| What Happened, Why it Matters |
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| June 18, 2015 Church Shooting Kills 9 | Hong Kong Rejects Election Reform | Any Hope for Greece? | $10 Bill to Undergo Sex Change |
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| Police investigate outside the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., where a gunman opened fire on a prayer meeting and killed nine people last night. Source: Getty |
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| A suspected hate crime has left a congregation in mourning. Police are searching for a slender white male in his early 20s who they believe shot and killed nine people at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., last night. Police Chief Gregory Mullen said they were victims of a "senseless" hate crime, and vowed to stop the shooter from hurting anyone else. The victims have not yet been identified, and the city's mayor has announced that federal authorities will join the manhunt for their killer. NYT, The State |
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| They dropped the yellow umbrellas and raised ballots instead. Lawmakers decrying the notion of "fake democracy" today rejected the Beijing-backed election reform bill that inspired months-long protests last year. It was aimed at giving the city of seven million long-awaited elections — but only from a pool of Beijing-approved candidates. Thirty central-government supporters walked out during the debate, leaving the remaining legislators to vote down the motion 28-8, thus retaining the old system, where a 1,200-member committee chooses the chief executive. BBC, DW |
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| They're going to tighten the belt slowly. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen indicated yesterday that short-term interest rates will rise in the future — possibly as soon as September — but at a gradual pace, so as not to upset the global economy. Despite a slow start this year, Yellen believes the U.S. economy is regaining its momentum, but her team will await "decisive" proof before approving a hike. And they remain confident that world markets can handle a gradual approach to tighter monetary policy. FT (sub) |
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| German Chancellor Angela Merkel is "still convinced" a bailout deal can prevail. But she also said Greece must be willing to adopt reforms to appease eurozone creditors. Brussels wants more than Athens is willing to give, and only two weeks remain to secure new loans. Finance ministers are meeting in Luxembourg today, but the Greek official doesn't anticipate a breakthrough. That doesn't bode well, as the country's central bank is warning that default could lead to its eurozone departure and possibly even an exit from the European Union. BBC, The Guardian |
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BRIEFLY... Pope urges immediate action to fight global warming. (USA Today) U.N. says number of displaced people hits record 60 million worldwide. (BBC) Influential Wall Street banker James B. Lee Jr. dies at age 62. (WSJ) sub ISIS-linked group claims responsibility for deadly Yemen bombings. (Al Jazeera) Berkeley apartment builder reportedly paid millions in balcony lawsuits. (SFGate) |
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| Will they settle for half? The Women On 20s campaign wants Harriet Tubman promoted to the $20 bill, but the U.S. Treasury has just announced that it'll be replacing Alexander Hamilton's mug on the $10 note with a woman's visage in 2020 — thought it's unclear which woman will be honored. Social media erupted with outrage over Hamilton getting the boot rather than Andrew Jackson, who's fallen out of favor in recent years. And Hamilton's descendants, opposing the change, are vowing to give the feds a run for their money. IJ Review, Time |
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| Maybe the past really can set you free. Research has shown that going over positive experiences from earlier times can help thwart stress-induced depression. Scientists at MIT tagged neurons in rodents' brains that they believed stored positive memories and then stimulated them with light when the mice seemed depressed. In turn, the critters' listlessness and lack of appetite fell away — even more than in mice experiencing new uplifting events. Further research is needed, but this signals hope that the brain itself could someday help treat human mental disorders. Discover, Nature |
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| They want to get us up to speed. The FCC has slapped its largest fine ever — $100 million — against AT&T for misleading customers over "unlimited" usage data plans. The feds are accusing the firm of drastically slowing speeds after users reached a certain data threshold, a practice dating back to 2011. The FCC has received thousands of complaints, with the average customer having access throttled 12 days each month. AT&T plans to challenge the assertions, and a settlement is expected … though it may not be very quick.
Engadget, The Verge |
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| They're not gunning for him after all. While the network isn't giving Brian Williams his NBC Nightly News anchor chair back when his suspension lifts in August, it's reportedly not firing him either. Some pin Williams' salvation on friend and NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack, who's said to have helped secure a solution. An announcement is expected later today about the disgraced anchor assuming a new role, likely at MSNBC, and interim anchor Lester Holt taking over the evening newscast on a permanent basis. NYDN, EW |
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| They only needed one. In the last play before halftime, Megan Rapinoe's corner kick found veteran Abby Wambach and then the back of the net, which proved enough to vault the Americans into the knockout stage in good stead. Had they lost, the U.S. would have faced Brazil, who won Group E. But thanks to Wambach's goal, her first in this tournament but her 14th in World Cup play, the U.S. will face off against Colombia — who they've never lost to — in Edmonton on Monday. The Guardian, Yahoo |
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