Investigators found immigrant kids and families locked in disgusting conditions
When investigators from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) visited border facilities, they found adults and minors with no access to showers, many adults only fed bologna sandwiches, and children being held in closed cells.
The inspectors compiled a draft report. BuzzFeed News got access to that draft, which described conditions at the Rio Grande Valley border facilities as dangerous and prolonged. Some adults were held in standing room–only conditions for a week. Most single adults had not showered for nearly a month while in CBP custody, the report said. There was severe overcrowding.
In the report, inspectors painted a concerning picture before recommending DHS “take immediate steps to alleviate dangerous overcrowding.”
The review comes as pressure intensifies on DHS and US Customs and Border Protection after attorneys visited facilities and described deteriorating conditions, especially for children.
You should also know: A doctor found malnourished and sick babies in Border Patrol custody that she compared to “torture facilities.”
The Democratic presidential debates began yesterday, and well, a lot happened
The field is big. We know this. So the debates have to take place over two nights. Last night was the first debate involving the Democratic presidential candidates. Here’s a recap of the whole thing. And the best tweets of the night.
But you want the highlights — here they are:
Former US housing secretary Julián Castro, who had been struggling to get noticed, had a breakout evening.
Elizabeth Warren, who has enjoyed a recent surge in the polls, didn’t dominate the debate — she says she didn’t need to.
Bill de Blasio wanted to run for president to move politics to the left…and he actually maybe knows what he’s doing.
An intense discussion about Medicare for All exposed the clearest differences between candidates.
Beto O’Rourke starting speaking Spanish about three minutes into the debate, because of course he did, and Cory Booker’s reaction was priceless. It looked like this:
SNAPSHOTS
Boris Johnson has said there is a “million-to-one” chance that Britain will leave the European Union without a deal. This comes one day after he ramped up the rhetoric on a no-deal Brexit. The frontrunner for Tory leadership insisted it was crucial to prepare for a no-deal scenario.
A woman was arrested for turning in her estranged husband’s guns after he was charged with abusing her. Courtney Irby was charged with two counts of grand theft of a firearm and one count of armed burglary last week. People are asking the Lakeland Police Department to drop its charges against Irby, who stated that she was turning in the guns because she “was in fear for her life.”
A mom was allegedly beaten by her son’s 13-year-old bully who yelled racist chants at him. Beronica Ruiz, 35, suffered a concussion and facial fractures after the boy allegedly punched her in the face. Ruiz interfered after the 13-year-old had allegedly chanted “Mexicans should go back behind the wall,” and along with a few other boys, threatened Ruiz's son.
Highlights for Children, the magazine from your childhood, is blasting the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The magazine calls on its readers to “speak out” against the incidences of family separation that have been escalating along the border.
Millennials are finally getting the giant toilet paper roll they deserve
In April, Charmin launched its Forever Roll, which is basically a giant (giant) toilet paper roll, that’s so very soft. They said it would last a month — and if you’re a one-person household, possibly two months.
It was included in a Wall Street Journal roundup of best products for people who live alone — and this set off quite a response. Some thought it was a sad indictment of millennial life: delaying marriage and children, unable to buy homes with ample bathroom storage like their parents.
Katie Notopoulos talked to the man who came up with the Forever Roll, and it is a fascinating read as she wonders: “Is this a sign of the excesses of peak capitalism, or a sad sign of the state of the millennial condition?”
Also, toilet paper doesn’t photograph well, so in order to show you the enormity of the Forever Roll, we, uh, got creative:
12 books by (and about) lesbians and bisexual woman to discover this Pride Month
Pride Month is winding down, but the conversations and ideas that come to the forefront in June should last all year long.
Amelia Possanza set out to compile a list of excellent books with queer women protagonists — 12 in total, so one a month to last you a whole year!
As Possanza puts it: “Invite queer women from different decades to hang out with you from this mix of older and modern classics.”