Tuesday, June 22 top stories
It is Tuesday, June 22. Here are today’s top stories.
NFL defensive end Carl Nassib, who plays for the Las Vegas Raiders, posted an Instagram video to come out as gay. Out.com said he made sports history for being the first active member of the NFL to come out.
Nassib said he agonized over this moment for the last 15 years that he feels an immense responsibility to help The Trevor Project, an organization that works to prevent suicide among young LGBTQ children. He donated $100,000.
Many looked back on Michael Sam, who was a star defensive player for the University of Missouri when he came out as an “openly proud gay man” before the 2014 NFL Draft. He only played in the preseason for the St. Louis Rams and was cut before the regular season. He then played for the Canadian Football League, becoming the league’s first openly gay player. However, he retired a short time after, saying he was having a difficult time and was concerned about his mental health.
After Nassib made his announcement, Michael Sam tweeted “thank you for owning your truth” and that he looks forward to seeing Nassib play on the field.
USA Today explained that Democrats in the Senate are trying this week to pass updated voting rights legislation, but that it is unlikely to pass due to lack of support from Republicans.
The Democrats' bill is called “For the People Act.” It aims to make Election Day a federal holiday, make it easier to vote by mail, expand early voting, allow felons who have served their terms to vote, and end partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts. Democrats previously wanted to stop states from being able to enact their own voting identification laws and replace it with a federal guideline, but Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia didn’t support it and it was removed from the Senate bill.
Republicans say the Democrats’ bill is actually an attempt to permanently rig the rules of elections in their favor. News reports said Republicans were united in opposition.
There was talk of eliminating the filibuster, which would allow Democrats to pass key legislation with only a simple majority with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaker. However, other Democrats are opposed to this because it could backfire in the future if another party rises to power with a simple majority.
Several Republican-led U.S. states have passed laws adding rules and restrictions to voting laws this year, which is criticized by liberal Black and Brown leaders as an attempt to suppress their communities’ votes.
The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)’s wishes to continue to put caps and limits on student-athletes’ ability to receive compensation.
Law professor Michael Schwartz will help break it down.
Michael Schwartz:
The case involved the Sherman Act, an antitrust law, that prohibits restraint of trade. For many years the NCAA has refused to pay student athletes for their participation in sports. Universities and coaches are paid millions of dollars, but the student athletes are not paid. So, the students sued, saying the NCAA violated the Sherman Act.
In oral argument before the Supreme Court, the NCAA argued the spending caps were needed to preserve a distinction between amateur and pro sports.
According to the Court’s opinion, the NCAA was arguing that the Sherman Act should not apply to higher education and sports. The Supreme Court said no and upheld the lower courts’ injunction that barred the NCAA from limiting “compensation and benefits related to education.” The case could reshape college sports by allowing more money from a billion-dollar industry to go to the players.
Alex: Thank you Michael for explaining!
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com ]
[Sponsored Video Alex Jones Coaching: https://alexjonescoaching.com ]
1.12 NASA sends baby squids to space
A SpaceX rocket carried a squad of baby Hawaiian bobtail squid up to the International Space Station earlier this month. A researcher named Jamie Foster said she wants to understand how spaceflight affects the squid. CBS 4 News explained that the squid has a symbiotic relationship with natural bacteria that helps to regulate their bioluminescence, and researchers hope what they can learn will benefit humans to stay healthy for long periods in space. The baby squid will come back to Earth in July.
The U.S. Navy showed a video of a massive explosion in the Atlantic Ocean that was detonated to test the durability of a new aircraft carrier. The explosion triggered a 3.9 magnitude earthquake. Here is a clip, and you better hold on.
This took place around 100 miles east of Florida a few days ago. There were many people on social media who expressed concern for aquatic life in the area. The Navy said they must use live explosions so they can be sure their battleships can endure harsh conditions they might encounter in battle.
That is all the top stories for today. Check out our other videos. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/21/us/politics/senate-voting-rights-bill.html
https://cbs4local.com/news/offbeat/nasa-sends-squid-from-hawaii-into-space-for-research