A little talk and a big choice. It’s Thursday (unlike yesterday’s goof, we double checked this time), and here are the 5 things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
1. Campaign 2016
The Secret Service says it’s had “more than one conversation” with Team Trump about his Second Amendment comments. Donald Trump’s campaign says he wasn’t trying to incite violence, as the fury over the comments stretched into a second day. Meanwhile, Team Clinton spent the day talking too — about emails. Almost 300 pages of newly released emails seem to suggest a little-too-cozy relationship between the State Department and the Clinton Foundation when she was secretary of state.
2. Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has given the US “an ultimatum.” Give up a cleric Erdogan says is responsible for last month’s coup attempt or watch the relationship with Turkey suffer. Erdogan wants cleric Fethullah Gulen, who’s in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, extradited as soon as possible. The U.S. hasn’t responded yet.
3. Grim Sleeper
The Grim Sleeper’s going to death row. Lonnie David Franklin Jr. has been sentenced to death for killing nine women and a teen girl in south L.A. over a 22-year period. Franklin earned the nickname the “Grim Sleeper” because there was a gap between the killings attributed to him. He showed no emotion as dozens of family and friends of his victims blasted him in court, with one woman saying that he is “truly a piece of evil.”
4. Air Force
It’s kind of hard to maintain an Air Force without pilots. Now, no one’s saying the US Air Force is running out of them, but it is facing a big shortage. Officials say the Air Force will be about 700 fighter pilots short by the end of this year and 1,000 short by 2022. The reason: commercial airlines are snatching them up, so the Air Force wants to offer more money to lure and keep them.
5. Olympics
Maybe we all should temporarily retire like Michael Phelps did, because it’s working out great for him. The now unretired swimmer (he stepped away after the 2012 London Games) added to his unbelievable legacy, nabbing his 21st gold medal after winning the 4×200 individual medley. Meanwhile, New Zealand shocked everybody by losing to Fiji in rugby sevens; an 18-year-old Aussie stunned the field in the men’s 100-meters freestyle final; and the US men’s basketball team had a too close encounter with Australia. Here’s what else you missed yesterday and what’s happening today.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.
Political climber
When you want to get face time with presidential candidates, you can go to a rally. Or climb the Trump Tower like this guy did. Hey, whatever works, right?
27 words
What does the Constitution really say about the Second Amendment? Let a couple of bona fida experts break it down for you.
Mystery solved?
An Olympic diving pool in Rio is green because of either algae, alkalinity or chemicals, depending on who you ask. Oh, the water polo pool is green too.
Desperate measures
When you’re late for your flight, you do what you gotta do. Like bypass security and break down a door so you can chase down the plane on the tarmac.
AND FINALLY …
Don’t try this at home, kids
Nothing like having a teacher do something unsafe — like jumping out of a window — to teach the cool kids a lesson about safety.