| THE BIG STORY The Supreme Court ruled prosecutors in New York can get Trump’s tax returns When New York prosecutors sought years of President Donald Trump’s tax returns, Trump argued that as president he should be completely immune from a grand jury subpoena. The Justice Department didn’t embrace Trump’s immunity argument but pushed for a higher standard for state prosecutors to meet.
The Supreme Court rejected both arguments and ruled that prosecutors should be able to subpoena years of the president’s records.
The decision does not mean the public will get to see Trump’s tax returns. By law, documents subpoenaed as part of grand jury investigations are secret, though they could later become public if used as evidence in trial. Trump has refused to release his tax returns, first as a candidate and later as president.
In a separate decision, the court ruled that House Democrats cannot get Trump's financial records for now, sending the case back to the lower courts.
STAYING ON TOP OF THIS The WHO is now saying the coronavirus can be transmitted in the air
The World Health Organization acknowledged that the coronavirus could possibly spread through small airborne particles that linger in the air, which suggests the virus could spread indoors in poorly ventilated rooms and buildings.
The primary way for the virus to spread is still believed to be through “person to person” contact, but the WHO's new finding has strengthened speculation among scientists that the virus' reach via air could be playing a larger role in its spread.
Here’s why this acknowledgment is important: if airborne transmission in smaller particles were confirmed, the finding could mean a need to address ventilation systems in places like schools or nursing homes.
SNAPSHOTS The Trump administration told a judge ICE should not release parents and children who’ve been detained together. After a judge ordered the release of immigrant children detained at ICE facilities for families by July 17 because of COVID-19 concerns, the government said ICE should not have to release families detained together.
A mail carrier took people’s absentee ballot requests and switched their party to Republican. Thomas Cooper, a West Virginia mail carrier, is facing prison time after admitting he attempted election fraud by changing the party registrations of people who had requested absentee ballots for the state's June primary.
Naya Rivera is missing after her 4-year-old son was found alone on a boat. The search for the former Glee actor began after she and her son, Josey, failed to return a rented pontoon boat following an afternoon on a California lake. Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Captain, Eric Buschow, said there was “no evidence of foul play.”
Country band Lady A is suing a Black blues singer who has performed under that name for 20 years. The lawsuit comes after the band, formerly known as Lady Antebellum, announced they were changing their name to rid it of its slavery connotations.
Bill Nye is going viral on TikTok for doing an experiment on how effectively face masks work. The noted science guy did the science thing, and people were absolutely into it. Science, as it turns out, rules.
Noted science guy. TikTok NAVIGATING A NEW AUDIENCE These Black influencers saw their followings explode after the Black Lives Matter protests. Now they want to see lasting change. After Blackout Tuesday on June 2, millions of Instagram followers were inspired to diversify their feeds. Big influencers began reposting Black influencers, and momentum increased.
It kicked off a massive seachange: Black influencers are seeing unimaginable growth in their follower counts, meaning bigger opportunities for ad deals and partnerships.
However, this explosive growth has many Black influencers feeling incredibly conflicted, wondering about the expectations of these new followers. We spoke in depth with three Black influencers about adjusting to their new audiences and how white influencers and followers can ensure lasting change comes to the industry.
Ayana Lage, left. Carmeon Hamilton, right. Instagram READ TO UNWIND Nothing like a summer weekend longread This week was sex week at BuzzFeed Reader, and we’ve published some really thoughtful, moving pieces. Here’s a quick sample:
I Didn’t Think Monogamy Was For Me. Then Me And My Boyfriend Tried BDSM. Ajay Arvind was a monogamy skeptic, worrying that “queer monogamy was the kiss of death.” But BDSM changed that worry. A taste: “...three years of exquisite monogamy have passed since we spliced that sacred sliver of trust into our relationship. We have no option now but to take responsibility, to care for each other as we do ourselves.”
Quitting Sex Was The Best Thing I Did For Myself. Laura Bogart hasn’t had sex in 10 years. Her sex sabbatical transformed her life. “My sex life as a fat woman was a trickle of accumulated humiliations and loneliness,” she writes. “So I decided to try enjoying my own company instead.”
Coming Out As Nonbinary Changed My Sex Life For The Better. S.E. Fleenor was anxious about coming out to their partner. Instead, it turned out it “was the best thing I ever did — for myself, for our relationship, and for our sex life.” Here’s Fleenor: “…we began a conversation...heavy with words and awkward pauses and hurt feelings, but also moans and gasps and sighs.”
Take a moment to be in awe of your own resilience, Elamin P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide). 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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