In Gaza, grief and pain for slain 'angel of mercy' paramedic

Source: Al Jazeera

Khan Younis, Gaza Strip - Too worn out to shed more tears, Sabreen al-Najjar recalls the last time she saw her daughter alive.

"She stood up and smiled at me, saying she was heading out to the protest," the 43-year-old told Al Jazeera from her home in Khuza'a, southern Gaza Strip.

That protest was the 10th Friday demonstration held by Palestinians since March 30 near the fence with Israel dubbed the Great March of Return. Sabreen's daughter, 21-year-old Razan, had been in all of them, volunteering as a paramedic to help those shot by Israeli snipers.

"In a blink of an eye she was out of door. I ran to the balcony to watch her outside but she had already made her way to the end of the street," Sabreen said on Saturday, surrounded by grieving relatives, friends and female patients her daughter had once treated.

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/gaza-grief-pain-slain-angel-mercy-paramedic-180602143958100.html

Rage Against the Machine (first time reaction)

State Dept recognizes LGBTI Month while White House doesn't

Source: The Hill

President Trump declined to officially recognize June as LGBTQ Pride Month, marking the second year in a row that he has done so.

Trump issued a series of proclamations for June, including Great Outdoors Month, National Ocean Month, National Homeownership Month and African-American Music Appreciation Month.

But, unlike under former President Obama, the White House did not formally acknowledge the month as Pride Month. Former President Bill Clinton was the first to recognize it, but former President George W. Bush did not.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did issue a statement recognizing “LGBTI Pride Month,” similar to former Secretary Rex Tillerson’s statement in 2017.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/390366-state-dept-recognizes-lgbti-month-while-white-house-doesnt

Trump Orders Perry to Stem Coal, Nuclear Power Plant Closures

Source: Bloomberg

President Donald Trump ordered Energy Secretary Rick Perry to take immediate action to stem power plant closures in the name of national security, arguing that a decline in coal and nuclear electricity is putting the nation’s grid at risk, Bloomberg News reports.

"Impending retirements of fuel-secure power facilities are leading to a rapid depletion of a critical part of our nation’s energy mix and impacting the resilience of our power grid," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in an emailed statement Friday. Trump has directed Perry "to prepare immediate steps to stop the loss of these resources and looks forward to his recommendations."

Developing...

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-01/trump-orders-perry-to-stem-coal-nuclear-power-plant-closures

Hmmm... Melanie won't be going to Camp David this weekend.