Juneteenth Is Now A Federal Holiday

KPBS Midday Edition

President Biden on Thursday signed a bill to recognize Juneteenth — the celebration to commemorate the end of chattel slavery in the United States — as a federal holiday. Plus, in a victory for survivors of domestic and gang violence seeking asylum in the U.S., the Department of Justice on Wednesday vacated the controversial Trump-era decisions. And San Diego climate scientist Ram Ramanathan was given two distinguished international awards this week honoring his pioneering work on climate change. Then, it’s been painful to lose so many of our elderly to COVID-19. But there are also many families, especially Latinx families, grieving the deaths of those who are younger. Also, San Diego Catholic schools saw an uptick in demand because of their in-person options. Finally, Angelika Film Center at Carmel Mountain, like all cinemas, reopened Wednesday at full capacity under the new relaxed pandemic guidelines from the state. We’ll tell you what to expect if you go to the movies.