"Today's Supreme Court Opinion Will Live in Infamy"

►"BULLSHIT." Barack and Michelle Obama, Alyssa Milano, Halle Berry, Patricia Arquette and more across the entertainment industry have spoken out in shock and anger following the Supreme Court’s decision to end constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years. The landmark decision was made by the court's conservative majority in a 6-3 vote, with the ruling's outcome expected to result in abortion bans in roughly half of U.S. states. The reaction. 

—The White House response. President Joe Biden said Friday that “it’s a sad day for the court and the country” after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. “Now with Roe gone, let’s be very clear, the health and life of women across this nation are now at risk,” he said from the White House. The story.

—The studios respond. In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe, most major Hollywood companies are informing employees they will cover travel costs for those journeying out of state for abortions. Disney, Netflix, Comcast, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony, WME, CAA and UTA are among the companies to communicate with employees about their health care policies. The story.

—The unions respond. Hollywood unions sharply rebuked the Supreme Court on Friday over the Roe news, with a few labor groups pledging to take steps to combat the decision’s effect. Directors union the Directors Guild of America, actors union SAG-AFTRA, writers unions the Writers Guild of America East and West, crew union IATSE and theater performers union Actors Equity all issued statements, and some pledged policies to help members traveling for "safe abortion services." The story. 

—"Unimaginable anger." Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes, the filmmakers behind The Janes, the incredibly important documentary streaming on HBO Max about the clandestine Chicago group that helped women access abortion before it was legal, talk to THR's Hilary Lewis about the Supreme Court's Friday ruling eliminating Roe. The story. 

More reaction...

—Lizzo pledges $1m to Planned Parenthood and abortion funds after Roe v. Wade ruling

—Bill Maher says it will be a “very different America” with Roe v. Wade overturned

The New Vanguard of Late Night

►"Are the Emmys ready to make room for them?" Peacock's The Amber Ruffin Show, Showtime's Desus & Mero and Ziwe are part of a new guard of joke-telling TV pundits who have not only brought more visible racial representation to late night television but have also deliberately framed their japes and critiques around questions of race, class, gender and sexuality. Despite these shows viral success, THR's Robyn Bahr wonders whether the Television Academy is paying attention to these fresh perspectives and faces. The analysis. 

—Investment is coming, but where? In a June 23 memo, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings outlined the streamer's plans to lay off 300 employees as part of a "readjustment of the business," but added that it was still looking to grow headcount to 11,500 by the end of 2023. THR's Alex Weprin considers Netflix's commitment to add those 1,500 jobs over the next 18 months, with international, gaming and advertising likely to be the beneficiaries. The analysis.  

—Well, that's all right. Warner Bros.’ biopic Elvis started off its domestic box office run with $3.5m in Thursday previews. WB and tracking suggest that Elvis will open to $25m or more.  Baz Luhrmann's film currently holds an 81 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Blumhouse and Universal’s latest horror offering, The Black Phone, also began opening Thursday and wasn’t far behind Elvis, ringing up $3m in previews (horror is often front-loaded). The box office report.

—"Generic and common characteristics cannot serve as the basis for an infringement claim." Comedian Michael Che has beaten a copyright suit alleging he ripped off the idea for one of his sketches from a series of TikTok videos called “HomeGirl Hotline” by Kelly Manno. According to a ruling issued Wednesday tossing the case, Manno’s jokes are too abstract to be protectable under copyright law. The story. 

How TV Is Embracing Late-in-Life Coming-of-Age Stories

►"These series are as nourishing as they are funny." THR critic Robyn Bahr is back with another banger, writing that the success of FX's Better Things and the HBO trio of Hacks, Julia and Somebody Somewhere prove it’s delightfully invigorating to just watch women of a certain age being themselves, no apologies necessary. Emmy voters take note! The analysis.

—Misha makes history. The 2022 Daytime Emmy Awards were handed out Friday during an in-person ceremony, hosted by Entertainment Tonight‘s Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner. ABC’s General Hospital led with five wins including best drama series. Best actor and actress went to The Bold and the Beautiful’s John McCook and The Young and the Restless’ Mishael Morgan, respectively — the latter making history as the first Black actress to win in the category. The winners.

—"Is it possible to top that? We did." Thor: Love and Thunder premiered in Hollywood on Thursday night, and THR's Sydney Odman was able to grab the thoughts of cast and crew on the fourth Thor film and the 29th (!) entry in the MCU. Director Taika Waititi and stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Tessa Thompson were all at the El Capitan Theater to talk up a "bigger" film "with the bigger themes." The story. 

—Coming back! Three years after its last San Diego Comic-Con presentation, Marvel Studios is returning to Hall H. Marvel chief Kevin Feige confirmed the news of the return Friday, giving Comic-Con a boost as it seeks a return to normalcy in the age of COVID-19. It is a win for the convention, as Marvel does not attend every year and its panels are often among the most talked-about from the event. The story. 

THR Critics' 10 Best TV Shows of 2022 (So Far)

►No Slow Horses! Bah! THR's TV reviewers Dan Fienberg and Angie Han choose their small screen faves from the first half of the year, including a singular stand-up special, a sweet gay teen romance and a sweepingly ambitious literary adaptation. The selection. 

—TV critics pick their favorite Emmy contenders. Ahead of the Emmy nominations announcement on July 12, THR's TV reviewers Dan and Angie reflect on a year that saw an overwhelming number of new and returning series now vying for the Television Academy's attention. The selection.

—Feinberg Forecast. With Emmy nominations voting closing on June 27, THR's awards expert Scott Feinberg offers his best attempt to predict the behavior of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences one final time, locking in his picks for 17 categories. The forecast. 

In other news...

—The Black Phone director Scott Derrickson on Ethan Hawke’s serial killer and his scary mask

—Riley Keough on “special and overwhelming” journey of supporting Elvis with the Presley Family

—What to expect from the 2022 BET Awards 

—How Bridgerton composer Kris Bowers set up a “dangerous connection” in S2

—The Garcias are doing it themselves with their Emmy campaign

—Andreas Kleinert’s Dear Thomas sweeps 2022 German Film Awards

What else we're reading...

—JFC: "Kavanaugh gave private assurances. Collins says he "misled" her" [NYT]

—Both things can be true: "Are Joe Manchin and Susan Collins stupid—or do they just think we are?" [Daily Beast]

—JFC: "Supreme Court opens door to overturning rights to contraceptives, same-sex relationships and marriage" [ABC News]

—Really giving the people what they don't want: "Supreme Court goes against public opinion in rulings on abortion, guns" [WaPo]

—Can't argue with this: "America is growing apart, possibly for good" [Atlantic]

Today...  

...in 1971, MGM held the premiere for Gordon Parks’ adaptation of Shaft in Los Angeles. The film starred Richard Roundtree as ultra cool private detective John Shaft and was a huge commercial success, scoring two Oscar nominations (winning one for best song) and become a cultural phenomenon. Shaft would spawn two sequels and two reboots, the last of which was released in 2019. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Linda Cardellini (47), Busy Philipps (43), Mckenna Grace (16), Ricky Gervais (61), Jeff Cohen (48), Annaleigh Ashford (37), Sheridan Smith (41), Angela Kinsey (51), Chloe Webb (66), Emma Suárez (58), Shannon Lucio (42), Michael McShane (67), Jackie Swanson (59), John Benjamin Hickey (59), La La Anthony (40), Rain (40), Jimmie Walker (75), Eve Gordon (62), Ernest R. Dickerson (71)