--- description: Sen. John McCain has been diagnosed with brain cancer, his office said. These are today's top stories title: Top Stories: John McCain, O.J. Simpson Parole, Plastic Waste image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5abdcc0dc2d15737/6988d6710b72e336226eeb55/john-mccain-cancer-673467348.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [the morning brief](/tag/the-morning-brief/) ## the morning brief Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Morning Brief: John McCain Cancer, O.J. Simpson Parole and Waste  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 20, 2017 12:42 PM CUT  After answering questions from reporters, Sen. John McCain departs the U.S. Capitol for a briefing on North Korea at the White House April 26, 2017 in Washington, DC. After answering questions from reporters, Sen. John McCain departs the U.S. Capitol for a briefing on North Korea at the White House April 26, 2017 in Washington, DC.Win McNamee—Getty Images  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 20, 2017 12:42 PM CUT Good morning. These are today’s top stories: ## John McCain has brain cancer Sen. [John McCain](http://time.com/4865775/john-mccain-brain-cancer-tumor-glioblastoma/?xid=homepage "undefined") has been diagnosed with brain cancer, his office said. The tumor, known as glioblastoma, was found while the 80-year-old Arizona Republican was having an operation to remove a blood clot from his eye. Glioblastoma is a highly malignant and fast-growing type of tumor, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. President Donald Trump said McCain “has always been a fighter” as other lawmakers expressed their support. ## Parole board weighs O.J. Simpson’s fate A parole board in Nevada will announce Thursday whether O.J. Simpson will soon be able to walk out of prison a free man. The 70-year-old former football star is approaching the nine-year minimum mark of his 33-year prison sentence over an armed robbery. Here’s [what to know about his parole hearing](http://time.com/4864547/oj-simpson-parole-hearing/ "undefined"), as he could be released. ## The world is becoming full of plastic waste More than 26 million pounds of plastic waste will clutter the world by 2050, according to projections from [new research](http://time.com/4865807/plastic-waste-bury-manhattan-environment/?xid=homepage "undefined") published in the journal _Science Advances_. “At the current rate, we are really heading toward a plastic planet,” said the study’s lead author, Roland Geyer. **Also:** GOP senators are making a [last-ditch effort](http://time.com/4866021/republican-senators-health-care-bill/?xid=homepage "undefined") to rescue their **health care bill**. A [Florida school district](http://time.com/4864442/florida-school-no-homework-policy/?xid=homepage "undefined") is **eliminating homework** in favor of reading. **Pizza Hut** is [hiring](http://fortune.com/2017/07/20/pizza-hut-hiring-drivers-delivery-algorithm/ "undefined") 14,000 new drivers and developing a **new delivery algorithm**. _The Morning Brief is published Mondays through Fridays. Email Morning Brief writer Melissa Chan at_ [_melissa.chan@time.com_](mailto:melissa.chan@time.com "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4864645/john-mccain-cancer-oj-simpson-parole/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4864645/john-mccain-cancer-oj-simpson-parole/"},"headline":"The Morning Brief: John McCain Cancer, O.J. 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