| What Happened, Why it Matters |
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| June 26, 2015 'Islamist' Decapitation Shocks France | Greek Talks Resume Saturday | Healthcare Law Foes Regroup | Trump Sues Network Over Pageant Clash |
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| Students celebrate in front of the Supreme Court after justices affirmed a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have pledged to keep trying to repeal. Source: Getty |
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| One man is dead and several others wounded after an attack at a gas factory in the eastern city of Grenoble. French media reported that the attacker was carrying an Islamist flag and that the victim was decapitated, his head reportedly found attached to a wire fence. Police have made an arrest, but details are not yet available. France has been hit by high-profile attacks recently, including the January carnage in Paris at Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket that left 16 dead, claimed by a Yemen-based al-Qaida affiliate. Al Jazeera, The Independent, USA Today |
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| She says the breaking point is nigh. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders are warning Athens to secure a bailout deal at talks tomorrow or face an economically catastrophic "Grexit." Some experts warn that a Greek default would be worse than Argentina's 2001 collapse. Even eternally optimistic Merkel lamented that things have "gone backwards" after Thursday's fruitless negotiations. Now everyone's closer to Tuesday's $1.8 billion IMF loan repayment deadline, and if there's no deal tomorrow, it might finally be time for the Continent to crack. WSJ (sub), FT (sub) |
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| The president is feeling better already. On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of federal Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing income-based financial assistance for healthcare in all 50 states. The case stems from a suit claiming that the act's language forbids the government from providing aid to people in states without their own "marketplace" healthcare exchanges. Democrats applauded the decision, but many Republicans denounced it, promising to "pick away at the law" until they get a like-minded president in the Oval Office. NYT, LA Times, CNN |
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| They want to drive the competition out of business. Striking French taxi drivers blocked roads, burned tires and smashed livery cars yesterday, forcing many passengers — including rock star Courtney Love — to seek alternate transportation around the capital. While Uber was outlawed in France last fall, the company has encouraged its contractors to keep their feet on the gas, even paying drivers' fines. In response to Thursday's violence, France's interior minister will steer policy in the cabbies' favor by compelling Uber to hit the brakes. WP, Wired |
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BRIEFLY... Obama to eulogize church killing victims. (USA Today) European leaders agree to take in 40,000 migrants. (BBC) Kurds say they have ISIS fighters encircled in Kobani. (AP) Alaska tourist floatplane crash kills nine. (WP) Label to re-release Nirvana album on vinyl. (Diffuser) |
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| This isn't pretty. After Donald Trump made some questionable remarks about strengthening the U.S.-Mexico border in order to keep "rapists" out, Spanish-language media powerhouse Univision announced that it was no longer inclined to broadcast Trump's Miss Universe or Miss USA pageants — the latter of which is scheduled to air July 12. Trump's now blaming the Mexican government for pressuring the network to punish him. He plans to sue the company for breach of contract and defamation … though it may ruin his chances for the Mr. Congeniality tiara. NY Post, Politico |
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| This won't net them many friends. Out of 1,231 new U.S. hires in 2013, the social network hired just seven black employees — and that was in the midst of a diversity push. In 2014, only 2 percent of its workforce was black. The gender numbers also underwhelm: Of more than 10,000 employees, 32 percent were women in 2014, up one point from the previous year. To combat these disappointing gains, Facebook is adopting the NFL's successful "Rooney rule," requiring HR to consider at least one qualified candidate from underrepresented groups. Wired, TechCrunch |
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| Knowledge is power — as is knowing about all the treatment options. A new CDC report reveals that 13 percent of the 1.2 million Americans infected with the AIDS-causing virus are ignorant of their condition, and government efforts to improve those numbers have had spotty results. Undiagnosed positives cause both personal and public health to suffer, as 30 percent of new cases are infected by someone who unwittingly carries the virus. Medical experts hope the public will use tomorrow's national HIV testing day to get in the know. LA Times, The Verge |
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| Fans will be buggin'. Amy Heckerling, who wrote and directed the 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma set in a Beverly Hills high school, has confirmed that a musical version is in development. She'll do the script, and pre-existing songs will complete the jukebox musical. But it's not out of the Valley yet: Heckerling said the process is slow going, and that they still have to cast a stage-friendly Cher Horowitz — played originally by Alicia Silverstone — and the haute homies she'll be rollin' with. Variety, Us Magazine |
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| And the last shall be first. With an unrivaled 66 losses last season and the coveted prime pick of college stars, Minnesota chose Karl-Anthony Towns, star-stacked Kentucky's versatile big man. It was a night of surprises, with the L.A. Lakers opting for D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State's pure scorer and excellent passer, in the second spot — passing over arguably the most NBA-ready player in the draft, Jahlil Okafor of NCAA-champion Duke. That gave Philadelphia the freedom to tap Okafor for their ailing 76ers. LA Times |
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