promoearn: A day of conservative wishes come true

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

A day of conservative wishes come true

The courtroom of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Changing the Supreme Court for generations to come

The Supreme Court's out for the summer, but not before making two major announcements Wednesday. We'll start with the most remarkable: Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court's perennial swing vote, is retiring, giving President Donald Trump a chance to create a solidly conservative court that could last decades. The high court earlier dealt a major blow to abor unions, reversing a 41-year-old precedent by ruling that government workers can't be forced to contribute to unions that represent them in collective bargaining. Since Trump's appointment of Justice Neil Gorsuch, the Supreme Court's conservative majority has come storming back.

Turns out money isn't everything

First-time candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ousted veteran Rep. Joseph Crowley, the 10-term Democrat from New York City considered likely to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader. Ocasio-Cortez, a socialist who won Tuesday's primary, was outspent by an 18-1 margin during the race but defeated Crowley by 15 percentage points. She told the Associated Press after her victory that she didn't have enough money to do polling, but felt in her gut that her message had a chance to connect. Looks like her gut was right. Here are more key takeaways from Tuesday's primaries.

MORE: Before Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, here are 5 of the biggest U.S. political upsets

The charge is homicide

A Pittsburgh-area police officer accused of fatally shooting an unarmed black teen was charged Wednesday with one count of criminal homicide, opening a new chapter in a case that sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests in the city. Authorities say East Pittsburgh officer Michael Rosfeld, who is white, shot Antwon Rose Jr., 17, on June 19 while Rose was fleeing from a car that was stopped on suspicion it was involved in a drive-by shooting. "This is a small stride toward justice, but we have a very long road ahead," said lawyer S. Lee Merritt, who said he plans to file a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Rose family.

Latest on immigration

Looks like no one could "compromise." The latest attempt by House Republican leaders to craft "compromise" immigration legislation failed Wednesday. Congress will likely focus on a narrow bill that would allow families taken into custody crossing the border to stay together and make sure those who were separated under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy are reunited. President Donald Trump last week issued an executive order to stop the separation of families caught illegally crossing the U.S. border. Now a judge has ordered the government to reunite separated families within 30 days.

Joe Jackson dies

Joe Jackson wanted to be a music star. That didn't work out, so he made his children superstars, instead. The man who fathered Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and the rest of the Jackson 5 died Wednesday at age 89. The elder Jackson deployed an iron will to become the patriarch of one of the most successful families in music history. He also was a controversial figure who clashed with the kids — including the King of Pop — he set on the path to stardom.

Things of note:

•	The driver accused of plowing into a crowd at a Charlottesville, Virginia, rally has been charged with federal hate crimes
•	The Kremlin says President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are going to meet in a "third country" (perhaps Finland)
•	Defending champion Germany was knocked out of the World Cup
•	As for restaurants kicking out Trump supporters, turns out that's totally legal