We Asked Republican Senators About Pride Month. It Got Awkward.

Fourteen Republicans are, alas, not celebrating Pride Month. But hey—a couple of them acknowledged that it exists!

The New Republic

Trump challenges Biden to a cognitive test but confuses the name of the doctor who tested him

The former president and presumptive Republican nominee referred to Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, who was the White House physician for part of his presidency, as “Ronny Johnson.” The moment came as Trump was questioning Biden’s mental acuity, something he often does on the campaign trail and social media.

AP News

The Century Of Injustice Continues: Oklahoma Supreme Court Denies Reparations For Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors

In a heart-wrenching blow to the remaining survivors of one of America’s most horrific race massacres, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. 

Bossip

Biden preparing to offer legal status to undocumented immigrants who have lived in U.S. for 10 years

The proposal, known as “Parole in Place,” would also open up a pathway to permanent legal status and U.S. citizenship for some beneficiaries by removing an obstacle in U.S. law that prevents those who entered the U.S. illegally from obtaining green cards without leaving the country.

Another plan being prepared by the Biden administration would streamline the process for so-called DREAMers and other undocumented immigrants to request waivers that would make it easier for them to obtain temporary visas, such as H-1B visas for high-skilled workers, the sources said.

CBS News

(Note: We do technically already have a system for parole in place, so, uh….this is going to continue to confuse us if this goes through, since they still haven’t updated the form for things like military parole in place.)

Khanna says he will not attend Netanyahu’s address to Congress

“I will not attend that. I said that if he wants to come to speak to members of Congress about how to end the war and release hostages, I would be fine doing that. But I’m not going to sit in a one-way lecture,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The Hill

Biden administration efforts to protect LGBTQ+ students and workers hit conservative legal roadblocks

The Biden administration’s efforts to shore up protections for LGBTQ+ students and workers were partially hindered by two separate court rulings on Thursday and Friday.

In a preliminary injunction issued Thursday, US District Judge Terry Doughty blocked the Biden administration from implementing the new federal protections for LGBTQ+ students – which are set to take effect August 1 – in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho.

A separate ruling Friday by a federal appeals court upheld an existing block on federal guidance seeking to protect transgender students and workers in 20 states.

CNN

Florida’s gender-affirming care ban finally gets struck down

Nothing says Happy Pride like eviscerating Ron DeSantis in court. In yet another legal victory against Florida’s anti-trans crusade, a federal judge has struck down the state’s gender affirming care ban.

The bill, which DeSantis signed into law last May, banned puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery for the purposes of treating gender dysphoria in minors, regardless of parental consent. At the same time, the law did not ban those treatments for other diagnoses, such as early onset puberty.

Into

Former President Trump Says He Can’t Be Racist Because He Has ‘So Many Black Friends’

“I have so many Black friends that if I were a racist, they wouldn’t be friends, they would know better than anybody, and fast. They would not be with me for two minutes if they thought I was racist — and I’m not racist!” he said.

The 78-year-old went so far as to say that he can relate to Black voters because he claims that he’s being discriminated against by the criminal justice system. 

He explained, “I think it’s through osmosis. They see what’s happening. And a lot of them feel that similar things have happened to them. I mean, they’ve expressed that to me very plainly and very clearly. They see what’s happened to them.”

Black Enterprise

Takeaways from the campaigning to win over rural voters in swing-state North Carolina

Rural voters in particular will play an important role for both campaigns, but the candidates will have to overcome voter indifference, fatigue and even disgust.

AP News

On its 12th anniversary, DACA is on the ropes as election looms

Monarch butterflies, passionate activists, and “we’re here to stay” signs have all become emblematic of marches and protests calling on presidential administrations to defend DACA recipients from deportation during the past 12 years.  

Saturday marks the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was established by the Obama administration in 2012. 

CBS News

Democrats agree Biden had to act on immigration – but they’re split over his asylum order

Most Democrats accept that Biden had to do something to address an issue that has become one of his biggest political vulnerabilities.But the party, once united in furious opposition to Trump’s asylum clampdown, now finds itself divided over his course of action, split on both the substance of the policy and the wisdom politics.

The Guardian

Trump criticizes US aid to Ukraine, promises to “have that settled” if reelected

The former president blasted the Ukrainian president, calling him a “salesman” for taking funds from the U.S.

Salon

The Overlooked (But Real) Possibility of a Big Democratic Win

Both moderates and progressives are pushing the Biden campaign to get more ambitious.

The Atlantic

Pentagon taps SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA for $5.6 billion security satellites

Blue Origin is entering the national security launch contract space for the first time, while SpaceX and ULA have been the primary players previously.

Interesting Engineering

Americans are still paying more for shoes, luggage and hats after Biden left Trump’s tariffs in place

Tariffs aren’t the only reason prices went up over the last five years, but Zarfas Williams said she hoped President Joe Biden would lift the duties – which he previously criticized – to help alleviate some of the upward pressure on prices.

CNN

Here’s the problem with AGAB phraseology, according to trans folks

It’s depressing that have to have this conversation again, but it’s hardly surprising. Even though the point of transness, for many folks whose identities fall under the trans umbrella, is that it’s nobody’s business what we had going on genital-wise at birth, people still find ways to insist that we disclose exactly what we were “born as.”

Into

Dr. Anthony Fauci on pandemics, partisan critics, and “the psyche of the country”

There are millions today who owe their lives to the work of the man who “settled” for science. And as he chronicles in his new memoir, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service,” Dr. Fauci’s career treating infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health has been bookended by the two great pandemics of our time: AIDS and COVID-19.

CBS News

Freedom Caucus member takes unprecedented step backing chair’s challenger

Rep. Warren Davidson’s decision to back John McGuire will be seen as a grand betrayal by the ultra conservative group that is meticulous about appearing united publicly.

Politico

People can still be kicked off juries for being LGBTQ+. This out congresswoman’s bill would end that

A bill introduced by out Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont (D) and Rep. Lizzie Fletcher of Texas (D) could prohibit discrimination in jury selection based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.

The Juror Non-Discrimination Act of 2024 amends the United States Code to add to a list of protected characteristics for jiury selection that currently includes race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and economic status.

LGBTQ Nation

Woodward, Bernstein reflect on Watergate reporting 50 years later

Fifty years after they published “All the President’s Men,” Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein remain “joined at the hip.”

“We’re on the phone, usually a couple times a week to each other,” Bernstein said. “We keep up with the work that the other is doing. We talk about what’s going on here in Washington, about what’s going on in the White House.”

ABC News

Good News! Ohio House Passes CROWN Act to End Hair Discrimination In Public Schools

The Ohio House of Representatives made a significant move in combating hair discrimination by passing the CROWN Act, a new law that ensures public schools cannot penalize students for wearing natural hairstyles.

Shine My Crown

Once a symbol of gay hate, an old Chicago police station now a haven for LGBTQ+ seniors

A building in the Lakeview neighborhood, once a symbol of oppression for homosexuals, is now a haven for gay senior citizens. 

The old Town Hall Police Station, on the corner of Halsted and Addison, was part of a dark era of LGBTQ oppression. Don Bell, a historian and gay activist, knows about that history. 

CBS News

‘Stop pretending’: Michael Steele flattens Trump’s ‘Black friends’ racism defense

The former Republican National Committee chair, who now is a co-host on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” started off by admitting he was going to be polite about it because it is Father’s Day, muttering, ” I’m going to limit the level of stupid here as much as I can.”

Raw Story

Exclusive poll: Black voters aren’t thrilled with Biden but dislike Trump more

The poll, of Black voters in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan, found that Biden is still the first or second choice of the vast majority, while most would avoid Trump.

USA Today

10 ways to support 2SLGBTQIA+ youth this Pride Month

Since Pride Month last year, Canada has seen an intensification of anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiments stemming from hate movements and emboldened by conservative provincial governments. New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta have announced new policies that target 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and youth in particular.

The Conversation

Cornish language revives on back of psych-pop and Covid

The ancient Cornish language has been declared dehwelans dhyworth an marow – back from the dead – amid a rise in popularity thanks to Covid-19 and a critically acclaimed psych-pop star.

The Guardian

Fight for control of Yemen’s banks between rebels, government threatens to further wreck economy

Yemen’s Houthi rebels and its internationally recognized government are locked in a fight for control of the country’s banks that experts warn is threatening to further wreck an economy already crippled by nearly a decade of war.

AP News

Iran’s sole reformist presidential candidate shifts stance to appeal to voters

Masoud Pezeshkian, the only Iranian presidential candidate from the reformist political faction, made liberal remarks on June 16 after his initial positions failed to attract voters opposed to the basic principles of the Islamic Republic.

Intellinews

Muslims observe Eid al-Adha in the shadow of Israel’s war on Gaza

Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha, or the feast of sacrifice, which commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, before God offered a sheep in his place.

AlJazeera

Venezuela Watchers Say Maduro Will Seek to Evade Latest Sanctions

Venezuelan activists and policy analysts are calling for tougher sanctions and investigations into how President Nicolás Maduro’s government is using cryptocurrencies to get around international restrictions.

Bloomberg

For Kosovo’s LGBTQ+ Community, Reconciling Amid Homophobia And Nationalism

Once defined the most homophobic country in the Balkans, Kosovo’s queer community is now calling for more recognition and consideration from the authorities. But numerous obstacles remain.

World Crunch

Israel to pause daytime fighting near Gaza border to allow humanitarian aid

The Israeli military announced Sunday that it would pause fighting during the daytime hours along a route in southern Gaza so humanitarian aid can pass through and be delivered to Palestinians in need.

The Hill

Labor urged to put China’s human rights record before trade and demand concrete action

Human rights advocates have called on Anthony Albanese to place China’s human rights record ahead of economic and trade discussions in his meeting with China’s second most powerful leader on Monday.

The Guardian

UN warns Israel-Hezbollah clashes increase chances of ‘miscalculation’

UN officials are warning that the current round of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah has increased the prospect of a “miscalculation”, as fears of a wider war between the two increases.

The New Arab

Taliban intends to send delegation to Doha meeting on Afghanistan

The Taliban government on Sunday officially announced its intention to send a delegation to the upcoming Doha meeting on the situation in Afghanistan.

dpa International

Britain’s July 4 election is fast approaching. Rishi Sunak is running out of time to change the tune

With less than three weeks until U.K. election day, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is running out of time to change an ominous tune for his Conservative Party.

AP News