The following five articles are brief summaries of the stories currently applicable to the U.S. Five headlines were taken from the top news stories of the week, and each producer covers the topics more in-depth online.
1. US vaping illness count tops 500, but cause still unknown - Houston Chronicle
38 states have fallen victim to this epidemic. The source? E-cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration’s tobacco director, Mitch Zeller, commented on the fact that criminal investigations are being put in place to dig up what may be causing these illnesses. As of Thursday, there have been eight confirmed deaths related to vaping. While the specific cause is still unknown, doctors are seeking to uncover the causes behind these e-cigarette illnesses.
2. Where have the wild birds gone? 3 billion fewer than 1970 - StarTribune
A study conducted by Cornell University conservationist Kenneth Rosenberg concluded that the bird population has fallen 29% over the past half century. What once was 10.1 billion birds has fallen to 7.2 billion birds worldwide. Rosenberg acknowledges that the number of sparrows and quails are drastically decreasing while the number of bluebirds is increasing. Loss of habitat was determined as the No. 1 cause of bird deaths, followed by being chased by cats, being hit by cars and colliding into windows.
3. Nike drops Antonio Brown after sexual assault allegations - CBS News
An anonymous Nike spokesperson denied Brown’s status as “a Nike athlete” and ended relations with the NFL player on Sept. 19. The New England Patriot faced charges on Sept. 10 regarding the claim he had raped his former trainer. The 31-year-old athlete had previously left his position as a receiver for the Oakland Raiders after tension occurred between Brown and his former team. While the Patriots state they are aware of the situation, Nike has cut all ties from Brown.
4. Colt will stop making AR-15s for civilian sale, says there’s already plenty on market - NBC News
Colt, a Connecticut-based gun-maker, stopped production of AR-15 semi-automatic rifles for civilian consumption. According to NBC news, Colt CEO and President Dennis Veilleux released a statement claiming that plenty of guns have already been manufactured and that there is no need for any more to be produced, other than for military purposes. No relation was made regarding the recent number of mass shootings in America.
5. Rural Nevada is not prepared for a potentially huge ‘storm Area 51’ turnout - USA Today
Small-town life has changed drastically in Nevada, with the towns of Rachel and Caliente already preparing for a great number of people to flood the area for the suspected Area 51 raid on Sept. 20. While some local authorities do not anticipate a huge turnout for the event, which was popularized on Facebook over the summer, the Air Force has issued a statement about the event. “Any attempt to illegally access the area is highly discouraged,” the statement read.
