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EPA Expands Drinking Water Watch List as Supreme Court Hears Birthright Citizenship Case, Amid First Amendment Dissent; De Niro Attends; Planet Fitness Employee Stabbed in Montgomery County
EPA Adds Microplastics and Pharmaceuticals to Draft Drinking Water Contaminant Watch List
The EPA has, for the first time, included microplastics and pharmaceuticals on its draft Contaminant Candidate List under the Safe Drinking Water Act, alongside PFAS and other potential hazards. The list is updated every five years and can help state and local regulators assess risks and guide research, though it does not require new regulations. The Department of Health and Human Services also announced a $144 million STOMP initiative to develop tools to measure and monitor microplastics in drinking water and later explore removal methods.
Planet Fitness Employee Stabbed Multiple Times at Wyncote Gym in Montgomery County
A Planet Fitness employee was stabbed multiple times at a gym in Wyncote, Montgomery County, and is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
What the Constitution Says About the Birthright Citizenship Case
centers on Supreme Court arguments over President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to people who are in the country illegally. Supporters argue the 14th Amendment’s phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” requires full legal and political allegiance, citing Reconstruction-era debates and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and pointing to exceptions such as children of foreign diplomats. Opponents rely on the 1898 Wong Kim Ark decision recognizing birthright citizenship, while supporters say that precedent does not cover unlawful presence. The ruling could significantly affect immigration policy, politics, and long-term definitions of citizenship.
Supreme Court Dissent Focuses on the First Amendment
In Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court struck down a Colorado law that restricted licensed counselors from providing counseling intended to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity, ruling 8–1 that the law violated the First Amendment by discriminating based on viewpoint. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that the Constitution protects the free exchange of ideas, while Justice Elena Kagan said the state had clearly favored one side of a debate. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented alone, arguing the law regulated professional conduct to protect minors and warning the decision could have broader public health and safety consequences, underscoring ongoing disputes over where to draw the line between speech and professional regulation.
Robert De Niro Attends Supreme Court Hearing
Robert De Niro attended a Supreme Court hearing in Washington as justices heard arguments over birthright citizenship, a closely watched case that has sparked sharp political reactions. Afterward, he told reporters he couldn’t clearly follow all the courtroom exchanges but criticized the Trump administration’s position on limiting automatic citizenship for some children born in the U.S., calling it an effort to exclude people. De Niro also rejected claims that his long-running criticism of Donald Trump amounts to “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and reiterated that he opposes Trump’s actions and approach.
Justice Jackson Questions Whether Being Subject to a Country’s Laws Implies “Allegiance”
During Supreme Court oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara, a case challenging an executive order limiting birthright citizenship, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson used a hypothetical about a U.S. citizen committing a crime while visiting Japan to explore whether “allegiance” could mean simply being subject to a country’s legal authority and able to rely on its protections. She then asked whether the same reasoning could apply to temporary residents or undocumented immigrants in the United States when interpreting the 14th Amendment’s “subject to the jurisdiction” language. Critics argue her framing risks conflating temporary legal exposure with the more traditional idea of allegiance as enduring loyalty.
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