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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, July 1, 2022:

SCOTUS CURBS EPA’S POWER

In a blow to the fight against climate change, the Supreme Court limited how the nation’s main anti-air pollution law can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. By a 6-3 conservative-majority vote, the court said the Clean Air Act does not give the EPA broad authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming. The court’s ruling could complicate the Biden administration’s plans to combat climate change as its proposal to regulate power plant emissions is expected by the end of the year. CHEDDAR

SCOTUS OKS ‘REMAIN IN MEXICO’ HALT

The Supreme Court said in a 5-4 ruling that the Biden administration acted properly in ending the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which requires asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border to wait in Mexico while their applications are processed. Under former President Donald Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, more than 70,000 asylum-seekers were returned from the U.S. to Mexico. Immigration advocates had long called for an end to the policy, saying that migrants faced dangerous conditions while they waited months for their cases to be heard. CHEDDAR
Trump always had a knack for properly naming policies.

KBJ SWORN IN

Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the 116th Supreme Court justice. The nation’s first Black woman to serve in the role, Jackson, 51, fills the seat of retiring 83-year-old Justice Stephen Breyer. She joins three other women on the high court bench — Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett — which is the first time four women are serving together there. Breyer was one of three liberal justices, so the addition of Jackson — whose ideology also leans left — will keep the court’s 6-3 conservative majority in place. CHEDDAR

BIDEN BACKS FILIBUSTER EXCEPTION

Following the overturning of Roe. v. Wade, President Joe Biden said that he would support an exception to the Senate filibuster rule to protect access to abortion. The filibuster allows any member of the 100-member chamber to block action on legislation unless it receives 60 votes. Unfortunately for abortion rights activists, Senate Democrats would need to vote unanimously for the rule change, and Sens. Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema have remained opposed to such a move. CHEDDAR

UKRAINE GETS A WIN 

Russian troops withdrew from Snake Island after repeated attacks from Ukrainian forces. The Ukraine victory — which Russia portrayed as a “goodwill gesture” — marks a setback for Moscow’s forces, whose control of vital shipping lanes in the Black Sea have cut off Ukrainian ports from delivering grain to a hungry world. The withdrawal potentially diminishes the blockade’s threat against the vital Ukraine port at Odesa — but early Friday Russian missile attacks on residential areas in a town near Odesa killed at least 19 people. AP NEWS

DOJ PROBING NYPD

The U.S. Justice Department launched a probe of the New York Police Department’s sex crimes unit after more than a decade of complaints about how they treat victims. According to a DOJ press release, the NYPD failed “to conduct basic investigative steps,” and partook in “shaming and abusing survivors and re-traumatizing them during investigations." The probe will review the unit’s policies, procedures and training for investigations of sexual assault crimes. NBC NEW YORK
Real fact: The unit under investigation is indeed the agency that inspired “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

MARKETS HAMMERED IN FIRST-HALF 2022

The first half of 2022 has not been kind to the global financial markets. Stocks and bonds have fallen badly in the first six months of the year, and cryptocurrency in particular has suffered deep losses. The S&P 500 fell more than 20% in its worst first half of a year since 1970, and investment-grade bonds lost 11% in their worst first half in history. About the only sector that hasn’t lost ground is the commodities market — including oil. The bad news is that investors only see more volatility ahead. WSJ

MOST WANTED: CRYPTOQUEEN

The FBI added Dr. Ruja Ignatova, the self-proclaimed “CryptoQueen,” to its list of Ten Most Wanted fugitives, offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to her arrest. Ignatova, founder of the cryptocurrency OneCoin, allegedly committed fraud by convincing investors to send her more than $4 billion, although there was no blockchain to back the crypto. Prosecutors say the pyramid schemer disappeared in 2017 after taking a flight from her home country of Bulgaria to Greece. At the height of OneCoin’s popularity in 2016, Ignatova famously took the stage at England’s Wembley Stadium to proclaim that OneCoin would grow larger than Bitcoin. NBC NEWS

DURANT REQUESTS TRADE

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant requested a trade, days after teammate Kyrie Irving — not without controversy — opted to stay in Brooklyn for another season. Durant, 33, recently signed a four-year, $194 million contract extension with the Nets that was set to kick in next season. Now, Durant reportedly hopes to be traded to the Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat, though the Nets plan to move the superstar to whichever team offers the greatest return. Meanwhile, among several major contract developments, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is inking the largest deal in NBA history — a $270 million supermax extension over five years, and the New York Knicks have reportedly landed the top of their wish list, free-agent guard Jalen Brunson. ESPN

USC, UCLA TO DITCH PAC-12

Adding to a tumultuous day in sports, USC and UCLA have announced they are leaving the Pac-12 conference for the Big 10. The two Western powerhouses are expected to join their new conference after the 2023 football season ends and their Pac-12 television contracts expire. UCLA and USC are likely leaving due to — surprise — financial reasons; conferences like the SEC and Big Ten have begun to make nearly double that of other Power 5 leagues. As for the Pac-12, a merger with another conference could be their best play to keep up with rival money-machine conferences. LA TIMES

BECAUSE WE'RE ALL WATCHING SOMETHING THIS WEEKEND…

Celebrate American Independence by freely choosing from this big list of streaming recommendations from Cheddar’s digital team. This week includes the return of the "Only Murders in the Building" crew to the throwback action classic "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol." CHEDDAR

**LOVE **HATE **ATE

One thing we love: Timing the airport trip perfectly. 20 minutes before boarding is ideal, but not everyone can live on the edge like that.
One thing we hate: Trying to be productive before the Fourth of July. Let us be free Americans already!
One thing we ate: REAL tacos. No offense to our trusty Chipotle, but it’s tough to beat the authentic stuff.