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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 5 July 2024

Americans shrug off searing heat to celebrate Fourth of July with

parades, cookouts and fireworks

Continued from front

nearly 3 million people traveled through airports in a
single day last week, and that figure is expected to be
broken this week. And AAA projected that 60.6 million
people will travel by car during the holiday period. Part
of the boost was attributed to easing inflation, though
many Americans remain concerned about the econ-
omy.
On the much of the West Coast, residents were ad-
vised to take precautions to avoid overheating on the
holiday.
Temperatures were expected to top 100 degrees (38
degrees Celsius) across both coastal and inland ar-
eas of California, with heat spreading into the Pacific
Northwest.
Some spots in the desert Southwest were expecting
temperatures topping 120 degrees (49 degrees Cel-
sius). Hot, muggy conditions also permeated the Deep Eight-year-old Molly Perkins, third from left, joins fellow American Heritage Girls members in
South and Middle Atlantic. riding on a float during the Colorado 4th at Firestone parade to mark the Independence Day
The Northern California city of Oroville’s annual fire.q holiday Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Firestone, Colo.
Associated Press

House Democrat is proposing a constitutional amendment to

reverse Supreme Court’s immunity decision

By LISA MASCARO Trump and his allies cel- a letter to colleagues this
AP Congressional Corre- ebrated the ruling by the week.
spondent court, which includes three He quoted from Justice
WASHINGTON (AP) — A justices appointed by the Sonia Sotomayor, who led
leading House Democrat is former president, and his the dissent, and Justice
preparing a constitutional legal team immediately Ketanji Brown Jackson who
amendment in response to moved to delay sentenc- joined in dissenting, before
the Supreme Court’s land- ing for his felony convic- summing up his in his own
mark immunity ruling, seek- tion in an unrelated hush words: “Presidents are citi-
ing to reverse the decision money case in New York zens, not tyrants.”
“and ensure that no presi- state court that had been Another Democrat, Rep.
dent is above the law.” scheduled for next week. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
Rep. Joseph Morelle of The judge agreed to push said Monday she planned
New York, the top Demo- off the sentencing until fall. to file articles of impeach-
crat on the House Admin- The outcome all but ensures ment against the justices
istration Committee, sent a the federal cases against over the ruling, which she
letter to colleagues inform- Trump will not be resolved said represents “an assault
ing them of his intent to file before the November elec- on American democracy.”
the resolution, which would tion when he faces a likely “It is up to Congress to de-
kickstart what’s traditionally rematch with President Joe fend our nation from this
a cumbersome amend- Biden. authoritarian capture,”
ment process. While the constitution- Ocasio-Cortez said on so-
“This amendment will do Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., questions a witness during a al amendment process cial media. “I intend on
what SCOTUS failed to do Committee on House Administration hearing about noncitizen would likely take years, and filing articles of impeach-
voting in U.S. elections on Capitol Hill, May 16, 2024 in
prioritize our democracy,” Washington. in fact may never come to ment upon our return.”
Morelle said in a statement Associated Press fruition, supporters believe Congress can launch the
to AP. it is the most surefire way, constitutional amendment
In referring to Donald decision this week from the Writing for the majority, even beyond a new law, process and then send it
Trump, Morelle said the court’s conservative major- Chief Justice John Roberts to enshrine the norm that to the states for ratification.
former president “must be ity, which stunned Wash- said that presidents have presidents can face conse- Such a resolution takes a
held accountable for his ington and drew a sharp broad immunity from crimi- quences for their actions. two-thirds vote in both the
decisions. dissent from the court’s lib- nal prosecution for actions “This amendment will guar- House and Senate, which is
I urge my colleagues to eral justices warning of the take within their official du- antee that no public officer highly unlikely at this time of
support my amendment perils to democracy, par- ties a decision that throws of the United States includ- divided government, and
and stand with me on the ticularly as Trump seeks a into doubt the Justice De- ing the president is able to ratification by three-fourths
front line to protect our de- return to the White House. partment’s cases against evade the accountability of the states.
mocracy.” Still, the effort stands almost Trump, including his efforts that any other American So far, there have been 27
It’s the most significant leg- no chance of succeeding to overturn the 2020 elec- would face for violating amendments to the U.S.
islative response yet to the in this Congress. tion. our laws,” Morelle wrote in Constitution.q