I'm Chitown Kev and I'm substituting for regular OND editor maggiejean tonight.
OND is a community feature on Daily Kos, consisting of news stories from around the world, sometimes coupled with a daily theme, original research or commentary. Editors of OND impart their own presentation styles and content choices, typically publishing each day near 12:00AM Eastern Time.
Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, current leader Neon Vincent, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, wader, Doctor RJ, rfall, JML9999 and Man Oh Man. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, ek hornbeck, ScottyUrb, Interceptor7, BentLiberal, Oke and jlms qkw.
Feel free to share some articles and stories of your own in the comments.
And just in case no one told you:
HAPPY GAY PRIDE DAY!
Reuters: Texas attorney general says county clerks can refuse gay couples
County clerks in Texas who object to gay marriage can refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite last week's landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring states to allow same-sex marriage, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Sunday.
The nation's top court said on Friday that the U.S. Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to wed, handing a victory to the American gay rights movement.
Paxton said in a statement that hundreds of public officials in Texas were seeking guidance on how to implement what he called a lawless and flawed decision by an "activist" court.
The state's attorney general said that while the Supreme Court justices had "fabricated" a new constitutional right, they did not diminish, overrule, or call into question the First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion.
"County clerks and their employees retain religious freedoms that may allow accommodation of their religious objections to issuing same-sex marriage licenses," Paxton wrote, adding that the strength of any such claim would depend on the facts of each case.
"Justices of the peace and judges similarly retain religious freedoms and may claim that the government cannot force them to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies over their religious objections," Paxton wrote.
Chicago Sun-Times: Was CPD 'hunting photo' victim targeted for family ties? by Kim Janssen and Frank Main
Outside a close circle of friends and family, almost nobody had heard of the West Sider until 10 days ago. That’s when the Chicago Police Department acknowledged that Spann is the black high school student who more than a decade ago was forced to pose wearing deer antlers in a humiliating “hunting photo” with two white cops standing over him with rifles.
Now — as a reopened internal investigation attempts to identify other cops who may have been involved in the racially charged photo — Spann’s family has made fresh allegations about how and where police got the rifles shown in the photo.
They’ve also suggested a possible motive for why the disgraced and now disbanded Special Operations Section of the police department targeted a relatively small-time player like Spann: his relationship to his older brother, Labar Spann, one of the city’s most notorious gang leaders.
Associated Press: Kasich plans to announce 2016 presidential bid July 21 by Steve Peoples and Julie Carr Smyth
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who's spent the year testing his scrappy political style and pragmatic policy positions around the country, plans to formally enter the 2016 president race July 21.
The two-term governor, who leads one of the nation's premier swing states, is expected to formally join the crowded Republican primary field at an announcement set for Ohio State University, according to senior advisers.
The advisers spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss Kasich's plans.
Kasich, 63, would join a GOP field that already includes more than a dozen high-profile candidates. He isn't as well-known as some of his likely Republican competitors, but he has been involved in national politics for more than three decades. He previously served in Congress for 18 years.
No Republican has won the White House without carrying Ohio, and in 2016 the state holds extra weight as Cleveland plays host to the National Republican Convention.
It would be Kasich's second bid for the nation's top job. He briefly sought the 2000 nomination before George W. Bush emerged as a Republican favorite. That earlier bid came after Kasich led efforts to balance the federal budget in 1997.
It's unclear if Kasich's late entry into the 2016 contest would complicate his participation in the first Republican debate, which is in Cleveland. Only announced candidates will be invited. Beyond the timing, only those candidates who rank in the top 10 in national polling would be allowed on the debate stage and, as it currently stands, Kasich does not.
Ohio Governor John Kasich is set to join the 2016 Republican Clown Car
The Root:
Pro-Confederate Flag Rally Held at SC Statehouse by Lynette Holloway
Just hours after a Black Lives Matter activist scaled a pole outside of the South Carolina Statehouse to remove the Confederate flag, dozens of supporters rallied in defense of the divisive banner Saturday at the capitol in Columbia, S.C., according to USA Today.
A new flag was hoisted within an hour after Black Lives Matter activist Bree Newsome removed it at the break of dawn. The rally was not held in response to the incident, having been planned since late last week amid calls to #takeitdown, notes the news outlet.
The renewed calls to remove the flag, long a symbol of slavery and oppression in America, came after nine people were assassinated over a week ago at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., by a self-professed Confederate flag waving racist. After the shootings, South Carolina GOP Gov. Nikki Haley expressed support for removing the flag from the statehouse grounds.
But supporters such as Ryan Hughes told the news outlet that they believe a majority of people in the state want the flag to remain at the capitol. To #takeitdown, they argue, would go against the will of the people.
"They need a history lesson," Hughes told USA Today. "They need to go back and look at what this flag really stands for, and that is states rights. That's freedom from tyranny. That's freedom from subjugation from the federal government."
The Guardian: Greece crisis: markets begin to tumble as investors flee
US stock futures and the euro fell almost 2% in early Asian trade on Monday as Greece looks set to default on its debt repayment this week, forcing Athens to impose capital controls to halt bank runs.
On Monday morning Greeks will find their savings blocked and their banks closed for a week following a weekend that has shaken Europe’s single currency. The Athens Stock Exchange will not open on Monday either.
The euro fell as much as 1.9% to $1.0955, its lowest level in almost a month. Against the yen, the common currency dropped more than 3% to 133.80 yen, a five-week low.
US stock futures dived 1.8%, hitting a three-month low, while US Treasuries futures price gained almost two points.
Asian shares look set to open lower, despite the Chinese central bank’s monetary easing on Saturday, as investors are seen flocking to safer assets on the spectre of an unprecedented debt default by a eurozone country.
A cash-strapped Greece looks certain to miss its debt repayment on Tuesday as Greece’s European partners shut the door on extending a credit lifeline after Greece’s surprise move to hold a referendum on bailout terms.
Associated Press: US same-sex marriage ruling likely to impact other countries by Gregory Katz
The landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriages has no legal force outside the United States, but gay rights activists in many parts of the world believe the court ruling will help their cause.
In the Philippines, in India, in Australia and elsewhere, gay rights advocates think the U.S. ruling may help change attitudes, just as American activists — and judges, educators and legislators — had earlier been influenced by the easy acceptance of same-sex marriage in some European countries, where the laws were changed smoothly without much fuss.
In today's wired world, political movements cross national boundaries in the blink of an eye, and the trend toward legal acceptance of same-sex marriage is gaining pace, though still rejected outright in some parts of the globe. The U.S. is neither laggard nor leader in this movement, which reflects a fundamental change in public views in many parts of the world, but the ruling of its highest court is expected to have a ripple effect elsewhere.
In the Philippines, activists seeking to win legal recognition for same-sex marriages believe the U.S. ruling will be useful, particularly since the country's legal setup is largely based on the U.S. system, said Sylvia Estrada Claudio, a gender rights advocate and professor at the University of the Philippines.
"This ruling will have positive repercussions for our own movements here," she said.
The Philippines' civil code limits marriage to a union between a man and a woman — but the constitutionality of this proviso is being challenged by a lawyer, Jesus Nicardo Falcis III.
Associated Press: Fear of longer commutes puts pressure on US cities to act by Joan Lowy and Justin Pritchard
At 4:35 a.m. each weekday, Stan Paul drives out of his Southern California suburb with 10 passengers in a van, headed to his job as an undergraduate counselor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Some 80 miles and 90 minutes later, the vanpoolers finally arrive to start their workday.
On the return trip, Los Angeles' infamously snarled traffic often stretches their afternoon commute to three hours. Since Paul joined in 2001, he has spent roughly 1 1/2 years aboard the vanpool and traveled far enough to complete a round trip to the moon.
"These super commuters, they don't just give you a day's work," he said. "They give you their lives."
Transportation experts say Paul's long journey offers a warning for the future, when traffic rivaling a major holiday might someday be the norm for many more Americans.
"If we don't change, in 2045, the transportation system that powered our rise as a nation will instead slow us down," the Department of Transportation said in report earlier this year titled "Beyond Traffic."
"Transit systems will be so backed up that riders will wonder not just when they will get to work, but if they will get there at all," the report said. "At the airports, and on the highway, every day will be like Thanksgiving is today."
That prediction has opened a growing divide between cities such as L.A. that have been making huge investments in new transit options and other regions that have been unable or unwilling to get ahead of the crisis, including the fast-growing South and Southwest.
The issue extends beyond big cities. Americans living in more sparsely populated areas are affected every time they head to cities for ball games, business, shopping or air travel.
To avoid this slow-motion catastrophe, the nation would have to act decisively - and soon
.
Associated Press: Episcopal Church elects first black presiding bishop by Brady McCombs and Rachel Zoll
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Episcopal Church elected its first African-American presiding bishop, choosing Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina during the denomination's national assembly Saturday.
Curry was elected by a landslide in a vote at the Episcopal General Convention, the top legislative body of the church. Curry earned 121 of 174 votes from bishops on the first ballot. The other three candidates had 21 votes each or less. The decision was affirmed on an 800-12 vote by the House of Deputies, the voting body of clergy and lay participants at the meeting.
Curry's election is the second consecutive historic choice for the New York-based church of nearly 1.9 million members. He will succeed Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who was the first female presiding bishop and the first woman to lead an Anglican national church. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. body of the Anglican Communion, an 80-million member worldwide fellowship of churches with roots in the Church of England.
At a news conference, Curry said his selection as the first black leader of the denomination was "a sign of our church growing more deeply in the spirit of God and in the movement of God's spirit in our world." He will be installed Nov. 1 in a service at the Washington National Cathedral, the day Jefferts Schori completes her nine-year term.
AlJazeera America: Lebanon’s immigrant domestic workers remain vulnerable to abuse by D. Parvaz
Miryam Kessaya is fighting for the rights of immigrant domestic workers in Lebanon.
At a meeting of domestic workers in the Wata El Msaytbeh neighborhood on a sleepy Sunday, 20 women from Asian and African countries gathered to do what seemed impossible just a few months ago: Create an action plan for a newly formed union to protect the rights of domestic workers.
In the Middle East, where domestic work is rarely classified as labor under the law, a formal proposal in late December for Lebanon’s government to form a union for domestic workers attracted international attention.
But little has changed since then, including what the woman who work in people’s homes — cooking, cleaning and looking after children — say is their need for protection from unscrupulous recruiters and abusive employers.
The Guardian: Denmark set for Liberal-led government after rightwing coalition talks fail by David Crouch
Denmark faces its weakest government in four decades after talks to form a rightwing coalition finally collapsed on Friday night and the Liberals pledged to govern alone, even though they took less than 20% at last week’s general election.
The failure of the right to reach agreement presents the Liberals with a stark choice: to rely on the centre-left Social Democrats, the biggest party in parliament, to push through legislation or, more likely, to lean on the anti-immigrant Danish People’s party, the country’s second largest force, which has succeeded in the past 15 years in shifting Danish politics markedly to the right.
After a meeting of the four rightwing party bosses on Friday night, Liberal leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen told journalists: “It is my assessment after the evening’s discussion that it will be possible to form a Liberal government under my leadership, which will enjoy support in parliament.”
Rasmussen, a former prime minister, has only 34 seats out of 179 in Denmark’s parliament, so will depend on winning the support of at least 56 other MPs in order to pass any legislation.
“I am very aware that a pure Liberal government is not just a minority government, but a very small minority government,” said Rasmussen.
Denmark has a history of minority coalition governments – the defeated centre-left administration of prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt depended frequently on Liberal support over the past four years. However, itis be more than four decades since a cabinet had fewer seats,: Liberal leader Poul Hartling held office from 1973-75 with only 22 but his administration lasted just 14 months.
AlJazeera America: Native American superheroes take comic books by storm by Carrie Jung
KITIGAN ZIBI ANISHINABEG FIRST NATION, Quebec — Jay Odjick’s affinity for comics started early. He bought his first Spider-Man comic book for 20 cents at the age of four. And it wasn’t long before he felt the pull to write stories of his own.
“My mother says I started writing my own comic stories when I was around five,” Odjick said. “But the caveat I always add is that my mother doesn’t say I started writing good stories.”
Odjick has steadily improved his skills over the years. Now 39, he’s the creator of “Kagagi,” a graphic novel that’s professionally published and distributed across North America.
Like many graphic novels, “Kagagi” includes evil villains and superhuman powers. But what makes this comic book unique is that the characters and the storyline are deeply rooted in Algonquin culture.
Odjick, who is from the Kitigan Zibi Anishnabeg Algonquin First Nation in Quebec, is one of a growing number of indigenous writers and artists who are jumping into the billion-dollar comics industry. Many bring their own life experiences and cultural traditions to their stories. And critics say their work is starting to reshape the way indigenous people are portrayed in this popular medium.
LiveScience.com: Zombie Burials? Ancient Greeks Used Rocks to Keep Bodies in Graves by Laura Geggel
Ancient supernatural practices may explain why two Grecian graves contain skeletons that are pinned down with heavy objects and rocks, almost as though people wanted to trap the bodies underground, a new article finds.
Archaeologists have known about these two peculiar burials since the 1980s, when they uncovered the graves along with nearly 3,000 others at an ancient Greek necropolis in Sicily. But a new analysis suggests the two graves contained so-called "revenants," dead bodies thought to have the ability to reanimate, leave their graves and harm the living — essentially an ancient version of zombies.
The ancient Greeks believed that, "to prevent them from departing their graves, revenants must be sufficiently 'killed,' which [was] usually achieved by incineration or dismemberment," Carrie Sulosky Weaver wrote in the article, published June 11 in the online magazine Popular Archaeology. "Alternatively, revenants could be trapped in their graves by being tied, staked, flipped onto their stomachs, buried exceptionally deep or pinned with rocks or other heavy objects."
A burial, at Passo Marinaro, of a person laid on his or her side with bent knees.
BBC News: Wimbledon 2015: Novak Djokovic & Serena Williams in action by Piers Newberry
Novak Djokovic
With all the leading names fit, interest will centre on whether home favourite Murray can recapture the title he won in 2013, if Williams can complete the third leg of the Grand Slam and if Djokovic can recover from his French Open final defeat.
Djokovic, the champion in 2011 and 2014, faces a testing opener against Kohlschreiber, the world number 33.
"It's one of the toughest first rounds I could get but this is a Grand Slam," said the 28-year-old Serb.
"This is what it takes. You need to step out there and perform your best, win against the best players in the world if you want to keep on going."
Serena Williams
Williams, 33, begins her campaign for a sixth Wimbledon title that would take her within sight of matching Steffi Graf's calendar Grand Slam of 1988.
"I really don't feel that pressure," said the American, who has already won the Australian and French Opens in 2015.
"Maybe if I would happen to win here, then I might start feeling it."
Associated Press: Joni Mitchell rep says she had aneurysm, but recovering well
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joni Mitchell's friend and conservator says it was an aneurysm that sent the folk singer to the hospital in March.
Conservator Leslie Morris acknowledged the aneurysm in a statement posted on Mitchell's website on Sunday, providing the first significant details on Mitchell's health status in the months since an ambulance was sent to her Los Angeles house to take her to the hospital.
Morris says Mitchell is speaking — and speaking well — while recovering at home. She's unable to walk, but is expected to soon and make a full recovery.
Morris was appointed Mitchell's conservator in May when a judge decided Mitchell couldn't make health care decisions for herself and had no relatives who could serve as conservator.
Mitchell is a rock Hall-of-Famer who has won eight Grammies.