Former Vice President Joe Biden was at an LGBTQ civil rights gala in Ohio rather than attending the California Democratic Convention on Saturday — where 14 other 2020 candidates courted voters and delegates, reports AP.
Why it matters: This convention was a chance for presidential candidates to address nearly 200 delegates, nearly one-fifth of what's needed to secure the nomination, and Biden skipped it. Since announcing his run for the White House, Biden has focused on going President Trump, rather going after other Democrats, per AP.
On the first day of LGBTQ Pride month commemorating the Stonewall Riots, 2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) released her LGBTQ rights agenda.
Why it matters: Gillibrand used the policy outline to juxtapose herself against President Trump and his administration when it comes to LGBTQ rights.
There was an 8% drop in international students in the U.S. last year, with nearly half of that decline coming from fewer Chinese students receiving visas.
Why it matters: The trend is at least partially attributed to President Trump's immigration policy changes and rhetoric, which have led to fewer foreign students applying to study at U.S. institutions. Foreign students contributed $36.9 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2016-2017 academic year, according to the NAFSA Association of International Educators.
President Trump expressed support for former U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's run for Prime Minister in an interview with The Sun on Friday, but stopped short of formally endorsing him.
Catch up quick: Trump said Johnson would be an "excellent" choice, but he also praised Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt's potential to succeed as Theresa May's replacement, saying, "I could help anybody if I endorse them." Trump will meet with Prime Minister Theresa May and UK business leaders on June 4.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) is no longer considering running against President Trump in the 2020 presidential election, the Washington Post reports.
The bottom line: Only one Republican has formally announced a challenge to Trump — former Gov. Bill Weld (R-Mass.), and only one other Republican — Nebraskan senator Ben Sasse — is weighing a possible 2020 run.
The State Department announced that all foreigners looking to attain a U.S. visa will have to list their social media accounts, emails and previous phone numbers, reports AP.
Why it matters: This change is part of the Trump administration's sweeping plan to overhaul the screening process, and they are citing national security as the primary motivation. President Trump has tried numerous things to curb immigration into the United States under the umbrella of national security, including the controversial "Muslim ban."
Former Vice President Joe Biden has recruited Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) to be a co-chair of his presidential campaign in a bid to appeal to more congressional Democrats and African American voters, reports the New York Times.
Why it matters: As a southern Democrat, Richmond says he has extensive political ties that could help boost Biden's chances in key primary states, such as South Carolina, per the Times. Richmond's new role in the Biden campaign comes at a time when black congressional leaders are struggling to decide if they should support frontrunner Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) or Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
Transcripts between President Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Sergey I. Kislyak, Russia’s former head diplomat in the U.S., were not made public on Friday as ordered by a federal judge, the New York Times reports.
Context: These highly classified transcripts were obtained via FBI wiretap on Ambassador Kislyak — and that wiretap has not been acknowledged by prosecutors with the Justice Department, who failed to comply with the judge's order because they said they did not need to release transcripts that aren't vital to Flynn's prosecution.
A government watchdog group told the Department of Homeland Security to immediately resolve "dangerous" overcrowding at Border Patrol facilities in El Paso, Texas, according to a new report.
Why it matters: The Office of the Inspector General said crowded, standing-room-only conditions, specifically at the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center, posed serious health and security risks to both the migrants and officers. Some were held for weeks at a time. The watchdog group gave a target completion date of Nov. 30, 2020 to to follow recommendations and alleviate overcrowding.
Donald Trump announced in a tweet on Friday that he will be holding his official 2020 campaign launch at the 20,000 seat Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., on June 18, joined by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence.
Why it matters: While Trump has held rallies throughout his 2016 campaign and continued into his presidency, this launch signals the beginning of his official dive into 2020. Meanwhile, Democrats are already ramping up for primary debates and swarming early battleground states.
Elizabeth Warren unveiled a plan Friday to allow the Department of Justice to indict a sitting president.
Why it matters: The proposal would reverse a policy that Robert Mueller said would have prevented him from bringing charges as part of his investigation of President Trump.
