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.)
HHS Reveals Higher-Than-Expected Number Of Migrant Children In Custody & Plans For Reunions
Nearly 3,000 children that have been separated from their parents after crossing the U.S. border are currently being held by the government, according to a new statement from Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. He had previously reported a lower number— 2,047 children — but he said the number is larger because of a court order that requires HHS to reunite all separated migrant children, not just those taken from their parents after the Trump administration's zero-tolerance immigration policy went into effect.
Azar also revealed his agency's plan to reunite children with their families: DNA tests. HHS will take a cheek swab of every child and then match them with a parent. The agency has until July 10 to reunite parents separated from children younger than 5, per an order from a federal judge in the Southern District of California. Children ages 5-17 have until July 26. Azar, however, has condemned these deadlines. He called them "extreme."
"We will comply even if those deadlines prevent us from conducting a standard or even a truncated vetting process," he said on Thursday.
President Trump Narrows SCOTUS Picks While Dems Fight For GOP Votes
According to NBC News, Trump has narrowed his list of contenders to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy after he retires. The president is reportedly considering three "serious" candidates: appeals court judges Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge and Amy Coney Barrett — all conservatives for the most part.
Vice President Pence met with Kavanaugh earlier this week, and sources told The Washington Post the session "went well." However, Trump reportedly has concerns about how his supporters will feel about Kavanaugh's past work for President George W. Bush. Read more about Kavanaugh, Kethledge, and Barrett here.
Want to learn more about these potential nominees? Check out these quick dives: https://t.co/Qsw5CVjxjZhttps://t.co/oSLnhfY9FZhttps://t.co/EZoFiHwRFx
— Kyle Treasure (@KyleTreasure) July 5, 2018
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is still trying to appeal to the president, though. He wants Trump to repeat President Barack Obama's choice and nominate federal judge Merrick Garland, "as a way to unify the country,"a source told CNN. Other Democrats, on the other hand, are focusing less on Trump's pick and more on the senators who will be voting for him or her. GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins have stated their opposition to an anti-abortion nominee, so liberal group Demand Justice is airing ads in their home states, in addition to those of other moderate Republicans.
The president is expected to make the announcement on Monday.
Trump Holds A Campaign-Style Rally In Montana
On Thursday night, Trump traveled to Great Falls, Montana to campaign for Republican state auditor Matt Rosendale, who's running for U.S. senate against Democratic Senator Jon Tester. Though Trump addressed the race — calling a vote for Tester "a vote for Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and the new leader of the Democrat party, Maxine Waters,"— he also spoke about his relationship with Russia, next week's NATO summit, and his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump didn't hold back against the press, either — using terms such as "fake news,""bad people," and "so damn dishonest,"— despite a gunman killing five journalists at a Maryland newspaper just one week ago. He also launched attacks against the Justice Department, Hillary Clinton, and George H.W. Bush, among others. "We will say, I will give you $1 million to your favorite charity, paid for by Trump, if you take the test and it shows you are an Indian and let's see what she does," Trump said about Senator Elizabeth Warren.
What to look for...
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