Criminal statutes banning homosexuality are on the books in 74 countries, eight of which include the death penalty, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).
The latest: Gay rights activists in India recently won a major victory when the country's Supreme Court overturned a colonial-era law that made gay sex a crime. 42 countries, most of them in Europe or the Americas, have legalized gay marriage or civil unions.
A fresh Joe Biden ad, "New Start," signals an effort by his campaign to make unity a central theme, underscoring a new passage in his stump speech that says he won't be a president just for Democrats but for all Americans.
What he's saying: The ad — which began Friday night, and is a follow-up to "Fresh Start" — draws from a Biden speech earlier in the week in Manitowoc, Wisconsin:
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Photo: Matt Cashore/Notre Dame University via Reuters
President Trump is preparing to nominate federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, a favorite of both the social conservative base and Republican elected officials, to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Republican sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: Barrett would push the already conservative court further and harder to the right, for decades to come, on the most important issues in American politics — from abortion to the limits of presidential power. If confirmed, she would give conservatives a 6-3 majority on the high court.