FIFA’s discrimination monitor at the World Cup has called for a video review official to be removed for appearing to make a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign. When the official broadcast of Germany's opening game against Curaçao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of video review analysts, Shaun Evans from Australia made an “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg. In 2019 the gesture was designated as a hate symbol by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League. Fare Network, FIFA's long-time anti-discrimination partner, says the “OK” sign is a “white power symbol in global far-right circles.”

Today is Thursday, June 11, the 162nd day of 2026. There are 203 days left in the year.

Under Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students. Civil rights lawyers describe the Republican administration’s actions as an inversion of legal history. The federal government long enforced civil rights laws with an eye toward remedying historic, systemic discrimination against Black people and other people of color. Programs that withstood legal scrutiny are now quick to be deemed “illegal” examples of diversity, equity and inclusion by the White House. Schools that fail to comply have faced threats to their funding and in some cases have lost federal grants.

The Supreme Court has ruled for a Black death row inmate from Mississippi who claims there was racial bias in the makeup of the jury that convicted him. By a 5-4 vote Thursday, the justices sided with Terry Pitchford, who was sentenced to death for his role in the killing of a grocery store owner in northern Mississippi. There were 11 white jurors and one Black juror in a trial with similarities to that of another Black man on Mississippi’s death row, whose conviction the high court overturned seven years ago. If Pitchford's conviction is overturned, the state could seek to retry him. Pitchford's lawyer says he's “entitled to a fair trial.”

Stop AAPI Hate is an organization that rose to national prominence for its meticulous reports on anti-Asian hate incidents at the height of the pandemic. The organization has announced Thursday it is launching a nonprofit called Stop AAPI Hate Action. It's a political and advocacy arm dedicated to getting more Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders registered to vote and mobilize current voters. Over the past six years, the organization has elevated conversations about racism, discrimination and allyship. The voter initiative was sparked in part in response to actions from President Donald Trump’s administration.

Supreme Court rules for Black death row inmate from Mississippi over racial bias in makeup of jury.

Alabama asks Supreme Court to allow use of congressional map helping GOP, despite racial bias ruling.

The South Carolina Senate has rejected President Donald Trump’s push to redraw the state’s congressional districts in hopes Republicans could gain an extra seat. The proposal passed the South Carolina House on May 20 after two days of long debate. But senators rejected the effort Tuesday, as early in-person voting got underway for the state's June 9 primaries. Some senators said it was simply too late to make a change. Others worried the move could backfire and get an extra Democrat elected to the U.S. House. The proposal would have scheduled a special primary in August for the new congressional map.

President Trump has announced that the U.S. is admitting 10,000 additional white South Africans as refugees, citing persecution in their home country. This decision comes as the administration blocks refugees from other countries. Trump suspended the refugee program on his first day in office and has agreed only to allow in Afrikaners, a group of white South Africans. Advocates say this focus leaves others fleeing war with few options. The South African government calls the claims of discrimination baseless. The State Department has approved more than 6,000 refugees through the program since October, overwhelmingly from South Africa. Resettlement groups are suing to allow stranded refugees to come to the U.S.

The Supreme Court has refused to intervene in a discrimination lawsuit led by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores against the NFL, allowing the case to proceed toward trial. The justices Tuesday rebuffed an appeal from the league, which wanted the case handled through its arbitration process rather than open court in New York. Flores sued the league and three teams in 2022, alleging the league was “rife with racism” regarding its hiring practices when it comes to Black coaches. Flores was joined in the lawsuit by fellow Black coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton. The NFL says it respects the Supreme Court decision but is prepared to defend itself as the case proceeds.