The Starting Point is a preview of the stories we expect to cover today and a snapshot of the news that occurred overnight.
Top story
Worldwide demonstrations are planned this weekend to protest Iran's arrest of three American hikers one year ago.
Shane Bauer, 27, his fiancee Sarah Shourd, 31, and their friend Josh Fattal, 27, were hiking in the Zagros Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan last summer when they accidentally strayed across the unmarked border into Iran, The Washington Post reported. They were arrested on suspicion of espionage and taken to the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, AFP reported. According to the BBC, Shane and Josh have shared a cell; however, Sarah has been kept in solitary confinement, which her family fears will damage her mental and physical well-being.
Since the hikers were captured, their mothers -- Cindy Hickey, Nora Shourd and Laura Fattal -- have tirelessly campaigned for their release. They've sent letters to the U.S. and Iranian governments, calling their children's continued imprisonment "unlawful and inhumane," and asked the Iranian leaders to show mercy, The Associated Press reported. To date, the hikers have not been charged with a crime, and no trial date has been set.
Prior to their incarceration, Shane was a freelance journalist and photographer, Sarah was a teacher and Josh worked as an environmentalist. "These are people who are really interested in improving the world we live in; they are really passionate about building intercultural understanding," Alex Fattal, Josh's brother, told The New York Times. "…And here they are stuck in this politically charged nightmare. But we're confident that it will end soon, and that it will end well."
Demonstrators, some dressed as hikers, are expected to gather in front of Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York City on Friday. The hikers' mothers and Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, will give speeches, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Protests in 30 cities are also scheduled to mark the one-year anniversary of the hikers' capture on Saturday. Supporters who can't attend the demonstrations are urged to sign a petition on Facebook or to include the hashtag #SSJ on Twitter posts.
In other news
A second U.S. sailor who went missing in eastern Afghanistan was found dead, The AP reported. The cause of death for Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarot Newlove, 25, was not released. Newlove and Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, 30, went missing last Friday. NATO recovered McNeley's body earlier this week.
More than 1 million gallons of oil may have spilled into the Kalamazoo River, The AP reported. The spill, which was caused by a leak in a pipeline owned by Enbridge Inc., has killed fish and coated wildlife with crude. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has declared a state of emergency and warned of a "tragedy of historic proportions" if the oil reaches Lake Michigan.
Lastly, Avis Budget Group made a $1.33 billion offer for rental car rival Dollar Thrifty Automotive, The AP reported. The bid is an effort to trump Hertz Global Holdings Inc., which announced in April that it was buying Dollar Thrifty for about $1.17 billion in cash and stock.
Most read overnight
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's ruling on Arizona's controversial illegal immigration law may cause other states to reconsider their own immigration laws, The AP reported. The judge's temporary injunction delayed the most contentious provisions of the law, including a section that required officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws. She also barred the parts of the law that required immigrants to carry their papers, banned illegal immigrants from soliciting employment in public places and allowed officers to make warrantless arrests of suspected illegal immigrants. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer called Wednesday's decision "a bump in the road" and vowed to appeal.
Readers were also interested in this AP article about the Airblue plane crash in Islamabad on Wednesday. Recovery of the 152 passengers and crew was hindered by mud, rain and the rough terrain. Wreckage was strewn over about a third of a square mile; at the time of this writing, the plane's "black box" flight data recorders have yet to be found.
Public opinion
Today's poll:
Tuesday's poll:
Looking ahead
James R. Clapper, President Barack Obama's nominee to be chief of U.S. intelligence, is expected to be approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee today.
Top financial regulators will meet in Washington D.C. to discuss launching the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Eight House lawmakers will meet to determine the guilt or innocence of Rep. Charles Rangel, who's facing charges of ethical misdeeds.
NASA will host a Tweetup between 100 of the agency's followers on Twitter and T.J. Creamer, the first astronaut to send a live tweet from the International Space Station.
Actor Mark Wahlberg will receive the 2,414th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Just the facts, ma'am
Japanese women have held the record for the world's longest life expectancy for 25 years in a row, with an average life span of 86.44 years as of 2009. --Reuters
The 2010 Census is expected to count a record 50 million Hispanics, or one in every six U.S. residents, meaning the Hispanic population will have increased a stunning 42 percent from the previous census in 2000. --Advertising Age
After peaking at about 141 million in 2000, the number of U.S. home phones fell to 78 million by the end of 2008. --BusinessWeek
Today in history
In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Birthdays
* Actor Stephen Dorff, 37.
* Actor/author Wil Wheaton, 38.
* Singer Martina McBride, 44.
* Singer/musician Patti Scialfa (The E Street Band), 57.
* Singer/musician Geddy Lee (Rush), 57.
* Filmmaker Ken Burns, 57.
* Fashion guru/TV host Tim Gunn, 57.
* Marilyn Quayle, wife of former Vice President Dan Quayle, 61.
* Musician Neal Doughty (REO Speedwagon), 64.
* Former Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), 74.
* Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker (R-Kansas), 78.
Notable deaths
* Artist Vincent van Gogh died in 1890 at the age of 37.
* Actor David Niven died in 1983 at the age of 73.
* Talk show host Tom Snyder died in 2007 at the age of 71.
On a lighter note
Quote of the day
"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home." --James Michener
--Jade Walker is the overnight editor of Yahoo! News. She can be reached by e-mail at jadew@yahoo-inc.com.
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