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| Happy Thursday, Daily Briefing readers! It's a historic day as President Joe Biden is set to sign a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Its passage will "recognize the wrong that was done, acknowledge the pain and suffering of generations... and finally celebrate their freedom," said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, who introduced the legislation last June in the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. |
| Golf fans, it's your lucky day as the U.S. Open tees off in Southern California. And, if you thought "Keeping up with the Kardashians" was all over, not quite – there's still the reunion. |
| Steve and Jane are here with Thursday's news. |
| 🌎 New this morning: In the wake of a federal judge dismissing a lawsuit filed by a group of Houston Methodist employees, the stage may be set for hospitals and employers to begin requiring COVID-19 vaccines. |
| ⚖ "Great news for people fleeing": The DOJ rolled back the Trump administration's strict limits on asylum that blocked victims of domestic abuse and gang violence from qualifying for protection. |
| 🥵 "It's going to be *very* hot for a *long time*": "Abnormal" temperatures are baking states in the Western U.S. Expect to see more heat waves in the future. |
| 🌎 "The studs showed deficiencies": A new report examining the collapse of a Mexico City subway line that killed 26 people placed much of the blame on construction defects. |
| 🏈 The Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl: Kimmel and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, announced the ABC late night host is the official naming rights partner of a new college football bowl game. |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear what happened in Biden's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what else is happening today: |
Biden to sign bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday |
| President Joe Biden on Thursday afternoon will sign into law the bill that makes Juneteenth a federal holiday, according to his official schedule. The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act moved through Congress this week, with the House and Senate both passing it just days before the holiday, which falls on Saturday. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates the day that news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas in 1865. Although Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation became effective Jan. 1, 1863, some holders of enslaved people didn't give them the message that they were free. On June 19, 1865, Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger brought the news to Galveston – and told the locals to get with the program. |
What else people are reading: |
| 🔵 Falling U.S. rates of COVID-19 mask a harsh reality: The overwhelming majority of people getting sick and being hospitalized are unvaccinated. |
| 🔴 Column from Nancy Armour: Whether she wins any medals or not, U.S. gymnast Jade Carey made the right choice about her spot at the Tokyo Olympics. |
| 🔵 "We're human. Sometimes we make a mistake": A small town in Florida accidentally sold its water tower for $55,000. |
| 🔴 "Agua!": Coca-Cola shares dropped $4 billion after soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo gestured to drink water instead of Coke at a Euro 2020 press conference. |
| 🔵 "Someone is intentionally breaking wings": A California wildlife organization is searching for answers after 32 brown pelicans were attacked and mutilated. |
 | | A brown pelican after receiving surgery for a broken wing. | | Coutesy: Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center. | |
Bipartisan infrastructure bill gaining momentum |
| A bipartisan deal on infrastructure may continue to garner support Thursday, a day after 10 senators endorsed the framework of a $1.2 trillion proposal. The bipartisan proposal now has the backing of a significant group of centrist lawmakers – 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats – and has emerged as the best opportunity for President Joe Biden to reach a broad deal with Congress on a sweeping plan to modernize America's deteriorating transportation systems. Many details of the proposal have not been released, but it would not include "soft" infrastructure such as climate change and housing, which Biden had called for in his original $2.25 trillion American Jobs Act. |
Newsmakers in their own words: Biden gets his point across to Putin |
 | | President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands in Geneva on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. | | AFP photo via Getty Images; USA TODAY graphic | |
| President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin concluded their first in-person summit in Geneva on Wednesday. The meeting gave the two a chance to discuss a range of issues including cyberattacks. Here are some of our takeaways. |
| In a lighter moment, Biden's longtime affection for gold-rimmed aviator Ray-Bans was on display when he, according to an official, gave Putin a custom pair of aviators. |
US Open set to tee off in Southern California |
| Bryson DeChambeau , eight-time PGA Tour winner and defending U.S. Open champion, will tee it up alongside U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci and Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama in the first two rounds of the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego this week. The betting favorite, John Rahm, is scheduled to begin his round in the late afternoon. The South Course plays host to the national championship for the first time since Tiger Woods' epic win with a broken leg in 2008. The South Course is also known for its wild rough, which 2015 U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth described as "wicked." |
After confusion, California to loosen worksite pandemic rules |
| California regulators on Thursday are set to approve revised worksite pandemic rules that allow fully vaccinated employees the same freedoms as when they are off the job. The revised regulations would conform with general state guidelines that took effect Tuesday by ending most mask rules for people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus. The move comes after the board did a double-twisting backflip in recent weeks when it first postponed, then rejected, then adopted, then rescinded proposed rules that would have allowed workers to forego masks only if every employee in a room was fully vaccinated. |
NBA playoffs: Hawks' monster comeback puts 76ers on the brink |
| For the second consecutive game, the Philadelphia 76ers frittered away a big lead as the Atlanta Hawks rallied and grabbed a 109-106 win in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. The Hawks can advance to their first conference finals since 2015 with a win in Game 6 Friday. |
 | | Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young reacts after scoring against the Philadelphia 76ers during Game 5 of their NBA playoff series on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. | | USA TODAY photo and graphic | |
| The Hawks' comeback was the cherry on top of a busy in day in the NBA as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the top-seeded Utah Jazz to move one win closer to a series win. The league also announced Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul was placed in COVID-19 protocols, awarded its Rookie of the Year award to LaMelo Ball and saw coach departures in New Orleans and Washington. |
Thought 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' was done? There's still the reunion |
| "Keeping up with the Kardashians" may have ended last week, but E! will begin airing its two part reunion with the cast Thursday night. The show aired for 14 years and followed the Kardashian clan through marriages, kids, divorces and plenty of drama. In the show's finale, fans saw Kim Kardashian-West open up to her former "momager" Kris Jenner about her divorce from Kanye West. The reunion, hosted by Andy Cohen, is also expected to address topics like the possibility of Kourtney and the father of her kids, Scott Disick, getting back together. The first part of the reunion will air Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on E!. |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories published Wednesday |
| 🌎 "A day that transgender kids and their families have been waiting for": Reversing previous Republican-authored guidance, President Joe Biden's administration said the rights of transgender and gay students are protected at school by Title IX. |
| 🦠 How will it affect the U.S.?: Delta is the 'most serious' COVID-19 variant, scientists say. But it's still unclear whether it will go the mostly harmless way of other variants. |
| 💰 The "Biden boom": President Joe Biden has seen historic growth in stocks since winning the election. Here's what could happen next. |
📸 Photo of the day: India's iconic Taj Mahal reopens for tourists 📸 |
 | | June 16, 2021: A group of tourists take souvenir photos at the Taj Mahal after it reopened to visitors following authorities easing Covid-19 coronavirus restrictions in Agra. | | MONEY SHARMA, AFP via Getty Images | |
| The toll wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic on the people of India has been significant and brutal in 2021. But there have been glimmers of hope, as the nation reopened the Taj Mahal this week amid a decline in new infections. |
| Click here to see more of the top photos from around the world. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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