Evening: Supreme Court rejects bump stock ban

Plus, advice for dads, from dads.

View in browser|nytimes.com June 14, 2024 By Justin Porter Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. A ruling on bump stocks for guns Putin's cease-fire terms Plus, the return of "House of the Dragon" An AR-15 rifle fitted with a bump stock. Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Supreme Court rejected the ban on bump stocks The Supreme Court today struck down a ban on bump stocks, which enable semiautomatic rifles to fire rapidly like machine guns. The ban was enacted by the Trump administration after a deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. The decision, by a vote of 6 to 3, split along ideological lines. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, found that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had exceeded its authority when it banned the sale and possession of the device. Justice Sonia Sotomayor filed a dissent along with two other judges, saying the decision "puts machine guns back in civilian hands." President Biden urged Congress to act to ban the device. The man who challenged the bump stock ban, a gun shop owner in Texas, said that the ruling was a broader victory for gun rights and that it would make it easier to challenge future attempts by the A.T.F. to regulate firearms. During the shooting in Las Vegas, Stephen Paddock fired on a music festival from the 32nd floor of a hotel, killing 60 people and injuring hundreds. In his arsenal were a dozen AR-15-style rifles outfitted with bump stocks. In about 11 minutes, he fired more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. The ban was a rarity in an era of deep division over gun violence: a restriction that won support from Democrats, Republicans and even the National Rifle Association. Vladimir Putin described Russia's demands as "very simple." Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times Putin offered a cease-fire with sweeping demands On the eve of a peace conference, President Vladimir Putin said today that Russia would be ready to order a cease-fire in Ukraine and enter into negotiations with its government. But first, Kyiv would have to withdraw troops from the four regions that Moscow has claimed as its own and drop its aspirations to join NATO. Ukraine's foreign ministry quickly denounced the offer as an attempt "to mislead the international community." A two-day peace conference organized by Ukraine will open in Switzerland tomorrow to persuade countries to sign onto Kyiv's plans to end the war. Russia was not invited to attend. Some Israeli activists have tried for months to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza. Amir Cohen/Reuters The U.S. punished an Israeli group for blocking aid The State Department said it was imposing sanctions on Tzav 9, a right-wing Israeli group that has been trying to prevent aid from reaching people in the Gaza Strip for months. The U.S. said Tzav 9, which it described as a "violent extremist" group, has blocked roads on which aid trucks travel between Jordan and Gaza, including in the West Bank, and in some instances has raided the trucks, damaged them and dumped packages of aid onto the road. Jeenah Moon for The New York Times The East Coast's first heat wave is coming Prepare to sweat through next week. A heat dome will traverse from the West to the Eastern U.S., baking most of the eastern half of the country. Major cities from Chicago to New York will be hit by stifling temperatures for days. More top news Royals: Catherine, the Princess of Wales, gave an update about her battle with cancer, saying "there are good days and bad days." She plans to take part in a parade tomorrow for the king's birthday. South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected president, but in a first, his party must rely on a fragile coalition. Planes: The F.A.A. is investigating how counterfeit titanium, purchased from a little-known Chinese company, ended up in jets from Boeing and Airbus. Religion: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued an apology for the church's role in the trauma Native Americans experienced in boarding schools it ran. Sports: China and the global antidoping authority knew that three swimmers who failed drug tests before the 2021 Olympics had tested positive years earlier, according to a secret report. Abuse: The Minneapolis Institute of Art canceled a planned Kehinde Wiley exhibition, citing recent claims of sexual misconduct against the artist, which he has denied. Lives lived: Mark James was the Grammy Award-winning songwriter behind hits like "Suspicious Minds" and "Hooked on a Feeling." He died at 83. TIME TO UNWIND Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, in a scene from Season 2 of "House of the Dragon." Theo Whitman/HBO HBO needs a hit. Enter the dragons. Over the past year, HBO has hit a fallow stretch. Executives are hoping that will soon change. On Sunday, a roaring, fire-breathing rescue will swoop in: "House of the Dragon," the "Game of Thrones" prequel series, which will return for its second season. My colleague Mike Hale notes that the dragons take their sweet time and that, when they do show up, they "look and sound more domesticated" than they did in the original series. Several HBO series are expected to debut this year, including "The Penguin," starring Colin Farrell; a prequel series from the "Dune" universe; and a new comedy from Armando Iannucci, the creator of "Veep." Gabriel Alcala Advice for dads, by dads For Father's Day, The Times asked readers to share their best pieces of parenting advice for dads. Here are a couple of highlights. "We have to do the hard stuff, the repetitive stuff. It comes with being a parent. But choosing to see the fun, delight and wonder at every step of the way gave me a far richer experience." Saatvik Ahluwalia, 34, Natick, Mass. "If you put your child up on your shoulders, and then you hear a rapid thud-thud-thud-thud, that's because there is an operational ceiling fan directly above you. (He's fine.)" Stephen Hoey, 35, Sewickley, Pa. Read more tips on fatherhood. Pope Francis said comedians get people to "think critically by making them laugh and smile." Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media Dinner table topics No joke: Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and other big-name comics turned up at the Vatican to meet Pope Francis. He said there was much to learn from comedians. Crisis averted: Martha's Vineyard will have enough cannabis this summer after all. Adieu, Françoise: France is mourning the death of the pop icon Françoise Hardy during a time of acute division. A risky season: The Metropolitan Opera wants to attract more diverse audiences and revitalize a stale repertory. Is the gamble paying off? WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Cook: This simple Southern peach cobbler puts the fruit first. Watch: Here are nine new movies our critics are talking about. Read: Elliot Page's memoir "Pageboy" is finally out in paperback. Here are five other paperbacks we recommend. Listen: The Daily is about extreme savers planning to retire as early as possible. Celebrate: Wirecutter has gift ideas for toasting an engagement, including personalized champagne bottles. Search: These homes in the Bahamas cost about $995,000. Heed: Tax identity fraud can lead to a two-year wait for a refund. Here's what to know. Compete: Did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz. Play: Today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. For more, find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Aurelien Morissard/Associated Press Heading to the Olympics? Parisians say 'don't' TikTok is full of Olympics content like feel-good windows into athletes' lives and promotional videos from organizers and sponsors. But there are also clips from some Parisians who are annoyed about hosting the Games and are warning visitors to expect the worst. A 24-year-old student has posted several clips declaring that the Paris Games will be "dangerous" and "hell on Earth." "If you are planning on coming to Paris for the Olympic Games, why?" she says. "Do not come. Do not come!" It's been viewed more than a million times. Have an unfiltered weekend. Thanks for reading. Matt Cullen will be back on Monday. — Justin Emree Weaver was our photo editor today. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at evening@nytimes.com. And follow The New York Times on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok at @nytimes. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Photo Editor: Brent Lewis Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018