NATIONAL

War with Iran Escalates: Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran on Thursday and Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital overnight, as the week-old air war escalated with no sign yet of an off-ramp. The United States entered the conflict on Saturday, bombing three nuclear sites  NBC NEWS

CIVIL RIGHTS

Far-Right ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag Flown Above Government Agency in DC: In a disturbing development, the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, a popular symbol for Christian nationalists that was waved by January 6 rioters, was raised over the Small Business Administration headquarters last week. WIRED

US judge blocks Trump passport policy targeting transgender people: A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from refusing to issue passports to transgender and nonbinary Americans nationwide that reflect their gender identities. REUTERS

Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on transgender youth medical care: The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a Tennessee law restricting gender transition care for minors, barring gender transition surgery, puberty blockers and hormone therapy for youth. NBC

DESI NEWS

US Resumes Student Visa Interviews But Demands Social Media Access: Visa applicants can also be asked to make their social media accounts public and available for review by consular officers. Failure to comply will be viewed as an attempt to “evade or hide certain activity” and might result in a rejection of the visa. INDIA CURRENTS

ENVIRONMENT

Supreme Court allows challenge to California’s EV mandate:  The Supreme Court ruled that fuel producers have the legal right to challenge California's electric vehicle and emissions regulations, which could impact the state's efforts to reduce gasoline consumption and promote electric vehicles. Courthouse News Service

250+ million acres of public lands eligible for sale in SENR bill: The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee budget reconciliation bill text forces the arbitrary sale of at least 2 million acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in 11 Western states over the next five years, and it gives the secretaries of the interior and agriculture broad discretion to choose which places should be sold off. (Call your Senators to tell them to vote NO on this proposal)  WILDERNESS

IMMIGRATION

Federal agents arrest NYC mayoral candidate at immigration court: New York City's top financial officer, who is running to be its next mayor, was handcuffed and arrested by federal agents while guiding a defendant out of immigration court on Tuesday. The incident comes amid an immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump who has directed agents to conduct raids and deport immigrants who are in the US illegally. BBC

California Lawmakers Propose Bill to Make Cops Show Their Faces: Recent immigration raids involving agents in plain clothes, face coverings, and no visible identification have sparked concern among immigrant communities and state lawmakers. State Senator Wiener and Assembly Public Safety Committee Chair Jesse Arreguín, D-Oakland, are backing legislation called the "No Secret Police Act." The bill would prohibit officers operating in California from concealing their identities by covering their faces. ABC7 NEWS

CORRUPTION ALERT

Trump Announces “Trump Phone”: The Trump Organization on Monday unveiled a mobile phone plan and a $499 smartphone that is set to launch in September. The new service, Trump Mobile, will offer a $47.45-per-month plan that includes unlimited talk, text and data, as well as roadside assistance and a “Telehealth and Pharmacy Benefit,” according to its website. The company is owned by President Donald Trump. CNBC

Trump Accelerates Push to Reward Loyalty in Federal Workforce: The administration unveiled a plan to require job applicants to write short essays describing how they plan to advance Trump’s priorities. And Trump has revived his previous efforts to reclassify thousands of federal employees and blur the line between political appointees and career professionals. WP (paywall)

CONSUMER SAFETY

US CDC Official in Charge of COVID, RSV Data Resigns Ahead of Vaccine Meeting: A U.S. government scientist who oversees the team responsible for collecting data on COVID-19 and RSV hospitalizations used to shape national vaccine policy has resigned, citing concerns over how such data would be used by the Trump administration. REUTERS

A Federal Program to Protect US Cities Against Extreme Heat Has Just Evaporated: The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled hundreds of grants meant to help communities curb pollution and make themselves more resilient, such as by updating wastewater systems. NOAA announced last month that it would axe a database that tracks billion-dollar disasters, which experts said will hobble communities’ ability to assess the risk of catastrophes. Major job cuts at NOAA also have hurricane scientists worried that coastal cities—especially along the Gulf Coast—won’t get accurate forecasts of storms headed their way. MOTHER JONES

GOOD NEWS FOR PROGRESSIVES

Federal Judge Deems Trump Administration’s Termination of NIH Grants Illegal: A federal judge ruled on Monday that the Trump administration’s termination of hundreds of grants by the National Institutes of Health was “void and illegal,” ordering some of them to be reinstated. PRO PUBLICA

Temporary Reprieve in Foreign Student Ban: Harvard University won a temporary reprieve from President Donald Trump’s ban on its international students entering the US, a legal setback for the administration in its high-profile fight with the school. ABC NEWS

JUST THE HEADLINES

• New Covid Variant has a symptom of “razor blade throat.” AP NEWS

• The Trump EPA is telling some staff to stop policing the oil and gas industry. CNN
  

TAKE ACTION

• June is Pride Month. Here are some ways we can be allies to the LGBTQ community.

• Have you signed on to the 5 Calls app? The app highlights issues of immediate importance and makes it easy for you to call your representatives.
  

Join us as we make an all out push to get Democrats out to vote in the Virginia elections this year. Write to us at tsbmarcomm@gmail.com with the subject line “Virginia Task Force.”