Key takeaways: The Conservative Party narrowly avoided a major blow, holding onto the former seat of ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in suburban London. The party…
News Mash
Kevin Maxen, an associate strength coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, has become the first male coach in a major U.S.-based professional league to come out as gay. His announcement has been met with support from the NFL and the Jaguars organization, and is a sign of progress for the NFL and the LGBTQ+ community. Maxen said he wanted to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but also to just live and not feel fear.
James Barber was executed by lethal injection in Alabama on Thursday evening, after being convicted and sentenced to death for the 2001 murder of 75-year-old Dorothy Epps. His execution marks the first in the state since February, when a pause in capital punishment was imposed due to a series of failed lethal injection attempts. Barber had requested to block his execution over fears of harm, but a federal appeals court panel rejected his request.
Federico Guillermo Klein, a former political appointee of Donald Trump, was convicted of seven felonies related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including assaulting police officers and other charges. Klein and co-defendant Steven Cappuccio are facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and will be sentenced in August. The conviction comes as a grand jury is deciding whether to indict Trump for his efforts to stop the peaceful transfer of power.
The Florida Board of Education has approved a set of academic standards for African American social studies classes in K-12 schools, which has been met with criticism from Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris is expected to travel to Florida on Friday to deliver remarks in response, and the trip will highlight efforts to protect the freedom to learn and teach America's true history. Critics of the standards argue that it fails to make it necessary for students to learn about each of the contributions, challenges and stories of famous Black people.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has scheduled a hearing on UFOs, or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), for next Wednesday. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) announced the hearing at a news conference Thursday, and the committee will hear testimony from three witnesses, including a former U.S. intelligence official and two former Navy servicemen who have claimed to have spotted UAPs. The hearing is the second on the topic held by the House Intelligence Committee, and it is unclear what new information the committee may uncover.
Dan Snyder, the outgoing owner of the Washington Commanders, has been fined $60 million by the NFL after an independent investigation determined he had sexually harassed a team employee and overseen team executives who withheld millions of dollars in revenue from other clubs. The investigation was led by former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White and unanimously approved by the NFL owners. The fine serves as a reminder that the league is serious about its commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct.
J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist often credited as the father of the atomic bomb, was asked on the twentieth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima whether it was necessary. He responded that the decision was made in good faith and on the best evidence available at the time. The upcoming movie "Oppenheimer" will explore his life and the moral dilemmas he faced, as his work on the atomic bomb helped end World War II, but also ushered in a new era of nuclear warfare.