10 things you need to know today: June 2, 2012
Hosni Mubarak gets a life sentence, George Zimmerman is ordered back to jail, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
1. EGYPT'S HOSNI MUBARAK GETS LIFE SENTENCE
Egypt's longtime leader, ousted in a revolution last year that catalyzed the Arab Spring, was sentenced by an Egyptian judge to life in prison for killing unarmed demonstrators during the protests. Mubarak's interior minister also got a life sentence, while charges against other ministry officials, and bribery charges against Mubarak and his sons, were dismissed. Still, for many Egyptians, Saturday's verdict "may be the greatest achievement so far of the uprising that ended [Mubarak's] rule." [New York Times]
………………………………………………………………………………
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
2. JUDGE REVOKES GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S BOND
A judge revoked the bond for George Zimmerman, the man charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of Trayvon Martin in February, giving him 48 hours to return to jail. The decision came after prosecutors discovered that Zimmerman's wife may have lied to authorities about her and her husband's finances. The prosecution also discovered that Zimmerman holds two passports, leading them to worry that he could flee the country. [Orlando Sentinel]
………………………………………………………………………………
3. STOCKS PLUNGE AMID WEAK JOBS REPORT
On the heels of May's disastrous jobs report, U.S. stocks took their worst losses of the year, wiping out all of 2012's gains. In addition to the jobs report, Europe's spiraling economic crisis and China's slow growth contributed to the market plunge. [Wall Street Journal]
………………………………………………………………………………
4. ARMY ADDS NEW CHARGES IN AFGHAN RAMPAGE
The Army dropped one murder charge, but added other charges, including steroid use, in the case of the U.S. soldier accused of a deadly shooting rampage in Afghanistan. Sgt. Robert Bales now faces 16 (not 17) counts of premeditated murder for gunning down civilians in an Afghan village in March. He also faces charges for using steroids and alcohol, as well as for burning bodies and destroying a laptop computer. [Associated Press]
………………………………………………………………………………
5. EDWARDS JURORS DESCRIBE 'TENSE' DELIBERATIONS
Appearing on ABC's Good Morning America on Friday, several jurors in the failed case against former Sen. John Edwards recalled a "tense" nine days of discussions that ultimately led them to acquit Edwards on one charge, while deadlocking on five others. (The judge declared a mistrial.) Edwards was accused of violating campaign finance laws in trying to cover up his extra-marital affair with Rielle Hunter, but ultimately jurors didn't think the feds proved their case. "I felt like the evidence just wasn't there," said juror Theresa Fuller. [Good Morning America]
………………………………………………………………………………
6. MONTREAL POLICE IDENTIFY BODY-PARTS VICTIM
Police identified the man whose body parts were mailed to Canada's top political party as Chinese student Jun Lee, 33. Police said Jun dated Luka Rocco Magnotta, a porn star who is a suspect in the murder, and who is now on Interpol's most-wanted list. Jun was killed in a videotaped attack, and his body parts were discovered in the mail at Conservative Party headquarters on Tuesday. Officials believe Magnotta is somewhere in France. [MSNBC]
………………………………………………………………………………
7. FACEBOOK LETS USERS VOTE ON PRIVACY CHANGES
Facebook opened voting on changes to its Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities to the community on Friday, after the rallying of the group our-policy.org. More than 270 million people, or at least 30 percent of Facebook's user base, must participate in the vote in order for the changes to be binding. Facebook has mandated that any policy proposal that triggers more than 7,000 comments will be put to a vote. This the second time ever that Facebook is letting users vote on privacy changes — the first time was in 2009, when the company had less than 200 million users. [MSNBC]
………………………………………………………………………………
8. GOP LEADERS BRISTLE AT NYC 'BIG GULP' BAN
House Speaker John Boehner seemed incredulous when asked for his thoughts on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed ban on the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces. "I like Mayor Bloomberg, but are you kidding me?" said Boehner. "Don't we have bigger issues to deal with?" Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) also showed his lack of enthusiasm for the idea: "I gave up pop for Lent three years ago, and I haven't had any since, but do what you want. Do what you want with your life." [Daily News]
………………………………………………………………………………
9. CANCER OCCURRENCE SET TO NEARLY DOUBLE
In a new article published in The Lancet Oncology, researchers are predicting that the occurrence of cancer will shoot up over the next 15 or so years. By 2030, the rate will have risen by 75 percent, they estimate. In poorer countries, it'll be closer to 90 percent. [Medical News Today]
………………………………………………………………………………
10. DC COMICS: GREEN LANTERN IS GAY
DC Comics announced Friday that Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, is gay. Scott will be reintroduced in the pages of Earth 2, out next week, as a gay man and member of the intergalactic peace-keeping Green Lantern Corps. DC Comics' news comes on the heels of what has been an expansive year for gay and lesbian characters in the pages of comic books. [MTV.com]
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com