10 things you need to know today: August 10, 2014
- 1. Obama says Iraq operation could be 'a long-term project'
- 2. Palestinian negotiators accept new ceasefire, but no Israeli response
- 3. Russia offers Donetsk rebel troops 'humanitarian' support
- 4. Egyptian court bans political wing of Muslim Brotherhood
- 5. NASCAR driver Tony Stewart hits, kills fellow driver in sprint race
- 6. Crowd gathers to protest St. Louis police shooting of black teenager
- 7. GM recalls another round of vehicles
- 8. Washington state's first month of pot sales reach $3.8 million
- 9. Pfizer faces wave of lawsuits over Lipitor complications
- 10. Venus Williams defeats Serena Williams to advance to Rogers Cup final
1. Obama says Iraq operation could be 'a long-term project'
President Barack Obama stressed the need for a stable, cooperative Iraqi government to push back ISIS advances in the country in a Saturday address. "This is going to be a long-term project," he said. Obama maintained that the intervention will focus not on using U.S. combat troops but continuing to deploy airstrikes when needed. On the humanitarian aid front, Kurdish forces were able to open a safe route earlier this weekend, but thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority are still trapped on a northern mountainside in Iraq, having fled the latest advance by ISIS.
TheWeek.com The Washington Post
2. Palestinian negotiators accept new ceasefire, but no Israeli response
Palestinian negotiators reportedly accepted an Egyptian proposal of a new 72-hour truce this morning, saying they are in Cairo "to look for an agreement." If Israel also agrees to the new ceasefire, the two sides could resume negotiations — albeit separately, as neither recognizes the other's legitimacy — which faltered over the weekend following the end of a prior 72-hour truce. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned today that "Israel will not negotiate under fire," and Israeli leaders ended negotiations in Egypt earlier this weekend, after Hamas militants resumed rocket fire toward southern Israel.
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. Russia offers Donetsk rebel troops 'humanitarian' support
Just a day after Western powers warned against such a plan, Moscow "urged support for Russia's initiative to deploy a humanitarian mission to Ukraine." The offer comes in the wake of a requested ceasefire by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, who claim their stronghold on the city of Donetsk is failing and that the militants are "completely encircled." But the rebels stepped back those remarks this morning in response to the Ukrainian government's stance that any negotiations would have to stem from "raising white flags and ... putting down guns."
4. Egyptian court bans political wing of Muslim Brotherhood
An Egyptian court delivered a ruling on Saturday that commands the Freedom and Justice Party — the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing — to dissolve and turn all of its assets over to the state. While a separate ruling banned the Muslim Brotherhood itself nearly a year ago, that decision did not specifically detail the FJP, meaning the political party could have had the opportunity to run in parliamentary elections later this year. "This is a political decision to get rid, not just of the Freedom and Justice Party, but of all the parties that were established after the revolution of January 25, 2011," Mahmoud Abou al-Aynayn, the FJP's lawyer, said.
5. NASCAR driver Tony Stewart hits, kills fellow driver in sprint race
NASCAR driver Tony Stewart struck and killed a fellow driver during a sprint car race in upstate New York on Saturday night. During the race, Stewart and Kevin Ward, Jr. battled a bit for position, and Ward's car ultimately spun out. Ward then got out of his car and began walking across the track, pointing his finger toward Stewart, who was driving back around on the caution lap. Stewart's car clipped Ward and flung him on down the track. Ward was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.
6. Crowd gathers to protest St. Louis police shooting of black teenager
A Saturday police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in a predominantly black St. Louis suburb prompted angry protests for several hours that night, with the NAACP calling for the FBI to investigate the incident. The St. Louis County Police Department is investigating the shooting at the request of the local Ferguson police department, and while an official confirmed that a police officer had shot Brown on Saturday, he did not offer a reason for the shooting. The officer has reportedly been placed on paid administrative leave.
7. GM recalls another round of vehicles
General Motors is recalling 269,000 vehicles due to a variety of defects. The largest recall is of 2002-2004 model Saturn Vue crossovers (202,115 cars). The ignition key in some of the vehicles has been found to dislodge while the car is running, and the company attributed at least two crashes and one injury to the defect. The latest round of recalls brings GM’s total this year to 66, and about 29 million GM cars and trucks have fallen under one of the recall umbrellas so far in 2014.
8. Washington state's first month of pot sales reach $3.8 million
One month into legally selling marijuana, Washington state stores have sold more than $3.8 million-worth of weed. That number is expected to net the state more than $1 million in taxes, still less than Colorado, which collected close to $2 million in excise and sales taxes in its first month of retail marijuana sales. "It's off to a healthy start, considering that the system isn't fully up and running yet," Brian Smith, a Washington Liquor Control Board spokesman, said.
9. Pfizer faces wave of lawsuits over Lipitor complications
A Reuters review has found that lawsuits by U.S. women claiming the anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor gave them type-2 diabetes have rocketed up from 56 to nearly 1,000 in five months. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which produces the drug, has denied liability for the side effects, which were raised in 2012, when the Food and Drug Administration ordered a label change alerting users to risks associated with the drug. The women's lawyers claim that females are more at risk than men of developing diabetes from using Lipitor, which is the best-selling prescription drug of all time, since it went on the market in 1996.
10. Venus Williams defeats Serena Williams to advance to Rogers Cup final
Venus Williams, 34, defeated her two-years-younger sister, Serena Williams, on Saturday afternoon to advance to the final of the Rogers Cup. The elder Williams sister had not defeated Serena in more than five years, but she did so 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3. Serena still leads the sisters’ all-time series, 15-11.
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
Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Why more and more adults are reaching for soft toys
Under The Radar Does the popularity of the Squishmallow show Gen Z are 'scared to grow up'?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine solutions - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine printables - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US 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
-
10 things you need to know today: January 17, 2024
Daily Briefing The US strikes Houthi targets in Yemen a third time, Trump's second sex defamation trial begins, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published