A Manhattan-sized rock mass. Heading for Australia.
A company is forced to share responsibility for an opioid crisis. Trump shares his thoughts on "dreams and windmills." And I share a picture of my cute dog.
It's Ashley. Let's talk about today's news.
But first, mugshots on a plane: A Southwest Airlines agent entertained delayed flyers with a "worst drivers license picture" contest.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef could be saved by this giant volcanic 'raft'
There’s a giant layer of volcanic rock heading straight for Australia. It sounds kinda sketch, but it’s a good thing: The floating pumice stone is carrying a ton of sea organisms (Algae! Barnacles! Corals! Crabs!) that could soon aid recovery of the Great Barrier Reef, which has been damaged by climate change. The range of organisms could help restore the world's largest coral reef. Where'd the rock come from? The pumice "raft" was spotted by the NASA Earth Observatory days after an underwater volcano 130 feet deep may have erupted near Tonga.
Oklahoma's opioid crisis? Blame Johnson & Johnson, judge says
An Oklahoma judge on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries to pay $572 million to help abate the opioid crisis in Oklahoma, a landmark decision likely to be appealed to the state's highest court. "The opioid crisis is an imminent danger and menace to all of us," Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman said. "The defendants ... misleading marketing and promotion of opioids ... compromised the health and safety of thousands of Oklahomans." Opioid overdoses killed 4,653 people in Oklahoma from 2007 to 2017, according to state Attorney General Mike Hunter. It will take $17.5 billion over 30 years to to abate the crisis, state officials said.
Wealth first. Catastrophic climate change second.
President Donald Trump's first priority is to maintain the nation's wealth, not climate initiatives he described as amounting to "dreams and windmills." Trump on Monday told reporters at the G-7 summit in France that "I'm not going to lose that wealth. I'm not going to lose it on dreams and windmills, which, frankly, aren't working too well." Trump's remarks came after he skipped a G-7 session focused on climate, biodiversity and the health of oceans. The president has been at odds with other G-7 members, especially host France, after announcing in 2017 that the U.S. would formally withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. But Trump pushed back on Monday, telling reporters he is an "environmentalist."
What everyone’s talking about
Jennifer Lopez was told to not do "American Idol": "Your career will be over."
There are so many beautiful fish in the sea, but we prefer to watch the weird ones that glow in the dark.
"Hurricane conditions possible" as strengthening Tropical Storm Dorian heads for Caribbean islands.
Speaking of hurricanes: You can't nuke a hurricane to stop it, as Trump reportedly suggested.
In the face of death, this man received the party of a lifetime.
Why the start of college is so dangerous for women
The beginning of the school year for college students marks the start of the "red zone" – from the first day on campus until Thanksgiving break – when risk of sexual assault is said to be highest. More than 50% of college sexual assaults take place between August and November, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, which works to end sexual violence. And college women ages 18 to 24 are three times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Sexual assault is never the victim's fault and it is not a woman's responsibility to stay safe, says Kristen Houser, chief public affairs officer at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, but all students can take "common-sense" steps in the interest of personal safety. She provides a few safety tips here.
12 nursing home patients died after Hurricane Irma. Who's responsible?
Arrest warrants were issued Monday for four employees at a South Florida nursing home where 12 residents died in searing heat after mighty Hurricane Irma knocked out power in 2017. The tragedy made national headlines, and lawmakers ultimately passed a bill requiring backup power sources in the state's nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Lawrence Hashish, a lawyer for one of the nurses, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that those facing charges are scapegoats. “They weren’t the decision makers,” Hashish said. “For the police, they were the low-hanging fruit.”
Real quick
Fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein plead not guilty to sex-crimes.
A 24-year-old let a financial planner see her spending habits. It was terrifying, at first.
Russian agency says radioactive isotopes were found after a mysterious explosion that killed at least 5.
Congress' second-youngest woman, Abby Finkenauer, is her own Democrat.
Americans on buying Greenland? That's a no.
Shout out to all the good boys 🐶
It's National Dog Day. This is very important because dogs are the best, but also because it's a good excuse for me to ask you to send me pictures of your dogs. Really. Email me (right away) at ashley@usatoday.com with a picture of your dog (or dogs!). You can Tweet me, too! Just be sure to use #TheShortList. They might even get a special spot in The Short List tomorrow. Here, I'll start: This is my lil' pup, Coconut:
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump, Johnson & Johnson, Great Barrier Reef, Dog Day: Monday's news
