News From Around the Web
#10 I’m the Cake Artist Who Won at the Supreme Court. Here’s Why I’m Still in Court - Jack Phillips for Fox News, and Don Sweeting on X
I stood in court with my Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys once again on Tuesday, asking the Colorado Supreme Court for justice on essentially the same complaint that’s been pursuing me, relentlessly, for more than 10 years now: the demand that I express a message—whether I believe it or not. I’m a cake artist. I treat my customers—each and all—with respect. I hope you know by now that I gladly serve people from all backgrounds. I decide to create custom cakes based on what they will express, not who requests them. It’s always the message, never the person. Cakes often communicate. As far back as Roman times, people have requested custom cakes to express messages. Almost every day, I’m asked to create one. It may include words, but often, just a symbol will do. For example, parents will often ask me to create a custom cake with either a blue or pink interior to reveal the gender of their unborn child. Blue means a boy; pink means a girl. If I do a good job, the cake will reveal the secret...#9 New Louisiana Law Requires the Ten Commandments to Be Displayed in Every Public School Classroom - AP on NBC News, and LA Freedom Caucus, Dan Bondy, and AG Liz Murrill on X
Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law Wednesday. The GOP-drafted legislation mandates that a poster-size display of the Ten Commandments in a “large, easily readable font” be in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. Opponents question the law’s constitutionality, warning that lawsuits would be likely to follow. Proponents say that the purpose of the measure is not solely religious but that it has historical significance. In the law’s language, the Ten Commandments are described as “foundational documents of our state and national government.”
#8 Senate Passes Legislation to Accelerate Development of Nuclear Energy Power Plants - Elizabeth Weibel for Breitbart, and Real America's Voice, Alexander C. Kaufman, and John Solomon on X
In an 88-2 vote, the Senate voted to pass the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, which is part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S.8.70), according to a press release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW). The ADVANCE Act will now move forward to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed. “Today, we sent the ADVANCE Act to the president’s desk because Congress worked together to recognize the importance of nuclear energy to America’s future and got the job done,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) said in the press release...
#7 Queen’s Music Catalog Set To Sell For Over $1 Billion In Sony Deal - Mariane Angela for The Daily Caller, and The New York Post on X
Sony Music reportedly secured the recording and publishing rights to Queen’s extensive catalog for an astounding $1.27 billion, Variety confirmed Wednesday. Sony Music is on the brink of securing Queen’s extensive music catalog for an estimated $1.27 billion, as confirmed by two sources to Variety. This deal encompasses not only the music rights but also other significant assets, excluding the revenue from live performances which remain with the band’s founding members, Brian May and Roger Taylor...
#6 RFK Jr. Finds 2024 Debate Stage Out of Reach Ahead of Midnight Qualifying Deadline - Mabinty Quarshie for Washington Examiner, and Lauren Lee on X
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is close to reaching the polling threshold for next week’s presidential debate, but the Thursday deadline to qualify, plus his difficulty gaining ballot access, virtually guarantees he will not make the stage. With days until the June 27 debate, Kennedy has reached the 15% polling threshold in three of four qualifying national surveys, underscoring he could be a spoiler in a presidential rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump...
#5 Putin Gifts Car Buff Kim Jong Un a Fancy Limousine, Dagger in Visit to North Korea - Alex Oliveira and Diana Glebova for The New York Post and Collin Rugg on X
What does one dictator bent on world domination give another? Limos, tea sets, and daggers, of course. During his first visit to North Korea in nearly a quarter century this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin came bearing gifts for the despotic Kim Jong Un — with the big unveil being a Russian-made Aurus limousine. Kim — reportedly a major car enthusiast and collector — beamed as he jumped in beside Putin at the wheel of the limo and they hit the highway side by side...
#4 Climate Protesters Arrested Over Spraying Orange Paint on Stonehenge Monument - Brian Melley for AP and Catholic Arena, and Wide Awake Media on X
Two climate protesters who sprayed orange paint on the ancient Stonehenge monument in southern England were arrested Wednesday after two bystanders appeared to intervene and stop them. The latest act by Just Stop Oil was quickly condemned by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as a “disgraceful act of vandalism.” Labor leader Keir Starmer, his main opponent in the election next month, called the group “pathetic” and said the damage was “outrageous. The incident came just a day before thousands are expected to gather at the roughtly 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice — the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere...
#3 Bob Good Hopes Final Vote Count Will Put Him Ahead of Trump-Endorsed Challenger - AP News and Daniel Horowitz, Citizen Free Press, NONBidenary and Laura Loomer on X
Conservative U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., is asking for “patience from the people of the 5th District over the coming weeks” as he hopes the final ballot count from Tuesday’s primary will allow him to fend off a challenger endorsed by former president Donald Trump. Good, who chairs the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, currently trails state Sen. John McGuire by a little over 300 votes as elections officials finalize their vote counts and mail-in ballots continue to trickle in. The Associated Press has not yet called the race for either candidate...
#2 Michigan House Passes Senate Bill Modifying Election Recounts - Therese Boudreaux for the Center Square, and George
Legislation changing the requirements for asking for and conducting ballot recounts passed both the Michigan House and Senate recently, overriding concerns that the bills could compromise election security. Senate Bills 603 and 604 would, among other changes, eliminate the board of canvasser’s investigative powers, instead requiring the board to refer any allegations of fraud to the relevant county prosecutor rather than conducting a recount. Only alleged errors could merit a recount, and only when the alleged errors could potentially change election results...
#1 Group Challenges Burlington, Vermont Law That Allows Noncitizen Voting - Courtney Cohn for Democracy Docket and George, What Now Tim, and Chet on X
Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE), a right-wing group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of two voters challenging a provision in the Burlington, Vermont law that allows noncitizens to vote in local elections. In 2023, Burlington amended its city charter to allow noncitizens — who are legal residents in the U.S., Burlington residents, and at least 18 years old — to vote in all local elections. This includes school board elections and votes on the city’s annual education budget...
And Now for Something Special 
Summer Solstice 2024: What It Is And Why It’s The Earliest For 228 Years - Jamie Carter for Forbes and Carlow Weather, Mark Rees and Michelle Cowborne on X
Solstice—the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the shortest in the southern hemisphere—will occur on Thursday, June 20, at 20:50 Universal Time (4:50 p.m. EST). It signals the beginning of astronomical summer north of the equator and winter in the southern hemisphere. The sun will not set at the north pole, and at the south pole, it will not rise. Here’s everything you need to know about the June solstice this week, including why it’s the earliest since 1796...
