Good morning. These are today’s top stories:
Rex Tillerson gives Russia ultimatum on Syria
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Russia could either help the U.S. put a stop to Syria’s civil war or keep siding with Syrian leader Bashar Assad. “We cannot let this happen again,” he said about last week’s deadly chemical attack, according to the Associated Press. “We want to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people. Russia can be a part of that future and play an important role. Or Russia can maintain its alliance with this group, which we believe is not going to serve Russia’s interests longer term.” Tillerson is heading to Moscow today following a meeting in Italy with top foreign diplomats.
Student killed in San Bernardino school shooting
An 8-year-old boy was among three people killed after a man gunned down his estranged wife — a teacher — and then killed himself inside her special-education classroom at an elementary school in San Bernardino, Calif. yesterday. The student, Jonathan Martinez, was standing near his teacher, Karen Elaine Smith, when Cedric Anderson opened fire, police said.
Officer in United Airlines incident is under review
A Chicago aviation security officer who was involved in forcibly removing and dragging a man out of his seat on an overbooked United Airlines flight has been placed on leave “pending a thorough review of the situation,” the Chicago Department of Aviation said. A video of the incident, which showed the bloodied passenger, sparked intense outrage against the airline. The man had been reportedly asked to give up his seat on an oversold flight for a United employee and refused.
Also:
North Korea is warning the U.S. about “catastrophic consequences” after the U.S. deployed a Navy strike fleet.
Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest person ever to be named a U.N. Messenger of Peace at 19.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has resigned after a scandal surrounding an alleged affair.
A judge has found that Texas’ voter ID law was made to stop minorities from voting.
Comedian Hasan Minhaj will host the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The Lower Colorado River is America’s most endangered river this year, an environmental group said.
Colson Whitehead won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for The Underground Railroad.
The Morning Brief is published Mondays through Fridays. Email Morning Brief writer Melissa Chan at melissa.chan@time.com.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Introducing the 2024 TIME100 Next
- The Reinvention of J.D. Vance
- How to Survive Election Season Without Losing Your Mind
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Scams
- Did the Pandemic Break Our Brains?
- The Many Lives of Jack Antonoff
- 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre
- Why Gut Health Issues Are More Common in Women
Contact us at letters@time.com