Here are the stories TIME is watching this Thursday, June 19.
With the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ISIS only 40 miles away from Baghdad, Iraq pleads for U.S. airstrikes while President Barack Obama meets with top legislators to plot a course of action.
Amazon set the consumer electronics world ablaze with the announcement of its new Fire Phone that lets customers scan and buy products.
Dark horse Democratic presidential candidate Brian Schweitzer undercut his already slim odds by insinuating that Eric Cantor is gay in an interview with National Journal.
And finally, if you’re a teen girl with a phone, you just can’t win. A study in Journal of Children and Media found that teen girls who sext are labeled “slutty” while girls who don’t are “prudes.”
The Brief is published daily on weekdays.
- How the Biden Administration Lost Its Way
- Hanya Yanagihara Is Never Going to Read Your Mean Tweets
- Inside Finland's Plan to End All Waste by 2050
- Chloe Kim Is Ready to Win Olympic Gold Again—On Her Own Terms
- Asia Has Kept COVID-19 at Bay for 2 Years. Omicron Could Change That
- Investors Are Sinking Real Money Into Virtual Real Estate, With No Guarantees
- The Man Putin Fears
