5 things you need to know Friday
Minsk meeting could lead to Ukraine cease-fire
Cease-fire talks involving Ukraine, Russia and separatist rebels may end months of fighting as leaders from the West stood ready to impose additional sanctions on Russia if the talks fail. The talks in Minsk come as NATO holds its second and final day of a summit in Wales. The prospect of a cease-fire did not stop Russian-backed rebels from continuing their offensive, however, as the sound of heavy shelling moved closer to the port city of Mariupol in southeast Ukraine, Friday morning.
Healthcare.gov insurance deadline for people to prove immigration status ends
Those who signed up for Healthcare.gov insurance must submit their immigration status by Friday or face losing their health policies all together. Many of the hundreds of thousands of people that are at risk have reported glitches in the site's main interface. Consumers are complaining that they are being forced to send their information multiple times, while many can't access their accounts at all.Those with problems should contact the Healthcare.gov call center at (800) 318-2596 for help.
Stand Up To Cancer telethon to broadcast across networks
The star-studded event brings together artists from music, film and television Friday to raise money for the non-profit organization of the same name. This is the fourth such telethon to happen since 2008 and will be broadcast simultaneously over the four major networks and a number of cable channels. Want a chance to chat with a celebrity? Sign up for "We're Calling You" – an initiative where celebrities will reach out to individuals to pledge a donation over the phone or via social media.
Bureau of Labor Statistics to release August employment figures
The governmental agency will release its monthly employment figures Friday for the month of August. Experts indicate that the unemployment rate may have risen from 6.1% in June to 6.2%, as job numbers continued to rise, Bloomberg reports.
Study disproves myth of bras as a cause of breast cancer
The study published Friday in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found no differences in lifetime bra-wearing habits among more than 1,500 postmenopausal women with and without a history of breast cancer. It did not matter whether the bras had underwires, how many hours a day they were worn or at what age women starting wearing them. It also did not matter if women were heavy or thin, A-cupped or D-cupped.
Weather: The first Friday of September will feature both summer heat in the South and fall-like temperatures in parts of the northern tier.
Stocks:Stock futures were lower Friday ahead of the release of the Labor Department's August employment report.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch this weekend? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at Stand Up To Cancer and Utopia.
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