Happy Friday. First, an apology. A glitch on our part sent the newsletter to your inboxes not at 6 a.m. but at noon yesterday. Embarrassing! It’s all good now. And here are 5 things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
1. Italy earthquake
The ground won’t stop shaking in central Italy where aftershocks are rattling residents and making rescue work difficult in the earthquake-ravaged towns. The death toll is now 267 – and rising with each passing hour, as more bodies are dug out from the rubble. But then come the aftershocks, sending everyone scurrying for cover and raining more debris. And the work begins anew.
2. Nuns killed
Someone stabbed to death two nuns who spent their whole lives helping the poor. The nuns helped run a clinic in Lexington, Mississippi, and were much loved by doctors and residents. There’s a lot we still don’t know about the case – was it a break-in gone wrong, or was it something more sinister? Either way, it’s despicable.
3. Campaign 2016
We knew this year’s presidential election campaign was going to be the nastiest in memory. A pair of dueling speeches from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton didn’t disappoint on that front. She called him a racist; he called her a bigot. So on and so forth. November can’t come fast enough.
4. Migrant crisis
Make some time and read this one story today. It’s an intimate look at the perilous journey migrants take from North Africa across the Mediterranean. CNN’s Moni Basu beautifully tells the story through two characters: John Hamilton, the captain of a search-and-rescue vessel, who looks for these overcrowded boats; and Mogahid Sabeel, who fled Darfur and hopes to put his college degree to use in Europe.
5. Ryan Lochte
Thought Lochtegate was over? Well, that wouldn’t be much fun, now would it? Rio cops have now charged him with falsely reporting a crime for his “I was robbed at gunpoint” fib. If convicted, he’ll pay a fine or be Lochte-up. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist). There will be no negotiations, Rio says.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.
Please don’t go
After six decades of marriage, this couple has to live in separate nursing homes. Watching them say goodbye after a visit is the saddest thing ever.
Head spinner
Confused by who’s fighting whom in Syria? We can explain it to you, or we can just draw you a picture.
How to tick people off
Step 1: Name a campus training program #StopWhitePeople2K16. Step 2: Watch the internets explode. Step 3: Force your university to explain it all.
Beyond the call
When you encounter a baby covered in vomit during a DUI stop, you gotta go the extra mile, like this state trooper did in West Virginia.
Man oh man
Netflix has a new competitor. But the streaming service isn’t too worried about it. This copycat is in North Korea and saddled with a weird name — Manbang.
Number of the day
$1.27 billion
That’s how much Uber lost during the first half of the year. And taxi drivers were worried Uber was going to put them out of business.
AND FINALLY …
Stella by starlight
Let’s end the week with a bit of cuteness, shall we? It’s lights out for Stella, the Labrador retriever, after she starts playing with her favorite toy.