Thousands of women across the US marched to protest abortion bans
Last week, Missouri voted to make nearly all abortions illegal after eight weeks, joining a wave of anti-abortion legislation in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Ohio.
This week, that wave met its counter-wave: Thousands of people across the US marched as part of the #StopTheBans protest. More than 500 demonstrations at statehouses and town squares took place yesterday. The protests were spearheaded by several abortion rights groups and civil rights organizations.
2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cory Booker participated in the demonstrations.
The wider context: The spate of new abortion laws are part of a concerted effort by anti-abortion advocates to get the issue before the Supreme Court and overturn Roe v. Wade.
From the protest lines: We’ve collected some of the most powerful images of the #StopTheBans protests.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has offered MPs a vote on whether to have a second Brexit referendum
It’s last-ditch effort time in Britain as May presented a desperate package aimed at saving her premiership.
May offered opposing Labour MPs and Remain supporters an opportunity to vote on whether there should be a second Brexit referendum, in return for supporting her withdrawal agreement.
The offer may have backfired, as last-ditch efforts tend to: Leave-backing MPs who supported the prime minister’s deal last time responded by signalling that this time, they will not back May.
The planned vote for the withdrawal agreement bill is in the first week of June.
SNAPSHOTS
New transcripts say that Trump crafted Michael Cohen’s lies more closely than was previously known. The newly-released transcripts of Cohen’s testimony in front of the House Intelligence Committee appear to support BuzzFeed News’ report on President Donald Trump and the lies that landed Cohen in jail.
A Border Patrol agent called migrants “subhumans” and “savages” before hitting one with a truck. Matthew Bowen allegedly twice ran his truck into a Guatemalan man who officers said was hopping a border fence. Bowen faces two charges, including one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
The founder of an alleged sex cult hid in a walk-in closet when officials raided his Mexican villa to arrest him. Lauren Salzman, who helped lead DOS — a subgroup of the group NXIVM — continued her testimony in federal court on how she helped hide Keith Raniere when police arrived to arrest him.
Bran from Game of Thrones thought the ending was a “joke.” Obviously, no spoilers here, because again, I’m not a monster. But Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran, said when he read the script, he thought the showrunners were playing a prank on him.
Alabama Public Television is refusing to air the Arthur episode with Mr. Ratburn’s gay wedding. The station said airing the episode would “violate” the audience's trust. Although Mr. Ratburn's queer reveal was widely applauded, kids in Alabama will have to find somewhere else to watch it.
They were told 45 days. Now asylum-seekers are being forced to wait up to a year in Mexico.
Nearly 7,000 Central Americans who crossed the border seeking asylum have been told to return to Mexico to wait before they can make their case to an immigration judge.
They’re sent to Mexico under the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols policy, better known as the “Remain in Mexico" policy, which was introduced in January.
Now, a growing number of migrants have received court dates for a first appearance next year, and for some it’s as late as June of 2020. That’s far longer than the up to 45-day wait officials initially said migrants would face.
The longer wait is more than just an inconvenience — it’s a particular danger for migrants forced to wait in the Mexican border city of Juárez, where violence has become a growing threat.
Read Adolfo Flores’ excellent piece on the hostility towards migrants in border cities.
The internet is moved by this wholesome interaction between a Muslim girl and a Catholic boy
Yasmin is Muslim and Brendan is Catholic. In a pure, lovely video, Brendan goes to Yasmin’s house for a little playdate, as part of How The Other Kids Live, broadcast in the UK on Channel 4.
I won’t spoil the best lines for you, but there is a flood of wholesomeness and the internet is absolutely in love after a clip went viral. And look at these new pals:
