5 things to know for October 5: Trump, Covid-19, Breonna Taylor, wildfires, Mideast
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Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. President Trump
President Trump is still at Walter Reed Medical Center after being diagnosed with Covid-19 and could be discharged as early as today. The weekend was a scramble for information about the President’s health, one that was complicated by contradictory news reports from Trump’s physician and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who painted a more dire picture of the President’s condition. Trump has received remdesivir, dexamethasone and some investigational drugs, like an antibody therapy cocktail, to combat the virus. He also took a turn outside the military facility yesterday in a motorcade, waving to supporters. Since Trump’s and his wife’s diagnoses, several other top Republicans have announced they are also Covid-19 positive, including Kellyanne Conway, Chris Christie, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Assistant to the President Nicholas Luna and several senators.
2. Coronavirus
Countries in Europe are seeing spikes in coronavirus cases and elevated death rates, prompting a new wave of shutdowns as the region braces for a difficult winter. Bars and cafes in Paris will shut down this week, and the city will go on maximum Covid-19 alert. The UK and Germany have both instituted restrictions on gatherings in highly affected areas. In the US, only three states are currently showing a downward trend in infections, and the country just recorded its highest daily new case number — 54,506 — in nearly two months. Yesterday, singer Dionne Warwick, a former US ambassador for health, hosted a virtual “National COVID-19 Remembrance” event to honor the more than 200,000 people in the US who have died of the disease.
3. Breonna Taylor
Nearly 15 hours of audio was released Friday from the closed-door proceedings of the Kentucky grand jury investigation into the Breonna Taylor case. In the audio, the officers involved said they announced themselves repeatedly before breaking down the door to Taylor’s apartment in March. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III, has said he didn’t know who was entering the home and so fired his gun once. Brett Hankison, the ex-Louisville police detective who was the only officer charged in the incident, said on tape that he fired his weapon because he thought his colleagues were being executed in the confrontation that followed their entry. While the audio sheds new light on a case that continues to bring pain to the nation, Hankison’s attorney says it doesn’t appear there are any “surprises” on the tapes.
4. Wildfires
California wildfires have burned more than 4 million acres this year, but areas facing the latest round of deadly blazes may get some much-needed rain later this week. Until then, conditions will remain hot, dry and dangerous. New evacuations were ordered in Napa County, where the Glass Fire is still scorching wine country and is only 26% contained. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the nearby Zogg Fire, which has killed four people since it began on September 27. More than 16,500 firefighters were battling 23 major wildfires in the state as of last night. Overall, there have been more than 8,200 wildfires in California this year, and they’ve destroyed thousands of structures and wrecked the region’s air quality.
5. Middle East
Several tense situations among Middle Eastern powers are threatening to boil over. In Iraq, a recent round of rocket attacks allegedly launched by Iran-backed groups has led US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to threaten a diplomatic pull-out from Iraq’s capital. Lebanon is trying to rebuild its fragile economic and political systems, which have been ravaged by conflict and tragedy. However, fruitless negotiations between the country’s politicians and an Iran-backed Hezbollah ally have halted progress. Experts think both situations are being exacerbated by international uncertainty as the US approaches its presidential election. Meanwhile, the President of Azerbaijan has all but ordered Armenian forces out of his country, saying it’s the only way to stop hostilities over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
‘SNL’ took on Biden and Trump’s debate
As the skit says, last week’s event feels like 100 days ago.
Swiss Skydiver wins the 145th Preakness
It’s early in the morning, so a very compassionate reminder: Swiss Skydiver is a horse, not a skydiver.
The new James Bond movie, ‘No Time to Die,’ is delayed until 2021
Because this is No Time to Release a Blockbuster Movie.
The search is on for a nest of murder hornets in Washington state
What did we say about scary bugs in the year 2020?! No more!
A woman in Australia discovered her headaches were caused by tapeworm larvae in her brain
THIS JUST IN …
And the Nobel Prize goes to …
The award in physiology or medicine has been jointly awarded to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus. The prize is one of the most sought-after global accolades and grants entry into one of the most prestigious clubs in the world.
TODAY’S NUMBER
4.5 million
That’s how many Americans are looking for work right now after losing temporary or permanent jobs due to the pandemic. And more furloughs and work stoppages are turning permanent as the coronavirus persists.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“The marketplace by itself cannot resolve every problem.”
Pope Francis, who says capitalism will not give us all the answers to solve the problems of a post-pandemic world and instead deepens already present inequalities
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Do you ever just wanna …. bloop
A clam digging into the sand is somehow terrifying and deeply relatable at the same time. (Click here to view.)
