Five dead in Philly train derailment. Dozens dead in latest Nepal quake. And fewer Americans call themselves Christian.
It’s Wednesday, and here are five things to know for your New Day.
AMTRAK CRASH
Train derails: At least five people were killed last night when an Amtrak train traveling from Washington to New York derailed. Dozens were injured. Armed with flashlights, firefighters workers went from car to car, rescuing passengers from the train, which went off the tracks in Philadelphia. Mayor Michael Nutter called the scene “an absolute, disastrous mess.” Seven cars and the train’s engine were either turned over or found upside down. The FBI was on the scene, but as of last night there was nothing to indicate the incident was an act of terrorism.
NEPAL EARTHQUAKE
More misery: At least 65 have died in Nepal’s latest earthquake. The quake — a magnitude 7.3 — was weaker than the one that hit the region just over two weeks ago, but it was still deadly. It struck before dawn yesterday and aftershocks rocked the region throughout the day. At least 17 people died in India and a woman was killed in China when falling rocks hit her car. A U.S. military helicopter, in Nepal to support quake relief efforts, also went missing yesterday. The UH-1 Huey helicopter had six Marines and two Nepalis aboard at the time.
WISCONSIN SHOOTING
No charges: There were protests, but no violence yesterday when a district attorney announced no charges would be brought against the Madison, Wisconsin, police officer who shot and killed an unarmed biracial man. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said while Tony Robinson’s death was “tragic and unfortunate,” he concluded Officer Matt Kenny’s use of force was lawful. Robinson’s family criticized the decision and protestors took the streets, but there were no reports last night of any violence or unrest.
NORTH KOREA
Death sentence: North Korea has reportedly executed the country’s defense minister after the regime accused him of treason. Hyon Yong Chol was killed April 30 with an anti-aircraft gun at a military school in front of hundreds of witnesses, according to South Korean media. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been accused of ordering the executions of as many as 15 top officials so far this year. However, during a rare trip to Pyongyang last week, a top official told CNN the allegations were “malicious slander.”
RELIGION
New study: Fewer Americans identify themselves as Christians, mainly because millennials are leaving the fold. That’s the takeaway from a new Pew Research Center study released yesterday. The study says the Christian percentage of the population has dropped from 78.4% in 2007 to 70.6% today. Hinduism and Islam made small but significant gains, but the big drop in Christianity comes from people who now identify themselves as unaffiliated with any faith, a category that’s up 10 percentage points since 2007.
Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a few others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing.
The candy thief: A little girl conspires with her mom to hide her theft of candy from dad. And she’s just cute enough to get away with it.
For mom: A son produces a video to help his single mom catch a man.
Play with me: An adorable (and confused) Yorkshire terrier desperately tries to get a little girl doll to play with him.
Trick shots: Extreme fun with Frisbees.
Feeding time: A pig sings to her piglets as she feeds them.