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Happening Today: Missing Soccer Team, HPV, Katharine McPhee, Richard Swift

What to Know

  • The Thai soccer teammates stranded more than a week in a partly flooded cave said they were healthy on a video, as heavy rain is forecasted
  • For woman age 30 and over, directly testing for the human papillomavirus is a simpler way to test for Cervical Cancer, according to a report
  • Katharine McPhee and David Foster are engaged, the 34-year-old actress' rep confirmed to TMZ

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Soccer Players Speaking From Thai Cave Say They Are Healthy

Their skinny faces illuminated by a flashlight, the Thai soccer teammates stranded more than a week in a partly flooded cave said they were healthy on a video, as heavy rains forecast for later this week could complicate plans to safely extract them. The 12 boys and their coach are seen sitting with Thai navy SEALs in the dark cave. The boys, many wrapped in foil warming blankets, take turns introducing themselves, folding their hands together in a traditional greeting and saying their names and that they are healthy. The video lasting about a minute was posted on the navy SEAL Facebook page. The navy later released two more videos of the boys. The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach disappeared after they went exploring in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Chiang Rai province after a soccer game. The teammates, who were trapped inside when heavy rains flooded the cave, were found by rescue divers during a desperate search that drew assistance from experts around the globe.

Trump to Rescind Obama-Era Guidance on Affirmative Action

The Trump administration said the government would no longer encourage schools to use race as a factor in the admissions process, rescinding Obama-era guidance meant to promote diversity among students. The shift gives colleges the federal government's blessing to leave race out of admissions and enrollment decisions and underscores the contentious politics that for decades have surrounded affirmation action policies, which have repeatedly been challenged before the Supreme Court. The Obama administration memos encouraging schools to take race into account were among 24 policy documents revoked by the Justice Department for being "unnecessary, outdated, inconsistent with existing law, or otherwise improper." Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the changes an effort to restore the "rule of law," though civil rights groups decried the move and some universities said they intended to continue their diversity efforts as before. The action comes amid a high-profile court fight over Harvard University admissions that has attracted the government's attention, as well as Supreme Court turnover expected to produce a more critical eye toward schools' race-conscious admissions policies.

HPV Tests a Better Choice Than Pap Smear for Cervical Cancer, Study Shows

For woman age 30 and over, directly testing for the human papillomavirus, which causes 99 percent of cervical cancer, is a simpler way to test for the cancer, according to an NPR report, citing a new study. The study, called the HPV FOCAL trial, compared the HPV test with Pap smear among thousands of woman over four years shows HPV testing could be more accurate. There’s speculation, however, with some experts still saying c0-testing or using both tests is the still standard.

Katharine McPhee and David Foster Are Engaged

Katharine McPhee and David Foster are engaged. The 34-year-old actress and the 68-year-old music producer are set to tie the knot, McPhee's rep confirmed to TMZ. The couple has been linked since last year, but have played coy on the relationship speculation. According to McPhee's Instagram, the couple is currently on vacation in Italy together, where the proposal reportedly took place.

Producer, Musician Richard Swift of The Shins Dies, His Rep Says

Musician, singer-songwriter and producer Richard Swift, who has been in bands such as The Shins, The Arcs and The Black Keys, has died. He was 41. A representative for Swift said he died in Tacoma, Washington. A GoFundMe account for Swift set up earlier in June said he was hospitalized due to a serious medical condition. The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney said in a post on their Facebook page that Swift was "one of the most talented musicians we have ever worked with." Swift released his own albums as well, but was a valued studio producer and musician for many rock bands. He is credited on albums by The Pretenders, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and Ray LaMontagne.

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