10 things you need to know today: July 6, 2019

(Image credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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1. Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes California
2. Trump says mass deportation roundups will begin 'fairly soon'
3. Trump contemplates issuing executive order to add citizenship question to 2020 census
4. Khamenei aide says country is ready to enrich uranium
5. U.N. Security Council calls for ceasefire in Libya
6. Protesters gather in Venezuela after U.N. report
7. 3-year investigation uncovers modern day slavery operation in U.K.
8. North Korea accuses deported Australian student of spreading anti-Pyongyang propaganda
9. CBP previously aware of inflammatory Facebook page
10. Clippers sign Kawhi Leonard, acquire Paul George in blockbuster trade

published 6 July 2019

1. Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes California

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked Southern California on Friday evening, just one day after a 6.4-magnitude temblor struck the same area. Friday's quake was reportedly felt as far north as Sacramento, as far east as Las Vegas, and as far south as Mexico. There are reports of damaged buildings and roads, fires, power outages, and several injuries. The seismic activity was the largest in Southern California in at least 20 years and was followed by multiple aftershocks, some of which surpassed magnitude 5.0. More aftershocks are expected and could reportedly occur for years. There is also a 1-in-10 chance that another 7.0 quake could hit within the next week. The fault causing the quakes appears to be growing, scientists said.

President Trump on Friday said that mass deportation roundups would begin "fairly soon." Trump warned about forthcoming mass arrests as early as June 17, when he tweeted about them. He eventually called them off five days later, delaying them for two weeks to see if Democrats and Republicans could reach a solution to the crisis at the southern border. It appears that the operation will now go forward, however. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that its focus was arresting people with criminal histories, but any immigrant found in violation of U.S. laws was subject to arrest. Migrant rights groups said the threat is harmful to communities and the U.S. economy — adults and children often skip work and school, respectively, to avoid being arrested.

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President Trump told reporters on Friday morning that he is "thinking of" issuing an executive order to ensure that a citizenship question is included in the 2020 census. The Supreme Court ruled against his administration last week and the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday it was dropping the effort to add the question, but on Friday afternoon, DOJ lawyers told a federal judge they will continue the fight, although they do not yet know what kind of rationale they will give. The judge ordered that a case on whether to add the question go forward. Critics say some immigrants might not fill out the form if there is a citizenship question, which in turn would result in less federal funding to certain communities.

On Saturday, Ali Akbar Velayati, a top aide to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a video message that the Islamic Republic is ready to enrich uranium beyond the level set by Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact. The message comes just ahead of a Sunday deadline Iran set for European countries to offer new terms. In related news, Mohammad Ali Mousavi Jazayeri, a member of the Assembly of Experts, a powerful religious body in Iran, said on Saturday that the United Kingdom "should be scared" of Iran's retaliatory measures after the seizure of an Iranian supertanker in Gibraltar by the British navy on Thursday. "We have shown that we will never remain silent over bullying," he said.

The United Nations Security Council on Friday issued a joint statement calling for Libya's combatants to commit to a ceasefire. The plea comes after a deadly air strike on a migrant detention center in the country on Tuesday which resulted in the deaths of 53 people, including six children. The council met on Wednesday but was unable to get a statement out quickly because the U.S. could not agree to it, preventing the mandatory consensus. However, Friday's statement ultimately remained largely unchanged from the language discussed on Wednesday. The statement also urged U.N. member states not to intervene in the conflict any longer. Both warring factions — the U.N.-backed government and Khalifa Haftar's forces — currently receive support from regional powers.

Rival demonstrations formed in Caracas on Friday, the anniversary of Venezuela's independence. As Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro presided over a military parade, opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for protesters to gather in the streets. The demonstrations were sparked by a new United Nations report which described political detentions and thousands of extrajudicial killings in the country. U.N. Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet presented the report in Geneva on Friday. "As our report makes clear, essential institutions and the rule of law in Venezuela have been profoundly eroded," she said. The Maduro government condemned the report as biased, and Maduro says his government is trying to maintain law and order amid violent coup attempts. But the opposition maintains that the report accurately reflects Venezuelan reality.

A three-year police investigation in the United Kingdom uncovered the country's largest-ever modern slavery ring. Reporting restrictions on the case were lifted on Friday. Eight people, five men and three women, all originally from Poland were convicted of modern slavery offenses as a result of the investigation. Seven of the eight were also convicted of money laundering. Prosecutors say more than 400 victims, who were often homeless, former prisoners, and alcoholics, were forced to work for miniscule wages, sometimes as little as 50 pence for a day's labor. The victims were also subject to "horrible" living conditions. Meanwhile, their masters earned up to 2 million pounds and lived luxurious lifestyles.

North Korea said on Saturday that Australian student Alek Sigley was spreading anti-Pyongyang propaganda and spying on the country. Sigley was detained for a week, but deported on Thursday after he reportedly pleaded for forgiveness for his activities. Upon arrival in Tokyo on Thursday, Sigley told reporters that he was in good condition, but did not disclose what happened to him. North Korea said Sigley, who was studying at a Pyongyang university and guiding tours in the capital, was providing photos and other materials to news outlets that expressed critical views of North Korea. One of the news outlets that published Sigley's writing, NK News, said he was not spying for the organization and only contributed columns presenting an "apolitical view of life in Pyongyang."

U.S. Customs and Border Protection was aware of the Facebook page once called "I'm 10-15" before reports surfaced about its inflammatory content this past week, The Washington Post reported on Friday. The page allegedly contains racist, sexist, and violent content posted by current and former Border Patrol agents. The CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility received content from the group in 2016, an anonymous official said. The office reportedly carried out an inquiry and took disciplinary action, but the official did not say how many employees were involved or what the discipline entailed. The official added that the agency does not conduct regular monitoring of private pages out of concern that it would violate employees' First Amendment rights.

The Los Angeles Clippers put a bow on the NBA's wild offseason on Friday evening. The franchise reportedly agreed to a four-year max contract with NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, while also trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and a haul of future draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for All-Star Paul George. George and Leonard, who are both from the Los Angeles area, reportedly wanted to play together. Leonard's decision to sign with the Clippers is bad news for the other Los Angeles franchise. The Lakers were also trying to sign the superstar to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Leonard also spurned the Toronto Raptors, with whom he only played one season, albeit one that resulted in a championship.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.