The United States is currently tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a few days. The Pentagon has decided not to shoot it down due to the risks of harm for people on the ground. The balloon is reportedly the size of three buses and is believed to be collecting information. This is not the first time the U.S. has tracked one of Beijing’s balloons, and the Pentagon has not released any further information on the balloon or its purpose.
News Mash
A woman declared dead at the Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Urbandale, Iowa was discovered to be alive when workers at the Ankeny Funeral Home & Crematory opened the body bag. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals has issued a $10,000 fine to the facility and an internal investigation is underway to determine how the mistake occurred. The woman, whose name has not been released, is currently receiving hospice care.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning people to stop using the over-the-counter eye drops, EzriCare Artificial Tears, due to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The CDC has received reports of 55 infections in 12 states, including one fatality, and Global Pharma Healthcare is issuing a recall of the product. The FDA is continuing to investigate the source of the contamination and the CDC is urging people to seek medical attention if they have used the product and are experiencing any symptoms.
The Lee family has asked an appellate court to redo a hearing that vacated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, arguing that prosecutors and the circuit court violated the brother's rights. On Thursday, the Appellate Court of Maryland heard arguments from both sides of the case, with the Lee family requesting that Syed's conviction be reinstated in the meantime. The court did not immediately issue a ruling, but indicated that it would issue a written opinion soon, as the case continues to spark a national conversation about the criminal justice system.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, largely along party lines. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) gave an impassioned speech in defense of Omar, alleging that the vote was motivated by racism and Islamophobia. Her speech was met with applause and support from other Democrats in the House, who argued that the vote was not about Omar's comments, but rather about targeting women of color.
Briana Foster Newton, the former principal of Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, was unaware that a 6-year-old student had a gun on campus the day he allegedly shot a teacher. Her attorney, Pamela J. Branch, said that Newton was not informed by any other administrators of warnings that the student may have brought a gun on campus. The shooting has sparked controversy and raised questions about school safety and the effectiveness of the district's leadership.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a federal law prohibiting people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms is unconstitutional, in line with the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. This ruling is a major victory for gun rights advocates, and could be appealed to the Supreme Court to decide the fate of the law.
The US military has been tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon hovering over the northern US for the past few days. The balloon is traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and is not a physical threat to people on the ground. The Pentagon is taking steps to ensure that sensitive information is not collected and is unsure of how long the balloon will remain in the air or what its purpose is.