Baltimore Manhunt Underway.
Police have deployed aircraft and canines as a massive manhunt began yesterday for two gunmen that shot and killed a police officer outside of Baltimore. Witnesses in the northeast suburb of Perry Hall reported hearing shots before seeing a vehicle run over the female officer on Monday afternoon. According to officials the officer was badly injured and pronounced dead at the hospital. Nearly 2,000 students were kept at schools on lockdown as police searched for the suspects who are considered armed and dangerous. The suspects remained at large as of Tuesday morning, and body camera footage from the fallen officer is currently being reviewed by authorities.
So far in 2018, 28 law enforcement officers have been shot and killed in the line of duty.
Fortune 500 Companies Released.
Fortune Magazine released its list of Fortune 500 companies yesterday, the 64th edition of its annual ranking of America's biggest companies. The list - which ranks companies by annual revenue - represents nearly two-thirds of US GDP while accounting for nearly $21.6T in market value and 28.2 million employees worldwide. Walmart stayed on top of the list for the sixth year in a row, becoming the first company to surpass $500B in annual sales while more than doubling second-ranked Exxon Mobil ($244B in annual revenue). Berkshire Hathaway ($242B), Apple ($229B), and UnitedHealth Group ($201B) round out the top five. Amazon ($178B), one of the most feared competitors in the market, cracked the top 10 for the first time, landing at #8. The most profitable company (revenues minus costs) was Apple at $48B, and although Walmart dominated in revenue it was ranked 20th in profits, at $9B - reflecting the lower margins of the retail sector.
US Outlines Revamped Nuclear Deal.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo outlined the administration's criteria for renegotiating an Iran nuclear deal yesterday, two weeks after the US withdrew from the previous agreement. While some of the requirements were specific to the country's nuclear program - like a complete stop to uranium enrichment, where the earlier deal allowed for limited enrichment for energy purposes - others focused on Iran's attempts to influence broader Middle East politics. Notably, Pompeo said the US would require Iran to sever financial ties with Hezbollah - a political and militant organization located within Lebanon that is supported by and often acts as a proxy for Iran ( see 101), which the US has recognized as a terrorist group since 1997. The administration threatened the "strongest sanctions in history" if the criteria weren't met.
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