Supreme Court weighs abortion ban, Michigan school shooting, 'Downpour': 5 things to know Wednesday

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Supreme Court to weigh challenge to Mississippi abortion ban

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday in a Mississippi case that directly challenges the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established the constitutional right to abortion. Observers will be watching closely for any sign about where the Supreme Court is heading in the case, which challenges Mississippi's ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. A ruling upholding the Mississippi law would be a major victory for conservatives who have sought for generations to overturn or weaken Roe. Experts predict that would prompt nearly two dozen states to embrace similar bans, creating a patchwork of abortion laws that would resemble the red-state, blue-state maps of presidential elections.

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Charges expected after teen killed 3, wounded 8, at a Michigan high school

Authorities say a 15-year-old student opened fire at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, Michigan, about 35 miles north of Detroit, Tuesday, fatally shooting three students and injuring seven others and a teacher. The shooting unfolded around 1 p.m. when a boy, a sophomore at the school, started shooting a semiautomatic handgun, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. The three deceased students are 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana and 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin. Seven of the injured were students and three remain in critical condition. The eighth was a teacher, who was discharged from the hospital. The 9mm pistol the suspect used was bought by his father on Black Friday, Nov. 26, according to Sheriff Michael Bouchard. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald issued a statement Tuesday evening saying her office expects to issue charges quickly and an update would be given Wednesday.

House Jan. 6 committee to weigh holding former DOJ official in contempt

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection will vote Wednesday on whether to hold a former Justice Department official in contempt for defying the panel's subpoena and urge the department to prosecute him criminally. Jeffrey Clark, a former acting assistant attorney general during the final days of the Trump administration, notified the committee he would decline to testify Nov. 5, citing former President Donald Trump's assertion of executive privilege. Clark was subpoenaed to discuss his attempts to enlist the Justice Department in an effort to sow doubt in the Georgia election results. He is among a string of former administration officials and campaign advisers refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

MLB lockout appears to be inevitable

Baseball is about to go dark, perhaps for an entire, contentious winter. Come 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Players' Association expires, and for the first time in nearly 30 years, that deadline will pass without the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA.) In response, MLB is expected to impose a lockout of players, tabling all offseason transactions until both sides can hammer out an agreement. The two sides are highly skeptical that a deal can be struck before the deadline. It is the players who want significant change, yet the owners are not overly motivated to give away the store and what they view as overdue, hard-earned gains. USA TODAY Sports answers most significant questions facing owners, players and fans as the sides head back to the bargaining table. As of now, you should keep your spring-training plans for February 2022. But make sure your plane tickets are refundable.

Extreme rainfall is growing worse with climate change, investigation finds

Rising temperatures and rising oceans have for years been framed as the impending disasters on the crest of climate change. But this year, like few before it, changing rainfall patterns bullied their way into the collective consciousness. In "Downpour," a USA TODAY investigation publishing Wednesday, reporters revealed a stunning shift in the way precipitation falls in America. East of the Rockies, more rain is falling and it’s coming in more intense bursts. In the West, people are waiting longer to see any rain at all. And as states rack up records for rainfall, flooding, droughts and wildfire, it’s becoming clear our country was built for the climate of the past. Read the series in full here.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court on abortion, school shooting: 5 things to know Wednesday