A lot has happened in roughly two months — from the Empire actor’s initial police report in Chicago to prosecutors’ decision to drop the charges against him. Here’s a brief history of the key dates.
European Parliament Moves Toward Ending Daylight Saving Time
Under a proposal, each EU member state would need to choose either “summertime” (daylight saving time) or “wintertime” (standard time). The change would go into effect in 2021.
The Weather Channel Sued For $125 Million Over Death In Storm Chase Collision
The suit alleges that the channel continued to employ two storm chasers, ignoring their alleged history of reckless driving. A crash eventually killed both storm chasers and the plaintiff’s son.
India Claims Successful Test Of Anti-Satellite Weapon
New Delhi says it destroyed one of its own satellites in orbit, making India only the fourth country to test such a weapon.
Republican Lawmakers Brace For Impact Of Renewed Push To Repeal Obamacare
The Trump administration’s decision to fight for total repeal of the Affordable Care Act in court sent shock waves across Congress, where lawmakers were caught off guard by the renewed repeal effort.
Could A Novel Lead Someone To Kill? ‘Murder By The Book’ Explores The Notion
Author Claire Harman writes that one reason François Benjamin Courvoisier gave for why he murdered his boss Lord William Russell in 1840 was that he wanted to model himself on a book character.
Majority Of James Levine’s Defamation Claims Against Met Opera Dismissed
The New York State Supreme Court dismissed most of the fallen music director’s claims against the Metropolitan Opera and its general manager, Peter Gelb. Even so, both sides are claiming victory.
FAA Head Will Face Grilling From Senators Over His Agency’s Ties To Boeing
The aviation subcommittee has called a hearing to focus on the FAA’s response to crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia involving the 737 Max, which was subsequently grounded around the world.
Ranking Roger, Frontman For The English Beat, Dies At 56
In the late ’70s, Ranking Roger left punk rock to join The Beat — later known as The English Beat. His presence helped it become one of the most unforgettable bands of the ’80s.
N.Y. Suburb Declares Measles Emergency, Bars Unvaccinated Minors From Public Places
Rockland County declared a state of emergency after more than 150 people contracted the virus in recent months.
China Will Prosecute Former Interpol Leader On Bribery Charges
Meng Hongwei’s case drew international headlines last fall after one of the world’s top law enforcement officials suddenly lost contact with his family during a trip from France to China.
With ISIS And Al-Qaida Weakened, U.S. Faces An Evolving Anti-Terror Mission
The U.S. has delivered powerful blows to al-Qaida and ISIS. So what should the U.S. do now to combat terror? NPR’s Greg Myre went inside the National Counterterrorism Center to ask that question.
What If Elite Colleges Switched To A Lottery For Admissions?
What if we just pulled names out of a hat to find out who gets into America’s top colleges? K-12 lottery systems might give us an idea about what would happen.
Federal Judge Blocks North Carolina Ban On Abortions Later Than 20 Weeks
The law runs afoul of Supreme Court precedent banning abortion restrictions based on how many weeks pregnant the mother is, the judge wrote.
America’s Favorite Pastime Is Back — And Some Wish It Would Just Hurry Up!
As baseball tries to appeal to a younger audience, there’s concern the long game times may drive away that demographic. So MLB is experimenting with speeding games up and eliminating downtime.
What Will Mueller’s Russia Report Mean For Election Security In 2020?
Election officials have been planning and preparing for 2020 based on what they know happened leading up to 2016. The question now is what more they may learn from the special counsel.
Medicare’s Uncapped Drug Costs Take A Big Bite From Already Tight Budgets
Unlike many private health plans, Medicare has no cap on out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs in Part D. As the cost of specialty drugs rises, some Medicare patients owe thousands of dollars.
Boeing 737 Max Software Fix And Report On Fatal Crash Expected This Week
Authorities in Ethiopia are preparing to release preliminary findings on the cause of the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 jet that killed all 157 people on board.
Michigan Officer Says He Botched Investigation, Believed Larry Nassar’s ‘Lies’
An independent investigation finds that police failed to follow up on allegations made against the now-disgraced sports doctor in 2004.
Hong Kong Refugee Who Sheltered Snowden Granted Asylum In Canada
Vanessa Rodel and her daughter, Keana, arrived in Montreal on Tuesday after years of living in legal limbo. They and other refugees helped NSA leaker Edward Snowden after he fled the U.S.
North Korean Embassy Attack Suspects Fled To U.S., Spanish Court Says
A Spanish judge said the alleged attackers offered stolen hard drives and other materials to the FBI.
Kavanaugh Seems Conflicted On Partisan Gerrymandering At Supreme Court Arguments
The court once again appeared divided on whether redistricting could be done on the basis of politics. The newest justice seemed to be at least open to considering it as a problem.
Purdue Pharma Agrees To $270 Million Opioid Settlement With Oklahoma
The maker of OxyContin will pay to settle a historic opioid lawsuit brought by the attorney general of Oklahoma. Will other drugmakers named in the lawsuit follow?
Trump’s National Emergency Stands As House Fails To Override Veto
The vote means the administration can continue to spend billions of dollars to construct a Southwest border wall. The fight shifts to federal court, where several states sued to block the president.
After Mueller Report Memo, Democrats Turn To Health Care — For Now
After the special counsel apparently found no conspiracy by the Trump campaign to attack the 2016 election with Russia, Democrats in Congress want to focus on health care with help from the president.
Trump Administration Says Entire Affordable Care Act Should Be Repealed
A letter from the Department of Justice announced the shift, in support of a district court judge’s ruling that the law is unconstitutional. The case is likely to end up in the Supreme Court.
Cyclone Idai: A Town Is Haunted By The Smell Of Death
The town of Chimanimani is said to be the hardest hit in Zimbabwe. Survivors are searching for the bodies of their lost loved ones.
Prosecutors Drop Smollett Charges In Move Decried As ‘Whitewash Of Justice’
The Empire actor was accused of filing a false report of a hate crime. Now, the decision to drop the charges has exposed a stark fault line between Chicago authorities and state and county officials.
Missile Defense Agency Claims Successful Warhead Intercept
Multiple interceptors tracked and destroyed a missile carrying a dummy warhead. Advocates claim the test proves the system can provide some defense against countries such as North Korea.
Hospital Finances Improve After Medicaid Expansion, But At Whose Expense?
Now that Colorado has expanded Medicaid coverage to include more low-income residents, hospitals are better off financially. But that hasn’t stopped them from shifting costs to other insured patients.
Trump Faces Mixed Reviews Among Union Workers, Who Still Face Insecurity
As they debate whether he’s fulfilled promises to restore manufacturing jobs, some union members who were Trump backers from 2016 are reassessing whether they’ll support him again in 2020.
In The Shadow Of Suicides, Senate Panel Makes Rare Move To Consider Gun Control
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a previously scheduled hearing Tuesday on so-called red flag laws, which allow for the temporary removal of guns from individuals if they are deemed a risk.
Why Hasn’t The Gig Economy Killed Traditional Work?
Recent studies suggest we’re not witnessing the dawn of a new gig economy. What accounts for the resilience of traditional employment?
Pentagon Takes $1 Billion From Military Personnel Account To Build Border Fence
The money nearly doubles the $1.3 billion Congress authorized for border wall funding — a move made possible after President Trump declared a national emergency.
NASA Scraps First All-Female Spacewalk For Want Of A Medium-Sized Spacesuit
Two female astronauts were set to become the first women to spacewalk together around the International Space Station this week. But they both wear medium spacesuits, and only one was space-ready.
The U.S. Pledges A Harder Line In Cyberspace — And Drops Some Hints
Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of the secretive National Security Agency and Cyber Command, is promising more aggressive cybermeasures against rivals. And he’s talking about it — at least a little.