The Breakdown: ICE Raids Targeting Undocumented Families Delayed
Plus, exploding vapes, Gen Z in the 2020 election, and Lizzo's mental health convo.
Getty Images: Mario Tama / Staff
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The One Big Thing
President Trump Delays ICE Raids Targeting Undocumented Families
President Trump threatened nationwide raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but Saturday he announced the operation will be postponed, calling on Democrats to address “loophole problems” in asylum laws.
Some doubt whether this kind of reform is possible in two weeks, and the delay provides little relief to immigrant communities already swept by fear.
The raids would target 2,000 undocumented immigrants who failed to show up in court. People may miss hearings out of misunderstanding, or because they weren’t notified on time -- or at all -- since there’s currently no legal requirement to notify them.
The alternative to releasing asylum-seekers until their court dates? Forcing families to wait out the process in overcrowded migrant detention centers.
Attend a "Families Belong Together" rally this weekend to show this administration that immigrant rights should be protected.
(Pop) Culture Shock
Lizzo Gets Real About Mental Health
Lizzo is a powerful force in music and a champion of radical self-love, but she recently gave us an important reminder that it’s okay to be vulnerable. She opened up on Instagram about feeling depressed and rejected, and of course, fans flooded her with love and support. Young celebrities from Lizzo and Billie Eilish to Maisie Williams and Justin Bieber continue to normalize conversations about mental health as they speak publicly about their struggles, and they’re certainly not alone. While members of Gen Z are more stressed than adults overall, they’re also way more likely to talk about and report challenges with mental health.
Brightening someone’s day can start with a simple sticky note. Post positive messages in your community.
The Good News Is...
College Students Could Have a Huge Say in 2020 Election
Gen Z is set to be the most highly educated and racially diverse generation yet, and they intend to show up to the 2020 election in full force. According to a Barnes and Noble College Study, 95% of Gen Z college students surveyed are planning to vote in the upcoming presidential election. And if we learned anything from the 2018 midterm elections, it’s that young people show up. Not only that, their votes were decisive in several statewide races. The three youngest generations (Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X) outvoted their elders in 2018, and they may just do it again in 2020. Tune into the first Democratic debate on Wednesday.
Take 2 minutes and register to vote at your current address.
That's What She Said
“I share this honor with ancestors and teachers who inspired in me a love of poetry, who taught that words are powerful and can make change when understanding appears impossible, and how time and timelessness can live together within a poem.” ”
-Joy Harjo, who was recently named the first Native American US Poet Laureate
Quick Hitters
Why aren’t more people talking about… how this jaw-shattering vape explosion is one of thousands?
Meanwhile, in Norway... one island’s residents are campaigning to become a time-free zone.
My hero today is… the indie game developer pioneering the LGBTQ+ gaming space.
Today in viral cuteness… Scamp the Tramp, the 2019 winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog contest.
I’m obsessed with… the National Zoo’s live naked mole-rat cam -- an important addition to the 50 tabs I already have open right now.
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