The Edge: Zika Is Now Even More Terrifying
Today in One Paragraph
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 279 pregnant women in the United States and its territories have tested positive for the Zika virus. Donald Trump now has the NRA’s endorsement, and he’s reiterating his campaign promise to get rid of all gun-free zones. Lawmakers in Oklahoma moved to impeach President Obama and other administration officials over last week’s transgender-bathroom guidelines. And search parties located debris from the missing EgyptAir flight.
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Zika in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 279 pregnant women in the United States and its territories have the virus, which is linked to birth defects and other health conditions. The CDC will now report all cases of pregnant women testing positive for the virus, regardless of whether they show symptoms. The news comes amid a funding debate between Congress and the Obama administration, which has asked for nearly $2 billion to combat the virus. (Nora Kelly, The Atlantic)
The NRA Endorses Trump. Chris Cox, the executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, announced that the group would back the presumptive GOP nominee. “Now is the time to unite,” Cox said at Friday’s NRA convention. “If your preferred candidate dropped out of the race, it’s time to get over it.” Trump spoke onstage immediately after the endorsement, warning that “crooked Hillary” wants to abolish the Second Amendment and repeating a campaign promise: “We’re getting rid of gun-free zones, I can tell you,” he said. (John Santucci and Meghan Keneally, ABC News)
Impeach Obama? Oklahoma Republicans filed articles of impeachment against the president, the U.S. attorney general, and the U.S. secretary of education for allegedly violating the Constitution with last week’s recommendations to public schools on accommodating transgender students. The state legislators don’t have the legal authority to impeach the president, but they hope the measure will inspire an impeachment process at the federal level. (Heide Brandes, Reuters)
EgyptAir Debris Found. Greek authorities found luggage, seats, and human remains from the EgyptAir flight that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday. The Airbus A320 was en route from Paris to Cairo carrying 66 passengers when it went down. The cause of the crash remains a mystery, but Egyptian authorities believe terrorism is a more likely cause than technical failure. (Maggie Michael and Paisley Dodds, Associated Press)
The Weekend in One Paragraph. Hillary Clinton will be fundraising in Washington, D.C., and Florida, and Bernie Sanders will hold a rally in California on Saturday. President Obama flies to Vietnam on Saturday as part of a week-long Asia trip.
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In a phone conversation, Nathan told me that he had been able to turn his life around thanks to Trump’s “high energy” persona, his refusal to give in or be pushed around—and his declared abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. “I’ve had an ongoing fight to get off drugs, but this is the most successful I’ve ever been,” he said. “I was given the strength and the resolve of spirit to not buy drugs again.” He took a deep breath. “Through the Trump campaign.” Politico’s Ben Wofford on the movement among Millennials to “Make Yourself Great Again.”
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Facebook Isn’t Neutral. The social-media network has recently faced allegations of political bias in its Trending Topics section. Here’s how it uses algorithms in subjective decision-making. (Caitlin Dewey, The Washington Post)
Coal Miners as Canaries. Clinton has introduced detailed plans for bringing sustainable jobs to coal-mining communities. Why do voters in states such as West Virginia prefer Trump’s largely empty rhetoric? (Andrew McGill, The Atlantic)
Bernie, Please. It’s virtually impossible for the Vermont Democrat to catch up to Clinton’s delegate lead, but he’s still sticking around—and the style of campaign he’s running will do irreparable harm to his party and his message. (Jamelle Bouie, Slate)
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‘Senate Squad.’ Republicans in the Senate dropped a new Wes Anderson-style video featuring a round-up of their legislative accomplishments. (Paulina Firozi, The Hill)
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-Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey)