1. TURKEY ARMS ITS BORDER WITH SYRIA
Turkish state media reported Thursday that anti-aircraft guns are being deployed along Turkey's 550-mile border with Syria, after a Turkish military jet was shot down last week. The news comes amid reports that Syrian rebels are growing more aggressive in and around Syria's capital of Damascus. On Thursday, the state news agency reported an explosion near the Palace of Justice, just one day after a reported attack on a pro-government TV station. United Nations peace envoy Kofi Annan has arranged an emergency meeting on Saturday in Switzerland to deal with the crisis in Syria. Diplomats from China, France, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S. will attend, and officials from the U.N, the Arab League, and the European Union were also invited. [New York Times]
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2. SUPREME COURT TO RULE ON HEALTH CARE
The high court is expected to rule on President Obama's health care overhaul on Thursday morning. At issue is whether the "individual mandate," which requires all Americans to get health insurance or pay a penalty, is constitutional, and if the health care law could survive without the mandate. The Supreme Court is also weighing whether it should even be considering the mandate at this point — the mandate's penalty could be deemed a tax, and, under an obscure statute, taxes can't be considered until they are due. [New York Times]
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3. WALDO CANYON FIRE DOUBLES IN SIZE
The Waldo Canyon fire raging near Colorado Springs, Colo., doubled in size from Tuesday to Wednesday, forcing tens of thousand to evacuate. The fire has ravaged 24 square miles and destroyed an untold number of homes. Unpredictable winds are forecast for Thursday and expected to hamper firefighters' effort to contain the massive blaze. Colorado is currently fighting 12 large wildfires, as the state suffers the worst wildfires in its history. [MSNBC]
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4. GOOGLE TO SELL ITS OWN TABLET
At a developers' conference Wednesday, Google unveiled its maiden entry in the tablet market. The Nexus 7 tablet will sell for $199 and have a 7-inch display. It's being seen primarily as a challenger to Amazon's similarly priced Fire rather than the iPad, which starts at $499 and has a hi-res, 9.7-inch display. [Reuters]
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5. MIAMI FACE-EATER WASN'T HIGH ON BATH SALTS
The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner reported Wednesday that Rudy Eugene wasn't on the synthetic drugs known as "bath salts" when he chewed off much of a homeless man's face in a gruesome, naked frenzy last month that was dubbed the "Zombie Attack." Police shot Eugene dead on the scene when he refused to cooperate. The only substance he tested positive for was marijuana. [AFP]
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6. NEWS CORP. BOARD APPROVES SPLIT
News Corp.'s board has reportedly approved a plan to split Murdoch's empire into two parts, spinning off its newspaper and publishing business from its more lucrative entertainment operations, which include 20th Century Fox, Fox News Channel, and Fox broadcasting network. News Corp.'s publishing operations include The Wall Street Journal, HarperCollins, and the Times of London. [Wall Street Journal]
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7. MADOFF BROTHER TO PLEAD GUILTY
Prosecutors say that Peter Madoff will plead guilty Friday to conspiracy and falsifying records, conceding his connection to the multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme inflicted on thousands of investors by his brother, Bernard Madoff. Under his plea deal, Peter has agreed to serve 10 years in prison and forfeit $143 billion. It's highly unlikely he will be able to pay that penalty, so prosecutors will likely seize all of his assets. His guilt is not quite an admission that he knew about his brother's Ponzi scheme. Rather, it's more of a confirmation that he helped facilitate his brother's crimes. [New York Times]
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8. ANN CURRY CONFIRMS TODAY EXIT
Ann Curry confirmed Wednesday to USA Today that she will indeed be leaving the Today show, years before she had hoped. Curry will tell viewers on Thursday morning's show. Under a new multiyear contract with NBC, Curry will cover major world news and serious domestic stories for several of the network's various news programs. [USA Today]
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9. FDA APPROVES FIRST WEIGHT-LOST DRUG IN YEARS
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first anti-obesity medication since 1999. The drug, lorcaserin, has been approved only for those considered obese (with a body mass index greater than 30) or those who are overweight with related health issues, like high blood pressure or cholesterol. It will be marketed under the name Belviq in the U.S. [Los Angeles Times]
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10. SPAIN ADVANCES TO EURO CUP FINAL
Spain advanced to soccer's European Championship finals after beating Portugal Wednesday in a game that ended in a penalty shootout after no goals were scored in 90 minutes of regulation play and 30 minutes of overtime. Portugal's star Cristiano Ronaldo was set to take the fifth penalty kick in the shootout, but it didn't get that far. (Spain won 4-2.) Spain will face off against Germany or Italy in a bid to make history as the first team to hold two European titles and a world title at the same time. [New York Times]
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