AG Sessions to Deliver Comey Testimony, the U.S. May Get a 51st State, and More Top News for Monday…

Photo credit: CNN/Twitter
Photo credit: CNN/Twitter
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1. Puerto Rico Votes to Become 51st State

On Sunday, more than half a million people voted to make Puerto Rico the 51st state, ABC News reported.

As of now, Puerto Ricans are legally considered U.S. citizens, but they are exempt from certain federal taxes, and they can’t vote in U.S. presidential elections. Last month, the territory filed for bankruptcy. Sunday’s vote is considered by some to be, above all else, a plea for greater financial assistance.

“The United States of America will have to obey the will of our people!” Gov. Ricardo Rossello told a crowd of supporters Sunday.

Before this can happen, however, the territory will need approval from the Republican-majority Congress, which some have deemed unlikely due to Puerto Rico’s tendency to favor Democrats.

2. Jeff Sessions to Appear Before Senate Committee Tuesday

CBS News reported Sunday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has agreed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, June 13.

Sessions is expected to answer questions about what role he might have played in the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. The hearing is also expected to address the investigation into Russia’s potential meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

3. U.S. Carries Out Air Strike Against al-Shabaab in Somalia

On Sunday, the United States launched its first air strike in Somalia against al-Qaeda-linked terror group al-Shabaab, the Washington Examiner reported.

The strike marks the first carried out after President Donald Trump granted authority in March to increase activity against the Islamist group in the east African country. Trump’s decision to send more troops to Somalia marked the first time a U.S. president had done so since the mid-1990s.

‎”We remain committed to working with our Somali partners and allies to systematically dismantle al-Shabaab, and help achieve stability and security throughout the region,” Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement Sunday.

4. Molotov Cocktail Injures 12 in Paris

Twelve people, including six police officers, were injured Sunday evening after an unknown assailant threw a Molotov cocktail into a Paris restaurant, the Daily Mail reported. As of Monday morning, authorities had not declared whether the incident was terror-related.

Freelance journalist Clement Lanot tweeted that the explosion was connected to a “robbery that went wrong.”

https://twitter.com/ClementLanot/status/873997160639082498

France remains under a State of Emergency following a series of terrorist attacks linked to Islamist groups ISIS and al-Qaeda.

5. Tony Awards 2017

In case you missed it, the 71st annual Tony Awards show took place Sunday evening.

“House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey hosted the event, which honors Broadway’s best actors and productions. And to prep you for your next trivia night, The New York Daily News published a complete list of winners and losers.

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