Greece Bends, Militants Attack in Sinai

It’s Greek: Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is signaling today that he’s willing to accept the latest European bailout offer with some adjustments to tax increases and retirement. Greece missed the deadline to repay $1.8 billion in debt yesterday, but the latest offer from Tsipras gives hope that the situation can be resolved and world financial markets can relax.

Permawar: Islamic militants staged simultaneous attacks on Egyptian military checkpoints today in the Sinai desert, killing 38 soldiers. Many more were wounded. The incident reveals an entrenched resistance even as the military has stepped up its defense.

The attacks included three suicide car bombs. As fighting continued, the militants were reported to have captured weapons and armored vehicles. One of the armored vehicles was destroyed by a helicopter gunship as it was driven away.

Light the Cigar: President Obama is expected to announce today that the US and Cuba have agreed to open embassies in each other’s capitals. Obama believes that the US embargo of Cuba has been an historic failure and that the way to deal with hostile countries is to engage with them.

The Supremes: The court yesterday agreed to hear a case involving mandatory dues and the California teachers’ union that has the potential to shatter the power of organized labor. The case was brought by Rebecca Friedrichs from Orange County and nine others who refused to join the union and object to paying partial union dues. Friedrichs says she is forced to pay for the union’s political agenda she doesn’t support, even though she benefits from the union’s contract negotiations.

The case is backed by the Center for Individual Rights, an organization that fights mandatory dues for public employee unions.

A Little Pinch: California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law one of the country’s strictest mandatory vaccination laws, requiring that all school children, both public and private, be vaccinated for whooping cough, measles and other diseases, regardless of the parents’ religious or personal beliefs. Exceptions are for medical reasons only. The law was motivated by a measles outbreak last winter traced to unvaccinated visitors to Disney theme parks in California.

A growing anti-vaccination movement claims the law violates their personal freedom and the choices they make raising children.

The Arts: Misty Copeland, whose open ambition was to become a famous ballerina, has hit her mark being named principal ballerina of the prestigious Ballet Theater. She’s the first black principal in the company’s 75-year history.

The 32-year-old Copeland has become an event all to herself in recent years with the skills to become a principal. But ballet has had only a few black principals. Copeland wrote in her memoir, “My fears are that it could be another two decades before another black woman is in the position that I hold with an elite ballet company.” She said she worried “That if I don’t rise to principal, people will feel I have failed them.”

The Gathering Crowd: New Jersey Gov. “Fightin’” Chris Christie declared himself a candidate for the Republican nomination for president yesterday. Check him into the arena as contestant #25 in the Republican battle royal.

The blunt-spoken Christie said, “I mean what I say and I say what I mean, and that’s what America needs right now.” Christie has been a potential candidate for years but he’s most famous for the politically-motivated closures of the George Washington Bridge. His approval rating in his own state is just 30 percent.

The Sports Page: The US women’s soccer team defeated the favored Germany 2-0 yesterday to win a spot in the World Cup final against either England or Japan. The US scored first on a penalty kick and late in the game on a crossing pass.

CelebSplit: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced they are divorcing after 10 years of marriage and three children together. The rumors had it right.

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It's Been Said

"Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote."

  • Donald Trump courting the vote of the Christian right

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