#BlackLivesMatter: Justice intervenes in Louisiana
DOJ now leads Alton Sterling shooting investigation
Things were happening fast in Louisiana on Wednesday over the fatal shooting of a black man by police. The Justice Department's Civil Rights division took over the investigation, just hours after Baton Rouge's black community joined family members of the victim, Alton Sterling, 37, to call for more protests. Gov. John Bel Edwards, who announced the federal involvement, said he had "serious concerns" about the Tuesday morning shooting. Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie identified the officers involved as Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II and said they were placed on administrative leave. A new video emerged of Sterling being shot (warning: it's graphic). In a heartbreaking moment, Quinyetta McMillon appeared with Cameron Sterling, 15, her son with Alton Sterling. The teen wept uncontrollably at her side. "As a mother, I am forced to raise a son who is going to remember what happened to his father," she said.
If we could have a do-over in Iraq and Afghanistan, would we take it?
Saddam Hussein is long gone, but so many problems in Iraq are not. And President Obama looks to be trying to avoid another Iraq-like mess, in the former terrorist safe haven of Afghanistan. Obama said Wednesday he just *has* to leave more troops in Afghanistan than he previously said. Turns out keeping Afghanistan stable while trying to fulfill a promise to end the war there before leaving the White House is hard. As for Iraq, which is still gripped in violence years after U.S. troops left, a long-awaited (and oh-so-lengthy) British inquiry into joining the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 was released Wednesday. In short: Former prime minister Tony Blair got totally called out, but that was basically it.
Sexual harassment trigger warning
Imagine hearing this from a boss: "I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better" and "sometimes problems are easier to solve" that way. Yikes. That's taken directly from a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson against the network's CEO and chairman, Roger Ailes. Carlson complained as early as 2009 about a hostile work environment and said Ailes called her a "man-hater" and pulled her off key shows "Fox & Friends" and "The O'Reilly Factor" as retaliation. Carlson said she was fired in late June and that she "refused to sleep" with Ailes. This isn't the first time Ailes has been accused of sexual harassment, either.
U.S. aims to hit North Korea where it hurts: In the wallet
This is big ... ish: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was just placed on a U.S. sanctions list for the first time for human rights violations. In another first, the State Department named not-so-nice North Korean officials who manage labor camps and kill defectors. So what's a sanction? That's the "ish" part: The move is mostly symbolic, though more measures could follow. The sanctions could have a worldwide ripple effect because they make it risky for any financial institution to hold assets for those named. Our question: Will North Koreans know?
Thanks for the Memories, Snapchat
The whole point of the red-hot messaging app is that videos and photos disappear after a short time. But now Memories, a new Snapchat feature, makes those messages more permanent, letting you save them to the app to post (or not) any time you choose. There's no need to fear Mom or Dad peeking with My Eyes Only, a new password-protected feature to keep those special Snaps to yourself or to hand your phone to a friend IRL. (Related: Verizon customers, you're now getting more data — no, not for free — should Snapchat be the way you choose to blast through gigs.)
Lovebirds Blake and Gwen are coming up on an important date
July 7, 2015. It's a date permanently etched in Gwen Stefani's memory. Her marriage to Gavin Rossdale was imploding, but she was keeping it a secret from her "Voice" co-stars. A year ago Thursday, Blake Shelton revealed that his marriage to Miranda Lambert was over. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar, Stefani shares that she was on set for the announcement. "There I was with my big secret, right? And that's when Blake was like, 'Everybody, before we go out there, I want to let everyone know that by the time this airs, I will be divorced.'" What followed was a whirlwind romance, relayed in a fusillade of sentimental song lyrics, Instagram posts and gushy interviews (like this one in The Tennessean). Swoon.
But wait, there's more:
Hey, East Coasters: You probably already know this, because you're sitting directly under the AC vent as you read this, but you're living through "the hottest weather so far this year."
Have you noticed that the all-day breakfast at your McDonald's has either biscuit or muffin sandwiches but not both? Just us? Well, come fall, Mickey D's is going to offer both everywhere, plus the McGriddle. Brunch is right around the corner.
Power couple Ciara and Russell Wilson have tied the knot.
30 days out, the concerns about the Rio Olympics continue to linger.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi vigorously defended Hillary Clinton and mocked Republicans for promising another "investigation of an investigation of an investigation" into the FBI's recommendation not to pursue criminal charges over the email scandal.
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This is a compilation of stories across USA TODAY.