10 things you need to know today: August 22, 2015
ISIS No. 2 killed in drone strike, Washington gets federal disaster funding for wildfires, and more
1. White House confirms drone strike killed ISIS second-in-command
Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, a top deputy to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Bagdadi, was killed in an Aug.18 drone strike in Iraq near Mosul, the White House confirmed Friday. Hayali was the primary coordinator helping to move weapons, explosives, vehicles, and people between ISIS's strongholds in Iraq and Syria. "Hayali's death will adversely impact ISIS's operations given that his influence spanned ISIS's finance, media, operations, and logistics," National Security Council Spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
2. Scott Walker refuses to take a position on birthright citizenship
Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) said he's "not taking a position on [birthright citizenship] one way or the other," in an interview with CNBC on Friday. At the Iowa State Fair on Monday, Walker had claimed that going forward, birthright citizenship should "absolutely" be ended, disallowing babies born on U.S. soil from automatically being granted citizenship, but backtracked later that day.
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3. Obama approves federal emergency aid for Washington wildfires
President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Washington on Friday, allotting federal disaster relief funds for the wildfires burning across rural areas of the state. The declaration also allows for federal support on the ground in providing food, debris removal, and grief counseling. Washington also called in the National Guard. The fires, which killed three firefighters Wednesday, have burned nearly 500,000 acres. Evacuation orders are in place in at least six towns. It's the worst fire season in state history.
4. Stock markets plunge on global slowdown worries
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 500 points Friday, continuing a two-day slide in stocks triggered by concerns about a global economic slowdown. The main cause for investor concern is weakness in China's economy, which powers a good chunk of the worldwide economy. The S&P 500, a larger index, fell below 2,000, rounding out its worst week since 2011.
5. Americans foil gunman attack on train to Paris
Four passengers, including two off-duty military servicemen, thwarted a gunman attack on a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday. They tackled the suspect, who also had a box cutter. He was arrested after the incident. Three people sustained nonlife-threatening injuries, including one of the Americans. Officials say the suspect may have ties to radical Islam. President Barack Obama thanked the men Friday for their "courage and quick thinking."
6. North, South Korean officials meet at border after shooting
North and South Korean officials met at Panmunjon, a guarded border town, Saturday to ease tension between the two nations, which have technically been at war since the 1950s. The move comes two days after the countries exchanged fire over their heavily armed border. The shooting started when North Korea fired a shell at a loudspeaker South Korea was using to broadcast anti-Pyongyang propaganda across the border. The communist North threatened war if the South didn't shut off the loudspeaker.
Los Angeles Times The New York Times
7. Veteran fatally shoots security guard, himself after entering federal building
An armed veteran who snuck into a New York federal building Friday fatally shot a security guard before killing himself. Officials said nothing indicated the shooting was connected to terrorism. The building has an immigration court, passport processing center, and a Department of Labor regional office. The shooter, 68, was reportedly a federal contractor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics employee. The FBI is assisting in the investigation.
8. Ellen Page grills Ted Cruz on LGBT rights
Juno actor Ellen Page approached Ted Cruz at the Iowa State Fair on Friday with questions about his views on LGBT rights. A video of the interaction begins with Page, who is openly gay, asking, "What about the question [of] LGBT people being fired for just strictly being gay or trans?" Cruz replies, "Actually, we're seeing Bible-believing Christians being persecuted." Cruz and Page go back and forth for about five minutes until the presidential hopeful cuts off the conversation.
9. Dr. Dre apologizes to 'the women I've hurt'
In light of the claim his N.WA. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, glossed over his multiple charges of assault and battery, Dr. Dre gave The New York Times a statement Friday apologizing for his actions. "I apologize to the women I've hurt," he said. "I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives." Apple, who employs Dre, also released a statement Friday, saying they believe "he has changed."
10. Spotify clarifies controversial updates to privacy policy
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek clarified Friday that users will have the ability to opt into the controversial updates to Spotify's privacy policy, which were announced Thursday. Opting in would allow the streaming service to access your contacts, track your location, and look at your photos. "Let me be crystal clear here: If you don't want to share this kind of information, you don't have to," Ek wrote in a company blog post titled "Sorry."
