10 things you need to know today: June 24, 2016

1. Britain votes to exit the EU

The UK voted Thursday to leave the European Union, sending the British pound and global stocks plunging. Prime Minister David Cameron, who led the campaign to stay in the 28-nation trading bloc, announced that he would resign by October after the "Leave" campaign won by an unexpectedly strong 52 percent to 48 percent. European Council President Donald Tusk called for resisting "hysterical reactions" as the UK prepares for a two-year process of leaving the EU. Leading Brexit advocates said the vote restored UK independence after the EU's mishandling of the financial crisis and a mass influx of refugees.

The New York Times Reuters

2. U.S. stocks head for sharp drop after Brexit vote

U.S. stock futures plummeted early Friday after the UK voted to leave the European Union. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures plunged by as much as 700 points before regaining some of the losses, but remained down by 485 points, or 2.7 percent, suggesting a sharp decline at the start of trading. S&P 500 futures were down even more, falling 80 points or 3.7 percent, with Nasdaq-100 futures falling by 3.9 percent. A day earlier markets had rallied as the last polls before the referendum suggested voters would reject the Brexit.

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MarketWatch

3. Democrats end sit-in over gun control

Democrats on Thursday ended a nearly 26-hour sit-in on the House floor meant to force the Republican leadership to hold a vote on gun control in the wake of the Orlando mass shooting. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), an icon of the Civil Rights movement, said the action did not result in a vote on the bill, but it got the point across. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called the sit-in "a publicity stunt, a fund-raising stunt." Meanwhile, a compromise bipartisan Senate bill that would bar about 2,700 people with suspected terrorism ties from buying guns failed to get the 60 votes to progress, but got through a test vote to stay alive.

NBC News The Washington Post

4. Supreme Court rules against reviving Obama's immigration plan

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to revive President Obama's plan to shield up to four million undocumented immigrants from deportation. With the late Justice Antonin Scalia's seat still vacant, the court split 4-4, upholding a lower court's decision to block Obama's plan. The result, a significant defeat for Obama, underscored the liberal-conservative deadlock on the court as Republicans refuse to consider an Obama nominee before the November presidential election. Obama called the ruling "heartbreaking" and said the stalemate "takes us further from the country that we aspire to be."

The Washington Post USA Today

5. Police van driver acquitted in Freddie Gray case

The Baltimore police officer who drove the van in which Freddie Gray sustained a fatal spinal injury in April 2015 was acquitted of second-degree murder on Thursday. Caesar Goodson, 46, joins two other officers who have been tried over Gray's death. One of those cases ended in an acquittal as well, the other in a hung jury. Many believed the driver was the most likely of the six officers facing charges to be convicted in connection with Gray's death, which touched off days of protests.

The Daily Beast

6. Supreme Court upholds UT affirmative action policy

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the University of Texas at Austin's use of race in admissions. The decision ended a three-year battle that started when a white woman, Abigail Fisher, sued the university after being denied admission in 2008, saying she was a victim of discrimination because less-qualified minority students had been admitted. UT automatically lets in top students from state high schools, but considers race as a factor for roughly 25 percent of its slots.

Houston Chronicle

7. Gun control initiative qualifies for California ballot

California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's gun control initiative has gathered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, state election officials said Thursday. The initiative calls for background checks for bullet buyers, a ban on ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds, felony charges for gun thefts, and a strict process to get guns from felons. "Enough massacres, death, tears, and hate — it's time to take action and save lives," Newsom said. An opponent said Californians want "more civil liberties, not fewer freedoms."

Los Angeles Times

8. German police kill armed man who took hostages in cinema

German police on Thursday fatally shot a masked man who reportedly took several hostages inside a movie theater. Nobody else was injured. The man entered the theater carrying a gun, reportedly a rifle. Authorities in the southwestern town of Viernheim said they had no immediate information on the motive for the attack. A police spokesman, Bernd Hochstaedter, said "there are no indications at present of an Islamist background."

CBS News

9. Colombia signs ceasefire with FARC rebels

Colombia's government signed a ceasefire agreement with FARC rebels on Thursday. Representatives of both sides signed the deal in Havana, where they have been negotiating since November 2012 to end five decades of fighting that has left hundreds of thousands of people dead or displaced. The agreement, which was signed by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and top FARC commander Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez, does not guarantee peace, partly because it does not cover other guerrilla and paramilitary groups.

CNN

10. Wildfire destroys dozens of houses in California

A fast-moving wildfire burned 50 to 60 homes in rural Kern County, California, on Thursday. "I've been a firefighter for nine years. This is definitely the most destructive fire I've ever been to," said Kern County Fire Capt. Tyler Townsend. Firefighters rushed to evacuate residents in the path of the growing 4,000-acre central California blaze Thursday night. The fire was fueled by intense heat, and threatens another 1,500 structures.

Los Angeles Times ABC News