Midday Roundup: Remembering those who served

Honoring veterans. Cities across the country are decked out in red, white, and blue for Veterans Day, with many holding parades and events to honor those who served in the U.S. military. While civilians take time to recognize the men and women who help protect them, many veterans spend the day remembering friends who didn’t make it home. Lee Roy Herron was one of many young Marines who did not return from Vietnam alive. Herron, killed on Feb. 22, 1969, was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, and a photograph of him hangs in the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va. In that photo, Herron sits with several other men on overturned boxes before a makeshift alter at a chapel on a Vietnamese hillside. As the chaplain reads from the Bible, Herron and the other men bow their heads in prayer. Herron traveled more than six miles through enemy territory to attend that church service just a month before his death. His friends later said the photo spoke more about Herron’s faith than any memorial ever could. Veterans Day began as Armistice Day in 1919, commemorating the end of World War I, and became known as Veterans Day in 1954.

Thwarted threats. Police at the University of Missouri have arrested a suspect who allegedly posted threats against African-American students on social media. The threats heightened tension on a campus already tightly wound after weeks of protests over what many say is a culture of racism. On Monday, both the university chancellor and the system president stepped down amid claims they bungled the response to student concerns about a series of racist incidents. Some instructors canceled classes today because of the threats of violence, and last night, the school’s cultural center had to be evacuated. The suspect, identified by campus police as 19-year-old Hunter M. Park, was not near campus when he used several social media accounts to warn students to stay home today, saying he planned to shoot every black person he saw.

Defense spending. In another defeat for the White House, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the $607 billion defense authorization bill by a 91-3 vote. The measure has already cleared the House by a similar majority. The bill contains provisions that would severely restrict President Barack Obama’s ability to close the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay—something he’s attempted since taking office in 2009. Still, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the president won’t veto the measure. “There are a number of provisions within the NDAA that are important to running and protecting the country.” Earnest said. “So that’s why I would expect you would see the president sign the NDAA when it comes to his desk, whenever it comes to his desk.” Earnest also noted what he called “the reality of the vote count” in Congress—enough to override a presidential veto.

Hackers charged. Federal prosecutors have charged three men with operating a series of cyberhacking schemes. The high-profile victims include News Corp’s Dow Jones Division, E-Trade, and JPMorgan Chase, which suffered the greatest breach of financial data in U.S. history. According to the U.S. attorney leading the case, the charges involve cyber intrusions over several years targeting 12 different companies, seven financial institutions, two financial news publications, two software development firms, and a market risk intelligence company. Defendants Gery Shalon and Ziv Orenstein are Israeli citizens who have been arrested and are awaiting extradition to the United States. Joshua Samuel Aaron is an American living in Moscow who remains at large. They all face counts of computer hacking, identity theft, and multiple forms of fraud. The hack was not about stealing financial data but about getting a list of potential victims for a stock trading scam.

Bad bikers. A Texas grand jury has indicted 106 bikers involved in a melee at a popular restaurant in Waco on May 17. The resulting shootout between police and several different biker gangs left nine people dead and 20 wounded. Police arrested 177 bikers after the shooting stopped. Critics have accused the police of being heavy-handed and adding to the tension at the event, which was planned weeks in advance. Law enforcement officials expected violence to break out, but critics say the police presence made the situation worse. In announcing the first round of indictments, McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna dismissed criticisms of his department: “I’m not worried about the people on social media. I’m worried about the facts, the law and the evidence.”

WORLD Radio’s Mary Reichard contributed to this report.