Thursday Briefing: Biden to target 'merchants of death' who sell illegal guns

The Reuters Daily Briefing Thursday, June 24, 2021 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. Russia warns Britain over a warship confrontation, the top U.S. general hits back at right-wing uproar over racism teachings, and why Bezos' space odyssey is a risk too far for insurers Today's biggest stories Army General Mark Milley speaks before the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, June 23, 2021 U.S. The United States' top military officer hit back against a growing conservative movement opposed to teaching certain theories about racism at educational institutions, saying military university graduates should be "open-minded and be widely read." President Joe Biden pledged to go after illegal gun dealers and boost federal funding and support for local law enforcement as homicide rates have spiked in large cities. A Senate panel will vote today on whether to advance the nomination of gun control advocate David Chipman to lead the firearms enforcement agency. A federal judge harshly criticized Republican lawmakers for downplaying the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol, questioning "what planet" they are living on. Hundreds of fire and rescue workers are scouring through tons of rubble after a 12-story oceanfront residential building partially collapsed just north of Miami Beach, leaving at least one person dead and at least 10 injured. The Pacific Northwest could experience a historic heat wave in the coming days that has the potential to shatter long-standing temperature records, strain power grids and endanger vulnerable residents, forecasters say. FILE PHOTO: The British Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender arrives at the Black Sea port of Odessa, Ukraine, June 18, 2021 WORLD Russia accused Britain of spreading lies over a warship confrontation in the Black Sea and warned London that it would respond resolutely to any further provocative actions by the British navy off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea. British-born U.S. technology entrepreneur John McAfee has died by suicide in a Barcelona prison after the Spanish high court authorized his extradition to the United States on tax evasion charges. McAfee had lived for years on the run from U.S. authorities, some of that time aboard a mega-yacht. Hong Kong residents snapped up copies of the final edition of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily after it was forced to end a 26-year run amid a national security crackdown that froze the company's funds. Emotions ran high as supporters of the paper queued for their copies just after midnight. Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino, the son of two of the Southeast Asian country's democracy icons, has died in a Manila hospital of renal failure as a result of diabetes. Known popularly as Noynoy, he rode a wave of public emotion all the way to the presidency after his mother, Corazon Aquino, died in 2009. BUSINESS Microsoft will today show off the first major revamp of its Windows operating system since 2015. The software that turned the company into a household name and dominated personal computers for years has been overtaken in popularity by devices using Apple and Google software. As the U.S. Federal Reserve's mixed messages on inflation unsettle investors, the Bank of England has said inflation will peak above 3% as Britain's locked-down economy reopens. Visa has agreed a $2.2 billion takeover of European open banking platform Tink, months after it ditched a planned acquisition of the startup's U.S. rival Plaid. Founded in 2012, Sweden-based Tink enables banks and other financial firms to share and access consumer financial data more easily. Launching one of the richest individuals on earth into orbit has proved a leap too far for insurers, who are not ready to price the risk of losing Jeff Bezos or his fellow space travelers. Quote of the day "I don't want to be evaluated, to be sat in a room with people four hours a day like they did to me before" Britney Spears wants out. What happens next in her conservatorship? Video of the day Planet-warming methane leaking from European gas plants The greenhouse gas methane is spewing out of natural gas infrastructure across the European Union because of leaks and venting. And finally… Copenhagen tops list of best cities for quality of life Denmark's capital tops media outlet Monocle's list, with Zurich, Helsinki, Stockholm and Tokyo rounding out the top five. More from Reuters COVID-19 Investigations Breakingviews Legal News Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Share your thoughts You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036