[What A Day]([link removed])

Monday, June 17, 2024
BY CROOKED MEDIA

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[- Donald Trump, forgetting the name]([link removed]) of the guy who gave him the mental acuity test he likes to boast about acing, former White House physician Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX). 

Senate Democrats are taking aim at bump-stocks, after the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban. The legislation is a long shot, even though the idea recently enjoyed bipartisan support.  

 

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Gun dealerships around the country are gearing up to restart sales of bump stocks — a device that can modify a semi-automatic rifle to fire about as rapidly as a machine gun — after the Supreme Court invalidated a Trump-era prohibition. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he will propose legislation to reinstate the ban [as soon as this week]([link removed]). The court ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms didn’t have the power to restrict the devices. But two of the justices pointed out that congressional legislation could do the trick. Now, Schumer is aiming to get a vote on the issue ASAP. 

 

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The question becomes: will Republicans support any kind of gun safety legislation in an election year? (Okay, that was a rhetorical question.) But the Republican position on bump stocks is less clear-cut than on most gun regulations. The GOP reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling has been relatively muted. Not to mention, the original ban was instituted under the Trump administration, and, at the time, received bipartisan support. 

 

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Bump stocks came into existence after the expiration of the Assault Weapons Ban in the early 2000s. They were then outlawed in 2017 following the Las Vegas mass shooting — the deadliest in U.S. history. The perpetrator in that case used a gun altered with a bump stock to fire more than 1000 rounds in 11 minutes into a crowded concert, killing 60. After the shooting, Trump and the NRA supported an executive action on bump stocks rather than congressional legislation, because it was easier to challenge in court. 

[What A Day]([link removed])

So will Republicans tank this? Probably. But if so, Democrats will make it awkward for them, by pointing out their past positions.

 

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Senator Chris Murphy (D-CA) tells What a Day he hopes Republicans who “expressed support for regulating bump stocks” after the Vegas shooting will work with Democrats to regulate them once again. However, he added: “When push comes to shove, I won’t be surprised if they line up behind the NRA and the gun industry.” 

 

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And on that note, when Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) was asked on CNN Sunday if he would support enshrining the Trump ban into law, he side-stepped the question… saying it “treads close to the line” of violating the second Amendment. He instead proposed a “crackdown” on crime, but never actually answered the question. 

Even if Schumer’s legislation were to pass the Senate, there’s no guarantee it would even get to the floor in the NRA-controlled… uh, we mean, GOP-controlled House.

Crooked is going big, because we refuse to go home! Help us hit our $100K fundraising goal in support of organizations fighting in states where conservatives are banning gender affirming care and targeting trans youth because they’re nasty little freaks who won’t stop infringing on our most intimate personal freedoms. Donate directly to the fund or pick up items from our new Pride or Else collection and let Crooked do it for you, with a portion of proceeds going directly to the fund. Learn more at [crooked.com/pride]([link removed]).

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Chiquita Brands, the largest banana distributor of bananas in the U.S., has been ordered to [pay $38.3 million]([link removed]) to the families of victims in Colombia killed by a paramilitary group. A Florida court recently ruled that Chiquita Brands International knowingly provided “substantial” support to the group “to a degree sufficient to create a foreseeable risk of harm to others.” 

 

The company claims it paid the guerrillas, known as the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, under duress to protect its operations, and plans to appeal. Still, the verdict marks the first time a big U.S. corporation has been found liable for human rights abuses in a foreign country, [according to lawyers who spoke with USA Today]([link removed]).

 

Large multinational fruit corporations have a [century-long history of misdeeds]([link removed]) in South and Central America… from joining with the CIA to overthrow the democratically-elected leader of Guatemala, to an anti-labor massacre in Colombia and political interventions in Honduras. But this new verdict suggests there could be more to follow. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [dissolved]([link removed]) his influential war cabinet after [key centrist member and former military chief Benny Gantz quit the emergency wartime government]([link removed]), citing frustration over the direction of the country’s war with Hamas. Netanyahu is now more likely to rely on far-right members of his coalition government, who vehemently oppose ongoing ceasefire negotiations. 

 

[Michael Cohen, Trump’s estranged former fixer,]([link removed]) said he plans to run for Congress in New York City to challenge sitting Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). Nadler dismissed Cohen’s [odds, saying]([link removed]): “What a great country America is. Anyone can run for Congress — even con men.” 

 

Russian “President” Vladimir Putin is [heading to North Korea]([link removed]) tomorrow, hoping to procure much-needed munitions for his war in Ukraine. White House officials have previously said they cannot vouch for the quality of artillery one might procure from Pyongyang. Just to be clear, though, we aren’t super eager to find out.

 

The rules for the first presidential debate on June 27 are [coming into focus]([link removed]). There will be strict time limits, muted mics, no studio audience and two commercial breaks. It’s also still theoretically possible there could be a third podium for wingnut candidate RFK Jr., if he reaches the polling and electoral college viability thresholds. No word yet on whether there could be a teeny-tiny fourth mic for his [brain worm]([link removed]). (RIP brain worm.)

 

A GOP congressional candidate in Michigan is catching heat after his TikTok account shared a video in which the the [AI-generated voice of Martin Luther King Jr]([link removed]). “endorsed” him. The digital voice said: “Yes, it is me, Martin Luther King. I came back from the dead to say something….  I have another dream, that Anthony Hudson will be Michigan 8th District’s next congressman.” The post was deleted, and the candidate apologized. He then [retracted his apology]([link removed]) and said: “I do believe he would endorse me.” Overall, the incident shows a disturbing lack of intelligence, artificial or any other kind. 

 

The ultra-famous French football captain (it’s SOCCER, let us call it soccer!) Kylian Mbappe made an [unprecedented political plea]([link removed]) to his country’s youth to reject extremism in the upcoming parliamentary elections after [right-wing victories]([link removed]) in the recent EU vote. 

The National Weather Service says the U.S. could see the [longest heat]([link removed]) wave in decades over the next week. At least half the country is expected to be impacted by the early and unwelcome start to swamp-ass season. 

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Celebrate Pride Month by purchasing a new book by a LGBTQIA+ author. 

 

Whether you’re searching for a new memoir, a steamy romance, a fantasy novel that sweeps you away, [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) has just the book you’re looking for. Their online bookstore is stocked with a range of titles that will keep you entertained for hours. From Isle McElroy’s “People Collide" to "The House of Hidden Meanings" by RuPaul, there's something for everyone. Book recommendations on [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) also come from real people who love books, not algorithms.

 

And the best part? When you purchase from [Bookshop.org]([link removed]), you’re supporting over 1,900 local, independent bookstores across the country. 

 

What A Day is proud to partner with [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) in supporting independent bookstores. Every purchase you make on [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) directly funds local booksellers. Thanks to fellow readers like you, over $31 million has already been donated to help keep local, independent bookstores serving their communities. [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) is a certified B-Corp and all deliveries are carbon-neutral.

Join [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) in uplifting independent bookstores today. AND - for a limited time*, use the code Pride24 at checkout for 15% off select titles by LGBTQIA+ authors. Happy reading! *Discount code expires June 30, 2024. 

[The governor of Maryland]([link removed]) issued a sweeping mass pardon to over 175,000 people convicted on criminal charges related to marijuana on Monday morning, including more than 150,000 misdemeanor possession convictions. 

 

A Washington D.C. suburb is firing up the country’s [most ambitious plan]([link removed]) to provide clean, sustainable local transit. Montgomery County, MD, is installing its own self-sustainable energy microgrid and a fleet of 200 zero-emissions buses – powered by hydrogen fuel cells and solar energy.

 

The world’s most famous child star is all grown up… [and he won a Tony]([link removed]). Congrats, Daniel Radcliffe! Or, as Hagrid would say: “You’re a winner, Harry.” 

[What A Day]([link removed])

[You Survived Today. See You Thursday.]([link removed])

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