Today is Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day and Emancipation Day. It is the day in 1865 when slaves were freed in Texas after Union troops conquered the state two and a half months after Lee surrendered in Virginia. June 19^th marked the completion of freeing all the former slaves in the United States.

June 14 is Flag Day. It marks an important day in the nation’s history: the Continental Congress passed a resolution that established the nation’s first flag on June 14, 1777. This used to be a national secular holiday, when most households showed their patriotism and loyalty to the United States by flying its flag. But the nation doesn’t seem to be in a celebratory mood these days, and Flag Day may not offer a lift to our national pride.

Last month, the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), a bill that authorizes 34 water resources projects including the dredging of ports and improvements to the nation's inland water system. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost of these projects to be $12.3 billion between 2015 and 2024.

The 25 highest-paid hedge fund managers took home $21.15 billion last year, according to just-released numbers published by Institutional Investor’s Alpha magazine. David Tepper, founder of Appaloosa Management, topped the list for the second year in a row, earning $3.5 billion in 2013, up 59 percent over 2012. Four of those on Alpha’s “Rich List” took home more than $1 billion in 2013.