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A Thursday morning shooting at two military-related facilities in Chattanooga left four Marines dead and wounded a police officer and a soldier. The lone gunman was also killed. The FBI identified the suspect as Mohammod Youssef Abdulazeez, a naturalized U.S. citizen. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism, officials said at a Thursday news conference.
2. Obama on deadly Chattanooga shooting: A 'heartbreaking circumstance'
President Obama spoke from the Oval Office on Thursday about the deadly shooting at military-related facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that left four Marines dead. "It is a heartbreaking circumstance for these individuals who have served our country with great valor to be killed in this fashion," he said. "I want everybody to understand we will be thorough and prompt on figuring out exactly what happened."
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3. Jury finds James Holmes guilty in Aurora movie theater shooting
After two days of deliberation, a jury Thursday found James Holmes guilty of murder in the July 2012 Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting that killed 12 people and injured 70 others during The Dark Knight Rises premiere. The jury rejected Holmes' plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Holmes reportedly didn't show any emotion, but victims and their families expressed relief. Jurors must now decide if Holmes, 27, will face the death penalty.
The Senate voted 81-17 on Thursday to overhaul No Child Left Behind — a sweeping, often-controversial education law passed during George W. Bush's presidency. The law requires schools implement strict student assessment standards to continue receiving federal funding. The new proposal would leave in place No Child Left Behind's annual testing schedule, but let states and school districts decide whether and how to use tests to assess the performance of schools, teachers, and students. The House passed its own, less moderate version of an overhaul last week.
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5. European Central Bank gives Greek banks nearly $1 billion in emergency loans
The European Central Bank expanded Greek banks' emergency line of credit by $990 million on Thursday, offering a bit more breathing room to Greece's economy. The boost means Greek banks expected to reopen Monday, but with limits on cash withdrawals. The bank's move came hours after Greek MPs approved an austerity bill required to enable a eurozone bailout deal.
6. Obama to inmates: It could have been me in prison
President Obama became the first sitting American president to visit a prison Thursday, when he traveled to Oklahoma's El Reno medium-security facility. He told the nonviolent offenders he met with that, had things gone differently, he could have been behind bars. Everyone makes mistakes, he said. "The difference is that they did not have the kind of support structures, the second chances, the resources that would allow them to survive those mistakes."
7. Investigators reportedly blame pro-Russian rebels for shooting down flight MH-17
The Dutch Safety Board, which is investigating how Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17 was shot out of the sky over Ukraine last year, killing all 298 people on board, has reportedly concluded that pro-Russian rebels are indeed to blame, sources told CNN. Moscow and pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine have long denied accusations of involvement, even as much of the West suspected that pro-Russian rebels and a Russian-made missile were to blame. Friday marks the one-year anniversary of the deadly flight.
8. Japan passes bill allowing it to fight overseas for the first time since WWII
In a contentious vote, Japan's lower house of parliament approved legislation Thursday that would allow the country to engage in foreign conflicts again. Following World War II, Japan had sworn off entering overseas wars unless attacked, but China's growing power and the beheading of two Japanese hostages by ISIS earlier this year changed the calculus, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said. The law is opposed by roughly two-thirds of Japanese voters, and there is speculation that it could oust Abe as Japan's leader.
9. After Duggar molestation revelations, TLC cancels 19 Kids and Counting
Nearly two months after 27-year-old reality star Josh Duggar admitted to molesting young girls — including several of his own sisters — when he was a teenager, TLC has formally canceled its Duggar-centric reality series 19 Kids and Counting. The show has been off the air since May, when the network pulled reruns as the Duggar family confirmed reports of the abuse. TLC has also announced plans for an ongoing campaign about child abuse awareness, which will be produced in collaboration with two child-protection organizations.
10. Game of Thrones, Transparent top Emmy nominations
HBO's Game of Thrones topped all other series with a whopping 24 nominations, including Best Drama, Best Supporting Actor (Peter Dinklage), and two separate nominees for Best Supporting Actress (Emilia Clarke and Lena Headey). Following its well-received freshman season, Amazon's Transparent topped the comedy category with 11 nominations, including Best Comedy and Best Actor (Jeffrey Tambor). The 67th annual Emmy Awards ceremony will air on Fox on September 20, with Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andy Samberg as host.
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.
