Welcome to a new week! I hope everyone’s summer is off to a cool and relaxing start. Many of us might be spending the next few months on vacation, but it appears that the news cycle has different plans. Here is a look at five important stories to keep an eye on in the week ahead.
1. All eyes on SCOTUS
The U.S. Supreme Court still has 29 more rulings to announce before the end of the current term. The high court has two scheduled opinion days this week: Monday and Wednesday.
There are still several major cases that have yet to be handed down, most notably a Mississippi case that could roll back the historic Roe v. Wade ruling that established abortion as a constitutionally protected right.
Justices are also set to rule on a New York case that could further expand gun rights amid a recent surge in mass shootings.
The case was brought by two New York men who challenged a state law that requires them to have a “proper cause,” or special need, in order to carry a firearm outside their home.
2. January 6 hearings continue
Last week, the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack took their hearings to primetime television, with harrowing testimony from Ivanka Trump, former Attorney General William Barr and several Capitol police officers who were injured that day.
The committee has scheduled three more hearings for this week:
Monday, 10:00 AM EDT
Wednesday, 10:00AM EDT
Thursday, 1:00 PM EDT
Last week’s hearing drew nearly 20 million viewers across all cable channels, according to Nielsen ratings.
3. Senators to unveil gun reform bill
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators are set to formally unveil a gun reform bill this week in response to recent mass shootings.
We learned Sunday that the bill will be sponsored by 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats, which should be enough to overcome the chamber’s 60-vote threshold.
The bill includes an incentive for states to expand red flag laws and increased funding for school safety and mental health services.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), one of the lead negotiators, took to Twitter upon the news of a deal. He said that getting the bill through Congress will not be an easy task. “But with your help and activism, we can get this done,” he tweeted. “This time, failure cannot be an option.”
4. Early Voting for runoffs begin Monday
Early voting for the June 21 runoff election is set to begin on Monday. Democrats will be choosing nominees in four statewide races, while Republicans managed to assemble their entire statewide ticket in the May primary.
The state’s 2021 election law halved the length of runoff elections from nine to four weeks. As a result, there is now just one week for advanced in-person voting in runoff elections, as opposed to the usual three weeks.
Georgia Democrats will be choosing nominees for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Labor Commissioner and Insurance Commissioner.
While they will not be deciding any statewide runoffs, Georgia Republicans will deliver the final say in several hotly contested congressional primaries.
5. Fed to hold policy meeting amid soaring inflation
America’s central bank is set to hold another policy meeting this week as consumers continue to grapple with record-high inflation.
Economists believe that the Federal Reserve will once again raise interest rates this week to combat rising prices.
Wednesday's 2:00 p.m. ET policy announcement will be followed by a press conference with Fed chair Jerome Powell at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Fed will also release its latest summary of economic projections on Wednesday, offering officials' forecasts for GDP growth, inflation, and future rate hikes.
Investors believe that the Fed will be taking aggressive action following last week’s data that found inflation at a 40-year high. Many believe that it is being driven by the record-high price of gas, with American drivers paying an average of $5 per gallon for the first time ever.