It’s time for ‘America Now’ to deliver live American news.
Moderator) What kind of news do you have today?
Reporter) As the draft opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States that would overturn the case of guaranteeing the right to abortion was made public through media reports, the wave surrounding it is spreading in the United States. The Republican Senate nominee, backed by former President Donald Trump, has won the Ohio primary election ahead of the November midterm elections. We will continue to share with you the news that last March recorded the highest number of job openings for U.S. companies.
Host) This is the first news of ‘America Now’. After media reports that the U.S. Supreme Court appears to have decided to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling, is it making waves across the United States?
Reporter) Yes. On the 2nd, following the US political media ‘Politico’ obtained and reported on the draft majority opinion in favor of overturning the ‘Raw v. Wade’ decision of the US Supreme Court, the controversy has spread. On the 3rd, hundreds of pro-abortionists and anti-abortionists gathered in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC, to protest all day. As the protesters clashed, the castle went to and fro.
Moderator) What do they each claim?
Reporter) Proponents of abortion argue that abortion is a basic woman’s right. Proponents of abortion, including members of the American Family Planning Association, who participated in the protest, raised their voices that the Supreme Court might not infringe on a woman’s right to choose. On the other hand, the anti-abortion camp emphasized that the fetus is also a life, and gathered together to pray for the Supreme Court’s decision. In the United States, conservative Christians and Republicans are primarily opposed to abortion. Progressive camps, including Democrats, are in favor of abortion.
Moderator) Did President Joe Biden also express his position on the court’s opinion?
Moderator) Yes. President Biden, a member of the Democratic Party, also defended the right to abortion, saying, “Women’s right to choose is a fundamental right.” President Biden told reporters on the 3rd that if the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling, it might potentially affect other rights related to contraception and other privacy rights, such as same-sex marriage, which might fundamentally shake up American law.
Did President Biden also issue a statement criticizing the Supreme Court’s decision?
Reporter) Yes. President Biden emphasized that the Roe v. Wade ruling must not be overturned and called on the people to choose candidates who advocate for abortion to defend women’s rights in the November midterm elections. “At the federal level, we need more abortion senators, and if the abortion supremacy House of Representatives proposes a bill that would codify Law (Roe v. Wade), then that bill would pass, sign, and enact,” Biden said. We will make it happen,” he said.
So, you’re trying to make abortion legal as a federal law at all?
Reporter) That’s right. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said on the 3rd that he would immediately push for legislation to guarantee the right to abortion. However, it is not easy to pass the bill with the current Senate seats 50 Democrats and Republicans each. Therefore, ahead of the midterm elections, the right to abortion has emerged as the biggest topic that can attract voters’ votes.
What is the reaction of the Republican Party?
Reporter) Republicans seem to welcome the Supreme Court’s position. House Republican leadership said in a statement, “We pray that the Supreme Court will make decisions that protect our most basic and precious right, the right to life.” However, concerns were raised regarding the leak of the draft opinion. “This unprecedented leak is intended to cause serious damage to the Supreme Court,” the statement said.
Moderator) It is said that the leak of opinions during the hearing of the Supreme Court is unprecedented in modern American history. What is the reaction of the Supreme Court of the United States?
Reporter) The Supreme Court confirmed on the 3rd that the published draft was authentic. However, we have made it clear that the content of the draft is not the final decision of the Supreme Court or of individual justices. Chief Justice John Roberts, Chief Justice John Roberts, said in a statement, “If this betrayal of trust in the courts was intended to undermine the integrity of our business, it would not be successful,” he said. He added that he had ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the leak.
Moderator) Let’s take a look at the Roe v. Wade ruling that the Supreme Court is trying to repeal for a moment.
The Law v. Wade ruling in 1973 ruled that pregnant women have the right to make their own decisions regarding getting out of pregnancy. After regarding 24 weeks of her pregnancy, she saw that the fetus might survive outside her womb and she had allowed her to have an abortion before that. Over the next 50 years, the Law v. Wade ruling became the precedent that legalized abortion in the United States. However, as the Mississippi abortion law, which bans abortion following 15 weeks of gestation, goes to the Supreme Court, it was predicted that the Roe v. Wade ruling might be overturned. This is because the Conservatives have an absolute advantage in the current Supreme Court of the United States, with six justices conservative and three liberals.
Moderator) What happens if the Law vs. Wade case is overturned?
If the Law v. Wade case is repealed, it is expected that regarding half of the 50 states in the United States will ban abortion. In particular, 13 states have so-called ‘trigger laws’. The trigger law is a law that has been enacted, but has no effect at present, and will take effect when there are no obstacles to the enforcement of the law in the future. So if the Law v. Wade ruling is overturned, 13 states will immediately ban abortion with trigger laws going into effect.
Moderator) Which states have trigger laws?
Reporter) Mainly Republicans from Arkansas, Idaho, and Kentucky These are the occupied Southwestern states. And in Oklahoma, on the 3rd, the governor signed a bill strictly restricting abortion. Oklahoma’s abortion law bans abortion following six weeks of pregnancy After signing the bill, Governor Kevin Stat tweeted, “I want Oklahoma to be the most ‘pro-life’, anti-abortion state in our country.”
So, you’re saying that just because the Law v. Wade ruling is overturned doesn’t mean that abortion is illegal across the country?
Reporter) That’s right. Some Democratic governors, including New York and California, said they would guarantee the right to abortion even if the Supreme Court’s decision was overturned. If abortion becomes illegal in some states, women who want abortion will have to move to another state where abortion is permitted. The Gutmacher Institute, an abortion advocacy group, predicts that if abortion is banned, low-income women and minority women will be the most affected.
Host) Next news for ‘America Now’. Ahead of the November 8 midterm elections, the primary election to select the official candidates of each party has begun, right?
Reporter) Yes. Three-day primary elections were held in Ohio and Indiana. In Ohio, the Democratic and Republican nominees for the U.S. Senate and governor were elected on the same day. In Indiana, primary elections are held to select candidates for the House of Representatives. Primary elections will follow in the coming weeks in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Moderator) How did the primary election result come out?
First of all, JD Vance, backed by former President Donald Trump, was elected as the Republican nominee for the Ohio Senate. Vance is a writer and venture capitalist. Former Ohio Treasury Secretary Josh Mandel, who ran as Vance’s contender, was also an ardent supporter of the former president, but Vance, who gained official support for the former president, eventually won the election.
Moderator) But is there a reason Vance’s victory is receiving national attention?
Reporter) Yes. This is because it was considered as an indicator of whether the former President Trump’s influence is still maintained through the election of the candidate supported by the former President, and whether the former President Trump’s re-election challenge is possible in the next presidential election in 2024.
Moderator) Didn’t ex-President Trump officially announce his intention to be re-elected?
Reporter) Yes, but it is an evaluation that Vance’s victory confirmed the influence of former President Trump. Ahead of the primary, other Republican candidates also struggled to gain official support from the former president, defending Trump’s claims that the election was stolen in the previous election.
Moderator) What kind of person is Vance candidate?
Vance is the author of the best-selling book, Hillbilly Elegy. The title of the book can be translated as ‘The Sad Song of a Country Man’. This book is an autobiography regarding the life of a poor white young man who succeeded as a venture capitalist. This book drew attention when white workers went crazy for Trump during the last presidential election. Vance has criticized former President Trump in the past, but he has won Trump’s support. After the victory was confirmed that day, he even thanked former President Trump.
Who will be the Democratic nominee to face Vance?
Congressman Tim Ryan is running for the Senate nomination. He won as expected, beating the other primary candidates. Ryan and Vance will compete for the seat of Senator Rob Portman, who announced his retirement. Election analysts are largely predicting Vance’s victory.
What were the results of the Ohio Governor’s Primary Election?
Current Governor Mike DeWine has been elected as the Republican nominee. Governor DeWine, a Republican, is a staunch conservative who has sometimes been bitter regarding former President Trump. Even at the beginning of the primary primary, he was criticized by the right-wing forces in relation to the Corona pandemic response. In particular, the three competing candidates were ardent supporters of former President Trump. But with 40 years of political experience, DeWine has beaten his rivals and paved the way for re-election. In the Democratic primary, former Dayton Mayor Nan Weilly was elected the Democratic nominee for governor.
Moderator) Shall we look at the results of the Indiana primary election?
Yes, in Indiana, former Air Force candidate Jennifer Ruth Green defeated six other candidates to win the Republican nomination for the House of Representatives. The constituency Green will represent is a region traditionally dominated by Democrats. Rep. Frank Mirvan, a member of the Democratic Party, who currently represents the region, is running for re-election by lightly winning the primary.
Moderator) Let’s see one more news from America Now. In the United States, the phrase “there is no one to work” is often heard following the novel coronavirus pandemic. That’s why the hiring crisis is so serious. In March, the number of job openings from companies hit an all-time high?
Reporter) Yes. The U.S. Department of Labor released the Job Recruitment Report (JOLTS) for March. It was found that the number of job openings by companies recorded a total of 11.5 million. This is an increase of 205,000 from the previous month and surpassing the 11 million forecast by experts compiled by Archyde.com. It is also the highest level since the collection of related statistics in December 2000.
Moderator) In which industry field did you have a particularly high number of job openings?
Reporter) The largest increase in job openings was in the retail sector. 155,000 cases were added. The number of job openings for production jobs also increased by 50,000. On the other hand, in the transportation, warehouse and equipment sectors, the number of job openings decreased by 69,000. Federal government jobs also fell by 20,000. By region, the number of job openings increased significantly in the southern United States. The Northeast, Midwest and West regions have seen a decrease in job openings.
Moderator) There were so many job openings, how was the number of job turnovers?
Reporter) The number of retirees in March stood at 4.54 million, an increase of 152,000 from the previous month, also recording an all-time high. ‘CNBC’ pointed out that these figures show that the so-called ‘Great Resignation’ is continuing in the United States. The resignation phenomenon refers to a situation in which workers who left their jobs during the corona pandemic did not return to work, resulting in a severe manpower shortage.
Moderator) So, how was the number of job openings compared to the number of job seekers?
Reporter) The number of job openings by companies was 5.6 million more than job seekers. This is also an all-time high. In this situation, companies have to pay higher wages to fill their workforce. Rising wages for workers will exacerbate the current record level of inflation, experts say.
Moderator) Then, to what extent should the number of job searches and job openings match for wages to be stable?
Reporter) According to an analysis by US investment bank ‘Goldman Sachs’, if the gap between job search and job openings is narrowed to 2.5 million, half the current level, the pace of wage increase is expected to slow.
Moderator) If wages continue to rise and inflation continues due to this shortage of manpower, won’t it affect US economic policy?
Reporter) That’s right. In particular, the media analyzes that this Job Recruitment Report (JOLTS) will influence the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, in determining future monetary policy. The Fed is turning to tightening policy as consumer prices hit their highest level in 40 years. The report suggests that the Fed’s monetary tightening will become more aggressive.
Did the Fed start raising interest rates?
Reporter) Yes, in consideration of the economy hit by the novel coronavirus, the Federal Reserve has maintained interest rates at ‘zero’, which is almost zero interest. raised interest rates by 0.25%. However, at the end of last month, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said that he would discuss a 0.5 percentage point increase in interest rates at the FOMC meeting in May, saying that it would be appropriate for interest rates to move faster.
Moderator) When is the FOMC meeting held in May?
Reporter) It started on the 3rd. It will be held over two days until the 4th. Economists are predicting that the Fed will raise rates three times over the next 0.5%, starting with the FOMC meeting in May.
Moderator) And in a few days, the labor indicators for last April will also be announced, right?
Reporter) That’s right. The Ministry of Labor is due to release the unemployment rate and new employment data for the month on the 6th. This is also something the Fed and other economists are paying attention to. This is because inflation and unemployment are the basis of interest rate hikes. Analysts at Dow Jones expect 400,000 new jobs in the non-farm sector last month, with the unemployment rate dropping to 3.5%. The unemployment rate was 3.5%, the lowest in 50 years before the coronavirus pandemic. The Ministry of Labor said earlier that in March, 431,000 new jobs were added and the unemployment rate stood at 3.6%.
Moderator) America Now, I will listen to this until today.