SCOTUS Makes the US President a King: A 6-3 decision split along party lines found Donald Trump is entitled to absolute immunity for all "official acts" as president. He won't be immune for unofficial acts. In the opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, "The President is not above the law. But under our system of separated powers, the President may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts. That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office." Really seems like the president is above the law in your interpretation here, John. Didn't we agree on no more kings? I thought the whole point was no more kings here?

So, what now? Trump's Jan 6 trial will most likely be delayed, and a second Trump presidency feels far more ominous, what with SCOTUS giving presidents carte blanche to do whatever atrocities they feel like and having no ramifications. Trump, meanwhile, posted on Truth Social: “BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” As The Nation's Elie Mystal said, "Biden has the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever..." 

SCOTUS continues to grab more power over legislative/executive branch: In another blow to the functioning of the federal government, to science, and to democracy, the justices decided in a 6-3, party-line ruling that people and corporations can sue agencies over rules they implemented years ago. Quoting Justice Jackson, Slate's Mark Joseph Stern writes that "today's decision effectively makes last week's reversal of Chevron retroactive, unleashing endless attacks on agency regulations that had been seemingly settled over the last four decades." 

"With fear for our democracy, I dissent." Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent in the immunity case. It is chilling. 

Shooting on Capitol Hill: One person is dead after a shooting at around 12:30 am Monday night on the 1000 block of East Pike Street on Capitol Hill. Pride-revelers reportedly heard the shots and the commotion. The investigation is still developing. 

Shooting in the International District: At around 4:30 am Sunday morning, police found a 35-year-old man with gunshot wounds at the 500 block of Eighth Avenue South. He died from his injuries. 

Mussel mayhem: The Quagga mussel, an invasive species, could really fuck up Washington's fresh water by crusting over and clogging hydroelectric dams and irrigation systems, or by disrupting fish ladders and harming native species. The Columbia River Basin had been the last US watershed to be free of the quagga mussels until they popped up in Idaho's Snake River last year. With a likely threat to the region, Washington’s Invasive Species Council estimated an invasion of mussels in Washington lakes and rivers could cost $100 million "to keep the state’s power and water infrastructure running." The Legislature green-lit nearly $2 million this year to combat the mussels. 

Summer is finally here: Not yet. Tomorrow. 

No return date for stuck astronauts: NASA will say the astronauts stuck on the International Space Station are "not stranded," but how else would you describe being in a place with no ability to leave it? You'd say "stranded," and you'd especially say stranded if the place where you were was outer space and the reason you couldn't leave was because the Boeing-designed space capsule that brought you there was leaking and had thruster issues. Anyway, the "not stranded" astronauts were supposed to stay on the ISS for one week. It's been multiple weeks. They have yet to set a return date. So, in my book, they're stranded. 

Speaking of Boeing: The aerospace company plans to buy up its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, for $4.7 billion. Problems disrupting production at Spirit are linked to the issues and malfunctions cropping up with Boeing planes this year, like that one plane where the door just kinda flew off. Will buying Spirit fix these things? Boeing thinks so. 

Hey, batter-batter: In some baseball mishap I won't spare the brain cells trying to understand or communicate to you, the Mariners needed one of their pitchers to bat on Sunday. So, Luis Castillo took the mound. He was not good. Turns out we want a batter, not a broken ladder, and we want a pitcher and not a belly-itcher. Is that too much to ask?

RIP Living Computer Museum: Microsoft co-founder Paul G Allen’s museum of vintage computers will close permanently. The museum never reopened after closing in 2020 during the pandemic. Sad to see Allen's pet projects crumple up and die without him here to steward them. 

Good for her: Simone Biles, 27, is bound for the Olympics this year after winning the Olympic trials over the weekend. According to the Associated Press, Biles "is the oldest American woman to make an Olympic gymnastics team since the 1950s." Not only is she the oldest, but Biles continues to be the best despite bowing out of the competition for mental health reasons at the Olympics three years ago. After a less-than-stellar showing in Japan, Biles and the rest of the US women's gymnastics squad will be competing in Paris like they have something to prove. 

Speaking of France: After the first round in a snap legislative election, France's far-right party under Marine Le Pen surged, recording a record number of votes. Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party faces near collapse. If the far-right contingent, known as the National Rally party, takes a majority in the runoff election, Macron will be forced to elect a prime minster from the party. The leftist Popular Front party took second place in the elections, so now the centrists must decide if they want to back the left and win or support the fascists. Wonder which tack they'll take.  

ICYMI: Last week, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that would bar the State Department from citing the Gaza Health Ministry’s official death toll statistics in the Israel-Hamas war. 

More things to fear: The scientists tracking bird flu in the US are concerned "gaps in surveillance" will keep them several steps behind a potential pandemic. Bird flu made the jump to mammals recently and has infected 129 dairy farms nationally. Scientists worry the flu will jump to humans, but it'll be hard to detect since data is spotty and the different government agencies that monitor animal health and human health have different approaches. Nature sure keeps us on our toes, huh!

Storm surges: Hurricane Beryl is the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record. Starting its life as a tropical depression, Beryl reached hurricane status in only 42 hours. That's fast. Beryl's strength—which it's about to use to batter the Caribbean—comes from record-breaking warm waters. The ocean water is currently as hot as it would be at peak hurricane season, and the season has only just started. 

The grind never stops: "Stephen K. Bannon plans to record his podcast and then report to prison"

A song for your Monday: This will be the song of the summer, trust me!