5 things you need to know Friday
1. Hospitals host blood drives for Ore. shooting victims
The hospitals that received victims from a shooting at an Oregon community college will host blood drives on Friday. People can visit Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg, Ore., and PeaceHealth Sacred Heart in Springfield, Ore., to donate. On Thursday, 10 people were killed and an additional seven were injured when a gunman opened fire at Umpqua Community College. A senior law enforcement official identified the gunman as 26-year-old Chris Mercer. President Obama called for action on gun laws, saying that "our thoughts and prayers are not enough."
2. Malala documentary in theaters Friday
A documentary about the 15-year-old Pakistani girl whom the Taliban targeted for assassination for wanting to go to school opens Friday. He Named Me Malala, in theaters Friday in New York and Los Angeles and expanding nationwide Oct. 9, tells the story of Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head on a school bus in 2012. She recovered and eventually recounted her struggle in the book I Am Malala, which led to her being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
3. Kansas officials to cull voter registration applications
More than 31,000 prospective Kansas voters may have their names removed from registration records starting Friday. Election officials are expected to begin the cull as part of the state’s tough voter identification law. Applicants need to prove their citizenship with a birth certificate, passport or other papers, per a law that went into effect in 2013; this next phase would remove incomplete applications. Kansas is one of four states that requires proof of citizenship.
4. Will Smith gets jiggy for first time in nearly a decade
Grammy-winning rapper and Oscar-nominated actor Will Smith appears on a remix of Colombian band Bomba Estereo's song, Fiesta, marking his first musically work since 2005. Smith raps in both English and Spanish on the song, which was released digitally Friday. He recently shot a music video for the remix with Bomba Estereo. Smith discovered the band, known for its blend of Latin, tropical and electro sounds, on a recent trip to Colombia.
5. 'Peanuts' turns 65
Good grief! It's been 65 years since Charlie Brown and the gang first delighted readers in a comic strip published in seven newspapers. Six and a half decades later, the Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts have become iconic — so much so that it has received its own stamps for the renowned TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's never too early to start thinking about sending those holiday cards and to get "Christmas Time is Here" stuck in your head.
And, the essentials:
Weather: A nor'easter is expected to bring heavy rains and flooding to the East Coast through the weekend.
Stocks: Global markets were waiting for the release of September's U.S. employment report.
TV tonight: Wondering what to watch this weekend? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at SNL, Good Wife and Affair.
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