10 things you need to know today: June 29, 2015

1. Greece closes banks after bailout talks collapse

Greek leaders closed the country's banks for six days and imposed limits on ATM withdrawals to prevent bank failures after talks to extend an international bailout collapsed. European stocks fell as the bailout's Tuesday expiration increased the odds Greece would exit the eurozone. Greece and its European creditors said they would keep talking, but Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said European lenders were "blackmailing the Greek people." He also announced a referendum that will let Greeks vote on whether to accept the harsh financial reforms the creditors are demanding.

The New York Times The Washington Post

2. Police catch escapee David Sweat near Canadian border

Escaped murderer David Sweat was shot and captured Sunday in upstate New York less than two miles from the Canadian border. "I can only assume he was going for the border, that he was that close," New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D'Amico said. Sweat, who was shot twice in the torso, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. He was caught about 16 miles north of the spot where fellow escapee Richard Matt was killed two days earlier.

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CNN

3. Puerto Rico's governor says its debts are "not payable"

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said Sunday that the U.S. commonwealth's $72 billion in debt was "not payable." Garcia Padilla and his top staff met last week and agreed that the island's creditors would have to make significant concessions to pull the government out of a "death spiral." Puerto Rico is hoping that its lenders will defer some debt payments for up to five years, or give it longer to repay.

The New York Times

4. Texas attorney general says clerks can deny same-sex marriage licenses

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told county clerks on Sunday they do not have to comply with the Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage if they have religious objections. Paxton said clerks who refuse to issue licenses to same-sex couples could face lawsuits, but that many lawyers would defend them. Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir shrugged off Paxton's opinion and said her office would follow the Supreme Court. "We are public servants in a secular role to uphold the law of the land," she said.

Houston Chronicle

5. Kasich reportedly plans to join crowded GOP presidential field

Ohio Gov. John Kasich plans to announce on July 21 that he is joining the crowded field of candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Politico reported Sunday. Advisers said Kasich, who was reelected in November, "combines establishment appeal with a conservative record." After a kickoff rally at his alma mater, Ohio State, Kasich will visit Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Michigan. Kasich has been considered a possible vice presidential nominee due to his popularity in Ohio, a key swing state.

Politico

6. String of fires damage African-American churches in the South

At least six predominantly black churches have been damaged or destroyed by fire in four Southern states and Ohio over the last week, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. At least three of the blazes — one each in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia — were intentionally set, according to investigators. All of the fires occurred roughly a week after Dylann Roof was accused of gunning down nine people at Charleston's historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Southern Poverty Law Center The Huffington Post

7. SpaceX rocket explodes shortly after launch

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded about two minutes after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday. The spacecraft was carrying 4,000 pounds of supplies, a docking adaptor, and 30 student projects to the International Space Station under a contract with NASA. It was not immediately clear what went wrong. All of the rocket's engines fired as planned on launch. SpaceX has sent a team to investigate. The mission was supposed to be SpaceX's third attempt to land a reusable rocket on a barge after the payload was sent into orbit.

Popular Mechanics

8. Another swimmer attacked by shark along North Carolina coast

A 17-year-old boy over the weekend became the latest victim in a series of shark attacks in shallow North Carolina waters this month. The teen was bitten on his right calf, buttocks, and both hands while swimming with others off the Outer Banks around 4 p.m. on Saturday. Six people have been attacked by sharks along the North Carolina coast in the last two weeks. A day earlier a 47-year-old North Carolina man was bitten on his lower back and right leg while swimming with his children off a nearby beach.

The Washington Post

9. LeBron James opts out of contract with Cavaliers

LeBron James opted out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, becoming a free agent for the third time in six seasons. James left Cleveland as a free agent in 2010, and joined the Miami Heat. Then, after winning two championships in Florida, he returned home last summer. This time James reportedly has no plans to move. He is expected to re-sign with Cleveland, but as the salary cap rises he will get a little more than the $21.6 million he would have received next season under the old deal.

The Associated Press

10. Yes bassist Chris Squire dies

Yes bassist and co-founder Chris Squire has died at age 67, his band confirmed Sunday. Squire revealed a month ago that he had been diagnosed with leukemia. His bandmates said in a statement that Squire had been "the band's linchpin" since he co-founded it with singer Jon Anderson in London in 1968. While the band's lineup shifted over nearly a half century, Squire was the lone constant. He played on every Yes album. The band played its first shows without him this summer after he announced his diagnosis.

Entertainment Weekly