Some news events to start off the week

1.  In the second of three votes on the fate of the Confederate flag, the South Carolina legislature voted 37-3 to remove the flag and place it in the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.    It now goes to the House of Representatives for the final vote, which requires a two-thirds majority.

2.  In a referendum on Sunday, Greeks gave a strong NO vote to the proposed bailout plan from the creditors and the European Union.   It's not clear what happens next.   There is a planned meeting on Tuesday between the Eurozone Finance Ministers and the Greek Foreign Minister.   Some commenters are saying the only viable choices are at least some debt reduction or Greece leaving the EU.

Whatever the relative merits of a yes/no vote, it's clear that the No vote has boosted the spirits of the Greek people, who have suffered for five years under an austerity budget mandated by the European Union and the creditors -- and the now-rejected plan would have required even more severe austerity measures.

A commenter on CNN on Sunday night called the vote "a raised middle finger" by the Greek people toward demands of the EU.   Paul Krugman likened the EU proposal to "Medieval doctors bleeding their patients."   And best-selling economist/author Thomas Piketty pointed out that Germany, the EU member most opposed to a lenient bailout for Greece, had never repaid its debts following the two world wars.

3.  Pope Francis drew "hundreds of thousands" of people at an appearance in Ecuador.   He is touring a number of South American countries, where 70% to 80+% of the population is Roman Catholic.   There is such good will toward this particular pontiff that it is tempting to suggest we change how we refer to such huge popularity as "rock star appeal."   Rock stars do not hold a candle to this pope in crowd-drawing capacity.

Francis will visit Philadelphia in the fall, where estimates of up to a million people will come out to hear him.

4.  The U. S. Women's soccer team defeated Japan 5-2 in the World Cup finals on Sunday.   This makes the U.S. team the only women's team to win three World Cups, in 1991, 1999, and 2015.    The television audience of 25.4 million was by far the largest for any soccer match ever in U.S. history, beating the tv audience for the 2014 men's World Cup finals of 18.2 million.

5.  Colorado has had phenomenal success in reducing teen pregnancy and teen abortions as the result of a six-year-long, free contraceptive program.   Birth rates among teenage moms declined by 40% and teen abortions by 42%.   The program uses "long-acting, reversible" contraceptives, either IUDs or hormonal implants.

Now -- if they can just keep religious-conservative politicians from interfering with this successful program.

6.  Bernie Sanders continues to draw the largest crowds yet of any presidential candidate.   An estimated 7,500 people attended a rally in Portland, Maine yesterday.   That's nothing compared to the "pope-star appeal," but it's amazing this early in a campaign.

Ralph