Thursday, June 19
Robert Reich
A reflection on Juneteenth
Friends,
The Supreme Court recent unanimous ruling in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services hasn’t got nearly the attention it deserves.
On the surface, the ruling seems innocent enough. The Court merely decided that white and straight employees who allege they’ve been discriminated against don't need to meet a higher standard of proof than do Black or LGBTQ+ employees who sue for discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
(Prior to this ruling, some courts had required that white or straight employees demonstrate not only that they were discriminated against but they also worked in a discriminatory environment.)
The Court’s decision in Ames appears a logical extension of the 2023 ruling by its six conservative justices ending race-conscious admission programs at colleges and universities across the country.
At A Glance
The history of Juneteenth in photos.
... and how red drink became the holiday's official beverage.
... and meet the man who created the Juneteenth flag.
The story of Walt Whitman's lost novel. (via YouTube)
The 10 best places to live in the world.
Astronomers release colorful image of Sculptor galaxy.
MLB baseballs don't fly as far as they used to.
See Jeremy Allen White as the Boss in Springsteen movie trailer.
Clickbait: Trader Joe's opens across the street from Trader Joe's.
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2025 James Beard Award winners announced; Jungsik Yim of New York City's Jungsik named outstanding chef, while Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado, wins outstanding restaurant (More)
> R. Kelly suffers near-fatal overdose in prison, alleges he was purposely given too much medication by prison staff; Kelly is serving a 30-year sentence on sex trafficking charges (More) | Doctor in Matthew Perry's death case to plead guilty to providing Perry with ketamine in month leading up to the actor's overdose death (More) | Anne Burrell, chef and Food Network star, dies at age 55 (More)
> TV viewership via streaming tops combined broadcast and cable viewing in the US for first time with 44.8% of TV consumed via streaming (More)
Science & Technology
> OpenAI awarded $200M defense contract to develop AI tools for the Pentagon; company partnered with autonomous defense tech firm Anduril in December (More)
> Octopuses use their arms to sample the microbial populations on different surfaces, distinguishing between food, eggs, and regular objects (More)
> Genetically modified yeast creates hydroxyapatite—a naturally produced mineral with commercial applications—out of human urine; process may eventually lower the cost of wastewater treatment (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.8%, Dow -0.7%, Nasdaq -0.9%) as Israel-Iran conflict continues (More) | Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting concludes today; the central bank is expected to keep its benchmark interest rates steady (More)
> Elon Musk's AI startup xAI reportedly in talks to raise $4.3B in equity funding (More) | Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says rollout of generative AI will reshape company's workforce (More) | Amazon expands Prime Day event to four days, will take place July 8 to 11 (More)
> Eli Lilly to acquire gene-editing biotech firm Verve Therapeutics for up to $1.3B; Verve shares rise over 80% on the news (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Department of Homeland Security directs ICE agents to continue raids on farms, hotels, and restaurants, reversing guidance issued last week (More) | ICE agents arrest New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander for allegedly assaulting and impeding officers while escorting a defendant from immigration court; Lander was released hours later (More, w/video)
> At least a dozen killed—including a US citizen—and over 100 wounded in Russian drone and missile barrage in Kyiv, marking one of the deadliest attacks on the Ukrainian capital (More) | At least 59 killed and over 200 wounded while waiting for aid trucks in Gaza; Israeli forces say they are reviewing the incident (More)
> Indonesia issues highest-level alert after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts in the south-central region, spewing hot ash around 30,000 feet high (More, w/video)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Dogs and Cats
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My closeness to animals started at an early age when our parents brought a puppy into our home for my sister and me; a dachshund who we named Rebel. Rebel lived to be twenty-two years old and finally had to be put down due to health complications. That task of taking Rebel to the Vet for that to happen fell on the shoulders of our father who said he would never have another animal in his house after that. He was true to his word.
My love of animals has shifted from dogs to cats although, I would had never imagined I would have ever changed. It happened when I moved to TN and met this woman years after my divorce who had cats.
Cats are easier to take care of than dogs as they do not have to be house-broken or walked. You just create a litter box and even the smallest kitten knows what to do.
Cats can be both independent as well as needy and can be friendly as well as standoffish. Probably this is the reason why it is difficult to have dog owners like cats, since dogs are friendly all the time and never want to be alone.
Currently, my wife and I have three cats who are 13/14 years old and will only be around for a few more years. They are like our children. We have all sorts of cat trees for them to play on and right now they sleep on the bed in our spare bedroom for guests. Our cats get cold in the winter, so we have 3 heating pads under their blankets to keep them warm.
We moved to a smaller house two years ago but in that other house, we had built them a screened in area outside the basement. They could get to that area anytime they wanted through a swinging cat door. They had several areas out there, shelves that we had built, where they could lay out and sun themselves.
These will be our last animals, and I cannot imagine my life would have been like after 1990 without cats in it.
The Quantum Imperative
Quantum is critical to US tech leadership—ignoring it risks economic, scientific, and national security setbacks.
The tip of the spear for technological dominance in the battle between the United States and China is not limited to AI, but in the future application of quantum physics to computing, measurement, and communications.
The economic and scientific opportunities presented by quantum are unparalleled. For example, its ability to simulate molecular interactions at the atomic level could significantly accelerate drug discovery. Its capacity to solve complex mathematical problems has applications across sectors ranging from materials science to space travel. Quantum optimization algorithms could also transform financial risk assessment and enhance supply chain logistics.
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