Lawmakers vacation could lead to government shutdown

The U.S. government is possibly facing another shutdown as time left for passing a new fiscal budget is being used instead as a vacation for House members. Congress has until October 1 to pass the budget but House members won't return from their vacation until just 10 days before the deadline, leaving little wiggle room for debate and voting.

UN predicts India to pass China as world's most populous country

The United Nations has released a report called World Population that offers predictions about global population growth over the next half century, in it, there is a prediction that India will pass China as the most populous country over the next decade. They also predict that Nigeria will surpass the United States as the third most populous country.

Government says health care spending by consumers to rise faster

The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a report yesterday part of which outlines reasons why they believe consumer spending on health care costs will rise faster starting in the near future than it has over the past six years--so fast that it will outpace overall economic growth.

Boy Scouts end ban on gay scout leaders

Boy Scouts of America has voted to end a ban that prohibited gay troop leaders and paid employees. The organization has been heavily criticized by many in the media for its stance on gay opposition.

Fiat fined record $105 million

Fiat Chrysler has been fined $105 million by the US Highway Traffic Safety Administration because of lapses in safety recalls regarding faulty suspension parts that could lead to loss of control. Fiat will also have to pay for repairs or vehicle replacement for customers with defects.

President visiting Africa

President Obama has traveled to Africa, the first stop is in Kenya, where he will visit for two days before traveling to Ethiopia.

Man with a gun opens fire in LA movie theater

A man with a handgun opened fire in a movie theater last night killing two people and wounding seven others, before shooting and killing himself. The theater is in Lafayette Louisiana and the shooting came nearly three years to the day after the theater shooting in Colorado.

Higher localized minimum wage gaining ground

Workers pushing for a higher minimum wage are increasingly meeting with success. New York State has now passed legislation putting the number at $18/hour. Also the University of California has mandated the same wage mark for all of its employees. The moves come after other cities such as Oakland, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Berkeley, have put in rules increasing minimum wage to the same rate,

Use of morning after pill increasing with teens

The CDC has released a report that shows that use of the morning after pill by teenage girls has climbed dramatically in recent years--the Center reports that over 1 in 5 sexually active teen girls between 15 and 19 have used the pill to prevent pregnancy. The increased usage is likely due, they also report to the drug being taken off the list of prescription drugs.

More children living in poverty than during great recesson

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is reporting that the percentage of children living in poverty today in the U.S. is higher than it was at the peak of the Great Recession. Last year, the number stood at 22 percent, while it was just 18 percent in 2008. Minority children, they report were more than twice as likely as white children to be living below the poverty line.

US and Cuba officially restore diplomatic ties

The U.S. and Cuba have officially, after fifty four years, restored diplomatic relations, with both sides opening embassies in the other country. The new relationship became official at midnight on July 20th.

KKK and New Black Panther party both protest at South Carolina Capitol

Members of the KKK, sans white robes, and mostly white and male, protested the removal of the Confederate Battle flag from the capital yesterday as mostly black protesters representing the New Black Panther Party did the same--both outside the state house.

Dozens of cars burn as wildfire jumps California freeway

Approximately 20 cars and trucks caught on fire yesterday after being stalled in a traffic jam that was overtaken by a brush-fire on California's I-15 freeway--the one that links Los Angeles with Las Vegas. There were no injuries despite police using bullhorns to ask drives to remain in their vehicles. Those requests were ignored as the vehicle occupants fled to the hills to safety.

Gunman kills four marines at Navy reserve facilty

A man identified as Mohammod Youssef Abdulazees opened fire on unsuspecting marines at a Navy reserve facility yesterday killing for marines and injuring three other people. The gunman was also killed.

New Horizons sends back first close-up pic of Pluto

NASA's New Horizons space probe sent back images of the planetoid Pluto yesterday, the first ever  up-close pictures ever taken. Pluto is approximately 3 billion miles away from us, and it took the probe nine and a half years to get there.

Iran Nuclear deal reached

Representatives from several countries and Iran confirmed that a nuclear deal has been reached. In exchange for Iran curtailing its nuclear ambitions and allowing UN inspectors into the country, the country will get relief from the trade embargo that has been in place for several yeas crushing its economy.

Space probe set to rendezvous with Pluto

NASA's New Horizons space probe is on a course to conduct a flyby of the recently demoted Pluto, in the next few days. The craft has already sent back pictures showing that the planetoid has far more spots than was believed and has been traveling for nine years already.

First all electric plane crosses the English Channel;

A plane has flown over the English Channel with nothing but an electric motor to power its turbines--a first in aviation history and a milestone for electrically powered aircraft. The Airbus E-Fan twin engine craft flew from Loyd in Britain to Calais in France.

Convicted navy pilot reportedly offered secrets to Chinese

Prosecutors are looking into a letter purportedly written by Lt. Daniel Chase Harris to Chinese officials after his conviction on child pornography charges. In the letter, Harris offers to give secrets to the Chinese if they would break him out of jail.

Hackers stole info on over 21 million people

The U.S.'s Office of Personnel Management has announced that hackers have stolen personal information on over 21 million Americans from government computers. The victims involved included government employees, their family members and civilians who were having background checks done on them.

Tech problems strike three big compaines

Three big American companies suffered tech glitches yesterday that disrupted services to millions of users: United Airlines, the New York Stock Exchange and the Wall Street Journal, each had technical problems that did not appear to be related to each other or hacking issues. Instead, they appear to be a a sign of the increasing complexity of large systems which makes them more likely to experience problems.

J.P. Morgan ordered to pay $125 million for illegal debt collection activities

J.P. Morgan, the nation's largest bank has agreed to pay $125 million as a settlement for its illicit deb collection activities, which included engaging in improper attempts to collect debts and some of the ways it sold consumer credit card debt.

Man who shot woman on pier says it was an accident

Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an illegal Mexican immigrant told reporters yesterday that he did indeed shoot Kate Steinle, a woman walking on a pier in San Francisco last week. But he added, it was an accident. He says he found the gun on the ground and that it went off after he picked it up. The shooting has stirred a national debate about immigration after it was discovered that the man had been deported five times already.

US wins World Cup

The U.S. women's team has won the Word Cup final, beating Japan 5-3.

Greece votes "no" on referendum

Greek voters overwhelmingly voted "no" on the referendum put before them yesterday on whether to accept creditor conditions which would have invoked harsh austerity measures. The vote leaves the country in uncertainty as to whether it will remain in the Eurozone, and whether hard times are coming in the face of what appears to be insurmountable debt. It is not yet known how the vote will impact financial markets in the rest of the world.

Women's World Cup Final today.

The U.S. will take on Japan in the final of the women's world cup today at 7pm ET--it will be played in Vancouver Canada.

Greeks to vote on creditor proposal referendum today

People in Greece will go to the polls today to vote yes or no on a referendum put forth to decide the country's fate--whether to accept a proposal by creditors that will include austerity measures, or to reject it, perhaps setting the country on a course that will take it out of the Eurozone.

America celebrates 4th of July

Today is July 4th, 2015, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. People across the country will celebrate by hosting BBQs, having parades, drinking beer, setting off firecrackers and attending fireworks at the close of they day.

Job growth in US slows but still strong

A new poll conducted by Reuters news agency revealed that non-farming hires rose by 230,000 last month compared to 280,000 in May resulting in the jobless rate falling to 5.4 percent, a seven year low.