Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders took off the gloves last night, going after each other on qualifications, guns and financial reform. You can watch the highlights and read the transcript of the Brooklyn showdown. Critics called the debate a draw. [Daniel Marans, HuffPost]
"It’s far easier to join ISIS than to leave. Members of a hidden community of ISIS defectors recount how they were pulled into the grip of extremism -- and their struggle to escape. " [Buzzfeed]
On the day the country celebrates its founder's birthday, no less. [Peter Andrew Hart, HuffPost]
"University of California Davis spent an exorbitant amount of money to make you forget that one of its officers pepper-sprayed a bunch of students for protesting tuition hikes. Then the school spent even more to whitewash negative search results about the 2011 incident and the lawsuits and resignations that followed." [Andy Campbell, HuffPost]
After accusations that she lied about an EU report that was critical of security at Brussels Airport over a year ago. [Reuters]
"China’s economy slowed further in the beginning of the year, though Beijing’s policies to revive growth with old-style tools such as lending and construction appeared to gain traction in March." [WSJ | Paywall]
WHAT’S BREWING
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds as well as Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes are expecting baby #2. [HuffPost]
Tim Cook takes the top spot. [HuffPost]
This is the largest drop of funding for a quarter since the dot-com bust. [WSJ | Paywall]
Yikes. [Mashable]
And not because you're jabbering away with your roommate. [HuffPost]
Taylor? Is that you? [HuffPost]
Remember that blue creature movie? We're getting more of those. And as you start wondering why we need five of those, just think to yourself that there are five Transformers movies. Five. [HuffPost]
WHAT'S WORKING
"They put up disc golf in empty fields and host archery sessions after school to bring in people at times they may not usually visit." [Stateline]
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BEFORE YOU GO
~ The first case of sexually transmitted Zika in the U.S. was between gay men.
~ If you are afraid of spiders, do not go to the Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki, which appears to be infested with a rare and deadly spider.
~ This sunspot is in the shape of a heart, proving that Fridays are in fact the best days (really, proving nothing, but we liked it anyways).
~ A day in the life of making a TV show.
~ If anyone wants to let us take the world's fastest convertible for a test ride, nobody would be mad.
~ Congrats to Kelly Clarkson and her husband Brandon Blackstock on the birth of their baby boy.
~ The New York Times takes a look at the "Minecraft generation."
~ And apologies for ending on the worst of news, but "Game of Thrones" may only have 13 more episodes after this season.
Send tips/quips/quotes/stories/photos/events/scoops to Lauren Weber at lauren.weber@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter @LaurenWeberHP. And like what you're reading? Sign up here to get The Morning Email delivered to you.