—From Poughkeepsie, NY.

DC: The Senate late last night blocked a House bill that would have ended the National Security Agency’s wholesale snooping into American phone records. The House had passed what they call the USA Freedom Act, which would have authorized cases by case searches of records still held by the communication companies. Going into the Memorial Day weekend the Senate pulled an all-nighter trying to resolve the differences, but failed.

> The Senate also voted to give President Obama “Fast Track” authority to negotiate trade deals, but it still has to be approved by the House.

Ignition: The NY Times reports that the Justice Department has found criminal activity in General Motors’ failure to disclose the ignition switch defects that led to as many as 104 deaths. The company could face a record fine and some employees at the time could be prosecuted.

Water, Water: As a sign of the severity of the California drought, farmers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta have volunteered to give up 25 percent of their water this year. In exchange, the state has given assurances that it will not seek further cutbacks this growing season. The state hopes to make more such deals because farming uses 80 percent of the state’s water supplies.

Small Screen: Preacher, heal thyself. TLC has pulled the popular “19 Kids and Counting” reality show about the devoutly Christian Duggar family after revelations that a family member was once accused of sexually molesting his own siblings. The show has been on the air for seven years.

Josh Duggar, now married with children, admitted earlier this week that when he was a teenager he sexually groped five underage girls, his sisters among them. Duggar resigned from his position at the anti-gay Family Research Council. It was the Christian thing to do.

World: At least 39 people were killed yesterday in a massive gunfight between the police and a drug gang in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The shootout was between a police convoy and members of the New Generation drug cartel from Jalisco state. New Generation is one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent cartels. In April they ambushed a police convoy, killing 15 officers. 

Pater Nostre: Hundreds of thousands of the faithful are expected today at the beatification of El Salvador’s Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated while celebrating mass in 1980. Romero was a defender of the downtrodden who openly condemned El Salvador’s political death squads. Beatification is the last step before sainthood.

The Sports Page: Linebacker Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted by the NFL, has signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, the team announced. He was cut by the Rams and did a stint on the Dallas practice squad.

The Obit Page: Marques Haynes, a magician with a basketball who spent a total of 10 years with the Harlem Globetrotters, has died at age 89. Haynes put the show in the showmanship of the entertainment basketball team that toured the world. He’s been described as the greatest dribbler ever.

Not So Sharp: The Rev. Al Sharpton’s daughter Dominique has sued New York City for $5 million after spraining her ankle in a city pothole. She claims permanent pain and suffering. The city has demanded that she preserve her social media posting in which she is seen after her injury climbing a ladder to decorate a Christmas tree and hiking in Indonesia …. “We hiked UP the mountain, over the clouds . . . into the SUNRISE.”

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