10 things you need to know today: June 18, 2016

1. Obama urges assault weapons ban in weekly address

President Obama reiterated his support for a ban on assault weapons in his weekly address to the nation Saturday. "Being tough on terrorism, particularly the sorts of homegrown terrorism that we’ve seen now in Orlando and San Bernardino," Obama said, "means making it harder for people who want to kill Americans to get their hands on assault weapons that are capable of killing dozens of innocents as quickly as possible." Though an "assault weapon" has no legal definition under current federal law, it is generally considered to mean a semiautomatic rifle with certain military features.

The Hill The Wall Street Journal

2. Accused killer of British lawmaker says his name is ‘death to traitors’

The man charged with fatally shooting and stabbing British lawmaker, Jo Cox, said in court Saturday his name is "death to traitors, freedom for Britain." His actual name is Thomas Mair, and he reportedly has ties to white supremacist organizations in the United States. Particularly after this statement, Mair's actions are believed to be politically motivated, as Cox was a visible opponent of Britain exiting the European Union and a supporter of Syrian refugees. She was 41 years old.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The Washington Post USA Today

3. Canadian parliament approves assisted suicide

After Canada's supreme court struck down a ban on assisted suicide, the nation's parliament passed controversial legislation Friday to permit the terminally ill to end their lives with medical assistance. The bill was primarily debated on grounds that it is too restrictive, as it does not make eligible patients with certain degenerative diseases, like multiple sclerosis. A statement from Canada's health and justice ministers said the bill as-is strikes "the right balance between personal autonomy for those seeking access to medically assisted dying and protecting the vulnerable."

BBC

4. John Kerry said to agree with diplomats' call for attacking Assad

Secretary of State John Kerry is suspected to be in quiet agreement with the call of more than 50 diplomats in his department to begin airstrikes targeting the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. To date, the Obama administration has focused bombing in Syria on forces of the invading Islamic State, but the State Department officials say attacking Assad is a necessary step to resolving the country's woes. When news of the State memo broke, Kerry simply said, "It’s an important statement, and I respect the process very, very much."

The New York Times

5. Belgium arrests 12 in anti-terror raid

Belgian police arrested 12 suspects in a large anti-terror sweep aimed to prevent a near-term attack. Authorities said circumstances required "immediate intervention," perhaps to stop assaults on widespread parties organized to watch the Belgian soccer team compete in the European Championships Saturday. The 12 who were detained are being held "in connection with a criminal investigation concerning terrorism," the Belgian federal prosecutor's office state in a statement, and the "investigating judge will decide on their possible detention later today."

Associated Press Reuters

6. Iraqi army: Fallujah is nearly liberated from ISIS

Iraqi forces have retaken the bulk of Fallujah in Anbar province, the Iraqi government says, unseating Islamic State militants who have held the city since early 2014. An estimated 80 percent of Fallujah has been liberated, and ISIS is expected to lose its grip on the remaining 20 percent soon. "There are still pockets [of resistance] that will be cleared in the upcoming hours," said Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, while Anbar province Gov. Sohaib Al-Rawi tweeted, "We must now focus our efforts on a major humanitarian catastrophe still unfolding."

CNN BBC

7. Oakland loses third police chief in 8 days

The city of Oakland, California, lost its third police chief in eight days, the mayor announced Friday. Acting Chief Paul Figueroa stepped down after just two days on the job, a decision Mayor Libby Schaaf said was not connected to allegations linking the police department to a teenage prostitute and racist text messages. For now, the department will be placed under civilian oversight, reporting to City Administrator Sabrina Landreth.

The Washington Post Los Angeles Times

8. New York State Assembly votes to legalize fantasy sports

Fantasy sports should be legalized, taxed, and regulated, the New York State Assembly decided Friday in a 91 to 22 vote. The bill, which has yet to pass the state senate, is expected to undergo debate in the upper chamber Monday, after which it will proceed to the governor's desk for signature. Supporters of the measure, which distinguishes sports sites like DraftKings from illegal gambling, called the vote a "touchdown" and highlighted the fact that new tax revenues from the fantasy sports industry will support public education.

The New York Times The Boston Globe

9. British astronaut lands on Earth after historic space station trip

Completing Britain's first trip to the International Space Station, astronaut Tim Peake has landed back on Earth. Peake was in space for six months with American Timothy Kopra and Russian Yuri Malenchenko, during which time he became the first person to run a marathon in space while tied to a treadmill. The three astronauts landed in a capsule in Kazakhstan Saturday morning.

CNN The Guardian

10. Dennis Hastert will serve his prison sentence in Minnesota

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert will serve his 15 months at a federal medical prison in Minnesota, a sentence for which he must report by Wednesday, June 22. Hastert was convicted of federal banking law violations for paying hush money to cover up sexual misconduct involving minors. The Minnesota facility is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic and is equipped to treat Hastert, who is 74 and in declining health.

Chicago Tribune