Source: CNN

Jet Propulsion Lab (CNN) NASA says it has received tones confirming its Juno spacecraft has successfully started orbiting Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.

"Welcome to Jupiter!" flashed on screens at mission control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. The Juno team cheered and hugged.

"This is phenomenal," said Geoff Yoder, acting administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/04/world/juno-jupiter-nasa/index.html?adkey=bn

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If this is a duplicate, just let me know and I'll delete.

By Tom Boggioni
July 4, 2016

"Please accept our condolences on your loss,” explained a letter from the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority of New Jersey. “After careful consideration of the information you provided, the authority has determined that your request does not meet the threshold for loan forgiveness. Monthly bill statements will continue to be sent to you.”

That is the response Marcia DeOliveira-Longinetti received when she attempted to get student loan forgiven after her 23-year-old son was murdered last year, reports the New York Times.

Welcome to the world of what bankruptcy attorney Daniel Frischberg calls, “state-sanctioned loan-sharking.”

Like many states, New Jersey administers a student loan program designed to help students further their education in order to join a workforce that puts a premium on a college degree.

Where New Jersey parts ways with the other states is the degree of difficulty in getting out from under onerous loan payments despite extreme poverty, illness and even death.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/nj-forces-mom-pay-sons-student-loans-murder-does-not-meet-threshold-loan-forgiveness

I was gonna post this in GR, but it's anything but a Good Read!

Source: The Guardian

Guardian staff
Monday 4 July 2016 10.12 BST

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, is to step down as head of the party in the wake of the referendum which will see Britain leave the EU, he announced on Monday.

“During the the referendum I said I wanted my country back … now I want my life back,” Farage said at a press conference in London.

Farage previously resigned as Ukip leader after the May 2015 general election after not being elected as an MP. However, he soon changed his mind and returned to the job. This would not happen this time, he said

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/04/nigel-farage-resigns-as-ukip-leader

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/07/03/this_week_panel_hillary_clintons_honesty_bill_clinton_loretta_lynch_elizabeth_warren__vp_picks.html

My money's on Perez, but hey, what do I know?

In alphabetical order:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/07/03/this_week_panel_hillary_clintons_honesty_bill_clinton_loretta_lynch_elizabeth_warren__vp_picks.html

I'm 99% sure it'll be either Christie or Gingrich, but feel free to disagree.

In alphabetical order:

Jul. 3, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An orangutan got to the top of a wall surrounding the Kansas City Zoo's ape exhibit, but quickly returned to the enclosure without any contact with zoo visitors.

The zoo instructed visitors to go indoors until the situation was resolved Sunday afternoon.

Zoo spokeswoman Julie Neemeyer told The Kansas City Star (http://j.mp/29c4fGp ) there were no injuries, and the 17-year-old female Borneo orangutan didn't have to be tranquilized.

Zookeepers brought the exhibit's seven orangutans into a holding building while they tried to figure out how to keep the incident from recurring.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2f34bb58a0d444b39c53926fc0102468/orangutan-gets-top-wall-kansas-city-zoo-exhibit

I'll leave the Trump jokes to you!

Source: CNN

By Elaine Ly and Angela Dewan, CNN
Updated 1351 GMT (2151 HKT) July 2, 2016

London (CNN) They simply won't take "Brexit" for an answer.

Tens of thousands of protesters angered by Britain's historic vote last week to leave the European Union marched down London's up-market Park Lane Saturday, many of them hoping that divorce from the bloc will never actually happen.

They say they've been cheated by a campaign deceit and false promises, chanting "We are the 48%, no more lies, no more hate." The Leave vote won 52% of the vote, with the remain side at 48%.
Organizers said around 50,000 people had joined the march by midday, and while the protest attracted all walks of life, millennials appeared to make up the bulk of the crowd.

"The votes were called but people were told lies," said 29-year-old Loveday Newman, wearing a T-shirt bearing a big red heart with "Europe" scrawled on it.

"I understand it's the outcome of a democratic vote but it's still a democracy, and being part of that I hope we can contest the outcome. I hope we remain. I am European. Britain is just stronger in," she said.


Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/02/europe/brexit-march-europe-london/index.html

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That gives me a great idea! Why don't we restart the Florida recount? That way, we'll avoid the catastrophes of the Bush-Cheney Administration!

Source: Associated Press

Jul. 2, 2016 7:29 AM EDT
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least nine civilians have been killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan, including a suicide bombing and a mass shooting, Afghan officials said Saturday.

At least two civilians were killed after a suicide bomber on a motorbike targeted a local tribal elder in eastern Nangarhar province, according to the deputy spokesman for the provincial governor.

Noor Ahmad Habibi said that 11 others were wounded in the attack, which took place in Jalalabad, the provincial capital. The bomber was targeting local tribal elder Hayatullah Khan, who escaped unhurt, Habibi said.
~
In southern Kandahar province unknown gunmen shot and killed seven civilians, said Zia Durani, spokesman for the provincial police chief. He said the victims included four men and three women, and a police investigation was underway.

Taliban insurgents attacked Afghan local police check points in Kandahar province late Friday night, killing five policemen, Durani said. Four insurgents were killed in the battle, which took place in Maiwand district, he added.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/52f29073009843a4b5d9cc26b05aa097/afghan-official-suicide-bomber-kills-2-civilians-east

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Hey, at least it wasn't US killing civilians!

Source: Associated Press

Jul. 2, 2016 6:27 AM EDT

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladeshi forces stormed an upscale Dhaka restaurant to end a hostage-taking by heavily armed militants early Saturday, killing six of the attackers and rescuing 13 captives including foreigners. The military said 20 hostages were killed during the 10-hour standoff, and a survivor's father said the attackers spared people who could recite verses from the Quran.

The attack marks an escalation in militant violence that has hit the traditionally moderate Muslim-majority nation with increasing frequency in recent months. Previous attacks involved machete-wielding men singling out individual activists, foreigners and religious minorities.

About 35 people were taken hostage Friday night when gunmen stormed the popular Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan area, a diplomatic zone, during the Ramadan holy month. Two police officers were killed at the start of the attack.

Paramilitary troops who mounted the rescue operations in the morning killed six attackers and recovered explosive devices and sharp weapons from the scene, Brig. Gen. Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury said. He did not identify the hostages.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/631cff7370dc467782ef5b5fc4aeed56/commandos-storm-dhaka-restaurant-6-attackers-dead-13-safe

Man, Gary Johnson did not help his campaign, either here or in the opening interview!