U.S.NBC NewsEx-officer indicted for fatally shooting Texas woman whose dog ran at him
A former police officer in Arlington, Texas, who fatally shot a woman as he was aiming for her dog was indicted on a charge of criminally negligent homicide. A Tarrant County grand jury indicted Ravinder Singh on Wednesday, more than a year after the Aug. 1, 2019 death of Margarita Brooks, the county's District Attorney's Office said in a press release. Singh, who resigned from the Arlington Police Department in 2019, faces up to two years in state jail or a fine of up to $10,000.
U.S.USA TODAYSouthern California jolted by magnitude 4.5 earthquake, another worry after raging wildfires
In a region already reeling from wildfires and smoke-filled skies, a moderate earthquake jolted Southern California Friday. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.5, the U.S. Geological Service reported. It jangled nerves, but no injuries or damage were immediately reported.
HealthINSIDERThe regular flu shot is not as effective for people over 65 — here are the options for senior-specific flu shots
Seniors can get the standard flu shot, but it may not be as effective, since people over the age of 65 have a weaker immune system. A high dose flu vaccine that has four times as many antigens than a regular flu shot is a better option for seniors. Seniors can also get an adjuvanted flu vaccine, which contains a substance that increases the efficacy of the shot for seniors.
- WorldReuters
Apparel group says broad ban on China's Xinjiang cotton impossible to enforce
The head of a major apparel industry group told lawmakers on Thursday that blanket U.S. import bans on cotton or other products from China's Xinjiang region over forced labor concerns would "wreak havoc" on legitimate supply chains. Stephen Lamar, president of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, said his industry is working hard to root out products made with forced labor from its supply chains, but Xinjiang, where China has detained over 1 million Muslim Uighurs, represents a unique challenge. A blanket import ban on all cotton from Xinjiang such as that proposed earlier this month would be impossible to enforce, as would bipartisan legislation banning imports of all products from Xinjiang unless proven free of forced labor, Lamar told a House of Representatives Ways and Means trade subcommittee hearing.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFormer top Pence aide says White House officials wanted to get rid of the coronavirus task force as the pandemic raged in April
Vice President Mike Pence's former top aide on the coronavirus task force told The Washington Post in an interview published Thursday that some senior White House aides wanted to "wind down" the task force in April. President Donald Trump in early May announced he would wind down the coronavirus task force before abruptly reversing course. Olivia Troye left her White House post in August, and on Thursday she delivered scathing criticism of the president's pandemic response, accusing him of showing a "flat-out disregard for human life."
- WorldAssociated Press
US accuses Hezbollah of storing explosive chemical in Europe
Militant group Hezbollah has stored chemicals that can be used to make explosives in several European countries, a senior State Department official said Thursday as he appealed to countries in Europe and elsewhere to impose bans on the organization. Hezbollah operatives have moved ammonium nitrate from Belgium to France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Switzerland in recent years and are suspected to still be storing the material throughout Europe, said Nathan Sales, the State Department coordinator for counter-terrorism. Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound commonly used as a fertilizer, but it can be used to make explosives.
U.S.INSIDERStudents and parents complained after a Dallas high school's class assignment placed the accused Kenosha shooter on a list of 'modern heroes'
Students and parents were upset when the suspected Kenosha shooter was on a list of "modern heroes" that they could choose to defend as part of a Dallas high school's class assignment, CNN reported. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide and a string of other felonies tied to the killing of two people at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Joseph Rosenbaum, who was shot and killed in Kenosha, was also on that list.
- WorldReuters
Israel closes schools again as COVID-19 cases surge
Israel closed its schools on Thursday, a day before entering a second national coronavirus lockdown, as daily infections topped 4,500. The initial lockdown was imposed in late March and eased in May, when the number of new cases dropped to about 20 a day. The new lockdown, due to last three weeks, coincides with the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, traditionally a time for large family gatherings.
- PoliticsFOX News Videos
Kayleigh McEnany: Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an ‘overcomer’
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderJared Kushner reportedly said 'free markets will solve' the PPE shortage in March. Nurses are still paying for that approach.
New reporting on a March 21 meeting in the White House Situation Room quotes Jared Kushner as saying it was "not the role of government" to solve the PPE shortage and prevent states from outbidding each other, according to Vanity Fair. "The federal government is not going to lead this response," Kushner said, according to Vanity Fair. A PPE shortage persists today, with one survey finding 58% of nurses in Florida, Kansas, Missouri and Nevada saying they had to reuse N95 masks for five days or more by the beginning of September.
PoliticsUSA TODAYFact check: Video online of Kamala Harris calling young people 'stupid' is missing context
Facebook post by conservative political organization ForAmerica insinuates Harris might not be an asset for the Biden campaign with young voters after all. What do we know about this population, 18-24? They are stupid,” Harris tells a laughing audience in the video clip posted to the social network.
WorldReutersU.S. charges three Iranians over satellite tech firm hacking
The indictments follow a flurry of recent actions against alleged Iranian cyber spies including the announcement, earlier on Thursday, that entities and individuals associated with an Iranian hacking group sometimes dubbed APT39 were being sanctioned by the Treasury Department. U.S. Assistant Attorney General John Demers said in a statement it was the third time in three days that alleged Iranian hackers had been indicted, calling out what he described as "yet another effort by a rogue foreign nation to steal the fruits of this country's hard work and expertise." The defendants, identified as Said Pourkarim Arabi, 34, Mohammad Reza Espargham, whose age is unknown, and Mohammad Bayati, 34, are alleged to have impersonated colleagues or academics to get their targets to download malicious software, prosecutors said.
ScienceINSIDERThousands of migratory birds are 'falling out of the sky' in a mass die-off that could be linked to the West Coast wildfires
"Hundreds of thousands" of migratory birds are dropping dead across the Southwest in what scientists are calling the largest mass die-off in recent history. Scientists first began investigating the phenomenon in late August after numerous reports of clusters of dead birds found in states including New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska. Scientists are unsure why this mass die-off is happening, but have addressed several factors including climate change and the ongoing wildfires as possible reasons for the deaths.
U.S.Business InsiderA dentist who pulled someone's tooth while riding a hoverboard has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for fraud and 'unlawful dental acts'
An Alaska dentist who pulled a woman's tooth while riding a hoverboard has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for fraud, embezzlement, and "unlawful dental acts." The video was part of prosecutors' case against Seth Lookhart, who was found guilty of defrauding his customers by administering unnecessary procedures to rack up Medicare charges. Prosecutors are seeking $2.2 million in damanges, and Lookhart could also permanently lose his medical license in the state.
PoliticsAssociated PressBiden makes push for voters on National Black Voter Day
Joe Biden's campaign unveiled a series of nationwide digital events Friday targeting Black voters in swing states — a strategic move by the Democratic presidential nominee to further energize the key demographic as the race heads into its final weeks. The virtual events, which will commemorate Friday's inaugural National Black Voter Day, will begin with a voter registration and early vote rally in North Carolina featuring vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris as part of the campaign's “Turn Up and Turn out the Vote Virtual Bus Tour.” The tour is a joint effort with the Congressional Black Caucus' PAC and will be spread across a full weekend of events, according to plans shared first with The Associated Press.
WorldReutersBelarus-Poland border remains open: Polish border guards
The border between Belarus and Poland remained open on Friday morning after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said his country needs to close its borders with Poland and Lithuania, Polish border guards said. "The border is open, we see no disruptions, there are no waiting times and we have no signals that the border is to be closed," said a Polish border guard officer who declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak with media. Lukashenko, dogged by weeks of protests over a disputed election, said on Thursday that Belarus needed to close its borders with Poland and Lithuania, and strengthen border controls with Ukraine.
BusinessBusiness InsiderBill Gates says Elon Musk couldn't be confused with Steve Jobs and that electric cars are 'far easier' than other climate change technology
Bill Gates doesn't think it's fair to call Elon Musk "the next Steve Jobs," the billionaire philanthropist said during an interview on Bloomberg TV Thursday. When asked by Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker if Musk was indeed the next Jobs, Gates replied: "If you know people personally, that kind of gross oversimplification seems strange. Elon's more of a hands-on engineer; Steve was a genius at design and picking people and marketing.
PoliticsAssociated PressFirst lady promotes Trump's approach to opioid crisis in NH
First lady Melania Trump used her first solo trip outside Washington since before the start of the coronavirus pandemic to showcase a piece of her “Be Best” youth well-being initiative on Thursday in a state her husband is hoping to win in November. The first lady toured Concord Hospital in New Hampshire's capital city with James Carroll, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, in an effort to highlight the hospital's treatment programs for babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Mrs. Trump, who has focused many of her public efforts on health issues such as the nation's opioid crisis, tweeted earlier in the day that the appearance was a nod to Recovery Month.
- WorldReuters
India's Modi defends new law as critics warn of risks to farmers
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended new laws aimed at lifting restrictions on farmers on Friday after protests by opposition parties, some farming bodies and even an ally of his Bharatiya Janata Party. India's lower house of parliament on Thursday passed three emergency executive orders issued in June by Modi's cabinet which were targeted at reforming the antiquated Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act. This includes a rule that forces growers to sell their produce only at India's more than 7,000 regulated wholesale markets and Modi said the new legislation would "unshackle" millions of farmers and help them get better prices.
U.S.INSIDERJerry Falwell, Jr. was found intoxicated and bleeding at his home following a bombshell report alleging a years-long sexual affair between him, his wife, and another man
Emergency calls reveal that Jerry Falwell Jr. was found intoxicated and injured on August 30, a week after a news report alleging a years-long sexual affair between him, his wife, and another man, the Huffington Post reported on Thursday. Falwell's wife called 911 after she had to break into her own home to reach Falwell, who she said was intoxicated and bleeding. The incident came after Falwell resigned as president of Liberty University following several scandals.
TechnologyBusiness InsiderThis $199 acrylic helmet with HEPA filters powered by fans designed to wear instead of a mask is being compared to sci-fi movies
MicroClimate created a visor with air filters that looks like a helmet, called Air. Air is just one of many unusual designs for face coverings since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In the dystopia of 2020, being able to afford a personal microclimate helmet to wear around might be the next status symbol.
HealthThe WeekWhat to expect when you're expecting a COVID-19 vaccine
The Trump administration's communications on a COVID-19 vaccine haven't exactly been seamless. CDC Director Robert Redfield testified Wednesday that a vaccine won't be "fully available to the American public" until probably "late second quarter, third quarter 2021." That's consistent with estimates from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases chief Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, and Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientist at Operation Warp Speed, the federal vaccine initiative.
U.S.ReutersNew York City again delays in-person learning at public schools
With only four days' notice, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday delayed in-person learning at public schools for a second time for most students as the nation's largest system struggles to find enough staff willing to teach in classrooms during the coronavirus pandemic. While virtual lessons via the internet are already underway, the start of in-person learning had previously been delayed from Sept. 10 to Monday, Sept. 21, for those students who opted in. Middle school and high school students will start Oct. 1.
U.S.INSIDERBetsy DeVos and the Trump administration are set to deny funding to Connecticut schools over inclusive transgender athlete policies
According to The New York Times, Betsy DeVos and the Trump administration are cutting funding to certain Connecticut schools over their participation in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. The conference allows transgender student-athletes to compete with, and against, athletes who share their gender identity, a course of action Trump's administration has repeatedly fought against. If the schools refuse to cut ties with the conference prior to October 1, the education department has vowed to withhold $18 million in desegregation grants.
BusinessBusiness InsiderThe Department of the Treasury is reportedly looking into the American companies behind 'Fortnite' and 'League of Legends' over their ties to Chinese tech titan Tencent
The wildly popular smartphone apps TikTok and WeChat will be banned in the US starting on September 20, the US government announced on Friday morning. CFIUS, the same Treasury group that initated those investigations, is now looking into "Fortnite" maker Epic Games and "League of Legends" maker Riot Games due to their associations with the Chinese conglomerate Tencent, Bloomberg reported. Tencent, which owns WeChat, wholly owns Riot Games and owns a 40% stake in Epic Games.
“The SAT is emblematic of higher education’s failure to keep up with the times...Just the stuff that systemic racism thrives on.”
“These tests create unnecessary stress for young people already dealing with mental health challenges.”
“Dropping the SAT requirement makes it harder for colleges to compare applicants against a common standard.”
“The best predictor of college success overall is a simple one: high school grades.”
“What matters more is a broader push to help minority students get better educations.”