| By Derek Caney (@stax920)
Jo Cox, a rising star in Britain's opposition Labour Party, was killed yesterday by a man wielding a gun and a knife on a street in her own constituency of West Yorkshire. We don't know why, but witnesses said the killer exclaimed "Britain first," the name of a far-right nationalist group, during the attack. The group called the attack "absolutely disgusting." The suspect, Thomas Mair, has a history of mental illness, his brother told the Daily Telegraph. Both sides in the forthcoming referendum over whether Britain should stay in the European Union suspended their campaigns after learning of Cox's death. And while it may seem crass to discuss in the wake of the murder, its impact on the June 23 referendum is very much on the mind of Britons. Cox was a supporter of Britain remaining in the EU. Quote of the day: "She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now, one that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her." – Brendan Cox, husband of Jo Cox 
Funerals for the victims of the Orlando shooting are set to begin today, a day after President Obama met with survivors and pleaded for gun control measures. The Senate is expected to vote on four proposals on Monday, but there has been no deal between the Democrats who support the measures and the Republicans who control the Senate.
Some ran. Some hid. Some burbled incoherent responses. Some ignored them and hoped they would go away, like bullies on a school playground. This has been the Republican congressional media strategy for dealing with Donald Trump this week. He recently committed two cardinal sins against the conservative establishment: 1) He embraced the LGBT community 2) He suggested that the country may need new gun control measures All of this comes just days after floating the idea that the United States ban immigration from countries with a "proven history of terrorism" and accused radical Muslims of flooding into the country and "trying to take over our children."
Around the country - A six-year journey for Kate Lynn Blatt, a transgender woman, is set to wind up in court in a constitutional battle that will challenge the Americans with Disabilities Act as discriminatory because it specifically excludes transgender people from protection.
- Bernie Sanders promised to work with presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to defeat Trump in the Nov. 8 election. He didn't formally pull out of the race for the White House or endorse Clinton. But he said he would shift his focus to building a grassroots movement to fight for his liberal policy agenda.
Digits of the day: 1,200 acres Hundreds of people have evacuated to escape a wildfire in coastal Southern California and a larger blaze in rural New Mexico as hot weather feeds the flames. The blaze, which ignited on Wednesday in a wilderness area northwest of Santa Barbara, has consumed chaparral and tall grass in the Los Padres National Forest, blackening some 1,200 acres. 
A fire crew takes shelter behind an engine as the Sherpa Fire advances at El Capitan State Beach in Santa Barbara, California, June 16, 2016. Ron Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fires Department
Around the world - More than 50 State Department diplomats have signed an internal memo sharply critical of U.S. policy in Syria, calling for military strikes against President Bashar al-Assad's government to stop its persistent violations of a civil war ceasefire. Secretary of State John Kerry said the memo was an "important statement" that he would discuss when he returned to Washington. Meanwhile, Russia warplanes struck at rebels battling Islamic State militants, including forces backed by the United States, in southern Syria, a senior U.S. defense official said.
- The United States will maintain its presence in the Black Sea despite a Russian warning that a U.S. destroyer patrolling there undermined regional security. The USS Porter entered the Black Sea this month, drawing heavy criticism from Moscow. Turkey and Romania are expected to push for a bigger NATO presence in the Black Sea at the NATO summit in Warsaw next month.
- Iraqi forces recaptured the municipal building in Falluja after a four-week effort to retake the city which has been a bastion of Islamic State. The Sunni militants still control a significant portion of the city, where many streets and houses remain mined with explosives.
Around Wall Street - Big investors are backing both Uber and Didi, even though they are fierce rivals in the ride-hailing market. "It's very unusual to allow the same parties to invest and get information rights of sworn mortal enemies," said Max Wolff, chief economist at Manhattan Venture Partners. "But then again, it's also not common to raise $14 billion as a seven-year-old pre-IPO company," he added, referring to Uber's financing. Didi, for its part, has raised $10 billion.
- Sumner Redstone removed five Viacom directors, including Chief Executive Philippe Dauman, from the board on Thursday, a big step toward a potential management shake-up of the almost $20 billion company.
- Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell are putting small refineries on the auction block as they look to trim lower-margin assets in the face of rising crude oil prices.
Today's reason to live Stevie Wonder – Love's In Need Of Love Today |
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