10 things you need to know today: July 6, 2015

(Image credit: Elaine Thompson/Getty Images)

Jump to category:

1. Greece decisively votes 'no' on eurozone bailout referendum
2. U.S. defeats Japan 5-2 to win Women's World Cup
3. Greek finance minister steps down
4. South Carolina legislators set to debate Confederate flag
5. Escaped inmate David Sweat back in maximum security
6. FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he won't travel for fear of being arrested
7. U.S. attacks eastern Syria ISIS base, killing 10
8. Pope Francis tours South America
9. Britain's Princess Charlotte christened in family's first public outing
10. Grateful Dead bids farewell from Chicago after 50 years

By Julie Kliegman

published 6 July 2015

1. Greece decisively votes 'no' on eurozone bailout referendum

About 61 percent of Greeks voted "no" on the eurozone bailout referendum Sunday, handing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras a decisive victory. While the result is likely to strengthen Tsipras' hand in negotiations with Greece's creditors, it could also lead to the nation being forced out of the eurozone, and a future of prolonged economic uncertainty. The deal from the International Monetary Fund, European Union, and the European Central Bank would have come in exchange for tax increases and economic reform in Greece following their default on a $1.8 billion IMF loan last week. Late Sunday, Tspiras said the Greeks proved "democracy won't be blackmailed" and voters "made a very brave choice."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, announced on his website he has resigned from his post, one day after 61 percent of voters backed his "no" campaign, rejecting bailout terms set by creditors. Varoufakis said he was leaving his position due to a "certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted 'partners,' for my ... 'absence' from its meetings." Former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras announced he was stepping down from his role as the head of the nation's conservative opposition party, New Democracy, on Sunday.

South Carolina legislators return to Columbia on Monday to discuss the fate of the Confederate flag flying on statehouse grounds. Last month a fatal shooting at a historically black church in Charleston renewed debate on the monument, prompting Gov. Nikki Haley to call for its removal. A two-thirds majority of lawmakers in each chamber, enough to pass a measure, reportedly say it's time to take down the flag. Several bills have been filed, but logistics and formalities still need sorting out.

Convicted murderer David Sweat was incarcerated at the Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, New York, after being released from the hospital, the New York Department of Corrections announced in a news release Sunday. Sweat was hospitalized in serious condition after authorities shot and captured him near the Canadian border a week ago. He was on the run with convict Richard Matt after escaping from the Clinton Correctional Facility on June 6. Matt was fatally shot by law enforcement officials a couple of days before Sweat's capture.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter continues to maintain his innocence in the ongoing FBI investigation of soccer's governing body. The U.S. Justice Department indicted 14 officials on charges of corruption in May. But Blatter, who is expected to be replaced at FIFA's helm as early as December, is afraid to leave Switzerland for fear of being arrested, the Los Angeles Times reports Blatter told a German newspaper. "Not because the Americans have anything concrete against me, but because it would cause a public stir," he said.

A U.S.-led coalition carried out a series of at least 16 airstrikes on ISIS's base in eastern Raqqa, Syria, late Saturday and early Sunday. It was one of the largest operations of its kind against the terrorist group in the country, The Guardian reports. The attacks reportedly killed at least 10 militants and harmed others. They also destroyed ISIS structures and transit routes, a U.S. military spokesman told The Guardian. He said the damage would hurt ISIS's ability to move from their de-facto capital.

Pope Francis landed in Quito, Ecuador, on Sunday to begin his tour of three of the poorest and smallest countries in South America. The visit comes just weeks after he released his encyclical calling on leaders to hear "the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor" due to climate change. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Quito, with many waving flags featuring the pope's picture and others throwing gifts.

The Grateful Dead capped a three-night farewell tour at Chicago's Soldier Field on Sunday night, an event that doubled as a 50th anniversary celebration. It harkened back to another series of concerts at the stadium in 1995, just weeks before lead guitarist Jerry Garcia died of a heart attack. Packed crowds overcame serious ticket markups to send off Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart.

Explore More

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.