National

The White House on Thursday unveiled new actions aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ communities.

Driving the news: The initiatives, announced ahead of a Pride celebration at the White House Thursday evening, include appointing a coordinator in the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to address book bans.

There has been an unprecedented wave of book bans at the state level, often targeting books written by or about members of the LGBTQ community.

The executive actions also aim to protect the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ individuals and support the mental health of youth, including those who are homeless or in foster care.

The big picture: The move comes as dozens of states roll out laws targeting specific communities and after the Human Rights Campaign this week declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people living in the U.S.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is running for president, has signed several anti-LGBTQ bills into law, from limiting the use of preferred pronouns in public schools to criminalizing the use of bathrooms that don't align with a person's sex at birth.

What they're saying: "Let's not forget what we're seeing across the country from statehouses: more than 600 pieces of legislation, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing Wednesday. 

"A few hundred of those are against transgender youth," she added. "And so we have not seen that type of 'anti' sentiment, anti — against this community in decades."

"We also need to make sure that we let the community know that the President has their back and we're going to continue to fight for them," she said.

Biden announces new LGBTQ+ initiatives amid state rollbacks

The move comes as dozens of states roll out laws targeting LGBTQ+ communities.

President  Biden speaks before signing the Respect for Marriage Act at the White House on Dec. 13, 2022. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

LGBTQ

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="White House" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" data-vars-content-id="0f4011c8-80e8-4925-b226-019cce38af5b" data-vars-headline="Biden announces new LGBTQ+ initiatives amid state rollbacks" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" target="_self">White House</a> on Thursday unveiled new actions aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ communities.Driving the news: The initiatives, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced" data-vars-click-url="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/08/fact-sheetbiden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-protect-lgbtqi-communities/" data-vars-content-id="0f4011c8-80e8-4925-b226-019cce38af5b" data-vars-headline="Biden announces new LGBTQ+ initiatives amid state rollbacks" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/08/fact-sheetbiden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-protect-lgbtqi-communities/" target="_blank">announced</a> ahead of a Pride celebration at the White House Thursday evening, include appointing a coordinator in the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to address <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="book bans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/01/book-bans-california-diversity" data-vars-content-id="0f4011c8-80e8-4925-b226-019cce38af5b" data-vars-headline="Biden announces new LGBTQ+ initiatives amid state rollbacks" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/01/book-bans-california-diversity" target="_self">book bans</a>.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

As wildfire smoke envelops sections of the U.S. Great Lakes, Northeast and mid-Atlantic, mitigating risk is essential. 

Why it matters: As record poor air quality stemming from Canadian wildfires impacts the eastern U.S., pollutants in wildfire smoke can seriously affect the body — a reality the western U.S. knows well. 

"Our exposure to that wildfire smoke and those particles are well above what's considered safe from a health perspective," Peter DeCarlo, associate professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University, told Axios. 

The pollutants in wildfire smoke can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing, per the Environmental Protection Agency.

They can can increase a person's risk of developing lung and heart conditions, per the EPA, as well as exacerbate pre-existing lung and heart conditions and can trigger asthma and heart attacks.

Children, the elderly and people who have pre-existing health conditions, particularly respiratory or heart related, are most at risk, DeCarlo said.

Those who are pregnant are also advised to limit outdoor activities.

"Everyone can take the same precautions but it's especially important for these groups," DeCarlo said.

Stay inside. Protect yourself by minimizing exposure as much as you can.

Limit physical activity and avoid doing anything strenuous. That includes walking slowly to reduce how heavily you're breathing, DeCarlo advised.

Keep windows and doors closed to keep the concentration of air pollution low.

Set any central air conditioning system to re-circulate the air or shut off the outdoor intake to avoid bringing in smoky air, per California's health department.

If you’re driving, keep the windows shut. Use a car ventilation system to recirculate the air.

If you have to be outside, wear an N95 OR KN95 mask that's well-fitting to filter the air you're breathing, DeCarlo said. 

An N95 respirator can filter up to 95% of smoke particles when properly fitted, according to California's Department of Public Health. It does not, however, filter toxic gases, vapors or the smell of smoke.

The EPA also recommends P100 respirator if you plan to be outdoors for a long period in an environment with heavy smoke or ash. 

Of note: Dust masks and surgical masks, meanwhile, don't offer sufficient protection from particles during wildfire conditions.

A wet towel or bandana could stop large particles, but won't capture the small ones that can get into the lungs, per the health department.

Those with heart and respiratory conditions should check with their doctor before wearing an N95 respirator as it could make breathing more difficult and lead to an increased heart rate, per California's health department. 

Using an air filtration system or an air purifier with a HEPA filter can reduce indoor particle levels, DeCarlo told Axios.

A good air filtration system can lower indoor pollution levels by about 50-80%, according to estimates from the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit.

You can also make an air purifier yourself.

Also consider avoiding smoking cigarettes, using gas, propane and wood-burning stoves and furnaces, spraying aerosol products, frying or broiling meat, burning candles and incense and vacuuming, per California's health department.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends that pet owners keep animals indoors as much as possible and keep windows shut during periods of poor air quality, as they are also affected by air pollution — especially birds.

Go deeper: Listen to the Axios Today podcast, where host Niala Boodhoo and Jacob Knutson talk about the air quality levels in the eastern U.S. and what else people can do to protect themselves.

How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke

You may want to bring those N95 and KN95 masks back out.

A person wearing a face mask walks before the Empire State Building during heavy smog in New York on June 7. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Wildfires

As wildfire smoke envelops sections of the U.S. Great Lakes, Northeast and mid-Atlantic, mitigating risk is essential. Why it matters: As record poor air quality stemming from Canadian wildfires <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="impacts the eastern U.S" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/07/smoke-air-quality-canada-wildfires" data-vars-content-id="2d4401af-f3bb-4ca7-87e8-89969e15444c" data-vars-headline="How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/07/smoke-air-quality-canada-wildfires" target="_self">impacts the eastern U.S</a>., pollutants in wildfire smoke can seriously affect the body — a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reality the western U.S. knows" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/09/wildfire-smoke-us-west-coast-health-risks" data-vars-content-id="2d4401af-f3bb-4ca7-87e8-89969e15444c" data-vars-headline="How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/09/wildfire-smoke-us-west-coast-health-risks" target="_self">reality the western U.S. knows</a> well.

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

A pilot and three passengers were killed in a plane crash that prompted officials to place the U.S. Capitol complex on alert Sunday afternoon.

State of play: Federal investigators said they expected to be at the scene for several days to determine why the plane went off course and collided into a mountain in heavily wooded and rural terrain some two to three miles north of Montebello, Virginia.

A screenshot of a tweet by the City of Bowie, Maryland, saying: "We have confirmed that the loud boom heard in Bowie was a sonic boom from a plane out of Joint Base Andrews."

Adam Gerhardt, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) senior air safety investigator, said it's "a very challenging accident site" and the wreckage is highly fragmented.

Investigators will look at "the airplane, the engines, the weather conditions, pilot qualifications, the maintenance records — all aspects will be of course items that we routinely look at," Gerhardt added.

What we know: A sonic boom rang out across the D.C. region as fighter aircraft responded to an unresponsive pilot flying a Cessna.

NORAD said it deployed an F-16 fighter jet to intercept the plane, which the Federal Aviation Administration reported was carrying four people before it later crashed in mountainous terrain near Montebello, Va.

State and local law enforcement reached the crash site by foot just before 8pm after an hourslong search in the Staunton-Blue Ridge Parkway area, per an emailed statement from Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller late Sunday. 

The FAA and the NTSB are both investigating the incident that saw startled residents across the region post on social media about hearing a "loud explosion" as the sonic boom occurred.

Zoom in: Officials in Maryland said the boom was caused by an authorized Defense Department plane out of Joint Base Andrews, where President Biden was playing golf with his brother, according to a pool report.

A White House official said Biden was briefed on the situation, per a pool report. "The sound resulting from the authorized DOD aircraft was faint at JBA," the official added.

A screenshot of a tweet by D.C. Emergency Management saying: "We are aware of reports from communities throughout the National Capital Region of a loud “boom” this afternoon. There is no threat at this time."

Photo: D.C. Homeland Security & Emergency Management/Twitter

What they're saying: The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in an emailed statement Sunday evening that the civilian aircraft was intercepted at about 3:20pm ET.

"The NORAD aircraft were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds and a sonic boom may have been heard by residents of the region," per the NORAD statement.

"During this event, the NORAD aircraft also used flares — which may have been visible to the public — in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot," the statement said.

"The pilot was unresponsive and the Cessna subsequently crashed near the George Washington National Forest, Virginia," NORAD added. "NORAD attempted to establish contact with the pilot until the aircraft crashed."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Capitol Police said in an emailed statement Sunday evening that its officials worked closely with federal partners to "monitor an unresponsive pilot" who was flying an airplane near the National Capital Region.

"The U.S. Capitol Complex was briefly placed on an elevated alert until the airplane left the area," the statement added.

What's next: The FAA and NTSB are working to determine what caused the Long Island, New York-bound Cessna Citation 56o to crash after it left Elizabethton, Tenn.

The NTSB will release a preliminary report on the crash within 10 days, Gerhardt said during a Monday press conference. He said a final report detailing the probable cause and more can take anywhere between a year to two years to be released.

Between the lines: A sonic boom is "an impulsive noise similar to thunder," according to the U.S. Air Force. 

"It is caused by an object moving faster than sound — about 750 miles per hour at sea level," per the Air Force.

Sonic booms can shatter glass, but the threat to communities is low.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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4 dead after plane that prompted F-16 response in D.C. crashes

The U.S. Capitol Complex "was briefly placed on an elevated alert" as authorities scrambled to respond, police said.

Saint Mary's Wilderness is seen in the distance on June 5 near Montebello, Virginia, on June 4, 2023. Photo: Erin Edgerton / AFP via Getty Images

Department of Defense (DOD)

Transportation

A pilot and three passengers were killed in a plane crash that prompted officials to place the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Capitol complex" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2022/01/06/how-capitol-insurrection-changed-washington-dc" data-vars-content-id="8925f66c-695e-49ad-b4d7-c89e02108fa6" data-vars-headline="4 dead after plane that prompted F-16 response in D.C. crashes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2022/01/06/how-capitol-insurrection-changed-washington-dc" target="_self">U.S. Capitol complex</a> on alert Sunday afternoon.State of play: Federal investigators said they expected to be at the scene for several days to determine why the plane went off course and collided into a mountain in heavily wooded and rural terrain some two to three miles north of Montebello, Virginia.

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Top California leaders released a letter Thursday cautioning educators in the state against book bans and highlighting constitutional protections against such actions. 

The big picture: The move comes amid an unprecedented wave of book bans in other states, particularly in Florida, and reflects the ongoing culture war between liberals and conservatives about the role public institutions play in the lives of children.

Illinois, too, is seeking to end books bans, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) poised to sign a bill that would block state funding for public institutions that censor literature.

Driving the news: The joint letter from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Attorney General Rob Bonta and state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was addressed to all county and district school superintendents and charter school administrators. 

The letter outlines civil rights and legal mandates that school administrators must follow to "preserve freedom and ensure access to diverse perspectives and curricula," a news release from the governor states.

In some cases, removal of materials "may constitute unlawful discrimination," per the letter.

If an educational agency removes or bans instructional material, the AG’s office may analyze the case.

What they're saying: "As state leaders elected to represent the values of all Californians, we offer our response in one shared voice: Access to books-including books that reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of Californians, and especially those that may challenge us to grapple with uncomfortable truths-is a profound freedom we all must protect and cultivate," the letter states.

By the numbers: Book bans jumped 28% in the first half of the 2022-23 school year compared to the prior six-month period, a PEN America report found.

They hit an "unparalleled" 20-year record in 2022, per the American Library Association.

There were more than 1,250 book challenges at school and public libraries last year, suggesting that the recent surge in attempted book bans is not abating.

Zoom in: A vast majority of the targeted books were written by or were about members of the LGBTQ community and people of color, according to the American Library Association.

Even in California, a liberal haven, almost all of the top 10 books targeted for censorship in schools and libraries last year included LGBTQ themes.

"California is seen as this almost sanctuary state, but we have huge swaths of very conservative parts of the state," California Library Association president Gary Shaffer told Axios in April.

Between the lines: Newsom has often taken aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a 2024 GOP candidate who has made a name for himself challenging COVID protocols and pursuing an aggressive conservative agenda on race, gender and education.

Last month, Newsom demanded records from Florida to find out whether any of the companies designing California’s textbooks are the same ones "kowtowing to Florida’s extremist agenda."

"The extremists in Florida and textbook companies that are colluding with them are about to be exposed," Newsom said. "You don't get to erase basic facts around segregation, the holocaust, or Rosa Parks' story."

The California governor pointed out last week that "Florida had 566 bans across 21 school districts" last school year.

Meanwhile, President Biden is attempting to capitalize on the unpopularity of GOP-led book bans, pushing them alongside abortion rights and Social Security as key issues for his fledgling re-election campaign, Axios' Ivana Saric reports.

Go deeper: Florida school restricts inauguration poem access: Amanda Gorman "gutted"

Florida school restricts inauguration poem access: Amanda Gorman "gutted"

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California officials aim to halt book bans to "preserve freedom"

The move reflects the ongoing culture war between liberals and conservatives about the role public institutions play for kids.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 6, 2022, in San Francisco, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California

Top <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="California" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2023/04/27/california-book-ban-censorship-2022" data-vars-content-id="a0c1a758-e5ea-4824-ad9c-d98679700fd7" data-vars-headline="California officials aim to halt book bans to &quot;preserve freedom&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2023/04/27/california-book-ban-censorship-2022" target="_self">California</a> leaders released <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a letter" data-vars-click-url="https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Book-Bans-Letter-6.1.23-1.pdf" data-vars-content-id="a0c1a758-e5ea-4824-ad9c-d98679700fd7" data-vars-headline="California officials aim to halt book bans to &quot;preserve freedom&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Book-Bans-Letter-6.1.23-1.pdf" target="_blank">a letter</a> Thursday cautioning educators in the state against <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="book bans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/01/17/a-book-purge-surge" data-vars-content-id="a0c1a758-e5ea-4824-ad9c-d98679700fd7" data-vars-headline="California officials aim to halt book bans to &quot;preserve freedom&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/01/17/a-book-purge-surge" target="_self">book bans</a> and highlighting constitutional protections against such actions. The big picture: The move comes amid an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unprecedented wave of book bans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/23/book-bans-attempts-record-2022-library-association" data-vars-content-id="a0c1a758-e5ea-4824-ad9c-d98679700fd7" data-vars-headline="California officials aim to halt book bans to &quot;preserve freedom&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/23/book-bans-attempts-record-2022-library-association" target="_self">unprecedented wave of book bans</a> in other states, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="particularly in Florida" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/17/penguin-random-house-pen-america-florida-school-district-book-ban-lawsuit" data-vars-content-id="a0c1a758-e5ea-4824-ad9c-d98679700fd7" data-vars-headline="California officials aim to halt book bans to &quot;preserve freedom&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/17/penguin-random-house-pen-america-florida-school-district-book-ban-lawsuit" target="_self">particularly in Florida</a>, and reflects the ongoing culture war between liberals and conservatives about the role public institutions play in the lives of children.

International terminals at the Port of Oakland, one of the West Coast's busiest marine ports, were closed Friday amid labor shortages, authorities said. 

Driving the news: The terminals were closed for the day shift Friday, spokesperson Marilyn Sandifur said, and officials expected "significantly reduced or no operations for the second shift."

"We were advised that this was due to insufficient labor for operations," Sandifur said. "We expect normal operations to resume Monday.”

Matson terminal, a domestic marine terminal, had limited operations Friday as well, per Sandifur.

What we're watching: Sources told CNBC that port shutdowns are expected to spread across the West Coast as workers protest amid wage negotiations.

Meanwhile, labor shortages at the Port of Los Angeles caused delays Friday, but the port remained open, spokesperson Phillip Sanfield told Axios.

Go deeper: Pandemic side effect: America's backed up ports

Pandemic side effect: America's backed up ports

Major western marine port closes amid labor shortage

Labor shortages elsewhere also caused delays Friday.

Trucks drive through the Port of Oakland on March 31, 2023, in Oakland, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Labor strikes

International terminals at the Port of Oakland, one of the West Coast&#x27;s busiest marine ports, were closed Friday amid labor shortages, authorities said. Driving the news: The terminals were closed for the day shift Friday, spokesperson Marilyn Sandifur said, and officials expected &quot;significantly reduced or no operations for the second shift.&quot;

Sareen Habeshian

Stories

Biden announces new LGBTQ+ initiatives amid state rollbacks

How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke

4 dead after plane that prompted F-16 response in D.C. crashes

Major western marine port closes amid labor shortage

California officials aim to halt book bans to "preserve freedom"