While you were sleeping, we compiled the biggest stories of the day in one place. Each story has a quick and easy summary, so you're prepared for whatever the day brings. Just click on the links if you want to know more!
1. Voting rights bill fails in Senate as focus shifts again to filibuster
The For the People Act, the sweeping voting rights bill championed by Democrats, was blocked in the Senate Tuesday as it failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a Republican filibuster in the evenly divided chamber.
SB1 would create and independent commissions to draw district boundaries, set a minimum number of days states must offer early voting, allow for no-excuse absentee voting, same-day voter registration, enacting automatic registration for federal elections and lowering identification requirements.
If no agreement can be reached, the focus will shift to the filibuster rule. Many progressives want Senate Democrats to vote to get rid of the legislative filibuster. Republicans eliminated the blocking procedure for Supreme Court nominations in 2017 in order to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch, after Democrats got rid of it for judicial nominations other than the Supreme Court in 2013.
2. Police find bodies of two girls hours apart in Broward County canal
Authorities found the body of the first girl Tuesday afternoon, and then a 911 call led officers to find the body of a second girl around 8:45 p.m.
According to police, both victims were Black females around 10 to 13 years old.
Authorities say no one has reported a missing child matching the description of either girl.
3. A few new Florida bills just became laws:
Civics education will be expanded in Florida, including instruction about communist and totalitarian governments, and state universities will be prevented from quashing conservative ideology under bills Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed.
Another new law requires Florida school districts to give students training in CPR and also show them how to use automated external defibrillator if the school district has the necessary equipment.
The last new law closes a former law's loophole that allowed a person convicted of a sex crime to forgo registering as a sex offender because they didn’t pay a court-ordered fine.
4. Cruises can't ban unvaccinated passengers, but there are some rules
Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas ship completed a two-day test cruise Tuesday morning after departing Sunday evening from PortMiami with about 650 employee volunteers onboard.
If you are planning a trip on a Royal Caribbean ship out of Miami, there are some new guidelines. This includes unvaccinated guests having to undergo multiple COVID-19 tests at their own expense, separate dining areas and more.
Royal Caribbean said there will be venues and events restricted to vaccinated guests on Freedom of the Seas cruises. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests are required to wear masks indoors unless they are seated and actively eating or drinking.
5. Fireworks shortages right before the Fourth of July
A major fireworks shortage is expected, making everything from sparklers to big mortar shells hard to find.
Ironically, this Independence Day misfire is because we depend on another country for a majority of our pyrotechnics.
Aaron Blankenship says it normally takes him about 30 days to get fireworks shipped from his Chinese suppliers. This year? "It’s been anywhere from 6 weeks to even 10 weeks," he said.
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On This Day In History
On June 23, 1972, Title IX of the education amendments of 1972 is enacted into law. Title IX prohibits federally funded educational institutions from discriminating against students or employees based on sex.
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