10 things you need to know today: July 17, 2019

1. House votes to condemn Trump for 'racist' tweets

The House voted Tuesday to condemn President Trump for his "racist comments" against four minority congresswomen. The resolution said Trump's tweets telling the lawmakers to "go back" to their countries of origin "have legitimized fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color." The diverse Democratic caucus, joined by a handful of Republicans, approved the measure 240 to 187, with the predominantly white and male Republican caucus opposing the resolution. Trump defended himself in a series of tweets, saying, "I don't have a Racist bone in my body!" He also attacked the four Democratic congresswomen — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) — for the third straight day, accusing them of "spewing some of the most vile, hateful, and disgusting things ever said by a politician in the House or Senate," without specifying what comments he found offensive.

The Washington Post

2. Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens dies at 99

John Paul Stevens, the third longest-serving Supreme Court justice in history, died Tuesday in Florida of complications from a stroke. He was 99. Nominated to the Supreme Court by President Gerald Ford, he served 35 years before retiring in 2010. Stevens told The New York Times in 2007 that "as part of my general politics, I'm pretty darn conservative," but he ended up leading the liberal wing as the court moved right. He was known for standing up for the rights of individuals. Born in 1920, the Chicago native served in the Navy during World War II as a code breaker, and graduated at the top of his Northwestern University School of Law class. Following his retirement, Stevens wrote three books, including Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution.

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3. Planned Parenthood ousts president over 'philosophical differences'

Planned Parenthood's board on Tuesday removed President Leana Wen, less than a year after Wen took over as the first physician to lead the women's health organization in decades. Wen said she was leaving because of "philosophical differences over the direction" of Planned Parenthood. Wen took over last year intending to focus on a range of women's health issues, not just abortion. She said that "with the landscape changing dramatically in the last several months and the right to safe, legal abortion care under attack" from Republican lawmakers, the board had decided to seek new leadership. Board chairs Aimee Cunningham and Jennie Rosenthal issued a statement thanking Wen for her service "in such a pivotal time."

The New York Times The Hill

4. ACLU challenges Trump policy blocking many migrants' asylum requests

The American Civil Liberties Union and other immigrant advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday in an attempt to block the White House's new policy that would render most migrants from Central America ineligible for asylum protection upon arriving at the southern border. The rule bars migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. if they passed through another country and failed to apply for asylum there first. "This is the Trump administration's most extreme run at an asylum ban yet," ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said in a statement. "It clearly violates domestic and international law, and cannot stand." The attorneys argue that immigration law states the government cannot disqualify asylum applicants based on how and where they arrive.

The Washington Post CNN

5. DOJ says no charges against NYPD officer over Eric Garner's death

The New York Police Department officer accused of strangling Eric Garner will not face federal charges, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo will not be charged in the chokehold death of Garner, whose repeated last words of "I can't breathe" became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. The decision reportedly comes after the DOJ's civil rights division recommended charges, but Attorney General William Barr overruled that suggestion, a senior DOJ official told ABC News. Garner's July 17, 2014 death was caught on camera after NYPD officers stopped him for allegedly selling cigarettes on a Staten Island street corner. Pantaleo faced disciplinary action from the NYPD and has been on desk duty without a gun since Garner's death.

ABC News The New York Times

6. Judge permanently blocks 2020 census citizenship question

A New York federal judge on Tuesday permanently blocked the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. President Trump, who had insisted he would keep pressing to add the question, announced last week that instead of seeking the information through a census question, he would direct federal agencies to collect data they already compile on citizenship. Trump backpedaled after the Supreme Court upheld a lower court order blocking the citizenship question. Judge Jesse Furman said Tuesday in his two-page order that he would monitor the matter and "retain jurisdiction in this case to enforce the terms of this order until the 2020 census results are processed and sent to the president by December 31, 2020."

CNN

7. Federal judge orders R. Kelly held without bond on latest sex charges

A federal judge in Chicago on Tuesday ordered embattled R&B singer R. Kelly held without bond on new indictments accusing him of abusing young girls over decades. Kelly was first charged with child pornography 17 years ago, and five months ago he was released from Cook County Jail on sexual abuse charges. In the new case, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber's decision marked the first time Kelly was forced to remain in custody for an extended period. Prosecutors argued that Kelly, 52, should be held pending his trial because he posed a serious flight risk due to the fact that he could face life in prison if convicted.

Chicago Tribune

8. IMF chief Christine Lagarde resigns after ECB nomination

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde announced Tuesday that she was resigning. The move came after Lagarde was named earlier in July as the next European Central Bank president. "With greater clarity now on the process for my nomination as ECB president and the time it will take, I have made this decision in the best interest of the fund, as it will expedite the selection process for my successor," Lagarde said. Her nomination to head the ECB still requires approval by the European Council, made up of 28 European heads of state. If confirmed, she will be the first woman to head the ECB since it was formed in 1998 to manage eurozone monetary policy.

The Hill

9. Democratic congressman files articles of impeachment against Trump

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) on Tuesday introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump. Green said that Trump's racist remarks urging four minority congresswoman to "go back" to their ancestral countries, and other comments, had subjected the office of the presidency to "contempt, ridicule, disgrace, and disrepute," divided the country, and demonstrated that "he is unfit to be president." The House's Democratic leadership has tried to put off addressing the controversial question of impeachment, but Green's move will force them to take up the issue. Under House rules, the Democratic leadership can to try to table the impeachment articles (potentially alienating the party's liberal base), refer them to the House Judiciary Committee for possible consideration, or allow a vote.

The Washington Post CNN

10. Game of Thrones leads Emmy hopefuls with record 32 nominations

HBO's Game of Thrones scored a total of 32 Emmy nominations on Tuesday, including for Outstanding Drama Series and acting nominations for stars Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Alfie Allen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey, and Gwendoline Christie. Game of Thrones received not only the most nominations of any show this year but the most nominations that any show has ever received in one year. The previous record was set when NYPD Blue in 1994 earned 27 nominations. Thanks both to Game of Thrones and Veep, as well as other nominees like Chernobyl, HBO received the most nominations of any network, with 137. Netflix, which released Emmy nominees like When They See Us and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, picked up 117 nominations.

The New York Times