With cheering crowds, glowing lights, a hint of political intrigue and a winning act in Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc, Russia’s answer to the Eurovision song contest – “Intervision” – gave off similar vibes as the competition that inspired it when it returned to Moscow on Saturday.
Russia launched its international song contest at President Vladimir Putin’s behest, with a Soviet-era name and acts intended to promote “traditional family values,” after being banished from Eurovision – and as a spectacle, it didn’t disappoint.
. . . Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was present at the event, was quoted as insisting: “We are not striving for any political effect. We want the original purpose of a person and his or her identity to be respected and realized in free interaction with others, enriching one another through the exchange of spiritual values.”
. . . “I am confident that the competition will become one of the most recognizable and beloved worldwide, because through dialogue, mutual respect, and the strengthening of trust between cultures, we become spiritually richer,” Putin said in a video statement that was played in the venue at the beginning of the concert.
James Dobson, who founded the conservative ministry Focus on the Family and was long a campaigner against abortion and gay rights, has died. He was 89.
The man who banned abortion in Texas is accused by an exotic dancer of paying for multiple abortions
Texas State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione admitted to an affair, but denied accusations from his alleged mistress of having paid for abortions.
Meet Giovanni Capriglione
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Capriglione
I found this on his website:
Malachi Marlan-Librett Must Complete Therapy, Anti-bias Training in Hate Crime Case The only person charged with a felony in connection...
The only person charged with a felony in connection with last year’s violent attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA has been given a plea deal to attend a diversion program that could allow him to avoid jail time and have the charges dismissed.
Malachi Marlan-Librett, 28, was accused of assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and committing a hate crime stemming from two separate incidents on the UCLA campus in April and May 2024, according to court documents. Under a plea deal entered on July 7, Marlan-Librett must complete 90 hours of therapy and anti-bias education. If he complies with the terms, all charges will be dropped.
Livestreamer William Gude, aka Film the Police, has pointed out that Marlan-Librett “singled out” Black people as the targets for his assaults.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump called supporters "weaklings" for pushing the Justice Department to release more files related to Epstein.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott Refuses to Release His Emails With Elon Musk
The governor’s office said some of the correspondence with the billionaire and his companies contains “intimate” information that isn’t of “legitimate concern to the public.”
Battle Over Boston Bike Lanes Intensifies and Hits Mayor’s Race
Tensions that simmered for months boiled over when the Justice Department and FBI issued a two-page statement this week saying that they had concluded that Jeffrey Epstein did not possess a "client list."
A Tulane University researcher has resigned, citing censorship from university leaders. Kim Terrell, a researcher with the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, resigned Wednesday, saying in a letter the university had sacrificed academic integrity for political expediency.
A White Nationalist Wrote a Law School Paper Promoting Racist Views. It Won Him an Award.
A University of Florida student argued in a school paper that the US Constitution applies only to white people. The judge teaching the class gave him the highest grade and awarded him a prize. The granting of the award set off months of turmoil on the law school campus.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/21/us/white-supremacist-university-of-florida-paper.html
US oil output set for first annual drop since pandemic | Blow to Donald Trump’s ‘energy dominance’ goal as EIA predicts production decline in 2026
Blow to Donald Trump’s ‘energy dominance’ goal as EIA predicts production decline in 2026
I'll note that the US was a net oil exporter under Biden for the first time in many decades.:
This post uses a gift link which may have a view count limit. If it runs out, there is an archived copy of the article
The outbreak, which was traced to a grower in Florida, has spread to 18 states, according to the C.D.C. Several distributors and stores, including Target, have recalled products containing cucumbers.
The number of people killed by the police has risen every year since the murder of Mr. Floyd by a Minneapolis officer in 2020.
The Sun-Times has just offered the best argument against using generative AI in journalism, publishing a recommended summer reading list filled with books that aren't actually real.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/29967160
List in question:
https://bsky.app/profile/tbretc.bsky.social/post/3lpme473fdc2z
Tesla denies board search for Elon Musk’s successor; Trump tariffs to slash growth, says Bank of Japan – business live
Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as UK’s Competition and Markets Authority scrutinises veterinary industry and companies adjust to Trump tariffs
Tesla’s chair has denied that the electric car company is looking for a replacement for Elon Musk, after the billionaire spent several months focusing on serving Donald Trump even as the carmaker’s profits slumped.
The US manufacturer posted a statement on X, the social network owned by Musk, from chair Robyn Denholm saying the company was “highly confident in his ability to continue executing on the exciting growth plan ahead”, and claiming a report on possible successors was “erroneous”.
Elections Canada website experiencing technical issues as polls close | National
It appears Elections Canada’s website is experiencing some technical issues this evening, just as polls in the 45th Canadian federal general election are beginning to come to a full close across the country.
As of the time of writing, voting stations are still open in British Columbia, Alberta, parts of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon. Polling stations in B.C. will be the last to close at 7 p.m. PDT.
The issues with the website first began at approximately 4 p.m. PDT.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows just under half of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, which is nearly 10 percentage points higher than his approval rating on the economy and foreign trade.
Similar to an AP-NORC poll conducted in March, nearly half of Americans approve of Trump’s immigration approach, while about 4 in 10 approve of how he’s handling the presidency.
This higher approval on immigration comes primarily from Republicans. About 8 in 10 Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, higher than the roughly 7 in 10 Republicans who approve of how he’s handling the economy or trade negotiations with other countries.
Other groups are less enthusiastic about Trump’s approach. About 4 in 10 independents and only about 2 in 10 Democrats approve of Trump on immigration.
Full poll available at https://apnorc.org/projects/immigration-remains-one-of-trumps-strongest-issues/ ([arc](https://web.archive.org/web/20250425132049/https://apnorc.org/projects/immigr
