Protests. A profile. And a very hungry penguin. It’s Thursday and here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
1. Charlotte protests
A second night of protests over the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott descended into madness. Protesters set fires, looted businesses and went after reporters, including CNN’s Ed Lavandera. One man was shot. Cops responded with tear gas; Charlotte’s mayor and Scott’s family pleaded for calm and this public defender put himself directly in the line of fire. Things are so bad the city’s declared a state of emergency and NC’s governor’s calling in the National Guard.
2. ISIS
An artillery shell full of mustard gas landed in an air base in Iraq that US troops are using. Military officials are pretty sure where it came from: ISIS. Thankfully, troops aren’t showing symptoms of exposure. Officials say they had expected ISIS to use chemical weapons as the US helps Iraqi forces take back Mosul. This one was “ineffective” and “poorly weaponized.”
3. Chelsea bombing
The FBI wants to have a chat with two men seen on video taking a pressure cooker device with wires and duct tape out of some luggage and leaving it in Chelsea on the night of the bombing. The men are witnesses, not suspect, the feds say. Also, check out is this revealing profile of suspect Ahmad Rahami about his lifelong fued with his family and identity. Worth a read.
4. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg forever changed how we communicate. For a second act, he and his wife want to wipe out diseases. Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have pledged a $3 billion investment to an effort to prevent or manage all diseases by the end of the century. The first $600 million is going to a new research center called Biohub.
5. Wells Fargo
It’s not fair to say Well Fargo didn’t do anything as employees kept opening up fake customer accounts. It did – it apparently fired those who weren’t cool with it. One ex-employee said when he refused to play along and called an ethics hotline, he was let go — for tardiness. Another said she was bullied and harassed and then fired. An ex-HR official said the bank actually had a system in place to push back against tipsters.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.
Get out the vote
Members of “The Avengers” and a few other famous folks ask you to vote this fall (and take a few veiled swipes at The Donald).
Inside job
A Canadian Mint employee is accused of stealing $180,000 worth of gold by hiding it in his rear. Insert your joke here. (It still won’t be as funny as this write.)
A lesson they’ll never forget
A high school history teacher taught his students about the First Amendment by stepping on the American flag. It went exactly as you think it’d go.
Cutest burglar ever
A family in Peru thought a burglar had broke into their home one night. Turns out it was just a lost and very hungry penguin.
Boy joy
Here’s a few seconds of pure joy: a 2-year-old boy geeks out as motorcycles pass him by during a race. It’s the simple things in life, you know?
AND FINALLY …
The phone rings at 3 a.m. The next president of the United States is on the line, asking for your help with a global headache. Would you be a better fit in a Clinton or Trump White House? Play this game and find out. (Trust us, this is fun … and educational.)