10 things you need to know today: June 4, 2014

- 1. Sen. Thad Cochran's GOP primary battle appears headed for a runoff
- 2. Obama defends prisoner swap with the Taliban
- 3. Storms pelt the Midwest with baseball-size hail
- 4. U.S. calls on China to release activists on Tiananmen anniversary
- 5. Obama counters Russia with $1 billion to beef up U.S. military in Eastern Europe
- 6. Sisi officially wins Egypt's presidency in a landslide
- 7. Panera says it will remove additives from its food
- 8. Rebels take two military bases in eastern Ukraine
- 9. CDC warns that restaurants are a main source of norovirus
- 10. Marino backs out of NFL concussion lawsuit

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
1. Sen. Thad Cochran's GOP primary battle appears headed for a runoff
Sen. Thad Cochran trailed Tea-Party-backed challenger Chris McDaniel by less than 1 percent in a bitter and expensive Republican primary vote in Mississippi on Tuesday. The too-close-to-call race could be headed for a runoff in three weeks in one of the more intense examples of the struggle for control of the GOP. The Tea Party won one in Iowa, where conservative state Sen. Joni Ernst won a five-way Republican Senate primary.
2. Obama defends prisoner swap with the Taliban
President Obama forcefully defended his decision to exchange five Taliban prisoners — without notifying Congress — to free Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was the lone U.S. POW left from the Afghan war (watch a video of his release here). Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — a former POW — called the deal "a mistake." Obama said it was the right thing to do as the U.S. prepares to withdraw at year's end. "We don't leave our men or women in uniform behind," he said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The New York Times Los Angeles Times
3. Storms pelt the Midwest with baseball-size hail
Severe thunderstorms swept through parts of the Midwest on Tuesday, hammering Omaha and other parts of Nebraska with baseball-size hail. Nebraska residents uploaded photos to social media showing severely damaged cars, including an Omaha police car that was dented and had a shattered windshield. The storms, with winds up to 100 mph, are expected to continue into early Wednesday. "If you're in Nebraska, Iowa, or Missouri, this is going to be a very long night," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said,
4. U.S. calls on China to release activists on Tiananmen anniversary
The Obama administration called on China to release dissidents rounded up ahead of Wednesday's 25th anniversary of the violent crackdown on democracy activists in Tiananmen Square, which is believed to have left hundreds dead. Chinese security forces fanned out in Beijing to prevent any attempt to commemorate the event. "Every candlelight vigil makes the perpetrators shudder in fear," blind dissident Chen Guangcheng said in Washington.
5. Obama counters Russia with $1 billion to beef up U.S. military in Eastern Europe
President Obama on Tuesday proposed spending up to $1 billion to bolster the U.S. military presence in Poland and neighboring countries to reassure America's European allies as Russia bolsters separatists in Ukraine. Obama, starting a four-day tour of Europe, said Moscow would face additional economic sanctions if it doesn't back off. Obama called America's commitment to Europe's security "a cornerstone of our own security."
6. Sisi officially wins Egypt's presidency in a landslide
Egypt's former army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, was confirmed Tuesday as the winner of the country's presidential election last week, having won 97 percent of the vote. Foreign monitors, however, said the election didn't meet international standards, and turnout was a surprisingly low 47 percent. The latter might be a sign that Egyptians will be impatient if Sisi can't restore calm and rebuild Egypt's economy quickly.
The Independent The New York Times
7. Panera says it will remove additives from its food
In the latest healthy shift in the fast-food wars, Panera Bread announced Tuesday that it was getting rid of all artificial additives in its food. "I want to serve food that I want to eat," founder and CEO Ron Shaich said. Panera was among the first five chains to stop serving chicken raised with antibiotics a decade ago. The company also says it is trying to phase out drinks with high-fructose corn syrup.
8. Rebels take two military bases in eastern Ukraine
Pro-Russian separatist rebels seized two Ukrainian military bases in the eastern region of Luhansk on Wednesday. Ukraine's government said it was pressing on with its "anti-terrorist operation" aimed at stamping out the violent opposition. A government spokesman said more than 300 rebel fighters had been killed and 500 wounded in fighting over the past day near the separatist stronghold of Slaviansk.
9. CDC warns that restaurants are a main source of norovirus
The real threat of the nasty norovirus is not on cruise ships, despite a flurry of reports of outbreaks on board, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In reality, far more of the 20 million annual infections from the highly contagious gut bug are contacted in restaurants. Twenty-five percent of infections are food-borne, and in 92 percent of those cases it was spread by the unwashed hands of a sick food service worker.
10. Marino backs out of NFL concussion lawsuit
Former Miami Dolphins star quarterback Dan Marino reportedly is dropping out of a concussion lawsuit against the NFL. The news came just a day after media outlets reported that he had joined 14 other retired players in filing complaints accusing the league of ignoring links between concussions and long-term health problems. Marino said he had authorized a suit in case he needed future health coverage, but did not know one would be filed now.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 launch of the U.S. print edition. Harold has worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, Fox News, and ABC News. For several years, he wrote a daily round-up of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and two sons.
-
10 things you need to know today: September 26, 2023
Daily Briefing Congress returns to work with shutdown looming, Ukraine says it killed Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
Why the Roman Empire is suddenly everywhere online
The Explainer It fell more than 1,500 years ago — so why is it dominating social media?
By Justin Klawans Published
-
How climate change is going to change the insurance industry
The Explainer Some regions will soon be 'uninsurable'
By Devika Rao Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 26, 2023
Daily Briefing Congress returns to work with shutdown looming, Ukraine says it killed Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 26 September 2023
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 25, 2023
Daily Briefing GOP leaders pressure far-right holdouts to help prevent a shutdown, Hollywood writers reach tentative deal to end strike, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 24, 2023
Daily Briefing Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population to leave region amid fears of persecution, Atlantic coast remains under flood warnings from Ophelia, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 22, 2023
Daily Briefing Zelenskyy visits Washington as Biden unveils more Ukraine aid, Rupert Murdoch steps down at Fox and News Corp., and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 21, 2023
Daily Briefing Biden extends temporary protections to 470,000 Venezuelans, Republicans grill Garland on Biden and Trump investigations, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 20, 2023
Daily Briefing Zelenskyy, Biden urge UN members to oppose Russian aggression, hardline Republicans block spending bill as shutdown looms, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 19, 2023
Daily Briefing Iran, US swap prisoners in a complex deal, Canada accuses India of role in Sikh leader's assassination, and more
By Harold Maass Published