RACHEL RANDER
CATHOLIC VALUES COLUMNIST
National
Architect killed after fall from skyscraper
Bruno Travalja, 52, died on Thursday by falling from a skyscraper in Manhattan. Police reports say that the New Jersey architect was killed after taking a measurement on the 42nd floor of the building. He stood up, felt “dizzy,” and fell. His body, according to the media, was found be-tween 52nd and 53rd streets. An investigation is taking place to determine if faulty equipment or violated safety protocols are to blame for the architect’s death. Involved in the investigations are the NYPD and Manhattan’s Department of Buildings. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37387356
Colonial Pipeline leaks, leaves three states with gas shortage
A leakage in part of the Colonial Pipeline running from Houston to New York has caused a clo-sure that has the potential to cause shortages and drive up gas prices. A section of the pipeline has been closed since a spill totaling around 250,000 gallons was discovered in Alabama on Sep-tember 9. The cause of the leak is unknown, and full service will not be restored for at least an-other week. This has caused suppliers to rush to find other ways of supplying the area with gaso-line until the leak can be fixed. Currently the price of gasoline has not increased, but it is possible for it to climb 15 cents per gallon in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. The governors of Alabama and Georgia have both declared states of emergency, as many people could be left without access to gasoline. http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/16/investing/gasoline-prices-shortage-pipeline-leak/index.html
Samsung Galaxy formally recalled
Samsung has launched a voluntary recall of their Galaxy Note 7 after reports that the phone “ex-ploded” and caught on fire. The issue, which is caused by a faulty battery, affects 1 million de-vices in the US. There have been 92 reports involving overheating batteries in the US, including 26 burns and 55 property damages. The chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commis-sion said, “Because this product presents such a serious fire hazard, I am urging all consumers … to take advantage of this recall right away.” The company said that it would replace any phones of that model, and advised consumers to stop using the model entirely.
International
US air strike kills an IS leader
According to the Pentagon, an Islamic State senior leader has been killed in a US air strike. Wa’il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, known as “Dr Wa’il,” was the minister of information for the IS. He was most notably involved with propaganda including that of executions. The attack took place on September 7, near Raqqa. Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said, “The removal of ISIL’s senior leaders degrades its ability to retain territory, and its ability to plan, finance, and
direct attacks inside and outside of the region.” In addition, the chief IS propagandist, Abu Mo-hamed al-Adnani, was killed in another air strike in Syria during August. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37390408
Former Brazilian president facing corruption charges
“Prove any corruption and I will walk to go to jail,” said former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva on Thursday. Both Lula de Silva and his wife Marisa Leticita de Silva, as well as six others, were hit with corruption charges Wednesday, stemming mostly from a money laun-dering investigation known as Operation Car Wash. The former president is accused of benefit-ting illegally from a renovation of a triplex near Sao Paulo. Lula De Silva said that the charges were “fiction,” and defended himself by saying, “I respect institutions, I respect the law.” Lula de Silva was first elected in 2003 and won a second term that finished with a 90% approval rat-ing. He was previously questioned by police and denied any involvement with corruption. http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/14/americas/brazil-luiz-incio-lula-da-silva-corruption-charges/in-dex.html
Wing flap belonging to MH370 found in Tanzania
Australian officials reported on Thursday that a wing flap that was found on the shore of Pemba Island belonged to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The flap was originally found by residents of Pemba Island, located off of Tanzania, in June. It was first thought to have come from the missing plane, a Boeing 777, and this information was confirmed after later analysis by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Other pieces of the wreckage have been found on vari-ous coastlines around the Indian Ocean since the plane’s disappearance on March 8, 2014. More wreckage is expected to wash ashore, but so far nothing has helped to determine where the full wreckage is located. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/09/15/wing-flap-found-in-tanzania-confirmed-to-be-part-mh370.html