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• Matt Bevin, who is challenging McConnell in the GOP primary in Kentucky, seized on the senator's vote Wednesday to move ahead on legislation to increase the nation's debt limit, describing it as a blank check for President Barack Obama. The tea party-backed businessman and conservative groups signaled they won't let Senate Republican incumbents forget the vote this election year.
• "Kentucky and America can literally no longer afford such financially reckless behavior from the likes of Mitch McConnell," Bevin said in a statement.
• Setting the vote in motion was one of McConnell's Republican colleagues -- Texan Ted Cruz, the tea party darling who has caused heartburn for his GOP colleagues in his year in the Senate.
• Cruz insisted on a 60-vote threshold for the Senate to proceed to must-pass legislation to allow the government to borrow money to pay its bills. House and Senate Republicans had decided against another round of brinkmanship and let it be known that they were ready to let Democrats deliver the votes on the debt bill after the House had passed it Tuesday.
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Activists: Syrian airstrikes, shelling kill 51 people in a single day in Aleppo's rebel areas
• BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian activists say 51 people, including 13 rebels, have been killed in a single day of government airstrikes and shelling of opposition-controlled districts of Aleppo.
• The Britain-based Observatory for Human Rights says most of the victims died from airstrikes and barrel bomb dumped on eight rebel-held districts of the northern city on Wednesday. The rest died from artillery shelling and sniper fire.
• The Observatory has been documenting Syria's conflict since its start in March 2011 through a network of activists on the ground.
• It released its report on the latest Aleppo casualties on Thursday, ahead of a trilateral meeting between U.S., Russian and U.N. official with Syrian government and opposition representatives in Geneva.
• The international mediators are trying to salvage the faltering peace negotiations.
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Afghanistan frees 65 accused militants from former US prison despite American protest
• KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghanistan released 65 accused militants from a (Continued on page 35)
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