Target confirmed that it won’t be carrying its LGBTQ+ merchandise for Pride month this June in some stores after the discount retailer received backlash last year. Here, Pride month merchandise is displayed at a Target store in Nashville, Tenn, in May 2023.

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Target confirmed that it won’t be carrying its LGBTQ+ merchandise for Pride month this June in some stores after the discount retailer received backlash last year. Here, Pride month merchandise is displayed at a Target store in Nashville, Tenn, in May 2023.

George Walker IV/AP

Target says it will no longer sell its 2024 Pride Month collection in all of its stores following last year’s conservative backlash over its LGBTQ+-themed merchandise.

The retail giant said in a press release last week that it plans to offer its collection of products to celebrate Pride Month — including adult clothing and home decor — during the month of June both online and in “select stores,” depending on “historical sales performance.”

In a statement to NPR, a spokesperson for the retailer says it is committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community not only during Pride Month but year-round.

The retail giant says it will continue to offer benefits and resources for the community and its more than 400,000 employees, adding that the company will have a presence at local Pride events near its Minneapolis headquarters.

For years, Target has carried Pride-themed merchandise in its stores — including clothes, cups, champagne, accessories and even pet costumes.

But last year, the retailer faced heavy criticism after it announced plans to remove some of its Pride Month merchandise from store shelves following a backlash against the products — including threats to employees’ safety.

“Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior,” the retailer said in a previous statement addressing the backlash.

At the time, when asked which items were removed and whether security was being increased at its stores, Target not respond to NPR’s inquiry.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement to NPR that Target’s decision to limit its Pride Month merchandise this year is “disappointing,” saying the move “alienates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies at the risk of not only their bottom line but also their values.”

“Pride merchandise means something. LGBTQ+ people are in every zip code in this country, and we aren’t going anywhere. With LGBTQ+ people making up 30% of Gen Z, companies need to understand that community members and allies want businesses that express full-hearted support for the community. That includes visible displays of allyship.”

News of Target’s scaled-back efforts for Pride Month comes as the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning on Friday that foreign terrorist organizations may potentially target LGBTQ+ events and venues during Pride Month in June.

The joint statement does not discuss any specific threats or intelligence suggesting that a specific event, celebration or individuals are subject to being targeted.

NPR’s Joe Hernandez contributed to this report.

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The Biden administration has told Congress it plans to send a $1bn package of military aid to Israel despite US opposition to the Israeli military’s plans for a full assault on Rafah, the city in southern Gaza.

The move by the White House comes after the US paused one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns about their use in densely populated areas of Gaza, which risks further increasing the Palestinian civilian death toll.

While that step marked the first time Biden had withheld weapons in an effort to restrain Israel’s military conduct since the war with Hamas began in October, the $1bn package in the works shows that Washington is not seeking to restrict its arms supply to Israel more broadly.

The signal from the Biden administration that it wanted to proceed with the $1bn weapons package was conveyed this week, according to a congressional aide. It is expected to include mostly tank ammunition and tactical vehicles.

“We are continuing to send military assistance, and we will ensure that Israel receives the full amount provided in the supplemental,” Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters on Monday, referring to $95bn foreign security aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific enacted last month.

“Arms transfers are proceeding as scheduled,” another US official said on Tuesday.

The state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the Biden administration’s plans for a new $1bn weapons transfer to Israel.

Biden decided to freeze the transfer of some of its most lethal bombs as it sought to deter the Israel Defense Forces from a full assault on Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where more than 1mn Palestinians are estimated to be sheltering. The US is also seeking to finalise a temporary ceasefire deal and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

The state department last week warned that US-made weapons might have been used in the conflict in a way that violated humanitarian rights.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted with defiance to Biden’s arms suspension, saying Israel would “stand alone” in the absence of support form the US, its closest ally.

While some Democrats were relieved to see Biden make more aggressive use of US leverage over Israel, the president also faced a backlash from lawmakers within his party who were upset about the move, including Jacky Rosen, the Nevada senator, and John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania senator.

Rosen said the US needed to provide Israel with “unconditional security assistance”.

West Virginia voters chose their nominees in primaries with the key posts of governor and a U.S. Senate seat coming open.

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West Virginia voters chose their nominees in primaries with the key posts of governor and a U.S. Senate seat coming open.

Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

After a campaign focused on national culture war issues, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won the state’s Republican nomination for governor, according to a race call by The Associated Press.

In a state that voted heavily for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, Morrisey will start as the frontrunner for the November election. He’ll face the one contender in the Democratic primary, Steve Williams, who’s in his third term as the mayor of Huntington. Unopposed in the Democratic primary, Williams has been able to wait and focus his efforts on the upcoming general election.

They’re seeking to replace Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who has reached his two-term limit on that office.

Meanwhile Justice, according to the AP, won an expected victory in the GOP primary for the nomination to replace Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, who is retiring. Justice, owner of a vast array of businesses and son of a coal magnate, is the dominant figure in the state’s politics and was endorsed by Trump. As governor, he has helped pass income tax cuts and a near-total ban on abortion.

He’ll start as a likely favorite against Democrat Glenn Elliott, the mayor of Wheeling, who the AP called as the winner of that party’s primary. With the Democratic Sen. Manchin leaving, the race could be key in determining whether Republicans can take control of the Senate.

In the Republican primary for a U.S. House seat, incumbent Carol Miller has defeated Derrick Evans, according to the AP. Evans served three months in prison on a civil disorder charge for participation in the storming of the U.S. Capitol building Jan. 6, 2021. He was a delegate to the West Virginia House at the time.

The new GOP gubernatorial nominee, Morrisey, was elected attorney general in 2012 and used the office to spearhead lawsuits against federal policies from the Obama and Biden administrations. He recently led other state attorneys general in suing to block rules by the Environmental Protection Agency requiring cuts in emissions from coal and gas-fueled power plants.

Much of the primary campaign saw the candidates for the GOP nomination competing for who was the more conservative and the biggest Trump supporter. They touted their support for the state’s coal industry, backing fossil fuels as still key to the U.S. energy supply as the country transitions to renewable sources. But much of the media campaigning was focused on their opposition to transgender rights.

“Because our candidates don’t have a lot, frankly, of policy alternatives they want to talk about, it’s easier to play the culture wars game and to gin up fear,” said Marybeth Beller, associate professor of political science at West Virginia’s Marshall University.

Though he grew up in New Jersey and moved to West Virginia in 2006, Morrisey beat contenders with deeper ties to the state’s political establishment. Moore Capito, a former delegate to the West Virginia Legislature, was on track to come in second. He is the son of U.S. Senator Shelley Capito and grandson of late Gov. Arch Moore. He was backed by Gov. Justice.

Another contender was auto dealership owner Chris Miller, who’s mother is U.S. Rep. Carol Miller. The other candidate was current Secretary of State Mac Warner.

Randy Yohe covers state government for West Virginia Public Broadcasting.