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Stranded Astronauts Stuck In Space Until 2025
Your unbiased daily news brief
James Kratch
August 26, 2024
Good Monday morning. Danny Jansen, a catcher for the Boston Red Sox, will make Major League history today. Jansen played for the Toronto Blue Jays when their June 26 game against Boston was suspended by rain; he has since been traded to the Red Sox and will become the first player to appear in a game for both teams when play is resumes tonight. Have a great start to your week!
In Today’s Brief
Massachusetts: Virus curfew
Middle East: More escalation
Harris: War chest
Powell: Time to cut
Babe Ruth: Auction record
... and more
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Top Tips
1) Long haul
Hopefully the International Space Station has a good rewards program.
The news: NASA announced astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, stranded at the ISS since June, will not return to Earth until next February. Andt they will take a SpaceX craft home rather than coming back on the much-maligned Boeing Starliner.
Catch up: The astronauts embarked on what was supposed to be a one-week trip. But the Starliner developed helium leaks and other issues, postponing the return indefinitely. Boeing and NASA worked to get the ship ready to bring Wilmore and Williams home, but NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said safety concerns were insurmountable, leading the agency to pull the plug and shift to a backup plan.
Next steps: The Starliner will be sent back to Earth unmanned. The SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon mission will head to the ISS in September as scheduled, but with only two crew members. That will leave space for Wilmore and Williams to come home when the SpaceX mission wraps up next year. There are more than enough resources on the ISS for them to have a safe extended stay, NASA said.
2) Terror abroad
A Syrian refugee confessed to a fatal knife attack in Germany after a terrorist group claimed responsibility.
What happened: A man with a knife attacked an event celebrating the city of Solingen's 650th anniversary late Friday night. Three people were killed and eight were wounded around 9:30 p.m. local time at the Festival of Diversity.
Suspect surrenders: Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday, saying it was "in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere." A 26-year-old asylum seeker then turned himself in yesterday and said he was responsible for the stabbings.
Big picture: The attack is the latest example of Islamic extremists targeting a mass gathering in Europe and the second knife attack in Germany this summer. A German news outlet reported the suspect's asylum claim had been denied and he was supposed to have been deported last year. If verified, that could have political ramifications heading into regional elections next week.
3) The odd couple
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the presidential race and aligned with former President Donald Trump after delivering a stinging rebuke of the Democratic Party.
The details: Kennedy suspended his independent campaign and pulled his name off the ballot in battleground states to boost Trump and avoid being an electoral spoiler. Kennedy appeared with Trump at a campaign event in Arizona following his announcement, during which he lambasted Vice President Kamala Harris, the national party and political media.
The reaction: Kennedy acknowledged past comments and policy differences with Trump, but gave him full support, appeared at a rally with him and defended his MAGA movement. He also suggested Trump will receive more crossover support. Kennedy's family criticized his endorsement, as did Democrats.
Big picture: It remains to be seen if Kennedy's exit and endorsement will boost Trump in the polls. Surveys indicate his supporters only slightly favored Trump as their secondary top candidate; Kennedy's support in key states had also waned to the point it may not significantly impact those races.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
Four Massachusetts towns have established a voluntary curfew to combat a potentially fatal mosquito-borne virus. Health officials said residents should remain indoors after 6 p.m. ET through the end of September following a confirmed case of Eastern equine encephalitis (More)
A former Florida police officer was charged in the death of an Air Force airman. Ex-deputy Eddie Duran is accused of manslaughter with a gun after fatally shooting Sr. Airman Roger Fortson in the service member's home earlier this year (More)
Search crews continued to search for a missing Arizona woman at the Grand Canyon. The parkgoer was swept into Havasu Creek during a flash flood; she was reportedly not wearing a life jacket (More)
World News
Israel and Hezbollah escalated their cross-border strikes, but stopped short of all-out war. It was the largestconfrontation between Israeli forces and the Lebanon-based militant group since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack; Israel said it was preemptively attacking to thwart planned operations by the Iranian proxy (More)
The Sicily yacht disaster is the subject of a manslaughter probe, but an Italian prosecutor said there are no suspects yet. Seven people died; the surviving captain of the Bayesian was asked to remain available for questioning (More)
Over 5M people are impacted by massive flooding in Bangladesh. At least 20 people have died following monsoons and overflowing rivers; it is the latest challenge for the nation's interim government following recent unrest (More)
Campaign News
Vice President Harris' campaign has raised $540M since she became the Democratic presidential nominee. It had its best fundraising hour immediately after her national convention speech (More)
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance said former President Trump would veto a national abortion ban. The comment came after Trump said his re-election would be "great for women and their reproductive rights," drawing criticism (More)
Alaska Lt. Gov Nancy Dahlstrom, a Republican, ended her House candidacy. The GOP is attempting to coalescearound businessman Nick Begich in an effort to unseat Rep. Mary Peltola; the incumbent got over 50% of the vote in the state's nonpartisan primary (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed higher on Friday. The markets got a boost after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said "the time has come" to adjust interest rates (Dow +1.14%, Nasdaq +1.47%, S&P 500 +1.15%).
The Department of Justice and eight states are suing RealPage. The lawsuit alleges the real estate company facilitated anticompetitive landlord collusion to artificially inflate rent prices (More)
Apple is expected to unveil its newest iPhone model on Sept. 10. The tech giant will also release new AirPods and Apple Watches; the devices should be in stores about 10 days later (More)
Entertainment & Sports
A Babe Ruth jersey sold for over $24M at auction, setting a sports memorabilia industry record. The Hall of Famer wore the New York Yankees uniform when he "called his shot" during the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs (More)
Liam Gallagher appeared to confirm rumors Oasis will reunite next summer. The British rock band has not performed since 2009, when Gallagher's brother, Noel, quit the group (More)
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced several changes to its annual selection process. Coaches are now eligible for enshrinement just one year after one season of inactivity; new screening committees were also established (More)
Quick Hitters
Real Hero: A 6-year-old boy was dangling over an apartment patio railing in Spain when a nearby worker sprung into action. The man climbed out on the ledge and helped guide the boy to safety.
Go Deep: Taylor Swift did not appear at the Democratic National Convention, but she still has plenty of time to endorse Vice President Harris. How much impact would the pop star throwing her support behind Harris have?
New Idea: Scientists believe they have discovered a surprising way to revolutionize wound healing and potentially repair scars. A protein derived from parasitic worms appears to accelerate tissue regeneration in mice.
History Lesson: Dance marathons and walkathons are typically associated with fun charitable endeavors. But they used to be bastions of desperation where participants effectively tortured themselves.
Life Hack: Hey, it happens. Here are the best drinks and food to eat if you are nursing a hangover.
Watch This
The logistics of Mount Everest.
Links
Florida rallied past Taiwan to win the Little League World Series ⚾️
Pet prenups are becoming increasingly common 🐶
Walmart has recalled almost 10K cases of apple juice 🧃
Burning Man may be in trouble 🔥
Vikings had a surprisingly sophisticated legal code ⚖️
Special talents that make people suspicious 🤨
Ted Lasso appears set for a fourth season ⚽️
Why meet-cutes happen on planes so frequently ✈️
How extremely wealthy people get their sweet revenge 😈
Vintage wedding trends that would not fly today 💒
Looking Ahead …
Frank Lloyd Wright's only completed skyscraper is headed to the auction block. Price Tower, a 19-story-tall building in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was designed by the famous architect and constructed in the 1950s; it could fetch over $4M.