022 

TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisia's main opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has been summoned by a judge over money laundering allegations, his Ennahda party said on Wednesday, accusing the authorities of targeting him for political reasons.

The July 19 summons is to answer questions about the allegations, which Ennahda say are untrue and a result of "distortion and fabrication".

Reuters could not immediately reach a judiciary spokesperson.

Ghannouchi has emerged as the loudest critic of Kais Saied since the president seized broad powers last year, moved to rule by decree and ousted the elected parliament in which the Ennahda leader is speaker.

Earlier this year, Saied moved to take ultimate authority over the judiciary, replacing the body that guaranteed its independence and sacking dozens of judges.

Ghannouchi's court date is less than a week before Saied holds a referendum on a new constitution that he has written broadly expanding his own powers while limiting checks on his actions, a referendum that Ennahda says it will boycott.

Saied has said his actions were needed to save Tunisia from years of political paralysis and economic stagnation, and that his constitution will uphold people's rights and freedoms.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Edmund Blair, William Maclean)

Nepal’s finance minister resigns over unauthorized tax change allegations

Online News EditorJuly 6, 2022

Kathmandu, July 6 (EFE).- Nepal’s Finance Minister Janardan Sharma announced his resignation on Wednesday after allegations that he let two unauthorized persons change tax rates in the annual federal budget on May 28.

Sharma is facing a widespread outcry over the conflict-of-interest allegations since the unauthorized guests, invited into his ministry chambers as tax experts when officials finalized the budget, changed the rates to favor some influential businessmen.

He denied the allegations.

“I have decided to resign in order to cooperate in the investigation process,” Sharma told parliament. “I am clean. I am ready to face thousands of investigations.”

The opposition CPN-UML and its youth organization have been holding demonstrations to call for Sharma’s resignation since last week.

The lower house Wednesday ordered a parliamentary probe panel to look into the matter.

“An 11-member parliamentary committee has been formed to investigate the issue,” speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota told the house.

The committee has 10 days to produce the report.

According to a report published by the Kathmandu-based newspaper Annapurna Post in mid-June, Sharma allegedly permitted two people to visit the finance ministry’s secret chamber.

The two allegedly broke the budgetary rules by adjusting tax rates in favor of a handful of business groups.

The opposition party demanded CCTV footage from the ministry.

On July 3, the finance ministry announced that the CCTV footage from May 28 had been automatically destroyed since the system would only save the clip for 13 days.

According to an official, government organizations must legally keep the CCTV footage for at least three months.

Sharma was a leader of the Maoist during the insurgency period and served as one of the top deputy commanders of the People’s Liberation Army. EFE

sp/ssk

UK watchdog probes Microsoft's $68.7 billion Activision buyout deal 

By Reuters • Updated: 06/07/2022 - 

-Britain’s antitrust watchdog said on Wednesday it had started an investigation into Microsoft Corp’s $68.7 billion deal to buy “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard Inc.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had until Sept. 1 to make its phase 1 decision on whether the deal between the U.S. technology company and video-game maker Activision would reduce competition in the UK.

The phase 1 investigation by the CMA will either lead to the deal being cleared or will move to a more in-depth phase 2 probe.

Both Microsoft and Activision did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comments.

In the biggest gaming industry deal in history, Microsoft in January said it was buying Activision Blizzard. According to Refinitiv data, the Microsoft-Activision deal would be the largest all-cash acquisition on record.

Biden tells Brittney Griner's wife he is working to secure detained American's release

Reverend Al Sharpton presses White House to arrange meeting between him and imprisoned Olympian

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with the wife of detained US basketball star Brittney Griner. EPA

Kyle Fitzgerald
Washington
Jul 06, 2022

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with the wife of US basketball star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February, the White House said on Wednesday.

The call comes as the White House faces increasing pressure from athletes and others to secure the two-time Olympic gold medallist's release.

"The president called Cherelle [Griner] to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other US nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world," the White House said in a readout.

"The President offered his support to Cherelle and Brittney’s family, and he committed to ensuring they are provided with all possible assistance while his administration pursues every avenue to bring Brittney home."

Griner, who was detained at a Moscow airport in February, was formally told last week that she had been charged with intentionally transporting drugs after cannabis vape oil was allegedly found in her bags. The judge set her next hearing for Thursday.


A Russian judge said the basketball star may appeal or ask for clemency once a verdict is delivered.

The White House also confirmed that Mr Biden read the letter Griner sent to him earlier this week in which she pressed the president to fight for her and other Americans currently detained abroad.

Cherelle Griner has also publicly advocated for her wife's release, and the Reverend Al Sharpton urged the White House to arrange a visit for him and other faith leaders to visit the detained US basketball star.

"It's my intention to be in Russia next week, and I hope the White House will help to make it possible for me to do a clergy visit to ... let her know that he family and everyone is concerned about her and to pray with her," Mr Sharpton said on NBC's Morning Joe.