Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
1. U.S. AWAITS LANDMARK VOTE ON GAY MARRIAGE
The Supreme Court is expected to issue decisions today on two laws that could give gay Americans marriage rights and the same benefits as married heterosexual couples.
2. ARCHBISHOP WISHES PEACEFUL `END’ FOR MANDELA
Lucas Aedwaba offered a prayer after visiting the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader in a hospital, where he’s critically ill with a lung infection.
3. CHAOS WITH ABORTION VOTE AFTER FILIBUSTER
Screaming protesters prevented Texas Republicans from passing a restrictive abortion ban before a midnight deadline.
4. WHAT SOUTHERN STATES PLAN AFTER VOTING RIGHTS DECISION
Some pledged to pass laws requiring voters to show photo IDs and others want to set earlier hours after the Supreme Court freed states from federal oversight.
5. `NYET’ ON TURNING OVER SNOWDEN
Putin acknowledges the NSA leaker is at a Moscow airport, and rejected U.S. pleas to extradite him.
6. DEMOCRATS HANG ON TO KERRY SEAT
Rep. Ed Markey defeated Republican Gabriel Gomez, and the state’s Democrats didn’t repeat the upset of three years ago when Republican Scott Brown succeeded Sen. Edward Kennedy.
7. AUSTRALIA PRIME MINISTER OUSTED
Predecessor Kevin Rudd defeated Julia Gillard in a party leadership ballot she called for after her authority was challenged
8. `KING OF COMMODITIES’ DIES
Marc Rich, a trader indicted on fraud and tax evasion charges, was pardoned by Bill Clinton at the end of his presidency. He died in Switzerland at 78.
9. TEXAS TO MAKE HISTORY
The nation’s busiest death penalty state plans to execute its 500th inmate tonight – a woman convicted of killing her neighbor with a candelabra in the 1990s.
10. IS PAULA DEEN TOAST?
The food diva is expected to speak on the “Today” show today, but experts say she has already damaged her reputation in the fallout from her admission of using racial slurs.
