President Obama starts defending his Iran deal. Jury deliberations are set to begin in the Colorado theater shooting trial. And “Prime Day” entices shoppers with deals.
It’s Wednesday, and here are five things to know for your new day.
IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
Defending the deal: President Obama, after almost two years of complex negotiations, finally has the nuclear deal he had long sought. That may have been the easy part for the Obama administration. Now the really hard work begins. Yesterday, the President began his defense of the deal just hours after it was announced on TV and later an interview with The New York Times. Today, Obama will answer reporters’ questions about the new deal during a news conference.
COLORADO MOVIE THEATER SHOOTING TRIAL
To the jury: After 11 weeks of testimony, the fate of James Holmes will be in the jury’s hands. Jurors will start deliberating today on the 165 charges Holmes faces related to the mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater that left 12 people dead three years ago. Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and has never denied he was behind the killings. His lawyers argue given his mental state, he shouldn’t be found culpable.
MISSING MARYLAND SISTERS
Cold case: Is there a break in a 40-year-old cold case out of Maryland? There may be. Authorities will hold a news conference today to make an announcement in the disappearance of sisters Katherine and Shelia Lyon. The girls, ages 10 and 12, were last seen on March 25, 1975, when they went to a mall to see an Easter egg exhibit and grab a slice of pizza. Authorities acquired more than 2,000 leads throughout the years, none of which ever lead to physical evidence.
SHOPPING
Amazon vs. Walmart: It’s “Prime Day!” Just like Black Friday, it’s essentially a made-up holiday where a retailer hopes to entice customers with big deals. Amazon announced its plans last week, serving up “Lightning Deals,” and “Deals of the Day” throughout today. It’s also offering free two-day shipping. Walmart followed suit with a sales day of its own today, offering “atomic specials” (whatever that is) and thousands of deals.
SPACE
Phoning home: NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft called home yesterday, as it completes its historic flyby of Pluto. The probe had spent more than 12 hours out of contact while it collected data on the planet and its moons. New photos from New Horizons’ up-close-and-personal encounter with Pluto may be released this afternoon. What’s next for the piano-sized space probe? It will head deeper into the Kuiper Belt, a region of thousands of small, icy objects on the outskirts of our solar system.