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TL/DR: Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, characterized Biden's order as a "political stunt" and said the president was taking action much too late.
President Joe Biden's latest executive order, aimed at heightened security along the U.S.-Mexico border, has triggered criticism from progressives who argue the new restrictions will harm migrants and fail to allay immigration strife.
Why it matters: With roughly five months until Election Day, Biden announced on Tuesday that he was signing an order that limits the number of migrants who can seek asylum at the southern border. The mandate is the strictest stance that the president has taken on immigration and mimics an order signed by former President Donald Trump in 2018, also known as the "Muslim ban," which was blocked in federal court.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Biden Uses Trump 'Muslim Ban' Maneuver to Cap Asylum Seekers
What happens now? Border security remains a core issue for lawmakers ahead of the November election. On Tuesday, the president said that "Republicans have left me no choice," and that he had to take his own steps to "gain control of the border."
TL/DR: "If anyone was expecting a sudden mass exodus of Trump voters following his legal defeat, they were certainly disappointed," I&I editor Terry Jones wrote in his analysis of the polling data.
Former President Donald Trump's chances of winning the 2024 election do not appear to have been significantly affected by the guilty verdict in his hush money trial, according to polls.
Why it matters: An Issues and Insights (I&I)/TIPP poll published Monday revealed that Trump and Biden are tied at 41 percent in a head-to-head matchup. That is an improvement for Trump, who was behind Biden in an I&I/TIPP poll in May by two points (42 to 40). The poll also revealed that independents still heavily favor Trump over Biden (38 percent to 26 percent). The latest survey conducted from May 29 to May 31 indicated that a "significant share" of the 1,675 registered voters surveyed would be aware of Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Donald Trump Scores Post-Conviction Bump in the Polls
What happens now? Support from independents may prove vital for the outcome of several key swing states that could determine the winner. Trump, who has vowed to appeal his conviction, is due to be sentenced on July 11. Most legal experts have suggested it is unlikely Trump will receive prison time.
TL/DR: Kennedy is not yet on the ballot for several key swing states, most notably Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, and Georgia.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr still needs to get on the ballot in several key states, including large parts of the South and the Midwest, according to data that Newsweek has mapped.
Why it matters: Kennedy announced his campaign in April 2023 and selected Silicon Valley attorney Nicole Shanahan as his running mate in March this year. Currently polling around 10% nationally, Kennedy does not have ballot access in every U.S. state, leaving large holes in his electoral strategy. Kennedy is on the ballot in 18 states, including those with large Electoral College votes, such as California, Texas, and New York.
Read more in-depth coverage:
RFK Jr.'s Popularity Has Collapsed
What happens now? In some states, the Kennedy campaign is taking legal action to ensure he is on the ballot in November. Even if he wins every state where he is currently on the ballot, he will secure only 238 Electoral College votes, still short of the 270 needed to win.
TL/DR: "We have created a world record of 642 million proud Indian voters. This is a historic moment," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said.
India's massive electoral process culminated on June 4, 2024, with the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections. Involving over 900 million eligible voters, the world's largest election was a logistical marvel.
Why it matters: A record-breaking 642 million voters cast their ballots, delivering an unexpected setback to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which fell short of the 272 seats needed for a majority in the lower house of parliament. The seven-phase vote, the world's largest, began on April 19 and was held in scorching heat in many parts of the country, with temperatures rising to nearly 122 °F (50°C) in some regions. Despite the heat, voter turnout was high.
Read more in-depth coverage:
The World's Biggest Election in 3 Charts
What happens now? Modi is expected to be sworn-in for a third term on June 8. However, he faces a different future by depending on a coalition to keep him in government. Support from regional allies has dwindled and may complicate the government’s reform agenda, according to Reuters.
TL/DR: LGBTQ+ advocates, campaigners, and business leaders said the report should be seen as a "rallying cry" for "all who lead.”
LGBTQ+ workers are being paid only 90 percent of the wages of the typical U.S. worker, according to a report.
Why it matters: A Human Rights Campaign (HRC) analysis of nearly 7,000 full-time LGBTQ+ workers found that their median weekly earnings come in at approximately $900—around 10 percent less than the $1,001 median weekly wage reported for a "typical worker." In other words, these workers earn around 90 cents for every dollar their colleagues earn. Black community members were found to earn less than the median weekly earnings for LGBTQ+ colleagues, receiving only 80 percent of what typical workers get.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Conservatives React to Start of Pride Month
What happens now? Amy Spurling, founder and CEO of startup Compt, told Newsweek, “It's past time to step up. Conduct those pay audits, commit to real change, and invest in your LGBTQ+ employees.”
We Fled Lebanon After the 2006 Bombings—History Is Repeating Itself
There was little warning of what was to come when we woke up on the morning of July 13, 2006, to find out that the Rafic Hariri Airport in Beirut had been bombed. Residing near Hezbollah's stronghold, we witnessed firsthand the attacks from our windows, unsure of what was happening and what to make from it.
But, as hellfire rained all around us, the only way to make it out of this war alive was to abandon the city.
To bide our time until the shelling died down, I was carried down to the fifth floor on account of a broken leg so that we could hide out in my cousin's apartment. Panic overcame us in their living room as we struggled to understand how this could have happened after more than a decade of relative calm.
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