It was a busy week around the world, with world leaders gathering in Europe to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. President Donald Trump was in attendance for the commemoration events, as he was in the United Kingdom for his first state visit.
In China, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in vigil and protest on the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. And in Sudan, the ongoing leadership crisis and civil unrest led to violent clashes that doctors say killed over 100 people and led to the country’s suspension from the African Union.
Back in the U.S., Trump signed a long-delayed $19.1 billion disaster relief bill and expressed alternating tones of skepticism and optimism about ongoing trade negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico after last week’s threat of a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican goods.
The White House also ordered former staffers Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson to defy congressional subpoenas for testimony and information about their time in the Trump administration.
And in tech news, Apple held their annual WWDC event, YouTube bowed to public pressure to crack down on white supremacist and hate-filled videos, and Uber lost two top executives.
Read more about these stories and the other biggest news of the week, as they appeared in The Daily Edition.
1. Trump’s U.K. visit had its thrills and spills but not the drama some expected – NBC News, Alexander Smith
Top line: “President Donald Trump began his U.K. and Ireland trip by causing shock, dismay and offense. Moments before he landed in England at the start of the week, he called London Mayor Sadiq Khan a “stone cold loser.” But he leaves it having managed to inflict relatively few diplomatic gaffes on his hosts, during a trip that may be memorable for its lack of Trumpian bluster.”
Topic to follow: Donald Trump
2. D-day veterans and world leaders take part in emotional ceremony – The Guardian, Steven Morris, Ben Quinn
Top line: “There were concerns ahead of the UK’s official D-day commemoration that the presence of Donald Trump and the circus that surrounds him would overshadow the most important people – the veterans and their families. The worries were unfounded. At every point of a very long and emotional day the amazing stories and spirit of the 300 or so ageing veterans at the event in Portsmouth – and memories of those who did not make it back 75 years ago – took centre stage.”
Topic to follow: D-Day
3. World marks 30 years since Tiananmen massacre as China censors all mention – CNN, James Griffiths
Top line: “As commemorations for the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre take place worldwide Tuesday, any coverage or discussion of the event will be tightly censored in China. Hundreds of people were killed on June 4, 1989, as People’s Liberation Army troops cracked down on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Events will be held and speeches made to commemorate the massacre and those who died in cities around the world. In central Taipei, capital of self-ruled Taiwan, a massive inflatable version of the iconic “Tank Man,” who defied the military as they entered Tiananmen Square, has been on display for several weeks.”
Topic to follow: Tiananmen Square
4. Trump signs long-stalled $19.1B disaster relief bill – POLITICO, Caitlin Emma
Top line: “President Donald Trump Thursday signed a package that would deliver $19.1 billion in disaster relief to communities across the country that are still recovering from a spate of catastrophic hurricanes, wildfires and flooding. The House passed the bill on Monday after Republicans successfully thwarted three attempts to fast-track the package. The Senate passed the bill before the Memorial Day recess, removing Trump’s request for billions in emergency border aid in a last-minute scramble because it was holding up the deal. The legislation was delayed for months prior to that amid partisan infighting.”
Topic to follow: Disaster Recovery
5. Trump says there is a ‘good chance’ of a deal with Mexico that could avert tariffs – The Washington Post, John Wagner
Top line: “President Trump said Friday that there is a “good chance” that U.S. and Mexican officials could strike a deal that would remove the need to impose tariffs he has threatened, shifting his tone as the two sides continued to negotiate steps to address the surge of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border. “If we are able to make the deal with Mexico, & there is a good chance that we will, they will begin purchasing Farm & Agricultural products at very high levels, starting immediately,” Trump said in a tweet. “If we are unable to make the deal, Mexico will begin paying Tariffs at the 5% level on Monday!” He sent his tweet from Air Force One as he was returning from a trip to Europe. It was not clear why Trump was suddenly tying the tariffs to trade issues rather than to Mexico’s ability to halt illegal immigration to the United States, which is what he said last week when he first leveled the threat.”
Topic to follow: Tariffs
6. Here’s everything Apple just announced at the 2019 WWDC Keynote – TechCrunch, Greg Kumparak
Top line: “Apple kicked off its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in San Jose this morning with a two-and-a-half hour keynote, showing off everything the company has been working on for the past many months. Want to know everything they announced, but don’t have time to watch the whole thing yourself? We’ve wrapped it all up for you in an easily skimmable package.”
Magazine to follow: WWDC 2019
7. YouTube to ban supremacist and hoax videos in tougher hate speech policy – CNET, Richard Nieva
Top line: “YouTube on Wednesday said it’s removing videos that push extremist views like white supremacy or deny events like the Holocaust or Sandy Hook shooting. The new policy is an attempt to crack down on hate speech on the Google-owned video service. The new rules prohibit any video “alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status.” YouTube didn’t specifically say which channels or videos it’s removing. The company has drawn criticism for how it enforces its policies and its decision-making process when it comes to leaving up videos that some deem hateful.”
Topic to follow: YouTube
8. White House tells 2 ex-aides to defy congressional subpoena – Associated Press, Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro
Top line: “The White House on Tuesday again directed former employees not to cooperate with a congressional investigation, this time instructing former aides Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson to defy subpoenas and refuse to provide documents to the House Judiciary Committee. The letters from the White House to the Judiciary panel are the latest effort by the White House to thwart congressional investigations into President Donald Trump. Trump has said he will fight “all of the subpoenas” as Democrats have launched multiple probes into his administration and personal financial affairs.”
Topic to follow: Hope Hicks
9. Former Parkland deputy Scot Peterson charged after staying outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting – USA Today, Stacey Henson
Top line: “Former school resource officer Scot Peterson was arrested Tuesday in connection with his inaction during a mass school shooting, 15 months after a shooter killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. According to Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, Peterson and Sgt. Brian Miller were found to have neglected their duties during the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting in Parkland. The pair have been terminated. Peterson, 56, was arrested in Broward County on seven counts of neglect of a child and three counts of culpable negligence and one count of perjury. The arrest comes after a 15-month investigation into the actions of law enforcement following the shooting.”
Topic to follow: Parkland Shooting
10. Sudan crisis: African Union membership suspended – BBC News
Top line: “The African Union has suspended Sudan’s membership “with immediate effect”, amid an upsurge of violence in the capital that has seen dozens killed. The pan-African body has warned of further action if power is not transferred to a civilian authority – a key demand of pro-democracy protesters. Opposition activists say a paramilitary group has killed 108 people this week, but officials put the figure at 46. Residents said pro-government militia were all over the capital Khartoum.”
Topic to follow: Sudan
Check out The Daily Edition throughout the week for your news updates.
~ HeatherC is reading Beating Burnout by Thrive Global