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The sweeping ruling by the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, was set to alter American life, with nearly half the states considered certain or likely to ban abortion. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the court's reasoning could also lead it to reconsider past rulings protecting the right to contraception, legalizing gay marriage nationwide, and invalidating state laws banning gay sex. As the day progressed, the number of demonstrators outside the Supreme Court increased substantially. The fenced-off area in front of the high court was filled largely with those demanding abortion rights. Crowds carried posters with slogans such as "Abort SCOTUS." One protester carried a placard that said "limit guns, not women" in reference to another Supreme Court decision this week expanding gun rights. Earlier in the afternoon, a supporter of Friday's ruling said: "The thing that 'my body, my choice' advocates don't get is that the aborted baby never had a choice." The … [Read more...] about Protesters at US Supreme Court decry abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade

They "will have the opportunity to engage over the course of the next few weeks," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. A new call between the leaders of the world's two biggest economies has been long expected amid tensions over trade, China's sabre rattling around Taiwan, and pressure on Beijing not to help Russia get around Western sanctions over the Ukraine invasion. A week ago, Biden said he planned on "having a conversation with President Xi." "We haven't set a time yet," he said, while a few days earlier he'd said the call could be "soon". The last video conference between the two leaders was on March 18, when Biden warned Xi against assisting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. A key item in the next discussion will be Biden's possible decision to lift some of the trade tariffs imposed under Donald Trump, with billions of dollars of Chinese imports facing 25 percent duties. The penalties were aimed at punishing what the United States says are China's … [Read more...] about Biden, Xi to contact each other in ‘next few weeks’: US official