5 things you need to know Friday
Monster hurricane plows its way to South Florida
Airlines started to wind down some of their Florida operations as Hurricane Irma tracked closer to several of the state’s busiest airports. Already, hundreds of flights have been canceled for Friday in anticipation of Irma, which has astounded meteorologists with its relentless ferocity, and broken several records as it was guided by a strong ridge of high atmospheric pressure over the Atlantic. The slightly weakened Category 4 storm slammed into the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday as it barreled through the Caribbean, killing at least 11.
Last-ditch effort on partial Obamacare repeal underway
On Friday, a bipartisan group of House members who call themselves the Problem Solvers Caucus are expected to discuss a new health care proposal. The governors hope to break the stalemate over health care, sending Congress a proposal in late August that aims to bolster the individual market, increase state flexibility and restrain rising premiums. The plan — spearheaded by Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich and Colorado Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper — would initially preserve and strengthen key elements of the Affordable Care Act and then give states flexibility to unravel some of Obamacare's coverage requirements.
Wilmington, Del., leads U.S. in teen shootings
Wilmington isn't Chicago or Los Angeles, Baltimore or Detroit. It is a city of less than 72,000 people. But a Paste BN Network and Associated Press analysis of Gun Violence Archive data released on Friday reveals that Wilmington, Del., far and away leads the country in its rate of shootings among young people under 18. Of the 10 cities with the highest rates of teen shootings, most had populations of less than 250,000 people. Among them were Savannah, Ga.; Trenton, N.J.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Fort Myers, Fla.; and Richmond, Va. Chicago was the lone large-population city high on the list. Poverty and a sense of hopelessness in the most violent neighborhoods is a common thread.
Be afraid: Stephen King's 'It' hits theaters
Seven troubled kids in Derry, Maine, in 1989 band together to battle a murderous clown in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's It, in theaters Friday. Bill Skarsgård plays the creepy Pennywise, a sewer-dwelling dark force who returns every 27 years. When young Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher) loses his brother to Pennywise’s latest reign of terror, he teams up with other proud members of the Losers' Club who’ve also had terrifying encounters with him. Paste BN recently caught up with King, who's been busier than ever with TV and book projects. (Here's our take on the very best - and worst - Stephen King movies.)
A first for Cubs at Wrigley: Friday night lights
Tonight marks the first time the Chicago Cubs will play a regular season game at Wrigley Field on a Friday night. The unusual move was born Wednesday, when the city council voted to lift for one game a ban on Friday night games at Wrigley so Cubs players can get a little more rest before playing Central Division rival Milwaukee. The game was originally scheduled for Friday afternoon, but the team notified the city that the Cubs were playing Thursday night in Pittsburgh, while the Brewers didn't have a game Thursday.
Developing story: Powerful earthquake hits southern Mexico
A massive 8.1-magnitude earthquake rocked Mexico's southern coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said early Friday, triggering a tsunami threat to several neighboring countries. At least five people were killed and scores of homes and roads were damaged. The quake was felt hundreds of miles away in the capital, Mexico City, sending scared residents running into the streets. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said the quake was the strongest to hit the country in a century.
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