(NewsNation Now) — It’s a day Black Americans have long celebrated, and now the entire country will mark Juneteenth on June 19. The holiday marks the date Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news of the emancipation — 2.5 years after the proclamation went into effect.
Tennessee Rep. London Lamar and Heritage Foundation fellow Jonathan Butcher weigh in on what the approval of the holiday and ongoing debate over critical race theory tell us about the state of race in America.
Plus, the police unit responding to Portland, Oregon’s year-long protests and riots is calling it quits. The exodus follows the arrest of Officer Corey Budworth, who was charged with fourth-degree assault over hitting a protester in the head. Retired Portland police captain CW Jensen speaks out.
And, a photo from 1988 appears to show a younger President Vladimir Putin standing across from President Reagan, sparking new questions about whether the claims of his spying are true. Eastern Europe expert Andrij Dobriansky weighs in.
Finally, President Biden announced a major milestone in the effort to vaccinate America against COVID-19, with 300 million doses administered to date: a $3.2 billion program to develop antiviral pills. Dr. Richard Novak of the University of Illinois explains the latest tactic in the fight against the pandemic.
