Here’s what you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.
1. Immigration
There’s just SO MUCH that’s going on right now in the battle over immigration, both here and abroad. Let’s get to it:
– President Trump railed against current immigration laws and said the US should deport people who cross the border illegally immediately and without due process. He ramped up his rhetoric too, saying America is being invaded by “these people.”
– There were lots of protests over the weekend near the detention centers where migrant children are being held, and a group of protesters briefly blocked a bus that was leaving a detention center in Texas.
– One teen boy is missing from Southwest Key Casa Padre, the largest migrant children’s center, located in Brownsville, Texas. Officials say the boy ran away.
– The Trump administration’s plan to reunite families separated at the border includes delaying reunifications until parents’ deportation proceedings are done. Right now more than 2,000 migrant children are in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services.
– People report border patrol agents in New England are stopping people on highways and checking their citizenship.
– Meanwhile, in Europe, almost 350 migrants are stranded on a pair of boats in the Mediterranean. The nearby countries of Italy and Malta refuse to take them in.
2. Turkey election
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan just won re-election, and he’ll be a lot more powerful in his next five-year term. Erdogan, who avoided a runoff against his main challenger, now has sweeping new powers granted in a controversial referendum. In addition, the position of prime minister is gone, and the Turkish parliament’s powers have been significantly reduced. While Erdogan and his supporters celebrated the victory, he still has big challenges ahead. Turkey’s economy is ailing, and his political opposition will undoubtedly use that to challenge him in the future.
3. Zimbabwe explosion
Was an explosion that rocked a campaign rally at a stadium an assassination attempt? Zimbabwe’s government thinks so. President Emmerson Mnangagwa wasn’t harmed but 49 people were injured in the blast Saturday at White City Stadium in Bulawayo. Mnangagwa had just walked off stage during the rally when the explosion occurred. A “complex investigation” is underway, a presidential spokesman promised. Mnangagwa said people shouldn’t “speculate ahead of the investigations.” The presidential election, set for July 30, will be the first since the country’s military forced former President Robert Mugabe out of office in November.
4. Prince William
Prince William landed in Jordan over the weekend, as he starts a historic, five-day tour of the Middle East that includes a stop in Israel. He’ll be the first British royal to pay an official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. In Jordan, William’s first stop – after meeting Crown Prince Hussein, the son of Jordan’s King Abdullah II – was at a technology-focused event for young people. He leaves for Israel tonight, where he’ll meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (in Ramallah), play soccer with children in Tel Aviv and have his every word scrutinized during this closely watched visit.
5. Supreme Court
The Supremes have a lot of work to finish before the court’s term ends this week. Big decisions will come down this week on public sector unions, redistricting, faith-based pregnancy centers and (the biggest of all) the Trump travel ban. And all eyes will be on Justice Anthony Kennedy. If the 81-year-old justice, who is often the swing vote on the divided court, retires, it’ll give President Trump a chance to put a younger, more conservative justice on the bench who could solidify the court’s conservative majority for years.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.
Act of kindness
When a blind and deaf man needed someone to talk to during a long flight, a remarkable teen used sign language to answer the call.
Open road
Women in Saudi Arabia can finally put the pedal to the metal, as the kingdom’s ban on female drivers ends.
Razor sharp
Baseball players do have some time to kill between at-bats, so Houston Astros star Alex Bregman used it to shave his mustache in the middle of a game.
‘Shower of slobber’
Say hello to Zsa Zsa, the English bulldog that won the title of World’s Ugliest Dog this weekend.
Run this town
Welcome to South Fulton, Georgia, where the entire justice system is led by black women.
BIG NEWS
You asked for it … and it’s finally here!
Starting July 1, the 5 Things newsletter will show up in your inbox on Sunday mornings as well. It’ll prep you for all the big stories of the week ahead, plus anything you may have missed over the weekend. Of course, we’ll pack it with all the interesting extras you already enjoy on the weekdays.
AND FINALLY …
Drop everything
If a total stranger approached you on the street and asked you to go skydiving with him, would you do it? These folks did. (Click to view)