10 things you need to know today: September 12, 2016

Hillary Clinton falls ill, Americans mark the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and more

Hillary Clinton in New York on Sept. 11, 2016
(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

1. Clinton, diagnosed with pneumonia, cancels trip

Hillary Clinton left a 9/11 memorial service early in New York on Sunday after feeling "overheated and dehydrated," and her doctor said that the Democratic presidential nominee was diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday. Dr. Lisa Bardack said Clinton was on antibiotics, and had been "advised to rest and modify her schedule." Clinton canceled a trip to California scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. A video posted online showed Clinton stumbling as she stepped into her van after the 9/11 event. Bardack said Clinton was "rehydrated and recovering nicely," but the incident fueled renewed attention by Donald Trump supporters who have questioned her health.

The New York Times The Associated Press

2. Obama urges Americans to unite as nation marks anniversary of 9/11 attacks

Americans marked the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with solemn ceremonies at the 9/11 memorials in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. President Obama told survivors at the Pentagon memorial, "in your grief and grace, you have reminded us that together there is nothing that we Americans cannot overcome." Obama, in what some interpreted as a veiled criticism of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., urged Americans to embrace "our patchwork heritage" to thwart terrorists who are trying to "stoke enough fear that we turn on each other as a nation, that we change who we are and how we live."

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MarketWatch The Washington Post

3. Cuomo signs bill giving 9/11 first responders more time to get benefits

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Sunday signed a law giving Ground Zero rescue, recovery, and cleanup crews more time to recover lost wages and medical expenses linked to their work at the scene of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City. "It was the worst of all worlds," Cuomo said. "You're sick because of 9/11... and government isn't there to help you." Firefighter Sal Turturici, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, said, "This is going to help a lot of people in harm's way right now."

Newsday

4. Turkey ousts 28 mayors accused of terrorist links

Turkey's national government replaced 28 mayors around the country on Sunday, accusing them of supporting terrorists. The Interior Ministry said 24 have ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and four supported the Fethullahist Terror Organization that allegedly was behind a failed July 15 coup. The government appointed trustees to step into the positions. The moves triggered demonstrations in Turkey, and expressions of concern about the state of the country's democracy around the world.

CNN Hurriyet

5. France arrests teen on suspicion of plotting terror attack

French authorities this weekend arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion that he was preparing an "imminent" terror attack in Paris, judicial sources said Sunday. The boy had been under house arrest under a state of emergency declared after the Nov. 13 Paris attacks. Police said his plot was "in response to calls from Syria to attack France." The arrest came a week after police found a car loaded with gas cylinders near Notre Dame cathedral. One woman was charged Sunday with plotting to attack the famous cathedral.

Reuters The Independent

6. Syria fighting continues ahead of ceasefire

Some of Syria's rebel factions said Sunday that they were worried about a U.S.-Russian ceasefire deal, with one saying it could be a "trap" to divide rebels and benefit President Bashar al-Assad. The opposition Free Syrian Army and the government have agreed to respect the truce, which is scheduled to take effect at sunset Monday, although fighting continued through the weekend. The Syrian government can continue attacking al Qaeda-linked fighters for a week until the U.S. and Russia step in to do it.

The Associated Press

7. Tesla CEO says Autopilot changes could have prevented fatality

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said Sunday that the electric car maker was incorporating new limits on hands-off driving into its Autopilot system in the wake of the death of a driver who was using the system in May. Musk said the update probably would have prevented the fatality, and that the Autopilot 8.0 update will be available in an "over-the-air" software update within two weeks. With the update, drivers will not be able to use the autonomous driving mode if they fail to respond to audible warnings to take the wheel.

Reuters

8. NFL protests grow as more players kneel during anthem

Protest gestures at National Football League games spread on Sunday, with Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters raising his fist during the national anthem before a game against the San Diego Chargers. Other Chiefs players locked their arms. The Seattle Seahawks also locked their arms during the Star-Spangled Banner. Four Miami Dolphins players took to one knee, as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has done since starting his silent protest against cases of police brutality against African-Americans.

ESPN

9. Alexis Arquette, pioneering transgender actress, dies at 47

Actress and transgender activist Alexis Arquette has died at age 47, her siblings announced Sunday. The cause of death was not immediately specified. Arquette — part of a Hollywood acting family that includes Patricia, Rosanna, David, and Richmond Arquette — appeared in Last Exit to Brooklyn, Pulp Fiction, Jumpin' at the Boneyard, Of Mice and Men, The Wedding Singer, and The Bride of Chucky. Arquette's siblings praised her for fighting for "understanding and acceptance" for transgender people. "We learned what real bravery is through watching her journey of living as a trans woman," they said. "We came to discover the one truth — that love is everything."

The Associated Press Entertainment Weekly

10. Angelique Kerber wins U.S. Open to cement world No. 1 status

Angelique Kerber of Germany defeated 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, to win the U.S. Open on Sunday, taking a firm grip on the world No. 1 ranking. Kerber will take over the top spot long held by Serena Williams, who lost to Pliskova in the semifinals. Kerber burst into tennis' top ranks at the Open in 2011, entering ranked 92nd in the world but making it to the semis. "To win here is very special for me. Everything starts for me here in 2011," Kerber said. "This Grand Slam is really, really special."

The New York Times

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.