| 1. TRUMP MAKES SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION: President Donald Trump has taken over many elements of this year’s Fourth of July celebration in Washington. The president is moving the fireworks display from the Mall to an area closer to the Potomac River, and he plans to make an address at the Lincoln Memorial. Washington Post: “ The president’s starring role has the potential to turn what has long been a nonpartisan celebration of the nation’s founding into another version of a Trump campaign rally. Officials said it is unclear how much the changes may cost, but the plans have already raised alarms among city officials and some lawmakers about the potential impact of such major alterations to a time-honored and well-organized summer tradition. Fireworks on the Mall, which the National Park Service has orchestrated for more than half a century, draw hundreds of thousands of Americans annually and mark one of the highlights of the city’s tourist season. The event has been broadcast live on television since 1947 and since 1981 has been accompanied by a free concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol featuring high-profile musicians and a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra.” 2. OSCARS BOARD APPOINTS THREE NEW GOVERNORS-AT-LARGE: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has appointed and confirmed DeVon Franklin, Rodrigo García, and Janet Yang to the organization’s 54-person board of governors. Franklin, García, and Yang were appointed by outgoing Academy president John Bailey as a result of the organization’s push for diversity. The Hollywood Reporter: “The three governor-at-large seats were added to the board in January 2016, in the immediate aftermath of a second consecutive year of Oscar nominations without a nonwhite acting nominee—a situation quickly labeled #OscarsSoWhite—to make sure that the board would always include at least three not-white-males tasked with looking out for the cause of inclusion in all actions undertaken by the board.” 3. DE BLASIO PRE-CAMPAIGN EVENT AT TRUMP TOWER DERAILED BY PROTESTERS: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio held an event at Trump Tower on Monday, meant to spotlight his environmental record just days before he's slated to announce his decision to run for president. The news conference, which moved inside to the Trump Tower lobby because of rain, was meant to call out President Trump for the pollution emitted by his buildings. But the event quickly turned into a spectacle when it was interrupted by protesters. Politico: “Much of the mayor's roughly eight-minute speech was drowned out by music played at curiously high volumes in the lobby, protesters shouting, ‘You suck,’ among other profanities, and several people riding the escalators behind the mayor, toting signs that read ‘Trump 2020’ and ‘Worst Mayor Ever.’ The din was so loud, de Blasio had to leave his lectern and request reporters walk forward just so he could hear their questions. … Monday's event was meant to tout a City Council bill passed in April, which mandates buildings larger than 25,000 square feet cut their emissions or face fines.”
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