Iran strikes back
An Iranian missile attack. A deadly plane crash. A billion animals feared dead. Today's news is not the lightest, but we'll get through this together.
It's Ashley, and we've got a lot of news to catch up on.
But first, a pause before the heavy stuff: A UPS driver started posting dog pictures in 2013. It's a viral sensation, winning 1.6M likes. What else has an equally-ish popular following? Dogs of The Short List.
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Iran's missile attack: Here’s what we know
The world anxiously wondered how Iran would retaliate after the U.S. killed its top general last week, and Iran delivered its answer this week by raining more than a dozen missiles down on airbases in Iraq housing U.S. troops. In an address at the White House, President Donald Trump said no U.S. or coalition troops were killed in the attack and damage to the base was minimal. Here’s what we know about the attack:
What happened? The missile barrage targeted the al Assad airbase in Iraq’s western Anbar province and another base in Erbil in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region.
What sparked the attack? The Pentagon said Iranian officials acknowledged that they were behind the attack, which the Iranians called an act of defense in response to the death of one of Tehran's most powerful military leaders, Qasem Soleimani.
Did we know Iran's strike was coming? Early-warning defense systems gave U.S. forces advance knowledge that missiles were launched, according to a U.S. official speaking to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity. The official said the warnings allowed troops to scramble into bunkers for safety.
Will Iran continue to attack? It’s unknown whether Iran plans to take further action, but Trump said it appeared the regime was "standing down." The president did not indicate that the U.S. would retaliate militarily for the missile attack.
Did a plane crash in Iran after engine failure or something else?
A Ukrainian airplane carrying 176 people crashed Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s main airport, killing all aboard, state TV reported. Sadly, there were no survivors. Authorities found the “black boxes” from the jet, but Iran hasn't released flight data from them. Without it, inspectors say, it's harder to determine why the jet went down. The crash came hours after Iran launched the missile attack in Iraq, but Ukrainian and Iranian officials gave no indication the two events are related. Iranian authorities pointed to the possibility of engine failure, but some aviation observers were skeptical. "There was no way for Iran to know it was engine failure,” said Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general and a pilot.
What everyone’s talking about
More than 1 billion animals are feared dead in the Australian wildfires, experts say.
Potentially "dangerous" snow squalls are a major weather threat across the Northeast on Wednesday, forecasters warn.
Baby Blue Ivy isn't so much of a baby anymore in this adorable birthday photo from Beyonce's dad.
Hackers on the other side of the world can take control of your vehicle.
Modern medicine is out of this world: Doctors treated an astronaut's blood clot in space. 👏
*Spits British tea all over the laptop keyboard and literally everything*
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan of Sussex just dropped a major announcement: They're stepping back as senior members of the British royal family and plan to split their time between North America and the United Kingdom. In a historic move, the Duke and Duchess said in a palace news release Wednesday that they want to "become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen." It was stunning news, even for the frequently surprising Sussexes. Their announcement said they were encouraged by their many supporters in Britain to make this move.
Real quick
Orioles pitcher Miguel Castro said he was robbed at gunpoint in the Dominican Republic.
General Motors shocked nearly 1,000 temp workers with full-time promotions.
Harvey Weinstein's lawyers asked the judge to excuse him from the case over what they called unfair treatment.
A young girl hit by a foul ball at a Houston Astros game has a permanent brain injury, her lawyer said.
The 2020 Oscars will be host-less, once again.
Take that, cancer
The cancer death rate in the USA had has seen its largest one-year drop ever, according to a report released Wednesday. Overall, cancer deaths fell 2.2% from 2016 to 2017, according to the American Cancer Society. That’s the largest drop seen in national cancer statistics going back to 1930, said Rebecca Siegel, the report's lead author. “It’s absolutely driven by lung cancer,” which accounts for about a quarter of all cancer deaths, she said. Take lung cancer out of the mix, and the 2017 rate drop is 1.4%, she said. Researchers credited the decline to advances in lung tumor treatments. Government researchers reported a slightly lower drop in the cancer death rate for the same period.
A break from the news
A "Dry January" is good for more than just a healthy liver. Here's what else will improve if you stop drinking.
The 5 best Amazon deals you can get this Wednesday.
This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iran missile attack, plane crash, Meghan Markle: Wednesday's news
