Happy Friday! Some news items for you as we head into the weekend:
• Semafor: The Trump administration plans to permanently end funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, in South Africa. South Africa has about 8 million people living with HIV, the most in the world.
• NLGJA: NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced the recipients of its 2026 Excellence in Journalism Awards, recognizing exemplary reporting produced in 2025. Full list of winners at the link. Congrats to all!
🎉 We are thrilled to announce the winners of our 2026 Excellence in Journalism Awards!
These awards, begun in 1993, honor the storytellers capturing our community’s joy, resilience and truth. View the full list of award winners at the link in our bio ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/eoggBFUOvh
— NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (@nlgja) June 19, 2026
• Stat News: A new study found that elderly nursing home residents who received at least one dose of the shingles vaccine were 24% less likely to develop dementia over a four-year period compared to those who were not vaccinated. Get your shot, folks!
• Variety: Donald Trump’s “UFC Freedom 250” event averaged 8.2 million viewers across the U.S. and Latin America on Paramount+. UFC CEO Dana White had predicted “Super Bowl numbers.” Note – this year’s Super Bowl drew 125 million viewers.
‘UFC Freedom 250’ Averages 8.2 Million Viewers Across U.S. and Latin America https://t.co/q7B0j04Csz
— Variety (@Variety) June 18, 2026
• NY Post: The Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into Major League Baseball after the league criticized three San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their hats as an act of defiance during the team’s Pride Night.
Two of the players have come forward saying they didn’t feel discriminated against.
J.T. Brubaker: “I don’t think it’s discrimination.”
Ryan Walker: “I wouldn’t say I was necessarily pressured by anybody, MLB or whatever.”
Both players expressed surprise that the DOJ had opened a federal investigation into MLB.
For @capostsports: https://t.co/HxkxCpQ8Xn
— Evan Webeck (@EvanWebeck) June 19, 2026
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