Daily Briefing: School closed for heat
Excessive heat is causing school districts across the country to modify their schedules by closing or dismissing students early. Also in the news: Tropical Storm Lee is likely to be a major hurricane by the end of the week and the search for an escaped Pennsylvania inmate is escalating.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. I cannot stop looking at these jaw-dropping Renaissance looks.
Now, here we go with Wednesday's news.
Heat wave in Mid-Atlantic, Northeast forces schools to close, modify schedules
As students return to classrooms, record-breaking temperatures amid a late-summer heat wave are causing schools across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast to either close or dismiss students early this week.
Scorching weather is expected through the week from Texas into the Upper Midwest, and into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with temperatures rising more than 10 degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service.
Disruptions in several states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan follow similar decisions made in late August when a heat dome blanketed the Midwest and Gulf region, straining broken or nonexistent cooling systems at schools.
While school closures due to excessive heat aren't new, educators have said they are becoming more common as climate change causes more severe weather.
Rising temperatures have also raised issues over funding as school districts face millions in added costs. One 2021 report found that more than 13,700 K-12 public schools that didn't need cooling systems in 1970 will need them by 2025, at a cost of $40 billion.
More education news: Millions of Americans plan to use Biden's SAVE student debt relief plan.
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio sentenced to 22 years
Former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison – the longest sentence yet related to the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021 – after his conviction for seditious conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and keep Donald Trump in the White House. Tarrio was not at the Capitol on Jan. 6 but had organized Proud Boys members who were among the first to breach the building. The longest previous sentence went to Stewart Rhodes, former leader of the Oath Keepers, who got 18 years for seditious conspiracy and other crimes. Read more
Florida lawmakers denounced antisemitic incidents over Labor Day weekend.
More news to know now
61 people were indicted in Georgia on racketeering charges connected to the ''Stop Cop City'' movement.
Alabama's congressional maps were struck down by a federal court in a showdown over Black voting power.
Rand Paul knocked a doctor's explanation after Mitch McConnell freezes.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing corruption accusations. Here's what to know about his impeachment trial
On today's 5 Things podcast, the conversation on national rent control. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Biden heads to G20 Summit to make pitch for US partnerships
President Joe Biden is heading to India and the Group of 20 Summit, which Chinese President Xi Jinping is apparently skipping. Relations between China and India have grown frosty over their disputed border. Tensions have also arisen over trade and India's increasingly close ties with China's archrival, the United States. Xi’s absence will also eliminate the possibility of his interaction with President Joe Biden at the summit. The global spotlight will be on the host, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is vying for geopolitical support and seeking a third term in a national vote next year. Read more
Tropical Storm Lee expected to become major hurricane by Friday
Tropical Storm Lee formed in the Atlantic Ocean far east of the United States on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to become a major hurricane with winds in excess of 140 mph by the weekend. Experts say the weather could move across the Caribbean and impact the East Coast from Florida to Maine — and rapid intensification is a matter of "when" not "if." The forecast now predicts Lee will become a Category 4, 140-mph hurricane by Saturday morning east of Puerto Rico and continue strengthening into a 145-mph storm by Sunday. Read more
The family of a Maui woman who died in wildfires has sued the county and state.
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Pennsylvania manhunt for escaped killer intensifies
The search for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante, who fled a Pennsylvania prison, intensified Tuesday on its sixth day after a new sighting was captured on a trail camera at a popular botanic garden. Officials urged local residents to be wary and keep homes and cars locked, and police broadcast a plea for surrender from the convict's mother. Officials expanded the perimeter to encompass an area south of Pocopson Township, a residential neighborhood near the Chester County Prison, because it appeared Cavalcante had traveled farther away. His escape comes a week after Cavalcante was sentenced to life in prison without parole for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her children. Read more
Man wrongfully convicted in 1975 New York rape gets exoneration through DNA evidence
Quick hits
The Rolling Stones are making a comeback with their first album in 18 years: ''Hackney Diamonds.''
Joe Jonas filed for divorce from Sophie Turner after four years of marriage: ''Irretrievably broken.''
In reaching US Open semis, Ben Shelton shows why he may be America's next men's tennis superstar.
Kidney transplants usually last 10 to 15 years. Hers made it 50, but now it's wearing out.
Georgia remains No. 1, Florida State rises to No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
Photo of the day: Venice Film Festival 2023
Glitz and glam are in the air this week at stars and filmmakers attend the annual Venice Film Festival. The event features screenings of the latest films and conversations with global celebrities. But this year's festival occurs with strikes by Hollywood writers and actors in the backdrop as negotiations over fair pay and working standards stall. Click here for more photos from the festival.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat wave closes schools, Proud Boys sentencing, G20 Summit, Tropical Storm Lee, PA manhunt, Venice Film Festival: Daily Briefing
