U.S. and world news for June 9

About 100 arrested as law enforcement attacks LA protesters

CNN reported this morning that one of its crews in Los Angeles witnessed officers striking protesters with batons and firing tear gas and pepper balls. Protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown have rocked Los Angeles, prompting the Los Angeles Police Department to declare all of downtown an unlawful assembly area. Demonstrations in and around the nation’s second-most populous city began on Friday and continued throughout the weekend. About 100 protesters were reported to have been arrested. Trump announced on Saturday that he was deploying 2,000 members of the National Guard without having received a request from the state’s governor to do so. This prompted thousands of protesters to gather, blocking lanes on freeways and occupying nearby streets. Most demonstrators remained peaceful, but some threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers and set fire to at least two self-driving cars.

Homan threatens California governor and LA mayor

Donald Trump’s border chief Tom Homan has threatened to arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass if they interfere with the ICE raids and arrests the Trump Administration is staging in Los Angeles. Newsom said he’d continue to do what he needs to do as governor of the state and dared Homan to make good on his arrest threat. “Come and get me, tough guy,” Newsom said. Newsom blamed Donald Trump for making the situation worse by sending in the National Guard without the standard request from a state to do so. Newsom charged that Trump deliberately escalated the situation in Los Angeles. Newsom said Trump and he did not discuss the Los Angeles situation in a 20-minute phone call over the weekend. When Trump claimed that they did discuss it Newsom called Trump “a stone cold liar.”

Colombia assassination attempt

Colombian senator Miguel Uribe, who is in the running to join next year’s presidential race in Colombia, remained in critical condition this morning after having been shot twice in the back during a campaign event in Bogota on Saturday. Uribe is a member of the center-right Centro Democrático (Democratic Center), the biggest opposition party in the South American nation. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has condemned the attack and vowed to hunt down those responsible. So far, police have arrested a teenage boy in connection with the assassination attempt.

Gaza aid ship

A ship loaded with humanitarian aid to Gaza has been boarded by the Israeli military and blocked from proceeding to Gaza. The ship also carries a dozen pro-Palestinian activists. The fighting touched off by the Hamas Oct. 7 invasion of Israel has included an 11-week Israeli blockade of all aid has pushed Gaza’s 2.1 million people deeper into a hunger crisis. According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the UK-flagged civilian vessel was surrounded, communications were jammed and disturbing sounds were played over the radio. Israeli troops then boarded the ship and detained its crew and passengers, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.

Salmonella outbreak

Dozens of people in seven states have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. In response, the August Egg Company has recalled 1.7 million dozen brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs, sold under multiple brand names, that have the “potential to be contaminated.” Consumers who purchased the eggs at Walmart, Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raleys, Food 4 Less and Ralphs should throw them out or return them to the store where they were purchased. To date, no deaths have been reported, but 21 people have been hospitalized.

Tony awards

At the 78th annual Tony Awards ceremony held at Radio City Music Hall last night “Purpose” won the Tony for best play and “Maybe Happy Ending” won for best musical. Cole Escola earned a best actor Tony for portraying Mary Todd Lincoln in the show he wrote “Oh, Mary!” Sarah Snook took home her first Tony for best actress for portraying 26 characters in “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Nicole Scherzinger, who performed a stunning rendition of “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” also won her first Tony for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical for “Sunset Blvd,” which won in the best musical revival category. The original cast of “Hamilton” reunited to honor the production’s 10th anniversary.