A seismic abortion ruling rocks America: Weekend Reads

The US Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in a historic ruling that ended the constitutional right to abortion and will [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( The US Supreme Court [overturned]( the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in a historic ruling that ended the constitutional right to abortion and will likely make the procedure largely illegal in half the country. Amid both [protests]( and celebrations over the ruling across America, one thing was clear: Whether or not Donald Trump runs again for president, his appointment of three conservative justices to the court during his first term has left an enduring legacy. Despite controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, there’s little Democrats [can do]( to blunt the impact of the court’s action. The court earlier confirmed its right-wing shift when it struck down a New York law that limited who could carry a handgun in public. That came as the Senate voted 65-33 to approve bipartisan [gun-safety]( legislation that was hailed as the biggest breakthrough on the issue in three decades. The abortion rights reversal left American allies in [shock](. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it a “big step backwards” while his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, described it as “horrific.” They were among the Group of Seven leaders gathered for a meeting in the Bavarian Alps to discuss [global issues]( such as inflation, a possible recession, climate change and above all the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv scored a political win this week when European Union leaders granted Ukraine [candidate]( status, but suffered setbacks on the battlefield as its forces started to [withdraw]( from the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk. Delve into these and more of Bloomberg’s top political stories from the past seven days in this edition of Weekend Reads.  — [Karl Maier]( Abortion rights demonstrators at Union Square in New York on Friday. Photographer: Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg Click [here]( for this week’s most compelling political images and share this newsletter with others. They can sign up [here](.  Americans in 26 States Will Have to Travel 552 Miles For Abortions The Supreme Court decision means millions of Americans will have to [travel hundreds]( or thousands of miles to access the medical procedure, [Mathieu Benhamou](, [Kelsey Butler]( and [Chloe Whiteaker]( report. Roughly 33 million women of child-bearing age live in states with existing or expected abortion bans. - The ruling sets up a [legal fight]( in some key states where lawmakers plan to enact bans before gubernatorial and congressional elections later this year. What Happens When Women Get Illegal Abortions in Post-Roe US It won’t just be [harder]( for women to get the procedure, [Ella Ceron]( writes. Some states have also been lying in wait with tough penalties for anyone that will provide the care. - From the Obamas to Bill Gates, political leaders and celebrities voiced strong [reactions]( on both sides of the abortion divide across Twitter. Biden Limps to G-7 as Allies Fret Over His Troubles at Home US President Joe Biden’s political fortunes have [changed]( dramatically since his first G-7 summit last year, or even his last visit to Europe in March. As [Jordan Fabian]( and [Jenny Leonard]( report, that couldn’t come at a worse time for his international allies as Russia grinds out its conflict in Ukraine. - Turmoil in Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s coalition show how Vladimir Putin’s invasion is [exposing]( a fissure over attitudes to Russia that runs through Italian business, politics and society at large. Cheney Is Paying the Price for Crossing Trump in Her Home State Once the top-ranking Republican woman in the US Congress, Liz Cheney is regarded as a [pariah]( among many party members for her role in making the case against Trump in nationally televised hearings on the Jan. 6 insurrection. [Billy House]( explains how a successful re-election bid in her home state of Wyoming may depend on Democrats. GOP’s Most Vulnerable Senator Grabs Inflation as His Path to Win To see how inflation is influencing US voters, look at Wisconsin, one of the most competitive swing states in US midterm elections in November. As [Laura Litvan]( and [Michael Sasso]( explain, the economic [pain]( felt by constituents has given pro-Trump Republican Senator Ron Johnson a shot at thwarting Democratic attempts to win his Senate seat. - Democrats will be hoping that voter [outrage]( over the end of Roe v. Wade will eclipse economic angst weighing on the party’s fortunes. How One Woman’s Hardball Tactics Opened the EU Door for Ukraine European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [championed]( the decision to make Ukraine an official candidate of the EU, alongside Moldova, embracing countries on its eastern flank regardless of the threat posed by Russia. [Jorge Valero]( describes her drive for a more assertive bloc. Putin Is Pushing Germany’s Economy to the Breaking Point Europe’s largest economy is facing an [unprecedented]( energy crisis. After Putin slashed flows on the main link to Europe by 60%, [William Wilkes](, [Vanessa Dezem]( and [Alexander Weber]( report, experts in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s administration this week worked out the scenarios and none of them led to sufficient reserves to make it through the winter.  - Germany is pushing for G-7 nations to walk back a commitment to halt the financing of overseas fossil fuel projects by the end of the year, sources say, in what would be a major [reversal]( on tackling climate change. Habeck warned on Thursday that Russia’s moves to slash Europe’s natural-gas supplies risked sparking a collapse in energy markets, drawing a [parallel]( with the role of Lehman Brothers in triggering the financial crisis. Xi Reaffirms Growth Target That Analysts Say Is Out of Reach President Xi Jinping’s vow to meet China’s economic targets for the year faces big [obstacles](: his zero tolerance approach to combating Covid-19 outbreaks and a weak housing market. In the latest Bloomberg survey, economists downgraded their full-year growth projections to 4.1%, compared with the government’s goal of 5.5%. Double Election Blow Casts Doubt on Tory Prospects Under Johnson The loss of two UK parliamentary seats in a single night for Johnson’s ruling Conservatives raises major [concerns]( among the Tories over their longer-term outlook under his leadership. As [Emily Ashton]( reports, the fallout was immediate — Party Chairman Oliver Dowden resigned. - UK consumers are starting to [crumple]( in the face of soaring prices, according a series of reports that paint a grim picture of the nation’s cost-of-living crisis. Best of Bloomberg Opinion This Week - [Roe’s End Is Just the Start of the Shocks: Mark Gongloff]( - [Reckless Ruling Creates a New Gun-Safety Challenge: Editorial]( - [The Weakness of Putin’s Economic Show of Force: Clara F. Marques]( - [Could India Fall Under the Same Spell as Russia?: Pankaj Mishra]( - [The World Must Defuse Yemen’s Ticking Oil Bomb: Bobby Ghosh]( Graft Allegations Dog Nigeria’s Main Presidential Hopefuls Don’t expect Nigeria’s two main presidential candidates to put the fight [against graft]( at the center of their campaigns before February’s vote. As [William Clowes]( reports, both front-runner Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar have faced serious allegations of corruption, which each deny. Zuma-Era Graft Probe Ends But South Africa Remains ‘Broken’ A judicial inquiry into corruption during former President Jacob Zuma’s rule lasted almost four years, spent $60 million and produced more than 5,000 pages of findings. But as [Antony Sguazzin]( and [Paul Vecchiatto]( outline, the real work of fixing a [broken state]( and bringing those who looted more than $31 billion from the government to account has just begun. Explainers you can use - [All About Recessions, Including Thoughts on Next One]( - [A ‘Price Cap’ on Russian Oil — What Would That Mean?]( - [Dirtiest Oil and Gas Fields Are in Russia, Turkmenistan, Texas]( - [How Emboldened Far-Right Is Changing French Politics]( - [Half of New US Entrepreneurs Are Women, Leading a Creation Boom]( China’s Quest for Iron Threatens West African Ecosystem Guinea’s Simandou mountains hold the largest untapped iron-ore deposit on the planet. [Sheridan Prasso]( reports on how a consortium of China-connected companies is moving ahead with a plan that [jeopardizes]( one of the most biologically rich ecosystems in Africa. Erdogan Is Hung Up on the Power One Kurdish Woman Has in Sweden Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is [holding up]( Sweden’s application to join NATO, saying it harbors “terrorists” — his catch-all label for those with links to Kurdish militancy. As [Niclas Rolander]( writes, Amineh Kakabaveh’s journey from Peshmerga fighter to Kurdish refugee and then Swedish lawmaker has thrust her into her adopted homeland’s standoff with Ankara. And finally … Environmental activist Francia Marquez will become Colombia’s first Black vice president in a government that was elected on a platform of [radical change](. Marquez ran on a ticket with President-elect Gustavo Petro, a former [leftist]( guerrilla. [Andrea Jaramillo]( reports that they won in Sunday’s election promising to move the economy away from oil and coal production and reduce inequalities. Marquez at an election night rally in Bogota on Sunday. Photographer: Andres Cardona/Bloomberg Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( | [Ad Choices]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022