Get '5 Things' in your inbox
Hurricane Delta is picking up steam and could become a Category 3 storm in the next 24 hours. The Caribbean and parts of Louisiana are already preparing.
Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
(You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. President Trump
President Trump returned to the White House yesterday after being treated for Covid-19 at Walter Reed Medical Center, but his homecoming has created more confusion and concern. Doctors warned that the President isn’t out of the woods yet, but upon arriving at the White House, Trump almost immediately removed his mask and conducted business bare-faced, even with numerous staff members standing by. He also tweeted that people shouldn’t be afraid of the coronavirus, even though it’s killed more than 210,000 people on American soil, few if any of whom had access to the advanced medical care the President received. As of yesterday, Trump was still on dexamethasone, a steroid, and will receive another round of remdesivir today. Meanwhile, more people in his inner circle have tested positive for Covid-19, including White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
2. Coronavirus
The coronavirus has infected about 10% of the world’s population, the World Health Organization estimates. The official count stands at about 35.3 million, but health experts agree that’s probably a massive undercount. The CDC says cases in the US alone could be underestimated by at least 90%. The virus is also sweeping through major institutions. At least 2,000 TSA members have tested positive, as have at least 159 staff in the EU’s executive branch. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is still angling for a pre-Election Day vaccine by reportedly blocking new FDA vaccine guidelines that would make that tight time line all but impossible. Oh, and the CDC has updated its guidance yet again to clarify that Covid-19 can spread by airborne transmission as well as close contact.
3. Supreme Court
On the first day of the new Supreme Court term, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito delivered a scathing criticism of Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision that cleared the way for the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage. Thomas raised the religious liberty implications of the decision and wrote that the precedent allows courts and governments to treat religious opponents of same-sex marriage as “bigots.” The swift attack has raised anxiety among progressives and LGBTQ rights activists that the court – now without the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – will try to chip away at the precedent and continue its trend of ruling in favor of religious conservatives.
4. Police violence
A police officer in Texas has been arrested and charged with murder after fatally shooting a 31-year-old Black man who was intervening in a domestic dispute. Wolfe City Police Officer Shaun Lucas shot Jonathan Price while responding to a call over the weekend, and an investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, Northern California prosecutors are reopening the investigation into the 2009 death of Oscar Grant at the hands of Bay Area Rapid Transit officers following renewed calls from Grant’s family. Grant, a Black man, was fatally shot while lying facedown on a platform in Oakland. And in Louisville, Kentucky, a second grand juror involved in the Breonna Taylor case has reportedly come forward to an area activist and wants to speak freely about the deliberations.
5. Kyrgyzstan
A parliamentary election in Kyrgyzstan has dragged the Central Asian country to the brink of revolt. Protests erupted after two establishment parties, one of which is close to President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, swept Sunday’s vote, according to a Reuters report. Protesters broke into government and security headquarters and freed former President Almazbek Atambayev, who was sentenced to a lengthy prison term on corruption charges after falling out with Jeenbekov. Demonstrators also demanded that the recent vote results be canceled. According to local reports, the Central Election Commission may consider the request. Kyrgyzstan, which is closely allied with Russia, has a history of political volatility. In the past 15 years, two presidents have been toppled by revolts.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
The National Zoo’s new baby panda is a boy
He can look forward to a lifetime of being adored by every human who comes near him.
CVS and other stores want to help you safely trick-or-treat
Because Halloween should be spooky, not legitimately, pandemic-level scary.
McDonald’s teams up with singer J Balvin for its newest celebrity meal
Burgers just taste better when they have a massive music star’s seal of approval.
A massive, 50-year-old great white shark dubbed ‘Queen of the Ocean’ was caught, tagged and released
Scientists find intact brain cells in skull of man killed in Vesuvius eruption nearly 2,000 years ago
Leave the brain cells alone. It’s 2020, OK? Who knows what could happen!
THIS JUST IN …
Black holes take the cake
The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to scientists Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their discoveries about black holes. This year’s prize is about “the darkest secrets of universe,” said Göran Hansson, secretary for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said at Tuesday’s ceremony in Stockholm.
TODAY’S NUMBER
14 million
That’s how many metric tons of microplastics are sitting on the ocean floor, scientists estimate. That’s more than 35 times as much plastic than is believed to be floating on the surface. Microplastics, found in household objects like scrubs and glitter, post serious environmental problems.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“I want to say to all the mums, ‘We can do it. Be strong.’”
Jessica Marcialis, an Italian jockey who just made history by becoming the first female jockey to win a Group One race in France. She resumed her racing career after becoming a mom.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Some fun facts you probably didn’t know
Do you know where salmon sushi comes from? Because it isn’t Japan! (Click here to view.)