promoearn: Many are finding 'zero tolerance' intolerable

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Many are finding 'zero tolerance' intolerable

Children listen to speakers during an immigration family

Splitting migrant families sparks outrage. Trump blames the Democrats.

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, fearful of a political backlash, searched Tuesday for an end game over the administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy that includes separating families at the border. Pictures of children in detention — and audio of children crying as they were separated from the families — have fueled outrage and spurred the Mexican government to condemn the "cruel and inhumane" treatment of children. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen have been unapologetic, while Trump blames the Democrats whom he says want illegal immigrants to "infest" the United States. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took aim at the Trump administration policy, calling for donations to help families with legal advice and translation services. "We need to stop this policy right now," Zuckerberg wrote.

How are you celebrating Juneteenth this year?

Tuesday commemorates one of the defining moments in U.S. history: the end of slavery. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth," in honor of the day in 1865 that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas, to inform a reluctant community that President Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves two years earlier. Across the country, the day is marked with events and parades. President Donald Trump issued a statement, saying, "Today we recommit ourselves to defending the self-evident truth, boldly declared by our Founding Fathers, that all people are created equal."

How a McDonald's receipt crippled an elite drug-fighting team

Narcotics Detective Kyle Willett drove to McDonald's for sweet tea and cheeseburgers before returning to work — and doing something no one expected . Outside the UPS global shipping hub where he worked with an elite task force to intercept drug shipments, Willett tore the packing tape off a box, pried open a metal safe and stole piles of cash totaling about $40,000. But the Louisville Metro Police veteran, well trained in exposing criminals' missteps, made an elementary mistake of his own: Leaving his McDonald's receipt with his credit card information on it inside the box before sending the package on its way.

Two rappers shot and killed within hours of each other

Jimmy Wopo, an up-and-coming rapper from Pittsburgh, was shot and killed Monday. Police said Wopo, 21, whose real name was Travon Smart, was killed and another man injured when someone opened fire on their car. Wopo's death came just hours after the shooting death of Florida rapper XXXTentacion , 20, whose real name is Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy. Police said the Florida shooting happened during an apparent robbery attempt, and authorities are looking for two suspects.

Pardon me?

President Donald Trump claimed he has the "absolute" right to pardon himself. Americans disagree. By more than 3-1, 64 percent to 18 percent, those surveyed in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll say the president doesn't have the power to pardon himself. And doing so could spark a constitutional crisis for the White House: 58 percent of Americans, including 31 percent of Republicans, say the House of Representatives should impeach the president if he pardons himself.

The rich get richer

The wealthy had more to celebrate than their vast fortunes in 2017 — because they got to celebrate those fortunes getting even bigger. The combined wealth of the world's millionaires rose for a sixth straight year and topped $70 trillion for the first time ever in 2017 because of an improving global economy and strong stock market performance, according to a report released Tuesday . So, is the rising tide lifting all boats? The evidence points to capital becoming even more concentrated as the ultra-wealthy — those with $30 million or more in investable assets — saw the greatest growth.

The Short List is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.