Axios

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue directed the USDA Forest Service on Friday to prioritize resource extraction in national forests and grasslands, particularly for grazing, mining, oil and gas development.

Our thought bubble via Axios' Amy Harder: The move shows how deep into the federal bureaucracy the Trump administration is reaching to remove regulations and, it argues, help the economy recover from the pandemic-induced recession.

Marchers have delivered a clear message in the 19 days since George Floyd was killed — change how America's police treat black people, and do it now.

The big picture: If you look beyond the symbolic gestures and focus on the concrete actions, there's a good deal of there there, even if it's still insufficient.

The Department of Health and Human Services finalized a rule on Friday to reverse protections for transgender people established under the Affordable Care Act.

Why it matters: The action could make it easier for doctors, hospitals and insurance companies to deny transgender people health coverage amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

Some student-athletes at the University of Texas at Austin said they will no longer help recruit new players or attend donor events unless the school addresses a list of demands to make the environment "more comfortable and more inclusive for the black athletes and the black community," according to various athletes' social media posts.

Why it matters: Protests in the wake of the George Floyd killing have sparked a nationwide discussion on racism, and college athletes are speaking out on social issues and driving the conversation in ways their predecessors could only dream about, writes Axios' Jeff Tracy.

Public school districts across the U.S. are cutting ties with local police departments, amid a wave of pressure and protests following the death of George Floyd.

Why it matters: Many districts have introduced school resource officers, known as SROs, over the last couple decades in response to school shootings. But civil rights advocates argue that installing officers in schools puts students of color at risk.

The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Friday intended to develop a replacement for the local police department while providing for "community safety and violence prevention."

Why it matters: The move launches a yearlong community engagement process to produce a "transformative new model" for public safety in the city, beginning to answer the calls of activists who have been pushing for an overhaul to law enforcement after the killing of George Floyd.

A federal appeals court in D.C. appears hesitant to order Judge Emmit Sullivan to dismiss the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn, The Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Flynn and the Justice Department had asked the appeals court to order District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan to quickly resolve the case examining why the federal government dropped charges against Flynn. While the appeals court hasn't issued a decision, their hesitation suggests the courts have the right to review whether Justice Department moves to drop a prosecution are “in the public interest," the Post writes.

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday authorizing economic sanctions and travel restrictions against workers from the International Criminal Court who are investigating American troops and intelligence officials for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

Why it matters: This is the ICC's first investigation of U.S. forces, and both Afghan and U.S. officials oppose it. The U.S. does not formally recognize the jurisdiction of the court, and the Trump administration is refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted on Friday it's "absurd and shameful" that a statue of Winston Churchill is the target of protesters, adding that Churchill "was a hero, and he fully deserves his memorial."

Why it matters: Demonstrations against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd have gone global. As in the U.S., protesters in Britain have sought to challenge racism and imperialism in their country's past and have vandalized or even removed the statues of historic leaders now thought to be racist.

The U.S. Treasury Department is leaning against releasing the names of small businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans, as first reported by Politico and confirmed by Axios.

Why it matters: Taxpayers bailed out millions of small businesses with hundreds of billions of dollars. But they may never know where the money went ⁠— a lack of transparency that could make it harder to know how well the program worked, or if certain applications were fraudulent.

President Trump tweeted his congratulations to Republican candidate Marjorie Greene on Friday, calling the QAnon believer a "big winner" after her strong results from Georgia's congressional primary.

Why it matters: Greene was endorsed by Trump ahead of Georgia's elections. QAnon is an extremist group that believes an anonymous internet user is waging war against the "deep state" from within the federal government.

Devin Allen, a 32-year-old Baltimore photographer, took the cover photo of the forthcoming issue of TIME, showing people lying on the street during a Black Trans Lives Matter protest in Baltimore on June 5, The (Baltimore) Sun reports.

What they're saying: Allen told The Sun, "We leave out the LGBT community, especially when it comes to the black trans community ... The fact that they even have to go and hold a Black Trans Lives Matter march, it speaks for itself. Why do they have to do that? As a straight, black man, I'm going to give [them] the same energy that I give to all my people to that community."

President Trump's latest slogan was featured yesterday during his trip to Dallas, where he led "a roundtable on Transition to Greatness" at a megachurch.

The state of play: Trump's first campaign rally since the national shutdown will be held a week from today in Tulsa, Okla. People requesting tickets see this disclaimer:

In an episode out today, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) lands White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for his podcast, "Verdict with Ted Cruz," which has had 10 million views and downloads since launching Jan. 21, amid the impeachment trial.

What they're saying: Regarding his West Wing routine, Meadows said, "I'll normally come in around 7:15. I get my daily briefing, which is an intel briefing at 7:30 that will scare anybody of all the threats that we get."

John Bolton taunts President Trump, his former boss, on the back cover of his forthcoming book: "Game on."

• In a memoir coming June 23 that the White House has tried to delay, former national security adviser Bolton will offer multiple revelations about Trump’s conduct in office, with direct quotes by the president and senior officials, according to a source familiar with the book.

Why it matters: Bolton, who was U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under President George W. Bush, is a lifelong conservative and longtime Fox News contributor who is well-known by the Trump base, the source pointed out.

Most states paused evictions when the coronavirus hit — but those holds are expiring at about the same time that more generous unemployment benefits are set to dry up.

Why it matters: The one-two punch could easily exacerbate the housing crisis for Americans already bearing the worst of COVID-19's effects.

President Trump's acceptance speech as the 2020 Republican presidential nominee will be relocated from Charlotte, North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced on Thursday.

Why it matters: President Trump and the RNC pulled the acceptance speech out of North Carolina after Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said he would require the convention to be downsized due to COVID-19. The event is expected to draw around 50,000 people.

Two immigrants awaiting delayed naturalization ceremonies amid COVID-19 filed a lawsuit against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to expedite the process to vote in the November presidential election, Buzzfeed News reports.

Where it stands: The suit filed in federal court in Pennsylvania this week notes that the plaintiffs are among thousands of immigrants waiting to complete the final step to achieve American citizenship. U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services reopened their offices earlier this month for small ceremonies, but a backlog remains.