Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, June 24, 2021:
BRITNEY BREAKS SILENCE
Britney Spears formally asked a judge to release her from the conservatorship that has controlled her life and finances since 2008, saying the arrangement has forced her to work against her will and describing it as “abusive.” In a rare and impassioned public statement, Spears made the explosive claim that the people who control the conservatorship, including her father, would not allow her to remove an IUD so that she could try to get pregnant with a third child. “I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized,” Spears said. “I just want my life back.” NBC NEWS
BIDEN CRIME STRATEGY
President Biden announced new measures to tackle the rise in violent crime and spike in murders in cities across the country. The federal government will use COVID relief money to send additional funding to local police departments to address illegal guns and use loopholes to revoke licenses for rogue gun dealers. The White House’s focus on crime comes as homicides rose 30% during the pandemic. The most recent crime data shows that the spike is continuing even as the pandemic recedes. CBS NEWS
F-BOMBS PROTECTED SPEECH
The Supreme Court ruled, 8-1, that a Pennsylvania school that punished a student for swearing on social media while off school grounds had violated her First Amendment rights. Brandi Levy was 14 when she took to Snapchat to express her frustration at not making the varsity cheerleading squad, saying “F-- school, f--- cheer, f--- everything.” She was suspended, and her parents sued, arguing the school had no right to discipline her for something she said while not at school, regardless of whether it was spread on social media. The justices agreed, saying that for schools to punish students for off-campus speech it must be legitimately disruptive, like in the case of bullying. It was the first time in 50 years that a high school student won a free speech case at the Supreme Court. SCOTUSBLOG
AFGHAN COLLAPSE
U.S. intelligence agencies now believe that Afghanistan will fall to the Taliban as soon as 6 months after the American military completes its withdrawal. The intelligence community is said to be surprised at how quickly the Taliban is making gains with U.S. troops still in the process of leaving. Taliban forces have captured dozens of districts in northern Afghanistan over the last week, with Afghan troops surrendering en masse. WSJ
SOFTWARE PIONEER DEAD
John McAfee, the eccentric dotcom entrepreneur behind McAfee antivirus software, was found dead in a jail cell in Barcelona in an apparent suicide. McAfee’s death came hours after Spain’s highest court authorized his extradition to the U.S. on charges of tax evasion that carried a 30 year prison sentence. He had claimed political persecution, saying the feds wanted him because he was opposed to the American monetary system. YAHOO FINANCE
PRIME DAY BUST?
Amazon said this year’s Prime Day event was the biggest two-day sales period ever for its third-party sellers, but the company notably did not provide specifics as it has in years past, leading some analysts to conclude that sales may have underwhelmed this time around. The press release Amazon sends out after Prime Day has previously characterized the self-created holiday as the “biggest day ever” or “record-setting,” but none of those superlatives were to be found this year. CNBC
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
The NBA playoffs may get most of the glory, but the NHL is also in the midst of an exciting postseason. The Islanders kept their season alive with a 3-2 win in OT to force a Game 7 with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the conference finals. Islanders fans celebrated by throwing cans of beer onto the ice, nearly hitting some players. It’s win or go home tonight for the Vegas Golden Knights as they battle the Montreal Canadiens for the other spot in the finals. The last time a Canadian hockey team won a Stanley Cup was in 1993. NY POST
MARK HOPPUS CANCER
Blink-182 frontman Mark Hoppus says he has cancer. The 49-year-old singer and bassist revealed that he’s been undergoing chemotherapy treatment for the last few months. “It sucks and I’m scared,” he wrote, “and at the same time I'm blessed with incredible doctors and family and friends to get me through this." Fans and fellow musicians flooded social media with words of encouragement for the rocker. PEOPLE
SPOTTED...
...the trailer for Netflix’s latest reality show, called Sexy Beasts, in which single people go on blind dates in elaborate disguises as animals and aliens: WATCH
… two panda cubs born at Japan’s oldest zoo, months after Ri Ri and Shin Shin successfully mated for the first time in 4 years. SEE PIC
LEFTOVERS: NO FUN OLYMPICS
The Olympics are coming to Tokyo in less than a month. Besides the vast majority of Japanese people saying they don’t want them to happen, those who do venture to the Games are facing a host of new rules meant to control COVID but that may end up having the effect of making this the most unfun Olympics in memory. The IOC has banned alcohol at all events, after first limiting attendance to 50% capacity. There’s also a blanket rule against cheering, screaming and high-fiving in the stands. Even the athletes are getting shafted, as the traditional mass distribution of condoms in the Olympic Village is no more. Instead, athletes will be given protection upon their departure. KYODO
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