📷 Key players Meteor shower up next 📷 Leaders at the dais 20 years till the next one
NEWS
Chris Christie

The Short List: Greece still isn't paying; N.Y. prison officials put on leave; Christie says 'I'm in' for 2016

Editors
USA TODAY
Out of the loop today? We've got what you missed.

Greece defaults on $1.8 billion IMF loan. Here's what it means for you.

Greece defaulted on repaying $1.8 billion to the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday — which comes as no surprise. Like a family with a credit card problem, Greece borrowed a ton (i.e. billions) and can't make the payments. An eleventh-hour plea for a reprieve fell flat, so the deadline came and went. Where things stand: The country is a mess. Think closed banks, massive ATM lines (with a $67 daily withdrawal limit) and a scramble for things like toilet paper and groceries. Not fun. You can read the latest here. What it means for you:1) The stock market can be scary, and yes, investors are fretting about Greece. But don't bail. 2) If you're headed to the Mediterranean paradise for some well-deserved time off, make sure you're prepared. Bring cash. If you have a cash card that's not Greek (as we imagine you do), you can take out more than $67 — but that means finding a reliable, working ATM. 3) Don't cancel your trip! The turmoil may make it a good time to go because many tourists may stay away. (Read: cheaper prices, fewer crowds.) 4) Love Greece? Want to help? Read about this Indiegogo campaign. 5) A lot of experts point to the fallout being limited and being political. USA TODAY's Paul Davidson offers this perspective: Greece is a relative flyspeck in the global economy. It represents about 2% of Europe's economy, or roughly the gross domestic product of Connecticut. So, yes. The Grexit would be scary, but the damage is likely to be contained. Coming up: more meetings Wednesday and a referendum vote Sunday.

N.Y. manhunt is over, but the fallout has just begun

The saga still reads like a plotline from Orange Is the New Black. A dozen Litchfield — sorry, Clinton Correctional Facility — officials, including the superintendent, were put on administrative leave. The June 6 escape of Richard Matt, 49, and David Sweat, 35, sparked a massive manhunt that drew up to 1,500 law enforcement officials to the rugged, rural terrain of northern New York. Matt was shot and killed Friday. Sweat was shot and captured Sunday; his condition is improving. Teresa Miller, a University at Buffalo law professor and producer of the prison documentary Four Myths About Attica, told USA TODAY it would be "very unusual" for a prison warden to keep his job after killers escape. She noted that at Clinton two prison workers face charges of aiding the men. "Attention should also be paid to the relationships between the prisoners and the staff that gave rise to the collusion," Miller said.

Chris Christie jumps into the presidential race, and we've officially lost count of the GOP field

We'll get you a $50 gift card if you can name all the Republicans running for president right now. On Tuesday, Christie became the 14th (!) major contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Two more sitting governors, Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Kasich of Ohio, are expected to join the race next month, swelling numbers that have hit records (and have another interesting feature: diversity). In some ways, Christie isn't a good fit with today's GOP — a Northeasterner in a party that's grounded in the South, and a relative moderate in one that's dominated by conservatives. But his blunt, bash-Washington message? That fits just fine. His campaign slogan is "telling it like it is." We'd expect nothing less.

Bravo! Bravo! Misty Copeland becomes American Ballet's first black female principal dancer

Misty Copeland made history this week when American Ballet Theater promoted her to female principal dancer, making her the first African-American woman to hold the position in the company's 75-year history. Copeland, whose performances draw large, diverse crowds, has spoken candidly about issues of race in the ballet world, and she's commonly credited for introducing more people to ballet. For non-theatergoers, you might remember Copeland from the amazing Under Armour commercial that settled — once and for all — any question of whether or not ballet was a sport.

Why those awesome Fourth of July fireworks are bad for you

What's not to love about a dazzling display of explosive pyrotechnic devices? Well, there's the tiny particulate matter (dust, dirt, soot, smoke and liquid droplets) that can travel deep into your respiratory tract. Oh, and the toxic brew of air pollution that's released when gorgeous hues explode into the atmosphere. A recent study from federal scientists found both long- and short-term exposures to fine particles that enter the air during fireworks shows are linked to a range of health effects — from coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, to asthma attacks, heart attack and stroke, to even premature death in people with heart or lung disease. In more depressing July Fourth news, federal and local authorities are stepping up security over the holiday following a bulletin by the Department of Homeland Security and FBI regarding ongoing attack threats by the Islamic State and other homegrown extremists. Happy Independence Day?

Fireworks explode over the U.S. Capitol on the Fourth of July.

Bonus: Germany was the heavy favorite heading into the World Cup, and little has happened to change that. But there is a way for the U.S. women to beat them in tonight's semifinals. USA TODAY Sports' Nancy Armour explains.

If you read only one thing tonight, read this: Fires at black churches raise concern

No time to read? Have a listen instead:

Stories you're clicking on today:

Poll: After Charleston, a nation divided on the Confederate flag

Jon Stewart slams critics of gay marriage ruling

Genie Bouchard got a violation for wearing a black bra at Wimbledon

Extra Bites:

Now that's a tall drink of water! Swipe through more great shots from the Day in Pictures.

A giraffe gets a cool shower in Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, Netherlands.

Don't forget to look up tonight!Jupiter and Venus will be so close together in the sky, they'll appear to be colliding.

A federal appeals court Tuesday upheld a ruling charging Apple of illegally conspiring to inflate e-book prices to consumers, despite a vigorous legal battle from the company. Apple will have to pay $450 million as a fine — most of it going to those e-book buyers.

We all need a little distraction at some point during the day (what else are smartphones for?), so add DISTRACTME on the YO app. It'll be fun, we promise.

Want the Short List newsletter in your inbox every night? Sign up here.

This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.

Contributing: Susan Page, Gregg Zoroya, Doyle Rice, Paul Davidson, Kim Hjelmgaard, Marco della Cava, USA TODAY; Nate Scott, For the Win; Darrell Delamaide, Special for USA TODAY; Kiran Moodley, The Independent; Michael Symons, Asbury (N.J.) Park Press

Featured Weekly Ad