RACHEL RANDER
CATHOLIC VALUES COLUMNIST
National
Obama vetoes Saudi Arabia bill
On Friday, President Barack Obama made his 12th presidential veto, blocking a bill made by Congress that would have allowed family members of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress plan to override the veto next week. Supporters of the bill voted to pass it because it would “end foreign countries’ immunity in the United States from lawsuits,” according to CNN. The president said that the reason he vetoed the bill was because it “would neither protect Americans from terrorist attacks nor improve the effectiveness of our response to such attacks.” He also cited ally complaints about the bill, as well as concerns over U.S. military safety. The decision upset many families who feel that they are being denied the chance to have their cases heard.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/23/politics/september-11-bill-saudi-arabia-veto/index.html
Riots in Charlotte fueled
Riots in Charlotte, North Carolina have been fueled over the decision not to publicly release police videos of the shooting of a 43-year-old black man. Police say that Keith L. Scott did not follow orders to drop a handgun, while his family holds that he was unarmed. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief, Kerr Putney, said Thursday that the decision was made because releasing the video could harm investigations. He added, “If you think I’m saying we should display a victim’s worst day for public consumption, that is not the transparency I’m speaking of.” According to Chief Putney, the videos did not provide “absolute, definitive, visual evidence” that Scott was pointing a gun at officers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/us/charlotte-shooting-police-bodycam-video.html
Ted Cruz endorses Trump
Despite being foes in the presidential race, Senator Ted Cruz announced Friday that he is supporting Donald Trump in November. He said, “After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.” He said that he found Hillary Clinton “wholly unacceptable,” and wanted to stay true to the Republican Party. He also urged others to make the same decision, saying that Clinton’s policies would “harm millions of Americans.” In the months prior Cruz and Trump have been at odds, often outright insulting each other at debates.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/09/23/cruz-says-will-vote-for-trump.html
International
Egyptian Boat Carrying Migrants Capsizes
A boat carrying between 450 and 600 Egyptian, Syrian, Sudanese, Eritrean and Somali migrants capsized off the coast of Egypt on Wednesday. In total, 163 people have been rescued from the site but, according to survivors, many more may have perished. Egyptian officials say that four crew members have been arrested over charges of involuntary manslaughter and human trafficking. The boat is said to have capsized after a group of 150 was added to the population already on board. According to the UN, more migrants are using Egypt as a departure point to travel toward Europe.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37454066
South Korea Claims to have Assassination Plan
According to a top South Korean defense official, Seoul is planning to assassinate North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un. Defense Minister Han Min-koo said that this plan would go into effect if the North made any move to attack the South with its nuclear missiles. Han said that the country is “considering launching a Special Forces unit to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.” This comes just after North Korea completed its fifth nuclear test on September 9. North Korea responded to the South’s potential plan by calling the South “puppet warmongers.”
Samsung Phone Doused on Plane
Just weeks after Samsung’s worldwide recall of their Note 7 devices, cabin crew on an Indian passenger plane had to use a fire extinguisher to put out a Note 2 model. According to airline IndiGo, the device was “smoldering and spitting sparks.” The safety issue was first spotted by passengers who noticed smoke coming from an overhead compartment. Upon search of the compartment the phone was found and extinguished, then placed in a bucket of water for the remainder of the flight. No one was injured in the incident, and the plane made a normal landing.