Good morning. Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. FIFA Boss Blatter Resigns as FBI Looks Into Scandal
Sepp Blatter, president of world soccer's governing body, announced in a surprise that he was stepping down amid scandal. U.S. authorities issued a sweeping indictment last week alleging corruption at the highest levels of FIFA, and a source familiar with the investigation confirmed to NBC News that the FBI is now looking into possible wrongdoing specifically by Blatter. Read more in SPORTS.
2. Man Arrested in Boston Terror Probe After Fatal Shooting
Police in Massachusetts arrested a man Tuesday night as they conducted a terrorism investigation involving another man that was fatally shot by police earlier in the day, officials said. Usaamah Rahim was shot to death after he brandished a military-style knife and threatened officers who stopped him for questioning as part of a joint FBI investigation into a possible terrorism plot. Read more in NEWS.
3. Despair Turns to Anger After Chinese Ship Capsizes
Loved ones of the hundreds missing after a cruise ship capsized on the Yangtze River on Monday night voiced their frustration by the perceived lack of information. The official death toll rose to 19, Chinese state television reported, in what could become the country's deadliest maritime accident in decades. Only 14 of the 456 people on board have been rescued. Read more in NEWS.
4. Obama Signs Limits on NSA Surveillance Powers
President Barack Obama signed the USA Freedom Act, moving the storage of bulk telephone metadata used by the National Security Agency to telecom companies rather than the government. Obama acted hours after the measure passed the Senate and brought to a close a dramatic multi-day showdown over civil liberties that made strange political bedfellows and united factions on the left and right ends of the ideological spectrum. The law extends surveillance provisions under the Patriot Act while also limiting the NSA's previous powers. Read more in POLITICS.
5. Florida Sheriff Blames Man Killed in Police Shooting
The Broward County sheriff has responded to a lawsuit filed by the family of a man killed while walking with an unloaded air rifle, saying he caused his own death. Jermaine McBean, 33, was fatally shot by police in 2013 as he walked home from the pawn shop where he bought the rifle — after three people called 911 in alarm. The family's lawyer, civil rights attorney David Schoen, called the assertion "disappointing." Read more in NEWS.
6. 'Ferguson Effect' to Blame for Violence Spike in Cities?
Violent crime is rising in half of the 10 biggest U.S. cities, with murders up in four of them — most notably New York, the nation's poster child for crime reduction. Figuring out why it's happening is difficult. A backlash against excessive police force, such as in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, has sparked police slowdowns, which in turn has been blamed for the upticks in crime. Read more in NEWS.
7. Blackhawks Face Lightning in Stanley Cup Final
The Stanley Cup Final opens as the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1. Chicago is the favorite, having triumphed on hockey's biggest stage just two years ago. The Lightning last won the Cup in 2004. The action starts at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Read more at NBC SPORTS.
Nightly Spotlight
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