22 states have passed rules that make it harder to vote since 2010, including hurdles to registration and early voting.
“When you watch us on TV getting all caught up in the news of the day, which often means the bad news of the day, it’s worth trying to remember that an awful lot went right in this country today. Yes, we have a dysfunctional Congress, but not far down the street from them, we have people working in hospitals doing remarkable things to save lives every day.
When’s the last time you saved a life? I’ve never done that either.
If you saved a life - a baby, a mother, a grandfather - don’t you think you would feel that was more newsworthy than what some angry ineffectual politician said in Washington today?
I’m not sure there’s anything we in the news business can do about that, but you can. You can listen to what we think the news of the day is. But, never lose sight of the fact that more good things happened in America and the world today than we can possibly report to you, or that we know how to report to you. Don’t ever lose that perspective.”
—Lawrence O’Donnell, in his emotional return to MSNBC last night after two months recovering from a car crash.
Watch his full heartwarming monologue: http://on.msnbc.com/1wpXF0p
All this week @msnbc will be taking you behind the scenes of #thecyclemsnbc. Make sure to follow along to see @krystalmball @huntsmanabby @toure_x and Ari Melber prepping for the show! #latergram #behindthescenes #regram @msnbc http://ift.tt/1j8Fl40
trms:
"When the Supreme Court overturned that part of LBJ’s Voting Rights Act, that same day Mississippi and Alabama and North Carolina and Texas all announced that they were moving ahead, immediately, with new restrictions on voting. Restrictions they had wanted to institute before but they had been blocked by the old voting rights law that banned any changes that would be too racist, too racially discriminatory in their impact. With that law out of the way they went ahead with those changes on the first day they could." - Rachel Maddow, U.S. civil rights legacy tested 50 years after ‘Freedom Summer’
The beautiful game: Soccer around the globe
Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and Rooney may get the headlines. But soccer isn’t just about the global megastars who will face off at the 20th World Cup, which kicks off Thursday in Brazil, the sport’s spiritual home.
It’s also about the hundreds of millions of ordinary people around the world who play, often equipped with little more than a makeshift ball and a passion for the game.
From the townships of South Africa to the playgrounds of Bristol to the favelas of Rio, perhaps nothing brings people together like soccer. So as you get set for the festival of futebol that will entrance the world for the next month, enjoy these stunning shots of the Beautiful Game in its simplest and most authentic form.
SLIDESHOW: http://on.msnbc.com/1knaHDE
In the national fight for marriage equality, there are 19 states where gay and lesbian couples can wed; 74 lawsuits in states where they can’t; 20 wins since last year’s DOMA ruling; 0 losses. All 31 remaining bans are currently being challenged in court.
This Week in Pictures: June 14-20
By Elissa Curtis
The week began with runoff elections in Afghanistan, between Abdullah Abdullah, who is expected to win, and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. But the country’s first democratic transition of power came to a standstill, as Abdullah Abdullah accused his opponent of mass election fraud.
International attention on the elections was quickly overshadowed by rapid developments in Iraq, where Sunni extremists launched a blitz southward toward Baghdad, overtaking cities along the way, as Iraqis loyal to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s regime took up arms in a marked response.
But the world over couldn’t turn away from the premiere attraction of the month: the kickoff of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. With Spain’s stunning defeat and the USA’s surprising victory, no one can deny the allure of this captivating sport, and of the excuse worldwide to gather en masse to watch underdogs rise and victors fall in the month-long competition to be the best futebol team in the world.
Full slideshow: http://on.msnbc.com/1ysxSH1
Sorry Stoners: Pope Francis does not support the legalization of marijuana.
Life in plastic just got innovative. Barbie is now an entrepreneur. (Her LinkedIn page is reportedly coming soon.)
