Supreme Court steps in again

Plus Texas executes a man who may be innocent and the 4-day week proves sticky [View this email in your browser]( [Brand Logo]( Supreme delay, certain death and the benefits of less work   Good morning, Today is leap day, that quadrennial moment when people born on Feb. 29 finally get to celebrate a proper birthday. You can't really buy or sell time, but the Supreme Court just gifted Donald Trump a few months in which he won't face trial for subverting the 2020 election. That may be enough time that voters won't know the trial's outcome before casting their ballots in 2024. Most have probably decided whether they think Trump is an insurrectionist, but this election could well be won on the margins. Every second counts. Peter Weber The Week Digital     Today's POLITICS story Supreme Court delays Trump 2020 election trial What happened? The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider former President Donald Trump's argument he has total legal immunity for any alleged crimes committed in office. That decision delays the federal criminal trial on Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 loss, plausibly until after the 2024 election. How we got here Special counsel Jack Smith filed felony charges against Trump in August, and U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan set a March 5 trial date. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Trump's immunity claim the week of April 22. If the court rules against Trump, as expected, pretrial activity — frozen since mid-December — would resume and might last roughly 80 days. That would likely put jury selection in late August to October, barring further delays. The commentary This is a "colossal victory for Trump," who openly aims to "delay his trials until after Election Day," then kill them if he wins, Ian Millhiser said at Vox. His appeal needn't take three months, said legal analyst Tristan Snell. "The Supreme Court heard and decided Bush v. Gore in THREE DAYS." It has never been the justice system's job to "save the country from Trump," said Randall Eliason, a George Washington University law professor. "The voters need to do that." What next? Trump's New York trial for paying hush money to a porn actress — the only of his four felony cases still on schedule — is set to start March 25.   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Today's NATIONAL story Texas executes man despite contested evidence What happened?Texas executed Ivan Cantu on Wednesday, rejecting calls for a rehearing amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence. Cantu, 50, maintained he was innocent in the 2000 murder of his cousin James Mosqueda and Mosqueda's fiancée, Amy Kitchen. Who said what? After multiple courts "comprehensively" reviewed his conviction, "Cantu has finally met with justice," said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis. "I want you to know that I never killed James and Amy," Cantu said right before his execution. And this won't "bring you closure." The commentary Wherever "you stand on capital punishment, it is a great miscarriage of justice when we put to death a potentially innocent person," said Texas Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty. Jeff Calhoun, one of three Cantu jurors who petitioned for a new trial after learning a key witness lied to them, told The Texas Tribune he was "simply asking that this be looked at a little deeper before the unripened fruit is taken off the tree." What next? Idaho botched its first execution in 12 years on Wednesday. At least six more U.S. executions are scheduled this year.   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Today's Business Story 4-day workweek gets boost from UK study What happened? "The four-day workweek is proving to be the gift that keeps on giving," NPR News said Wednesday. In a new study of 61 British companies that began a six-month trial of the four-day workweek in 2022, 54 companies are still using the truncated schedule and 31 have made it permanent. Who said what? The study, from the think tank Autonomy, shows the benefits of a four-day week are "real and long-lasting," and "in some cases have even continued to improve," said Boston College sociologist and project researcher Juliet Schor. "Physical and mental health and work-life balance are significantly better than at six months. Burnout and life satisfaction improvements held steady." The commentary "Companies also reap the benefits of reduced work hours" through increased productivity and big savings from decreased burnout and absenteeism, Victoria Wells said at the Financial Post. Unlike "mindfulness training, meditation apps and even on-site yoga," shorter workweeks actually improve employee wellness. What next? "Dramatic shifts in the pandemic-era workplace" turned the "once unfathomable" dream of a four-day workweek into reality for some workers, Elizabeth Bennett said at BBC, now generative artificial intelligence could "accelerate the adoption."     On this day February 29, 1692 The first people are accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. When the trials were over, 141 people had been "judged" and 19 executed. Witch trials have continued into the 21st century and appear to be increasing in frequency. According to the World Health Organization, they are spreading across African countries, including Zambia and Nigeria, as well as Papua New Guinea and India.     TODAY’S newspaperS ['The East Coast is sinking']( Thursday's front pages are filled with big news: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is stepping aside, the end of his "historic reign" drawing "surprise and tears" in the Senate, The Washington Post says. The Supreme Court agreed to hear Donald Trump's immunity argument, helping him "by delaying a trial," The New York Times says. A judge in New York denied Trump's request to delay paying a $454 million judgment, telling him to "pony up, now!" the New York Daily News says. But the map-heavy top Times story kind of puts all that news in perspective: "The East Coast is sinking." ► [See the newspaper front pages](     It's not all bad A deep-sea robot roving off the coast of Chile potentially discovered dozens of new species during a recent expedition. The robot descended 14,000 feet and brought up specimens like beady-eyed lobsters with barbed legs and pale white sponges. Researchers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute are analyzing the creatures to determine if they are new species and believe these findings show "ocean protections put in place by the Chilean government are working to bolster biodiversity," The Washington Post said.     Under the radar [Boeing's problems are China's opportunities]( Boeing's well-documented troubles in 2024 appear to have allowed an unlikely competitor to jostle for the top in the aviation business: the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. Commonly known as COMAC, the Chinese state-run aerospace manufacturer hopes to take on the Western powerhouses Boeing and Airbus. And it's making some inroads. COMAC is looking to "position itself as a viable option for single-aisle jets, as companies like Boeing and Airbus grapple with a backlog of orders," Fortune said. It's offering two main products: the C919 passenger jet and a smaller, regional aircraft called the ARJ21. Both jets made their first flights out of mainland China last December. Still, there's a reason "challenging the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing has seemed remote, if not impossible," the Financial Times said. And construction of the C919 "still relies on some key components made in Europe and the U.S." The C919 is "not going to rock the boat in particular," Christian Scherer, the CEO of Airbus' commercial business, said to CNBC. The aircraft is "not very different" from current market offerings, and the aviation market is "large enough for competition. We welcome the competition." While it is on the ascent, COMAC "still has a long way to go before it can compete with aircraft from market leaders," The Associated Press said. Most of COMAC's upcoming orders are from Chinese airlines, Alton Aviation's Mabel Kwan told AP. And to "have a sustainable future, COMAC must demonstrate that they are able to go beyond Chinese shores."     Tall tale Fr. Feelgood A priest in Don Benito, Spain, is accused of illegally selling Viagra out of his home after police allegedly found the drug and other "powerful aphrodisiacs" in the abode. Police said the priest, identified as Alfonso Raul Masa Soto, was arrested along with his partner following a monthslong investigation. Local media described Soto as being "very popular" in the community and said the accusations have shocked parishioners. A lawyer for Soto, who is out on bail, denied the allegations.     Later today Even if you don't always enjoy hanging out with friends, it turns out your microbiome is social, Devika writes in today's Evening Review. We also have a survey of five thought-provoking books to read, among other items to contemplate as February draws to an end. Thanks for reading, Peter     Morning Report was written and edited by Catherine Garcia, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek. Image credits, from top: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; Heritage Art / Heritage Images via Getty Images; Vincent Thian / AP Photo   © Future US, Inc • [theweek.com]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Privacy Policy]( The Week is published by Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036.