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BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian state TV is acknowledging that pro-government forces have withdrawn from the ancient Syrian town of Palmyra, ceding control to Islamic State extremists. The fall of the town is a stunning defeat for President Bashar Assad's forces. Control of Palmyra could open the way for extremists to advance to key government-held areas, including Damascus.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Florida man who flew a gyrocopter to the lawn of the U.S. Capitol last month faces charges, including two felonies, that carry up to 9 ½ years in prison. Douglas Hughes has been indicted by a federal grand jury. The 61-year-old postal carrier says he was protesting the corrupting influence of money on Congress. The stunt also led to a congressional hearing and exposed a gap in ensuring the safety of the Capitol.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four of the world's biggest banks have agreed to pay more than $5 billion in penalties and plead guilty to rigging the currency markets. Traders at JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland were accused of conspiring among themselves to manipulate rates on the foreign exchange market, where hundreds of billions of dollars and euros change hands back and forth. No executives were charged and it's far from clear if the fines will deter others.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's water board director says he'll decide by Friday whether to accept an offer from a group of farmers to give up a fourth of their available water. The concession could be one of the most important yet forced by California's record four-year drought. In exchange, the farmers want guarantees the state won't restrict the remaining 75 percent of the water they've had rights to for more than a century.
NEW YORK (AP) — After 33 years and 6,028 broadcasts filled with Stupid Pet Tricks and Top Ten lists, David Letterman is signing off. Letterman announced his retirement last year and has kept details of his final "Late Show" under wraps. The show tapes in late afternoon at Manhattan's Ed Sullivan Theater and airs at 11:35 p.m. Eastern. Stephen Colbert will replace Letterman in September.
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