1. Families of Charleston shooting victims confront Dylann Roof in court
Just a day after the tragic shooting in a Charleston church that left nine dead, the victims' families addressed suspected shooter Dylann Roof in court in an emotional confrontation. "We welcomed you Wednesday night in our bible study with open arms," said the mother of victim Tywanza Sanders, 26. "Every fiber in my body hurts. And I'll never be the same." Roof, charged with nine counts of murder, remained expressionless. Thousands of mourners gathered for a vigil Friday night.
ABC News Los Angeles Times
2. Global terror attacks increased in 2014, State Department says
Terrorist attacks increased by 35 percent globally in 2014, according to a State Department report released Friday. As a result, deaths in those situations rose more than 80 percent. Nearly 33,000 people were killed in almost 13,500 attacks last year. There were 20 attacks the U.S. called "exceptionally lethal," killing more than 100 people each. The report highlighted Iran's "undiminished" support for terrorism, including the nation's assistance to the Hezbollah militia and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The U.S. and other world powers plan to finalize a nuclear deal with Iran by June 30.
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U.S. Department of State The Wall Street Journal
3. Charleston shooting renews debate over Confederate flag
Dylann Roof allegedly killing nine people in a historically black Charleston church Wednesday night has been called a hate crime. While the state and American flags were flown at half-mast on statehouse ground, the Confederate flag remained at full height. South Carolina senator and Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham downplayed the controversy Friday, saying the flag "is part of who we are" in an interview with CNN. Graham characterized South Carolina's symbolism as a "compromise," saying there's an African-American memorial near the statehouse. "It works here," he said.
CNN
4. Obama administration unveils plans to cut 1 billion tons in carbon emissions by 2027
The Obama administration announced big cuts in carbon emissions for heavy-duty trucks on Friday. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department proposed a 24-percent cut in carbon emissions, set to take full effect by 2027. One environmental group estimates this reduction equates to about 1 billion tons of carbon emissions. The proposal, which would alleviate levels of carbon pollution contributing to global warming, is the latest installment in the Obama administration's efforts to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
New York Times Reuters
5. Repealing ObamaCare could increase U.S. debt by $137 billion
A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Joint Committee on Taxation report Friday offered dismal predictions for budget deficits if ObamaCare is repealed. In the first analysis of the issue in three years, the CBO said that if Obama's healthcare reform is repealed, the U.S. deficit will increase by as much as $137 billion in the next 10 years. The debts would stem from an increased number of uninsured Americans, and consequential rise in Medicare costs. An estimated 19 million additional Americans would become uninsured by 2016.
The Wall Street Journal
6. Hawaii raises legal smoking age to 21
Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) signed a bill Friday raising the state's legal smoking age to 21. The law applies to buying, smoking, and possessing traditional and electronic cigarettes. Hawaii is the first state to enact a law of this kind, although some local governments already enforce similar bans.
The Associated Press
7. 84 dead in India from drinking toxic liquor
At least 84 people died this week from drinking toxic homemade liquor outside Mumbai, India, in the deadliest case of its kind the city has seen in more than 10 years, officials told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday. The victims reportedly died from methanol poisoning after drinking the liquor Wednesday night. Five people were arrested and eight police officers were suspended after officials found the liquor was sold over the counter nearby.
Los Angeles Times
8. Google will remove revenge porn from search results
Revenge porn, or sexually explicit media released without the subject's consent, will no longer show up in Google search results, the tech giant announced Friday. "In the coming weeks," Google will post a form where victims can request revenge porn results removed. Of course, Google cannot remove the images from the internet itself. "Revenge porn images are intensely personal and emotionally damaging, and serve only to degrade the victims — predominantly women," the announcement read.
Google The Verge
9. Brian Williams in first post-suspension interview: 'It has been torture'
In his first interview since being suspended from NBC Nightly News in February, Brian Williams sat down with Matt Lauer to discuss his professional mistakes and his future with the network. "It has been torture," Williams said. He refused to acknowledge how many other false or exaggerated stories he told over the course of his career: "Any number north of zero is too many," he said. Williams will return to the network as MSNBC anchor of breaking news and special reports.
Today
10. Yankees' Alex Rodriguez homers for 3,000th hit
New York Yankees' designated hitter Alex Rodriguez notched his 3,000th hit Friday in Yankee Stadium with a home run against the Detroit Tigers. A-Rod, who sat out last season for using performance-enhancing drugs, is just the 29th MLB player to reach the milestone. Only he and Hank Aaron have more than 600 home runs, 2,000 RBIs, and 3,000 hits to their names.
ESPN
