10 things you need to know today: November 27, 2014
- 1. Justice Ginsburg undergoes heart procedure
- 2. Ebola vaccine passes its first test
- 3. Snow and rain delay thousands of flights for Thanksgiving travelers
- 4. Consumer mood improves to level not seen since 2007
- 5. Police release footage showing officers shooting 12-year-old who had a toy gun
- 6. Hong Kong police arrested for beating during October pro-democracy protest
- 7. Walmart workers in six states plan Black Friday wage protests
- 8. Protests calm on third night after Ferguson grand jury decision
- 9. European Parliament approves nonbinding resolution suggesting Google breakup
- 10. Cricket player dies in Australia after being struck by ball
1. Justice Ginsburg undergoes heart procedure
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent heart surgery early Wednesday, the Supreme Court announced. Doctors put a stent in her right coronary artery, a procedure called a coronary catheterization, after she experienced discomfort while exercising the night before. She was expected to leave the hospital within two days and return to the bench on Monday. Ginsburg, 81, has survived colon and pancreatic cancer, and recently vowed to stay on the court "as long as I can do the job full-steam, and that, at my age, is not predictable."
2. Ebola vaccine passes its first test
A potential Ebola vaccine has been tested safely on 20 people in West Africa, National Institutes of Health researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday. The White House said the findings marked "another important milestone" in the fight against the biggest and worst outbreak of the virus in history. The vaccine, which is being developed by the NIH and GlaxoSmithKline, still needs to clear more testing. A clinical study could start in early 2015 or sooner.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
3. Snow and rain delay thousands of flights for Thanksgiving travelers
Harsh winter weather on the East Coast forced the cancelation of more than 700 flights on the day before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel days of the year. About 3,000 more flights were delayed, and more than 7,000 homes and businesses in the Northeast were left without power. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency and emergency speed restrictions on highways and other major roads. Connecticut alone reported at least 125 accidents on slippery snow-covered roads.
4. Consumer mood improves to level not seen since 2007
Consumer confidence rose to a seven-year high in November, according to the latest Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan sentiment index, released Wednesday. The figure jumped from 86.9 in October to 88.8 in November — the highest mark since July 2007 — in a sign that Americans feel like their financial standing was improving thanks to a better employment picture, falling gas prices, and rising stocks. "Consumers are increasingly upbeat," said a Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ economist.
5. Police release footage showing officers shooting 12-year-old who had a toy gun
Cleveland police on Wednesday released video footage showing the fatal Nov. 22 shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by two uniformed officers. Rice is seen walking on a sidewalk outside a recreation center, at times pointing a toy gun. Then a squad car speeds up on a patch of grass next to a gazebo where the boy had been sitting at a picnic table. The officers get out and one officer opens fire almost instantly. The boy's family had requested the footage be released, saying, "this situation could have been avoided."
Los Angeles Times The Washington Post
6. Hong Kong police arrested for beating during October pro-democracy protest
Seven Hong Kong police officers were arrested for assault in connection with the beating and kicking of a man during a pro-democracy protest last month, police said Wednesday. A TV crew's footage of the incident that went viral showed officers laying the man on the ground in a dark area, with some of the officers participating in the beating while others stood by watching. The footage triggered outrage among members of the protest movement and other Hong Kong residents, as well as human rights groups.
7. Walmart workers in six states plan Black Friday wage protests
Walmart employees plan to protest for higher wages at stores in at least six states and Washington, D.C., on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and one of the busiest shopping days of the year. The demonstrations mark the third straight year that the group OUR Walmart has organized broad strikes on the day marking the start of the holiday shopping season. The activists and employees will be calling for more full-time jobs and significant wage hikes to $15 an hour.
8. Protests calm on third night after Ferguson grand jury decision
Protests thinned in Ferguson, Missouri, late Wednesday and early Thursday, in the third night of angry reactions following the announcement that a grand jury had decided not to charge Darren Wilson, a white police officer, with the August shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager. Protests continued around the country, but remained mostly peaceful. In Los Angeles, 130 demonstrators were arrested on charges of failing to disperse.
9. European Parliament approves nonbinding resolution suggesting Google breakup
The European Parliament on Thursday approved a resolution calling for breaking up Google to end its dominance of online services. The resolution suggests splitting Google's search business from its commercial services — removing shopping comparisons from search results, for example. The European Commission has been looking for ways to reduce the effect of Google's search dominance since 2010. The resolution is nonbinding, however, so it's essentially just symbolic.
10. Cricket player dies in Australia after being struck by ball
Australian cricket star Phillip Hughes died Thursday in a Sydney hospital two days after being struck in the head by a ball. He was 25. Fellow players reacted with disbelief around the world — Hughes had played in dozens of international matches for Australia's national team. The freak accident renewed a debate over safety in Australia's national sport. It is not uncommon for cricket players, who wear protective pads and helmets, to be hit by balls, but the incidents are rarely fatal.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
How Britain's demographic is changing
A 50-year record population increase was fuelled by greater migration
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The story of Japanese jeweller Tasaki
The Blend A revival in the use of pearls in fashion and jewellery design places heritage brand Tasaki centre stage
By Felix Bischof Published
-
The world's most beautiful gardens
The Blend For the last word in gardening leave, our pick of the best scent-filled stays
By Delilah Khomo Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 24, 2024
Daily Briefing Trump closes in on nomination with New Hampshire win over Haley, 'Oppenheimer' leads the 2024 Oscar nominations, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 23, 2024
Daily Briefing Haley makes last stand in New Hampshire as Trump extends polling lead, justices side with US over Texas in border fight, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 22, 2024
Daily Briefing DeSantis ends his presidential campaign and endorses Trump, the US and Arab allies push plan to end Gaza war, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 21, 2024
Daily Briefing Palestinian death toll reportedly passes 25,000, top Biden adviser to travel to Egypt and Qatar for hostage talks, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 20, 2024
Daily Briefing Grand jury reportedly convened to investigate Uvalde shooting response, families protest outside Netanyahu's house as pressure mounts for hostage deal, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 19, 2024
Daily Briefing Congress averts a government shutdown, DOJ report cites failures in police response to Texas school shooting, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 18, 2024
Daily Briefing Judge threatens to remove Trump from his defamation trial, medicine for hostages and Palestinians reach Gaza, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-