History was made today. The Church of England voted Monday to admit female bishops (clergy in 2012 tried to get this done but traditionalists blocked it). The change was approved by the General Synod - the church's highest governing body - and means the first female bishops could be appointed as early as next year. The U.S. branch, the Episcopal Church, already allows the ordination of female bishops. Archbishop of York John Sentamu said, 'This is a momentous day. Generations of women have served the Lord faithfully in the Church of England for centuries. It is a moment of joy today.'
Army gives former captive Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl a desk job
The Army said he's in the clear. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has completed the final phase of his reintegration at an Army hospital in Texas and will return to 'regular duty.' Bergdahl was released from Taliban captivity May 31 in a controversial trade for five Taliban commanders held at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. There is an ongoing investigation into Bergdahl's disappearance from his outpost, but since he hasn't been accused of any crime, he is free to return to his normal duties. It's unclear if Bergdahl has connected with his parents yet.
Shipwrecked Costa Concordia is upright and on its way to the scrapheap
It only took two and a half years. The cruise liner that capsized off the Italian coast in January 2012, killing 32 people, was refloated Monday and will be towed to Genoa and dismantled. The journey to Genoa, where it will be scrapped, will cost $2 billion. That's more than the ship itself, which cost about $570 million. The 150-mile tow to Genoa is expected to take about five days. People involved in the operation are pleased with how it's going so far, but said they're not out of the water until the mission is complete (yes, terrible pun intended).
Hundreds of thousands of homeowners could benefit from Citigroup's $7B fine
Citigroup has agreed to pay $7 billion as part of a landmark Justice Department settlement for its role in the sale of risky, mortgage-based securities in the run-up to the financial crisis. The agreement includes $4 billion which Attorney General Eric Holder said was a 'record' civil penalty of its kind and. Citi will pay $500 million to state attorneys general and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The remaining $2.5 billion will go to help consumers who are still struggling with mortgages and other problems from the 2007-2009 financial crisis.
Israel and Hamas consider a cease-fire in GazaBoth sides seem to have had enough for now. The death toll is rising in a week of heavy fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza strip. Monday, it was reported that both sides were open to a cease-fire plan proposed by Egypt (Egypt, the first Arab state to reach peace with Israel, is often the mediator between Israel and Hamas). Israel launched the offensive last week, which they said was a response to heavy rocket fire out of Hamas-ruled Gaza. To stop the fighting, Israel is demanding an extended period of quiet. Hamas wants an easing of an Israeli-Egyptian blockade on Gaza. Since the conflict began, militants have fired nearly 1,000 rockets at Israel, causing some injuries and damage to property, but no fatalities among Israelis. By contrast, 175 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel's air attacks.
You and your best friend share enough genes to be fourth cousinsThis is so validating. If you think your friends are like family, you may be right. A new study finds that friends share more genes than strangers do - not enough to make them like brothers and sisters, but enough to make them something like fourth cousins. An obvious explanation might be that friends and lovers of the same racial, ethnic and geographic backgrounds find one another most easily. But the study's authors say they don't think that's it. We're not really sure why, but it may be that people actively choose friends like themselves, but also that similar people are drawn to similar environments or placed in them by others (employers, parents and schools, for instance). One intriguing possibility: that the sense of smell may draw similar people together. The researchers found genes controlling smell were among those most likely to match. So maybe people who share a love for the smell of coffee end up meeting at Starbucks, Fowler says, while 'someone who hates the smell of coffee never walks in the door.'
Have a lot in common with your friends? You may even share some genetic similarities, a new study finds.(Photo: Photodisc)
Extra Bites
Day in Pictures: Our favorite photo from today's gallery.
A little funny, a little sad: A Virginia rocket launch startled this herd of cattle.
Two farewells: 1) Nobel Prize-winning author and anti-apartheid activist Nadine Gordimer dies at 90. 2) After 75 years of the comic, Archie Andrews dies saving his gay friend.
This is a compilation of stories across USA TODAY. Contributing: Kevin Johnson, Jim Michaels, Kim Hjelmgaard, John Bacon, USA TODAY; Kim Painter, Mariam Hamed, Special for USA TODAYRead or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1mDH06W
Entities 0 Name: Israel Count: 8 1 Name: Hamas Count: 4 2 Name: USA Count: 3 3 Name: Army Count: 3 4 Name: Genoa Count: 3 5 Name: Bergdahl Count: 3 6 Name: Bowe Bergdahl Count: 2 7 Name: Gaza Count: 2 8 Name: Citigroup Count: 2 9 Name: Taliban Count: 2 10 Name: U.S. Count: 2 11 Name: Egypt Count: 2 12 Name: Kim Hjelmgaard Count: 1 13 Name: Mariam Hamed Count: 1 14 Name: John Bacon Count: 1 15 Name: Citi Count: 1 16 Name: Photodisc Count: 1 17 Name: Church of England Count: 1 18 Name: John Sentamu Count: 1 19 Name: Jim Michaels Count: 1 20 Name: Cuba Count: 1 21 Name: Episcopal Church Count: 1 22 Name: Gaza strip Count: 1 23 Name: Virginia Count: 1 24 Name: Texas Count: 1 25 Name: Guantanamo Bay Count: 1 26 Name: Archie Andrews Count: 1 27 Name: Starbucks Count: 1 28 Name: Kim Painter Count: 1 29 Name: Shipwrecked Costa Concordia Count: 1 30 Name: Fowler Count: 1 31 Name: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Count: 1 32 Name: Gaza Both Count: 1 33 Name: Nadine Gordimer Count: 1 34 Name: England Count: 1 35 Name: General Synod Count: 1 36 Name: Justice Department Count: 1 37 Name: Eric Holder Count: 1 38 Name: Kevin Johnson Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1mOVaBH Title: Bergdahl could get $350G tax-free, if cleared by Army Description: Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl could have a tax-free $350,000 dropped into his bank account if the current investigation into his disappearance from his base in Afghanistan was not desertion, and if he is deemed to have been a prisoner of war for the five years he was held by Islamic militants, Fox News has learned.
