Federal appeals court says states can’t ban gay marriage; ruling on hold pending Utah’s appeal
DENVER — A federal appeals court ruled for the first time Wednesday that states cannot prevent gay couples from getting married, extending the movement’s legal winning streak and bringing the issue a big step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The three-judge panel in Denver ruled 2-1 that states cannot deprive people of the fundamental right to marry simply because they choose a partner of the same sex.
The decision by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld a lower-court ruling that struck down Utah’s gay marriage ban. It becomes law in the six states covered by the 10th Circuit: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. But the panel immediately put the ruling on hold pending an appeal.
The Utah attorney general’s office planned to appeal the decision but it was assessing whether to go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court or ask the entire 10th Circuit to review the ruling, spokeswoman Missy Larsen said.
Actor Eli Wallach, star of ‘Good, Bad and the Ugly’ and ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ dies at 98
NEW YORK — As a masterful character actor and early product of postwar, Method-style theater, Eli Wallach wore countless faces, disappearing into them all. But he was always propelled — in acting and in life — by a mischievousness and an abiding playfulness that made him a tireless performer, an enduring family man, and, of course, one immortal scoundrel.
Wallach died Tuesday evening from natural causes after 98 years of life, 66 years of marriage and some 100 films, including several he made in his 90s. His son, Peter Wallach, confirmed his passing Wednesday.
The versatile, raspy-voiced actor was a mainstay of Tennessee Williams’ plays (he won a Tony Award for “The Rose Tattoo” in 1951) and an original member of the Actors Studio in the early days of Method acting. But the most notable credit in his prolific career was “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” in which he played the rascally Mexican outlaw Tuco.
West to Putin: Renouncing right to send troops into Ukraine is not enough to avoid sanctions
MOSCOW — The Kremlin on Wednesday renounced the right to send troops into Ukraine and voiced support for a peace plan, but the West said Russia must do much more to stop the fighting in eastern Ukraine if it wants to avoid a new, more crippling round of sanctions.
A cease-fire, already fragile, is set to expire Friday, the same day that Ukraine signs a pivotal economic agreement with the European Union and the day that the EU and U.S. may consider further punitive measures against Russia.
After months of upheaval, this much is clear: The West appears to accept that it can do nothing about Russia’s annexation of Crimea, while Moscow seems resigned to Ukraine signing the sweeping trade pact that will bind the country more closely to the EU.
US Rep. Rangel, seeking 23rd term, holds off strong challenge to win Democratic primary in NY
NEW YORK — U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, the face of Harlem politics for generations, held off a strong Democratic primary challenge and moved one step closer to what he says will be his 23rd and final term in the House.
Rangel, 84, defeated state Sen. Adriano Espaillat in what was a bruising fight that shed light on the changing face of a district that was once one of the nation’s black political power bases.
With 100 percent of the vote counted in unofficial results, Rangel led Espaillat 47.4 percent to 43.6 percent, a difference of fewer than 2,000 votes. Nearly 47,800 votes had been counted. The Associated Press called Rangel the winner based on information Wednesday from the city Board of Elections on ballots cast that were not included in the election night tally. The number of absentee and provisional ballots was not sufficient for Espaillat to make up the difference.
By wire sources