Stocks Crashing, ISIS Blows Treasured Ruin

SkyFall: Carnage is expected on Wall Street today after a big selloff in China led global stocks on a continuing downward slide. Futures on the Dow Jones were off as much as 700 points this morning. China’s Shanghai index closed 8.5 percent lower, wiping out all its gains this year, and European stocks were down about 4 percent. World markets are shaken by a weakening Chinese economy and the devaluation of their currency.

Culture War: In their continuing war against everyone and anything that does not conform to their ideology, the Islamic State has blown up one of the most beautiful and significant ancient temples in the city of Palmyra. The columned Temple of Baalshamin was one of the most well preserved structures in the grandest set of ruins from the ancient world. Maamoun Abdul-Karim, the head of Syria’s Directorate of Antiquities, said, “I am seeing Palmyra being destroyed in front of my eyes. God help us in the days to come.” Last week ISIS beheaded and public hanged the body of the man who had run Palmyra’s antiquities department for the last 50 years.

Honor: French President Francois Hollande awarded the Legion of Honor medal, his country’s highest award, to three American friends and a British man for stopping a mass shooting on a Paris-bound train Friday. “Faced with the evil of terrorism, there is a good, that of humanity. You are the incarnation of that,” Hollande said. Hollande gave the award to Airman First Class Spencer Stone, 23; Alek Skarlatos, 22, a specialist in the Oregon National Guard; their friend Anthony Sadler, 23; and Chris Norman, a British consultant. The four men together took down a Moroccan man armed with two guns and a knife.

The three Americans told reporters they had changed train cars because they were looking for a better WiFi signal. Stone said that when the incident began he was in a deep sleep when Skarlatos tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Go.”

Politix: The Wall Street Journal reports that Vice President Joe Biden is leaning toward a run for president with some big “ifs” … if he can put together a strong campaign organization and if he can pull together support within the Democratic Party.

Dangerous Game: Two men who had driven to Boston from Iowa to play in the Pokemon World Championships were arrested after they were found to be illegally carrying firearms and ammunition. Kevin Norton, 18, and James Stumbo, 27, had a shotgun, an assault rifle, and several hundred rounds of ammunition. The Pokemon championships are a video and trading card event. Police said the two men had threatened on social media to kill people attending the event.

World: The death toll from a British air show crash is continuing to rise. Eleven people have been conformed dead after a vintage Hawker Hunter fighter jet crashed into a busy highway Saturday. Authorities in Sussex, England, say the number of dead could approach 20.

The Obit Page: Chicago weatherman Harry Volkman, once a fixture in local television news, has died at age 89. The formerly redheaded Volkman worked for every major television station in Chicago from 1959 to 2004. In 1952 in Oklahoma, Volkman was the first weatherman to issue a live tornado warning on television. He was a gentleman in a tough business.

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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."

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