Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
More Than 300 Immigrant Children Reunited With Their Families
The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it has reunited 364 children who were separated at the border with their families, but there are still hundreds of children waiting to be reunited.
According to ABC News, the Justice Department reaffirmed in a court ruling that it has identified 2,551 children that may be covered by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw’s order. An additional 900 children are “not eligible or not yet known to the eligible,” and are currently undergoing an evaluation to verify that they are returned to their rightful parents.
There are currently eight U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement locations to reunify families.
Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas has served dozen of these families, and the shelter’s director, Ruben Garcia, said “the actual reunification process is a logistical nightmare.”
Sabraw has held tight on his July 26 deadline for immigrant children over the age of five to be returned to their families.
On Monday, Sabraw put a temporary halt on deportations of recently reunited families, as the ACLU has argued to allow families to have at least one week after being reunited to decide if they wish to seek asylum in the U.S.
New York Initiates Tax Probe of Trump Foundation
New York tax officials have launched an investigation to determine if President Donald Trump or the Trump Foundation violated state law.
The investigation began approximately a month ago, an official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press.
If violations are found, prosecutors could pursue criminal charges and force the release of Trump’s tax returns.
The investigation, which was first reported by The New York Times, surrounds State Attorney General Barbara Underwood’s lawsuit that President Donald Trump illegally used funds from his charity to help settle legal disputes, fund his presidential campaign and pay for other business and personal expenses.
A criminal investigation would allow state prosecutors to broaden their scope of the investigation, and the attorney general’s office said Wednesday that it wasn’t ruling out seeking broader authority.
“As our lawsuit against the Trump Foundation illustrates, we intend to hold the Foundation and its directors accountable for all violations of state law,” said spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick. “We continue to evaluate the evidence to determine what additional actions may be warranted, and will seek a criminal referral from the appropriate state agency as necessary.”
“For the Trump Foundation, the law is the law. It doesn’t matter who you are, the law is the law,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday when asked about the investigation.
Michelle Obama Video With Janelle Monáe Will Make You Want to Vote
Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s new campaign will make you want to get out and vote this November.
On Thursday, Mrs. Obama announced her new campaign, “When We All Vote,” which seeks to encourage everyone to not only vote, but also become as politically active as you can, according to Hello Giggles.
To kick of “When We All Vote,” Mrs. Obama released a PSA with stars like Lin-Manuel Miranda, NBA player Chris Paul and Janelle Monaé.
In the video, the former First Lady calls Miranda to ask him to vote and to help others register to vote. Miranda then calls Paul, who then calls Monaé.
Your vote is your voice. #WhenWeAllVote, we all do better. Register and volunteer at https://t.co/TgXnKAE7g8. pic.twitter.com/sYAxRGFNjd
— When We All Vote (@WhenWeAllVote) July 19, 2018
“Four million Americans turn 18 this year. That’s huge!” Monáe says in the video. “And we need every last one of them to register and vote. ‘Cuz let’s be real: It’s gonna be the young people of this generation that will change the world.”
The video drives home the fact that we need to become more involved in our communities to bring about change. At the end of the PSA, Mrs. Obama says our country and our democracy deserve our attention.
But this is only the beginning for “When We All Vote.” The campaign will work to train individuals to help get others registered to vote and will be hosting events to reach out to voters.
If anything, this is a powerful reminder that we all need to do our part and vote!
What to look out for…
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is out in theaters starting today! And if you really want to know if Meryl Streep is in the sequel, here are all your answers.