5 things you need to know Friday
Counter-attacking militants storm Iraqi power plant, police stations
Suspected Islamic State fighters stormed an Iranian-run power plant and police stations in the Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk on Friday as the operation to recapture the city of Mosul from the extremist group continued. The attacks Friday, which killed at least 11 people, were an apparent counter-attack as Iraqi forces advanced on Mosul, about 100 miles to the northwest. Aid agencies warned the Mosul offensive represents an impossible decision for families, including at least 600,000 children. UNICEF, the U.N. Children's Fund, said it reached the town of Al Houd, just south of Mosul, after it was retaken by Iraqi security forces this week and delivered clean water to 3,000 children and their families there.
It's now OK for babies to Skype, FaceTime with grandma
The American Academy of Pediatrics now says it’s OK for babies to Skype or FaceTime with grandma and grandpa, and for older children and teens to do some of their socializing, learning and playing online — as long as they put down their devices long enough to sleep, exercise, eat, converse and otherwise engage in rich offline lives. Those are some highlights from a new set of guidelines from the nation's leading group of pediatricians, published online Friday by the journal Pediatrics. They replace simpler longstanding recommendations that children under age 2 avoid all screens and that older children and teens use digital media for no more than an hour or two a day.
Jim Beam plant workers could decide to go back to work
Hundreds of Jim Beam employees at two Kentucky plants could be back to work next week if they approve a new union contract Friday. Workers have been on strike almost a week after months of failed contract negotiations. Their complaints have received national attention for their somewhat unusual nature: Instead of asking for more money or hours, the employees are requesting less overtime, with some saying they've worked 60- to 80-hour weeks to keep up with production demands amid a nationwide revival of interest in Kentucky bourbon.
Lady Gaga's new album 'Joanne' drops — with a lot riding on it
Lady Gaga's fifth studio album, Joanne, is available starting Friday. It follows 2013's critically derided Artpop, her worst-selling solo album to date. Gaga, 30, has scaled back the pageantry and doubled down on authenticity. She named this album for her late aunt, is donning slightly more modest ensembles (T-shirts, denim shorts and cowgirl hats) and even showcased her newly countrified sound at intimate dive bar shows. If the album's good, it proves she's reinvented herself again. And, at the very least, all of her Little Monsters will have new music just in time for Halloween.
Formula One U.S. Grand Prix kicks off in Austin
Drivers, start your engines. Formula One is coming back to Austin. Beginning Friday, the U.S. Grand Prix returns to Texas for a weekend of racing and music with this year’s concert lineup including Taylor Swift and Usher. The race, part of the larger Formula One World Championship, is the sole U.S. venue for the series of 21 events around the world where drivers compete on specialized courses at speeds exceeding 200 mph. Although it has a massive global following, Formula One has yet to gain the same fan appeal in the USA.
And the essentials:
Stocks: Global stock markets drifted Friday as investors increasingly factored in a Fed rate hike soon.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at Hamilton’s America and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Be inspired: Watch the amazing moment when a boy with autism meets his service dog for the first time.
Most popular: See our top stories in one nightly digest on Facebook Messenger.
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