Five stories to know for June 18, 2021:

1. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a Republican bid to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, preserving the landmark healthcare law for the third time since its 2010 enactment.

2. Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. Joe Biden signed into law a bill making June 19 a national holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

3. China launched three astronauts up to its unfinished space station on the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft. The astronauts will live in a module called ‘Tianhe’ for three months.

4. Israeli aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza on Thursday night after incendiary balloons were launched from the Palestinian enclave, for the second time this week, since a fragile ceasefire ended 11 days of deadly fighting last month.

5. Iranians voted in a presidential election likely to be won by a hardline judge subject to U.S. sanctions.