In our news wrap Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that constitutional privacy protections apply to cellphone location data, the San Francisco Archdiocese agreed to pay $395 million to sexual abuse survivors and global health officials say more than 1,300 deaths have been linked to the record heatwave blanketing Europe.
Geoff Bennett:
We return to the Supreme Court.
The justices also ruled today that constitutional privacy protections apply to cell phone location data. At issue was the police use of what’s known as geofence warrants to locate all devices near the scene of a crime back in 2019. The court ruled that, even when location information is shared with companies like Google and Apple, people don’t forfeit their expectations of privacy.
The case was widely viewed as a test for how privacy would be protected in this digital age.
The San Francisco Archdiocese has agreed to pay $395 million to sexual abuse survivors, according to the victim’s lawyers. It settles the claims of more than 500 survivors, the vast majority from decades ago, who said they were sexually abused by members of the clergy.
In a statement, San Francisco’s archbishop said — quote — “While no financial settlement can erase the painful legacy of past actions, let us pray that God’s grace may help to heal all those affected.”
The San Francisco Archdiocese and several other dozen other dioceses nationwide have declared bankruptcy as a direct result of child sexual abuse lawsuits.
Global health officials say more than 1,300 deaths have been linked to the record heat wave blanketing Europe. That toll is likely to rise, as France alone reported at least 1,000 deaths above normal last week during some of the country’s hottest ever days for the month of June.
In Berlin over the weekend, police shot water cannons to cool down, sweltering crowds. And in Budapest, Hungary, temperatures today soared to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, far above normal even for summer.
Erika, Budapest, Hungary, Resident (through interpreter):
I hardly left home and I’m sweating all over. This is simply unbearable; 28 degrees Celsius, that used to be summer. I don’t know what this is now. What is coming to us after this?
Geoff Bennett:
Meantime, tens of millions of Americans are also under extreme heat warnings this week. Triple-digit temperatures will bake the Midwest and East Coast as the country prepares for July 4 celebrations.
While dangerous heat settles in over the Eastern U.S. wildfire conditions remain critical out West. Fast-moving blazes along the Colorado-Utah border are responsible for the deaths of three firefighters over the weekend. Seven fires have prompted evacuations, including in Arizona, New Mexico, and Washington state.
Meantime, in Kentucky and Tennessee, at least four people were killed following severe storms this weekend that triggered flash floods. Kentucky remains under a state of emergency, as cleanup there continues.
In Afghanistan, U.N. officials there say Pakistani forces conducted overnight strikes that killed at least 28 people, including women and children. An Afghan official promised that the country would retaliate. Villagers sifted through buildings that were reduced to rubble.
A top Pakistani official said dozens of militants were targeted and killed in the strikes. This latest escalation follows months of cross-border fighting that’s killed hundreds. Multiple rounds of talks have so far failed to produce a cease-fire.
In Ukraine, a wave of Russian strikes killed at least 11 people and injured dozens more today. One of the strikes happened in Dnipro, killing five. Another hit this minibus in Zaporizhzhia, killing three, including a child.
The attacks follow Ukraine s own heavy drone assault against a major Russian oil refinery this past weekend, the latest in a number of long-range strikes against Russian energy facilities in recent months. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time that his country was facing a fuel shortage as a result.
Vladimir Putin, Russian President (through interpreter):
The problems persist for both drivers and businesses. Queues at petrol stations, unfortunately, also remain. It is not always possible to find the required grade of fuel at present.
And, of course, we understand the difficulties faced by agricultural producers and farming enterprises during this period.
Geoff Bennett:
Putin later insisted to Russian state TV that the strikes will not bring Moscow back to the negotiating table.
Comcast is planning to split itself into two separate companies again. The corporate giant announced plans to spin off its remaining media enterprises, NBCUniversal and Sky, into one entity. The other would focus on its broadband Internet and wireless services.
The planned move comes just months after Comcast separated most of its cable TV networks, such as CNBC and MS NOW. Comcast shares rose sharply on the news.
Meantime, it was a positive day overall for Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average added more than a half-percent. The Nasdaq shot up by more than 2 percent and the S&P 500 ended a five-day losing streak.
And some World Cup spoilers ahead. Five-time tournament champ Brazil beat Japan 2-1 today in a match that was a nail-biter until the very end. After Japan led at the half, Brazil clawed back and scored the game-winning goal with less than one minute left in stoppage time.
They will advance to the Round of 16, as will Canada after another dramatic late-scoring win against South Africa yesterday. It’s Canada’s first ever knock-out round victory in World Cup history.
