10 things you need to know today: July 5, 2015

Obama to free some nonviolent drug offenders, Greece faces referendum on bailout deal, and more

Alexis Tsipras
(Image credit: Petros Karadjias/Associated Press)

1. Obama will reportedly free dozens of prisoners with nonviolent drug charges

In the next few weeks, President Barack Obama is expected to free dozens of federal prisoners with nonviolent drug charges, aides told The New York Times. Many politicians on both sides of the aisle have criticized tough sentences for minor criminals, which disproportionately affect young Latino and black men. More than 30,000 prisoners have applied for clemency. Since December, Obama has freed 30 drug offenders. Officials estimate he may free more than 40 in the next batch of commutations.

2. Greek voters face referendum on eurozone bailout deal

Greek voters are deciding the fate of the eurozone bailout deal at the polls. The referendum is over a bailout deal following the nation missing its Tuesday deadline to make a $1.8 billion loan payment to the International Monetary Fund. A no-vote, which Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras supports, could mean Greece is forced off the euro at least temporarily. The polls close at 12 p.m. EST, with results expected about two hours later.

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The New York Times The Guardian

3. Donald Trump stands by comments on Mexican immigrants

Donald Trump took to Fox & Friends to defend the comments on Mexican immigrants that landed him in hot water this week with companies like NBC, Macy's, and most recently NASCAR. "The crime is raging and it's violent. And if you talk about it, it's racist," he said Saturday, referring to the backlash against his comments that many Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug users. He admitted he didn't realize the backlash would be so severe, calling himself a "whipping post."

Fox & Friends

4. Russian cargo ship successfully delivers supplies to space station

A Russian cargo ship successfully docked at the International Space Station on Sunday, bringing supplies to the U.S.-Russian team. The delivery comes after two failed resupply missions — one by Russia in April and one by the U.S. in June, when a SpaceX rocket exploded just minutes after liftoff. The Progress M-28M ship, which took off Friday from Kazakhstan, carried 2.5 metric tons of fuel, oxygen, water, food, and other supplies.

The Associated Press

5. Tunisia declares state of emergency following beach attack

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi declared a state of emergency in Tunisia on Saturday, the state news agency reports. In June, a gunman killed 38 foreigners and injured 39 others in a beachside terrorist attack. Security officers killed the gunman after the attack had stopped. It's the second terrorist attack Tunisia has seen in three months. The state of emergency allows Essebsi to authorize military operations in Tunisia's own cities.

The New York Times

6. Washington state has earned $70 million in taxes after a year of legal pot

The legal pot market began in Washington on July 8, 2014, and one year later it's making bank. The state's 160 stores earn $1.4 million per day. Between state and local governments, pot sales have rolled in about $70 million in taxes, The Associated Press reports. Business might be good, but all those taxes — on top of federal ones — hurt growers. "I'm basically doing this for free," James Lathrop, who owns Seattle's first legal shop, told AP. "Nobody's gone out of business, but I'm not driving a new truck either."

The Associated Press

7. Children at detention center given adult dose of hepatitis A vaccine

About 250 children at a Texas detention center were administered adult dosages of the hepatitis A vaccine, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said. No adverse side effects have been reported, but the children are being monitored by healthcare professionals at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley. Activists and Democratic politicians have called on Homeland Security to close detention centers, which they say are not safe for children.

Los Angeles Times

8. Packers tight end Andrew Quarless arrested for allegedly firing gun

Green Bay Packers tight end Andrew Quarless was arrested in Miami Beach on Saturday for discharging a gun in public. He reportedly fired two shots after arguing with a group of women near a parking garage, according to a police report. Quarless tried to hide outside a restaurant and stashed his gun in a potted plant. The Packers have said they were aware of the matter.

Miami New Times ESPN

9. Matt Stonie edges out 8-time champ Joey Chestnut in hot dog eating contest

Eight-time defending champion Joey Chestnut met his match Saturday in Matt "Megatoad" Stonie, who won Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island. Stonie downed 62 dogs and buns in 10 minutes, two ahead of Chestnut. "I trained hard for this, and I came prepared," Stonie said. Chestnut still has claim to the contest record, though, since he polished off 69 dogs in 2013.

ESPN

10. U.S. women will take on Japan in World Cup final

The U.S. women's national soccer team will seek their first FIFA World Cup win in 16 years versus Japan on Sunday night. Four years ago, Japan defeated the U.S. in a shootout, but the U.S. got revenge with a 2012 Olympic victory. Watch Abby Wambach and the gang in Vancouver starting at 7 p.m. EST on Fox.

ESPN

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.