Today's Talking Points 09-02-15

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS

The first hearing in the Freddie Gray case. Prosecutors and attorneys will look at three key issues Wednesday: whether six Baltimore officers should be tried together or separately, whether State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby should recuse herself and whether the charges should be dismissed. Here's everything you need to know to keep up as the hearing unfolds.

President Barack Obama needs one more vote for the Iran deal. One day after activists in Iran wrote an open letter urging Americans to lobby Congress to support the controversial deal, it gained momentum with the support of two more senators. Obama needs 34 votes to uphold his veto of Republicans. There has been a ton of lobbying on both sides, much of it by the president himself.

A Kentucky clerk defied the Supreme Court “under God’s authority.” As protests for and against her waged outside, a gay couple who has been rejected from getting a license four times confronted Kim Davis inside her office. Davis, ordered by SCOTUS to issue same-sex marriage licenses or face penalties, stood her ground, citing religious objections.

Regardless of her religious beliefs, Davis took an oath of office to uphold the law and could face charges of contempt, fines or jail time. Wondering why she still has a job? It's pretty tricky to oust someone from her role.

The Pope OK’d forgiveness of women who’ve had abortions. For one year during the church’s Year of Mercy, priests will be allowed to absolve women for abortions, an act the Catholic church considers a grave sin.

The Holy See clarified that the church still maintains its stance against abortion, but the decision is a meaningful one because it doesn’t seem to place blame directly on women. Catholics for Choice president Jon O’Brien noted that the statement may have “shown a blind spot" for women’s respect, as many Catholic women support abortion access.

Los Angeles was named as the U.S. bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The city, which hosted the games twice before in 1932 and 1984, is being considered in addition to Rome, Paris, Hamburg and Budapest. The host city will be chosen in 2017.