5 things to know for Sept. 19: The Queen, Hurricane Fiona, Covid, Ukraine, Recall
By Alexandra Meeks, CNN
Many people who share their lives on social media may assume that they can delete their posts, messages, and personal data whenever they choose. But a recent Senate hearing has once again shown that deleting something from the internet is almost impossible — even if the account is canceled.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. Queen Elizabeth II
Britain is bidding farewell to Queen Elizabeth II today with a grand funeral steeped in tradition to honor her 70-year reign. Presidents, prime ministers, princes, an emperor and empress, and other public figures are in attendance to pay their last respects — a testament to her far-reaching appeal. The funeral service is taking place in the same abbey where, 69 years ago, the Queen was crowned and where, 75 years ago, she was married to her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died last year. For the last several days, thousands of mourners in London have lined up to say goodbye to the Queen as she lay in state, some waiting up to 20 hours to file past her coffin.
You can tune in to CNN to watch live coverage of the Queen’s state funeral from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET or follow live updates here.
2. Hurricane Fiona
More than a million people in Puerto Rico are without power today after Hurricane Fiona slammed the island with heavy rain and life-threatening flooding. The Category 1 storm came ashore on Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and has already dumped 6 to 24 inches of rain in some areas, the National Hurricane Center said. Fiona could bring a total of up to 30 inches of rainfall to Puerto Rico and up to 12 inches to the Dominican Republic, which the storm hit earlier this morning. The main power utility in Puerto Rico said it could be days before power is restored, adding that “several transmission line outages” are contributing to the blackout.
3. Covid-19
As a growing number of states move away from Covid-19 restrictions and quarantine measures, President Joe Biden said he believes the pandemic is “over,” but acknowledged the US still has a “problem” with the virus. “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it… but the pandemic is over,” Biden said during an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” The US government still designates Covid-19 as a Public Health Emergency and the World Health Organization says it remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Data show there were about 65,000 new Covid-19 cases reported each day over the past two weeks and reported cases are dropping in almost every state. However, about 400 people in the US are dying every day from Covid-19, the CDC said.
4. Ukraine
Ukraine has captured more territory in one week than Russian forces had in five months, observers say. The recent gains by Ukrainian troops, particularly in the eastern part of the country, have forced Russia to regroup amid a series of shortcomings — which will get no easier with the onset of winter. Russians currently hold about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and parts of the south. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday called any perceived slowing of his military’s progress “a preparation” for more cities to be liberated soon. “Perhaps it seems to someone now that after a series of victories we have a certain lull. But this is not a lull. This is preparation for the next sequence,” he said.
5. Truck recall
Nissan is recalling more than 200,000 pickup trucks due to a risk that the vehicles could roll away while in park. Nissan Frontiers and Titans from the years 2020 through 2023 are the affected models, representing 203,223 vehicles sold. The trucks could roll away because the transmission parking pawl, which prevents the vehicles from moving, may not engage when the trucks are in park, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. This comes just months after Nissan previously recalled more than 180,000 Frontiers and Titans from 2020-2022 for the same risk. Owners of the affected models have been advised to use their parking brake every time they park.
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TODAY’S NUMBER
300,000
That’s approximately how many households across southwestern Japan were left without power after Typhoon Nanmadol made landfall Sunday, prompting local authorities to issue a rarely used “special warning” to convey the seriousness of the storm. Close to 10 million people across Japan’s third largest island, Kyushu, have been advised to seek shelter in sturdy buildings or move to higher ground, authorities said.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“My intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again. But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”
— President Biden, saying in an interview that aired Sunday that it’s “much too early” to make the decision on whether he will run again for president in 2024. Biden’s comments in the CBS “60 Minutes” interview mark a shift from what he and his aides have been saying publicly for most of his presidency — and open the door to Biden potentially not seeking another term. However, when asked about criticism that he is unfit for the job at age 79, Biden said: “Watch me.”
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Horses enjoy violin
Watch these horses express their approval of a gentle violin song. (Click here to view)
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