Thursday, September 21, 2017

"This is the spirit of us"

Thursday, September 21, 2017

If you're getting bored of extreme weather news, just take a moment to be thankful you're not IN it. (And for our readers in harm's way, we're thinking about you.) Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.

By AJ Willingham.

1. Hurricane Maria

At least 14 people are dead after Hurricane Maria barreled through the island of Dominica. The storm also left all of Puerto Rico without power, possibly for months. "This is total devastation," said a spokesman for the US territory, which now must figure out how to rebuild in the midst of 11 years of recession. As of early this morning, Maria is a Category 3 storm and is beating a path to the Turks and Caicos Islands, where it's likely to strengthen. The best-case scenario is that the storm skirts the island chain, 40 to 50 miles to the east.

2. Health care

Senate Republicans continue to sound optimistic about their chances of passing their last last-ditch attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare before their window to do so relatively easily closes at the end of the month. If you're not completely up on the Graham-Cassidy bill, here's your chance: no more individual and employer mandates, and no more Medicaid-expansion funding.

The bill also would loosen Obamacare's rules that protect people with pre-existing conditions, something late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel -- whose infant son had to have open-heart surgery -- said Cassidy promised him it wouldn't do. As Congress debated the bill, President Trump, speaking at the United Nations, praised the health care system -- of a nonexistent African nation.

3. Mexico earthquake

Mexico City and the surrounding areas are still digging out from the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that hit on Tuesday. At least 250 people are dead, and rescue efforts are on for the missing, including a 12-year-old girl trapped in the rubble of school where 21 children and four adults died. Despite the pain and uncertainty, Mexican communities are coming together to show their strength and assist where they can: People are learning a new disaster code, like that a raised hand at a rescue site means silence. The gesture has become not only a life-saving tool but a gesture of hope and solidarity.

4. Robert Mueller

Special counsel Robert Mueller has requested documents and information covering a range of events from President Donald Trump's White House, including two firings and an Oval Office meeting, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. Mueller's investigators are looking for documents and emails relating to the dismissals of national security adviser Michael Flynn and FBI director James Comey, according to the sources.

In addition, one source confirms that Mueller's team wants information connected to the Oval Office meeting Trump had with Russian officials in which he bragged about firing Comey, saying it eased pressure on his White House. The requests show that parts of Mueller's investigation are focusing on the President's own actions.

5. Equifax

Credit report company Equifax experienced a huge data breach in late July. The hack revealed the personal information of as many as 143 million Americans -- nearly half the country. And we're talking really personal stuff, like Social Security numbers. Now, Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen has warned millions of Americans to scrupulously monitor their credit reports in case cyberthieves have used the data for nefarious gains. As if it weren't complicated enough, the credit agency's Twitter account tweeted links to a fake site pretending to be Equifax, further bungling the company's hack response.

"If he was thinking he could scare us with the sound of a dog barking,
that's really a dog dream."
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, responding to President Trump's threats to "destroy" the rogue nation if it attacked the US or an ally

Forward

Breakfast Browse

People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.

Bill Gates is sorry for making the awkward Control-Alt-Delete command
Something something, first-world problems.

Ivanka Trump reveals struggle with postpartum depression
The first daughter told Dr. Oz she had symptoms with all three of her kids.

We aren't buying as much yogurt and cereal as we used to
BUT, WHAT OF THE BREAKFAST PARFAITS?!??!

You can now book a restaurant on Airbnb
More like AirBLT, amirite?

Ford is using hologram goggles to help design cars
This is either great progress or the beginning of a bad dystopian novel.

And finally ...

Go confuse someone today
Show this video to a friend and see if they can work out what's happening. No, these people aren't casually shuffling away from something: It's a backwards-running competition ... reversed! (Click to view)

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