President Joe Biden reacted angrily when the US Supreme Court declined to block the implementation of a Texas law providing penalties for abortion if the baby’s heartbeat can be detected. The White House issued a statement denouncing the law as “an unprecedented assault on a woman’s constitutional rights,” and saying that the high court’s failure to act before the law took effect “unleashes unconstitutional chaos.” Biden promised to “launch a whole-of-government effort” to preserve unrestricted abortion in Texas.