The Biden-era humanitarian parole program, allowing individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to live and work in the U.S., has been terminated by the Trump administration. This decision affects hundreds of Haitian immigrants in Wisconsin who legally entered under the program, many employed in vital sectors like food processing. The immigrants, facing deportation, had undergone background checks and secured U.S. sponsors, but now face extremely limited options for legal residency. The termination has caused widespread fear and uncertainty within the affected community, with children expressing concerns about deportation.
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A hot air balloon crash in Praia Grande, Brazil, resulted in at least eight fatalities. Twenty-one people were aboard the balloon, with thirteen surviving the accident. Rescue efforts are underway, and the governor of Santa Catarina state is providing support to victims’ families. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
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B-2 stealth bombers have departed a US base for the western Pacific. This deployment follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s statement that the US military stands ready to execute any presidential order concerning Iran. The move is widely interpreted as a show of force, potentially in response to escalating tensions with the Iranian government. The specific mission of the bombers remains undisclosed.
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A multi-agency operation in Northeast Florida successfully recovered over two dozen missing children, aged 7-17, some missing for over a year. The operation, a first of its kind in Florida, involved over 30 local, state, and federal agencies, leveraging collective expertise to locate children who had run away or were victims of trafficking. Focus was placed not only on finding the children but also on providing support and resources for their future. Investigations are ongoing to determine if sex or human trafficking was involved in any of the cases.
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In a June 20 briefing, President Zelensky accused Russia of manipulating the return of war dead to conceal its substantial military losses. He cited instances where Russia returned its own soldiers’ bodies, misidentified as Ukrainian casualties, including a case involving an Israeli citizen fighting for Russia. This tactic, Zelensky argued, reflects Russia’s fear of admitting the true death toll and triggering societal anxieties about further mobilization. The June 2 Istanbul agreement, the largest prisoner and body exchange to date, saw Ukraine receive 6,057 bodies while Russia claimed only 78, highlighting this discrepancy. Zelensky emphasized that Russia is actively downplaying the scale of its losses through propaganda.
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Andrew Cuomo’s campaign for New York City mayor, heavily funded by outside groups including Michael Bloomberg, utilizes negative advertising to attack his opponent, Zohran Mamdani. These ads, totaling over $24 million, employ Islamophobic tactics and misrepresent Mamdani’s policy proposals. Despite this intense, largely negative media campaign, recent polling indicates a significant narrowing of Cuomo’s lead over Mamdani. This shift reflects a growing public support for Mamdani’s platform, despite the considerable resources invested in opposing his candidacy.
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President Trump proposed a new system allowing farmers to “take responsibility” for their undocumented workers, aiming to avoid business closures while addressing immigration concerns. This follows several contradictory statements regarding immigration enforcement, including a temporary halt on raids in agriculture and hospitality, a subsequent order for mass deportations, and a resumption of workplace raids. The fluctuating policy has caused widespread confusion among employers and a significant decrease in workforce participation among undocumented immigrants, impacting various industries, particularly agriculture. The long-term implications of this ever-changing approach remain unclear.
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Pakistan’s government nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The nomination cites Trump’s leadership during the Indo-Pakistani crisis as the basis for the award. The announcement was made via a post on X (formerly Twitter). This follows a Friday question posed to Trump regarding the Nobel Prize.
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A new study reveals that same-sex weddings and related spending by couples and out-of-state guests have generated approximately $5.9 billion in economic activity over the past decade. This includes an estimated $4.9 billion directly spent on weddings by 473,000 same-sex couples, plus nearly $1 billion from out-of-state guests. This spending supported an estimated 41,300 jobs and generated $432.2 million in state and local sales tax revenue. Despite recent state-level challenges, the Respect for Marriage Act ensures federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
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A new Trump administration policy, aiming to eliminate “negative” portrayals of American history in national parks, has been met with widespread criticism. Instead of reporting such information, visitors overwhelmingly opposed the initiative, praising park staff and urging the preservation of truthful historical accounts. The policy, stemming from a March executive order, seeks to present a more positive, unified narrative of American history. Early responses to the policy’s implementation reveal near-universal rejection of its intentions.
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John Q. Hosedrinker