5 things you need to know Monday
1. Pope travels to two Cuban cities to celebrate Mass, offer prayer
Pope Francis continues his Cuba trip, traveling to two different cities on the island nation Monday. He'll celebrate Mass at Revolution Plaza in Holguin and later will meet with bishops at St. Basil the Great Seminary in Santiago. Also in Santiago, he will offer a prayer with the bishops and papal entourage at the Minor Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity del Cobre. This is Pope Francis' first trip to Cuba and is the first papal trip there by a Latin American pope who can deliver homilies in his native Spanish.
2. Couple charged in murder of 'Baby Doe' due in court
A man charged with the murder of "Baby Doe," the mystery child whose innocent face sparked millions of followers on social media as Massachusetts police desperately hunted for clues about her identity, is due in court Monday. The child has been identified as Bella Bond. Michael McCarthy, 35, is charged with murder. His girlfriend, Bella’s mother, Rachelle Bond is charged as an accessory after the fact. The girl was 2 1/2 years old when she died. Her body was found June 25 inside a trash bag on Deer Island in Winthrop by a woman walking a dog.
3. Peanut executive faces life in prison for salmonella outbreak
Stewart Parnell the former owner of Peanut Corporation of America, is back in court Monday facing possible life imprisonment for his conviction last year of knowingly selling salmonella-tainted peanut butter. The ensuing outbreak was blamed for nine deaths. Federal investigators found a leaky roof, roaches and evidence of rodents at the company's Georgia plant. Food-safety attorney Bill Marler, who represented many families of victims in the salmonella outbreak, has said life imprisonment would be “unprecedented.”
4. Hearing begins for alleged Internet pirate Kim Dotcom
An extradition hearing begins Monday for Kim Dotcom, the colorful German-born entrepreneur who started the Internet site Megaupload, which the U.S. alleges facilitated Internet piracy on a massive scale. American prosecutors are trying to bring Dotcom from his home in New Zealand to face trial in Virginia on charges of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, racketeering and money-laundering in connection with his site, which millions of people once used to store files and download songs and movies. Dotcom argues that plenty of people used his site for legitimate reasons and that he can't be held responsible for those who chose to use it for illegal downloads.
5. 'Peace Day' burger collaboration gets dished up
Burger King teams up with Denny's, Wayback Burgers, Krystal and Giraffas to give away 1,500 "peace day burgers" at a pop-up restaurant in Atlanta on Monday. The campaign, tied to the International Day of Peace, was launched last month when BK took out full-page ads in the Chicago Tribune and New York Times calling on McDonald's to join them in a one-day cease-fire in their "burger wars" by collaborating on a McWhopper. McDonald's declined, but other chains stepped up to the plate.
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And, the essentials:
Weather: Expect more heat for Texas and California but beautiful weather for the northern U.S.
Stocks: U.S. stock futures were higher Monday, after the Federal Reserve’s decision not to hike interest rates last week raised new concerns about global growth.
TV tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at The Big Bang Theory, Gotham and Castle.
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Contributing: The Associated Press