President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday that attempts to safeguard at least some abortion access for residents of states seeking to outlaw the procedure. The move comes as Democrats and pro-choice advocates have implored Biden to respond more forcefully to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

“We cannot allow an out-of-control Supreme Court working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party to take away freedoms and our personal autonomy,” said Biden in a speech from the White House, with Vice President Kamala Harris and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra beside him.

The executive order is somewhat vague but directs Becerra to submit a report within 30 days that outlines his agency’s efforts to protect access to abortion medication and emergency contraception, ensure patient privacy, and expand legal options for people seeking reproductive care. The order also calls for better public outreach by the federal government so that pregnant people understand how to obtain the health care they need, and it creates a federal task force to protect access to reproductive health services.

To bolster legal representation for individuals seeking or offering abortions, Biden’s order directs the attorney general and White House counsel to recruit private pro bono attorneys, bar associations, and public interest organizations. “I’m asking the Justice Department, much like they did in the civil rights era, to do something, to do everything in their power, to protect these women seeking to invoke their rights,” Biden said, adding that attorneys would work to help abortion clinics and pregnant people who travel out of state for abortion care.

Amid concerns that law enforcement officials might use period-tracking apps and other online data to prosecute abortion seekers, Biden’s order also directs the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect people’s privacy. And it urges Becerra to explore additional ways of using the privacy provisions in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to prevent the disclosure of sensitive health information to third parties.

Two prominent figures have resigned in protest from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft—one of the only major think tanks to promote a skeptical view of US power and military interventionism. In announcing their departures, Joe Cirincione and Paul Eaton criticized the organization’s dovish response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

“They take this indefensible, morally bankrupt position on Ukraine,” Cirincione said in an interview Thursday with Mother Jones. “This is clearly an unprovoked invasion, and somehow Quincy keeps justifying it.”

Cirincione, who was until recently a “distinguished non-resident fellow” at Quincy, tweeted news of his resignation on Thursday, citing the institute’s “position on the Ukraine War” as his reason. Formerly the head of the Ploughshares Fund, an influential grant-giving foundation in the small progressive foreign policy world, Cirincione helped raise money for Quincy in its early days and connected it with key donors. But Ukraine proved to be his breaking point.

In articles posted online and in media appearances, other Quincy experts have called for the Biden administration to press Ukraine to reach a peace deal that allows Russia to keep some of the territory it has seized, arguing the alternative is a prolonged war and increased risk of direct conflict between the United States and Russia. That position has little public backing from prominent Democrats in Washington, who support the administration’s efforts to aid Ukraine’s military.

In an interview Thursday night, Cirincione said he “fundamentally” disagrees with Quincy experts who “completely ignore the dangers and the horrors of Russia’s invasion and occupation and focus almost exclusively on criticism of the United States, NATO, and Ukraine.”

We're back with another episode of On The Continent, where Dotun and Andy are joined by French football journalist, Jonathan Johnson!

We discuss Christophe Galtier's arrival at PSG and what that might mean for the likes of Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. Elsewhere, there's English arrivals aplenty as Leeds pull off more astute business and Shakhtar Donetsk's Manor Solomon joins Fulham.

We'll be back with another OTC Transfer Special next week. Got a question for us? Ask away! @FootballRamble

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This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

The European parliament has backed plans to label gas and nuclear energy as “green,” rejecting appeals from prominent Ukrainians and climate activists that the proposals are a gift to Vladimir Putin. One senior member said the vote was a “dark day for the climate,” while experts said the EU had set a dangerous precedent for countries to follow.

The row began late last year with the leak of long-awaited details on the EU’s green investment guidebook, intended to help investors channel billions to the clean power transition. The European Commission decided some gas and nuclear projects could be included in the EU taxonomy of environmentally sustainable economic activities, subject to certain conditions.

Under the plans, gas can be classed as a sustainable investment if “the same energy capacity cannot be generated with renewable sources” and plans are in place to switch to renewables or “low-carbon gases.” Nuclear power can be called green if a project promises to deal with radioactive waste. The plan could only be stopped by a majority of EU member states or members of the European parliament.

With most EU governments in favor, attention turned to the European parliament, but on Wednesday that body’s  members (MEPs), failed to muster a blocking majority. Only 282 MEPs voted in favor of an amendment against the inclusion of gas and nuclear, falling short of the 353 votes needed to overturn the decision.

The Trump-BoJo comparisons were always fun but ultimately a bit facile. The cartoonish hair. The buffoonish act. The lying. The shameless pursuit of self-promotion at any cost. Both were labeled “populists” who ruthlessly ruled their parties. But history will show that today’s the day these easy similarities ended: Boris Johnson, amid dozens of resignations and endless scandal, announced that he would step down as Britain’s prime minister. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is still the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination.

For traumatized Americans, Johnson’s demise must feel head-spinningly quick and perhaps a bit envy-inducing.

Sure, BoJo had remained defiant and issued Trumpian threats to fight through the storm. “Frankly, the job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances when you have been handed a colossal mandate is to keep going, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said, only yesterday, as a stream of once-loyal, big-name officials abandoned him. “Boris Johnson is the condemned man who refuses to die,” one Bloomberg columnist declared. But a single sleep later, that writing on the wall became a flashing neon sign: “This is the end.”

According to the Washington Post:

Before the breakfast shows on television were over, there were 53 resignations, including four Cabinet ministers in just two days. Many of the letters included brutal assessments of Johnson’s tenure and critiques of his honesty. Some pleaded with him to go.

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Joe Biden’s election triggered a global surge in optimism that the climate crisis would, finally, be decisively confronted. But the US Supreme Court’s decision last week to curtail America’s ability to cut planet-heating emissions has proved the latest blow to a faltering effort by Biden on climate that is now in danger of becoming largely moribund.

The Supreme Court’s ruling that the US government could not use its existing powers to phase out coal-fired power generation without “clear congressional authorization” quickly ricocheted around the world among those now accustomed to looking on in dismay at America’s seemingly endless stumbles in addressing global heating.

The decision “flies in the face of established science and will set back the US’s commitment to keep global temperature below 1.5C,” said Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh, in reference to the internationally agreed goal to limit global heating before it becomes truly catastrophic, manifesting in more severe heatwaves, floods, droughts and societal unrest.

“The people who will pay the price for this will be the most vulnerable communities in the most vulnerable developing countries in the world,” Huq added.

We're off! England kicked off their home Euros with a win against Austria last night. Flo, Rachel and Chloe were all at Old Trafford, so join us as we look back over a historic night for the Lionesses.

We assess what was a solid, if underwhelming, performance from England and rate some surprise selections from Sarina Wiegman. We also look ahead to the next few matches, as Northern Ireland face Norway and Spain face Finland without their star icon. 

Remember, all post-England shows will be available on the Ramble feed this summer. But if you want access to all our Euros coverage, make sure you're subscribed to Football Ramble Presents!

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @FloydTweet, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

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Hanz Dismer doesn’t have many moments to catch their breath at work these days. The education research coordinator at Hope Clinic for Women, an abortion clinic in Granite City, Illinois, Dismer is constantly bustling between supporting clinic staff, finalizing clinic research on patient demographics and statistics for the clinic, and providing counseling to patients.

“Right now, it’s very overwhelming,” Dismer says. The phone interview ended abruptly because they were called to counsel another patient.

Hope Clinic opened its doors in 1974, just a year after the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in its Roe v. Wade decision. Since then, Granite City’s population has declined by 32 percent, eight percent since 2010 alone. Today, barely more than 25,000 people call Granite City home.

Yet Hope Clinic stands to become much more crowded very soon. As of Friday, June 24, abortion is illegal in Missouri, a stone’s throw from Granite City, thanks to a trigger law that took effect with the release of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. That’s also the case in neighboring Kentucky and in nearby Arkansas. Tennessee currently has a six-week ban in effect. A week before the Supreme Court ruling the Iowa Supreme Court declared that Iowans have no state constitutional right to abortion, overruling their previous 2018 decision that said the opposite. Other Midwestern states, like Indiana and Ohio, are hostile to abortion rights and will likely move to ban abortion, putting further pressure on Illinois, whose 25 abortion clinics are bracing for impact.

Granite City is not exactly a progressive place. In 2020, 60 percent of voters in Madison County, which includes Granite City, went for Trump, while only 37 percent voted for Biden. But Illinois enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution in 2019. So Hope’s unique location will make it one of the nearest abortion clinics for millions of people across both the South and Midwest.

Andy describes one new signing as “an absolute cupboard”. But who? And what on earth does that mean?

Marcus, Jim and Andy are back in your ears with a fresh shiny Ramble! They talk business at Man United, as Christian Eriksen heads into a rat-infested Old Trafford and Cristiano Ronaldo tries to sidle the other way.

Plus, Todd Boehly hands over his Amex to Jorge Mendes, Usain Bolt blames Australia for being bad at football, and Neil Warnock heads to Sheffield – FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!

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This week’s Football Ramble Presents showcase is a cracking Ramble Meets from last winter, where Andy sat down with a household name and one of modern's football's polymaths. It’s Ryan Babel!

As well as re-capping Ryan’s diverse career, they also discuss the undue expectations placed on young players, working with Rafa Benítez at Liverpool and, with the release of his new rap autobiography, revel in his second love: hip-hop.

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It’s a Saturday Ramble, comin’ at ya - and we’ve got some transfers to discuss!

Richarlison leaves Frank in the lurch after ditching the Toffees for Tottenham, while Romelu Lukaku heads back to Italy in the least dignified way possible. We also celebrate Mike Dean’s return, submit our application for Wigan’s pie mascot and hear yet another remarkable tale from the Misadventures of Kevin Keegan. Imagine his house insurance…

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Join Dotun Adebayo, Andy Brassell and David Cartlidge for the first of our On The Continent Transfer Specials, coming at you every week here on the Ramble feed!

We get stuck into Barcelona's underlying problems as they jostle for Robert Lewandowski's signature, while Romelu Lukaku's back in Italy for more Intertainment. There's also a rundown of impressive Premier League additions, as Sven Botman joins Newcastle and Leeds snag the impressive Marc Roca.

We'll be back with another OTC Transfer Special next week. Got a question for us? Ask away! @FootballRamble

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Today, we’re giving the definitive lowdown on football’s spiritual home: stadiums. What makes a stadium special? What’s the world’s steepest stand? And how exactly can Pete Donaldson improve everyone’s viewing experience? Control of the undersoil heating, that’s how.

Marcus, Vish and Pete tackle those questions, some stadium history, and much more in today’s Guide! 

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What’s this, a new Ramble?! Damn right - join Marcus, Vish and Pete as we sail those calm, off-season waters.

We’ve got some transfer business to tend to, as Sadio Mané puts his feet up and Pep takes Kalvin Phillips under his wing. Elsewhere, Gareth Bale heads stateside to cement a six-month legacy, while Kevin Keegan’s hosting a charity event in Sunderland. What could possibly go wrong?

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We're back with another of our favourite episodes from last season over on Football Ramble Presents. Today, it's the turn of our weekly women's football show, Upfront!

Back in December, our hosts Flo Lloyd-Hughes, Rachel O'Sullivan and Chloe Morgan sat down for a conversation about sexuality, openness and acceptance within women's football. They also speak to Arsenal's Katie McCabe and Aston Villa's Ruesha Littlejohn, one of the game's most celebrated couples, about unapologetic openness and using their platform for good.

Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Charles Watts has questioned Marseille’s ability to find the funds needed to convince Arsenal to sell William Saliba, as much as they wish to re-sign him.

The 21 year-old enjoyed a thoroughly impressive season on loan with the Olympiens, helping them to secure a place in the Champions League with a second-placed finish in Ligue 1, picking up the Young Player of the Year award in the process.

While they are claimed to be keen on bringing him back from north London ahead of the new season, Arsenal appear to have made their intention to include him in their first-team squad for the upcoming campaign clear, yet they do not seem ready to give up on his return just yet.

Watts insists that it would take an offer outside of Marseille’s budget to strike a deal with the Gunners however.

“It’d be it’d be big money, he’s still got two years left has contract, he stated on his YouTube channel. “He’s a fully fledged international now, he is Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year.

Hellas Verona are claimed to be eyeing a move to sign Arsenal’s Pablo Mari.

The defender was one of Mikel Arteta first signings, joining on an initial loan deal from Flamengo a month into the Spaniard’s reign in north London, but found himself surplus to requirements last term as Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White formed a strong partnership at the back.

Mari eventually left to join Udinese on loan in January, but has since returned to the club, and is now on the lookout for a new permanent home.

He could be set for a return to Serie A however with reports that Verona are now considering a move to sign him, as quoted in La Gazzetta’s printed edition (as quoted by UdineseBlog.it).

I was a little surprised by how quickly Mari fell out of favour at the Emirates, as I thought he was one of Arteta’s favourites in his opening 18 months, but it is clear at this point that he would have no role to play if he stayed into the new season.

President Joe Biden signed the first federal gun safety legislation in decades today, finally breaking a stalemate on the issue that has long persisted in Congress. 

“This time, when it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential,” Biden said. 

Passed in the aftermath of the horrific back-to-back mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, the legislation provides $750 million for states to fund violence prevention plans and mental health programs. The bill also shores up background checks for 18- to 21-year-olds and eliminates the so-called “boyfriend loophole”—a gap in existing law that previously allowed domestic abusers to acquire deadly weapons so long as they and their partners were unmarried and childless. 

The legislation also includes funding for states to implement red flag laws. However, the red flag provisions aren’t mandatory, and, as my colleague Abby Vesoulis has reported, it’s extremely unlikely that Republican-controlled states will adopt them. 

The legislation is notable for breaking through a sclerotic legislative branch mired in partisan wrangling. Nevertheless, it falls far short of the proposals that gun control advocates have pushed for and that most Americans say they want in public opinion surveys, such as universal background checks and assault-weapon bans. Democrats, including Biden, have described the bill as a small step forward that will help break the seal on gun safety, rather than a conclusion to the debate. 

Darren Ambrose has claimed that ‘Chelsea and Manchester United’ should be worried about Arsenal’s recent transfer activity, with seemingly the most active side in the window at present.

The Gunners have completed deals to sign Marquinhos and Fabio Vieira at this early point of the close-season, as well as having deals in place to sign Matt Turner and Gabriel Jesus also, and there is no signs of us slowing down at present.

The likes of Chelsea and Manchester United have only seen outgoings thus far however, with both losing key players in Paul Pogba and Antonio Rudiger already.

Ambrose told TalkSPORT listeners that Arteta may be putting pressure on himself to succeed with another strong transfer window, with expectations certainly going to rise after another transfer splurge.

“I think Arteta is putting pressure on himself again.” he said on The Saturday Session.

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, yesterday, a male driver reportedly rammed his truck into a group of women protesting the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The collision sent at least one woman to the hospital. Local police said that they’re investigating the incident. 

Police said that an argument broke out between the driver of the truck and a protester before the collision, according to the Washington Post. Witnesses told the Huffington Post that the driver navigated around a line of cars, ran a red light, and plowed into the marchers, running over a woman’s ankle.

Video taken immediately after the incident shows women attempting to stop the truck, which continues to drive forward. 

A truck driver plowed through multiple pro-choice protesters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Friday, sending at least one woman to the hospital.

Video provided by Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker shows several victims — all women — trying to stop the driver as he careens into them pic.twitter.com/jcGTcfcK8X