Here’s some news you may have missed:
Donald Trump’s embattled surrogate Katrina Pierson is a woman of many inherent contradictions. But could this Republican spokeswoman really be a radical black activist at heart?
Post coup, Turkey’s president has detained more than 15,000 people, including journalists who’ve criticized him in the past. More than 130 media outlets have also been shut down. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government, meanwhile, is denying widespread accusations of torture.
Transgender advocates are showing support for Gavin Grimm on Twitter with #LoveForGavin. The Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to block a decision granting the 17-year-old student access to the bathroom of his identifying gender. One supporter accused lawmakers of “using their authority to recklessly and needlessly harm a minor.”
Melania Trump took to Twitter to address allegations surrounding her immigration status. A report from Politico today raised serious questions over some apparent inconsistencies in her husband’s stories. Here’s what we know so far.
In more Trump news, an online petition calling for the Republican nominee to receive a mental health evaluation has met its goal—but should it have? Many people online are now questioning whether this perpetuates “stigma for people with mental health diagnoses.”
You’re probably not as familiar with Gary Johnson as you should be: Here are six things you need to know about the Libertarian candidate for president.
An online petition telling the U.S. Army not to put Chelsea Manning into solitary confinement has taken off. Nearly 15,000 signatures had been collected as of Thursday afternoon. Manning, who lawyers say isn’t receiving adequate care for gender dysphoria, tried to end her own life last month in her cell at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Barack Obama turned 55 today. Here’s how celebrities and friends celebrated the president’s birthday online.
A GOP strategist and supporter of Johnson called Trump a “loudmouthed dick” live on CNN.
New York just legalized daily fantasy sports sites, calling them a “game of skill” rather than just tossing your money into a vacuous abyss.
Also, Clint Eastwood thinks we’re all a bunch of pussies.
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With the release of the new version of iOS this fall, Apple may force companies to better protect your privacy. The question is whether other firms will adopt Apple’s new technology as the industry standard. Privacy advocates are hopeful.—via Technology Review
The U.S. suffers hundreds of mass shootings each year. The problem is so bad that architects are now designing buildings as a way to combat the threat.—via Motherboard
The FCC wants you to be able to pick your own cable box, ending the cable industry’s stranglehold on consumers and the set-top box industry. But that effort just hit a roadblock thanks to the U.S. Copyright Office, which has sided with Big Cable.—via Ars Technica
Trump is really starting to bum everyone (read: down-ballot candidates) out.—via FiveThirtyEight
Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is having a grand ol’ time, with a slew of polls showing a huge bounce in support amid the ongoing GOP civil war over Trump.—via Vox
But Clinton can’t stop misleading people about FBI Director James Comey calling her statements about her private email setup “truthful.”—via CNN
Reminder: Using USB sticks you find on the ground is a really stupid idea.—via Tripwire