Monday morning news: June 19, 2023

Blinken China » In Beijing, it is day-two of high level meetings for Secretary of State Tony Blinken.

He’s trying to cool escalating U.S.-China tensions. Blinken said the first priority is to make sure the two world powers communicate clearly and openly.

TONY BLINKEN: To avoid as best possible misunderstandings and miscommunications. Because, if we want to make sure, as we do, that the competition we have with China doesn’t veer into conflict, the place you start is with communicating.

Blinken sat down on Sunday with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Today, he'll meet with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Juneteenth » All federal - and many state - government offices will be closed today in recognition of the Juneteenth holiday.

It marks the day that the last slaves of the Civil War learned of their freedom on June 19th, 1865.

Willowbrook shooting » But at least one family is mourning today after a shooting at a Juneteenth event on Sunday.

Someone opened fire on a crowd of hundreds who had gathered in Willowbrook, Illinois to celebrate the holiday a day early. One person was killed and 22 others were wounded.

Police did not immediately announce any arrests, and the motive for the shooting is unclear.

Biden kicks off re-election » President Biden kicked off his campaign over the weekend in Pennsylvania.

JOE BIDEN: I need you badly. So are you with me? [Applause] Good!

Biden heard there making his pitch to union workers in Philadelphia. Some of the nation's biggest labor unions have officially endorsed the president.

BIDEN: There are a lot of politicians in this country who can't say the word union. You know I'm not one of them. I'm proud to say the word. I'm proud to be the most pro-union president in American history.

Biden also called for tax hikes on corporations and wealthy Americans, saying it’s time for them to start paying what he called their fair share of the nation’s taxes.

Pence » Meantime, another presidential candidate, former Vice President Mike Pence took aim at the Justice Dept. over its indictment of former President Trump. He told NBC’s Meet the Press:

MIKE PENCE: It’s hard for me to believe that politics didn’t play some role in the unprecedented decision to bring an indictment against a former president.

But that does not mean he believes Donald Trump is fit to return to the White House.

PENCE: No one who puts themselves over the Constitution should ever be president of the United States. And I had hoped that President Trump would eventually see that he had been misled by the so-called legal experts that had advised him wrongly about the role that he thought I had and still thinks I had that day.

Trump has repeatedly blasted Pence for certifying the 2020 election results, insisting he had the authority to decertify the results and send them back to the states.

Ukraine » Russia and Ukraine are both suffering heavy casualties as Ukrainian forces ramp up efforts to beat back Russian invaders.

AUDIO: Konashenkov Speaking Russian

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claims Ukrainian forces have failed to gain ground against Russian defenses, especially in the Zaporizhzhia region.

But one local, Moscow-appointed official in the region said Ukrainian forces are in fact making progress.

Meanwhile the leader of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group says 32,000 former Russian prisoners returned home with their freedom after serving a half-year tour with his group.

ACLU » The ACLU is drawing heavy criticism over a tweet about a recently executed convicted murderer. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: The state of Florida executed Duane Owen last week for two murders.

While in prison, Owen declared that he identified as a woman. And the ACLU tweeted the following over the weekend. Quoting here:

“The state of Florida never provided medically necessary gender-affirming care to Duane Owen — causing her enormous suffering and violating her right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.”

In separate home invasions, Owen raped and murdered a 14-year-old girl and murdered a 38-year-old mother of two with a hammer.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Boycotts » Bud Light maker - Anheuser-Busch, Target, and Kohl’s, collectively, have now lost roughly $29 billion dollars in market value amid boycotts. Customers revolted over Pride campaigns and LGBT activism by the companies.

Kohl’s stock has started to recover, but stocks of Target and Anheuser Busch are still down sharply.

A marketing campaign featuring a transgender influencer sparked the Bud Light boycott.

Both Target and Kohl’s sold LGBT items aimed at children. Target also sold a transgender swimsuit created by a designer who also produced items with expressly satanic messages.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: the last oral argument for this term of the Supreme Court. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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