Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend
Maria, now a hurricane, takes aim at battered Caribbean
Tropical Storm Maria officially became a hurricane late Sunday afternoon, taking aim at already battered islands in the Caribbean amid growing concerns that Florida again could become a target. The National Hurricane Center said Maria had winds of 75 mph as of 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, making it a Category 1 hurricane. Maria is the seventh hurricane of the 2017 hurricane season. There was some good storm news on Sunday: Hurricane Jose appears to have peaked in strength with sustained winds of 90 mph and should weaken as it rolls north, away from the U.S. East Coast.
4 U.S. women attacked with acid in Marseille train station
Four young American women were attacked with acid Sunday in the French city of Marseille by a woman who has been arrested, the Marseille prosecutor’s office said. All four of the women, who are in their 20s, have been hospitalized, two of them for shock. The spokeswoman said the 41-year-old female suspect did not make any extremist threats or declarations during the attack. She said there were no obvious indications that the woman’s actions were terror-related.
Ahead of U.N. meetings, Trump aides call for more pressure on North Korea
President Trump and top aides warmed up for this week's series of United Nations meetings by calling for more global pressure on North Korea. After a late-night phone call between Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in Saturday, the White House said the two leaders will meet at the U.N. and remain "committed to continuing to take steps to strengthen deterrence and defense capabilities and to maximize economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea." In an aggressive tweetstorm Sunday, Trump mocked the North Korean leader by calling him "rocket man." (Hillary Clinton was also a target.) Meanwhile, South Korea announced its plans to create a special military “decapitation unit” with the goal of assassinating Kim Jong Un.
St. Louis protests after acquittal of white cop
Shop owners and residents were cleaning up broken glass, assessing damage and bracing for more protests Sunday after two nights of violence sparked by the acquittal of a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man. A protest was planned for Sunday at the police headquarters downtown. A judge on Friday cleared former St. Louis Metropolitan police officer Jason Stockley of first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith, 24, during a high-speed car chase. Judge Timothy Wilson ruled Stockley acted in self-defense.
'Mother of All Rallies' meets the Juggalos
It was a sight to see in Washington as two rallies converged on the nation's capital Saturday. Followers of the hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse — known as Juggalos — held a march to protest the FBI labeling the group a gang in a 2011 report, while nearby, pro-Trump activists gathered for a rally they said was a show of American patriotism and celebration. Both groups were relatively peaceful but not without some skirmishes. During the Juggalo protest, followers of the music group shared testimonials saying they had their children taken from them or lost their jobs because they had Juggalo tattoos or attended Juggalo concerts.
White House says no change in position on Paris climate agreement
The White House said Saturday it has not changed its position on the Paris climate accord and will withdraw from the agreement that President Trump has called unfair to the United States unless it can be re-negotiated. The statement came in response to published reports by the Wall Street Journal and AFP that a top European climate official said the U.S. would “not re-negotiate the Paris Accord, but will try to review the terms on which they could be engaged under this agreement." In June, Trump said the U.S. would begin the three-year process for withdrawing.
Britain eases terror threat level after second arrest
British authorities rolled back the nation's terror threat level from critical to severe on Sunday, hours after a second man was arrested in connection with last week's subway blast in London. Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner for London's Metropolitan Police, cited "rapid progress" of the investigation into Friday's apparent terrorist attack, but warned that another attack at some point remained "highly likely." The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said was carried out by an affiliated unit.
Jerry Sandusky's son pleads guilty to sex abuse charges
Jeffrey Sandusky, the 41-year-old son of former Penn State assistant coach and convicted sex-abuser Jerry Sandusky, plead guilty Friday to 14 counts of sex abuse. Sandusky entered the guilty plea a week before his trial was set to begin in Centre County, Penn. The plea deal requires that he serve three to six years and the prosecution has said it will ask for more.
Amber Tamblyn pens 'NYT' op-ed on sexual harassment: 'I’m done with not being believed'
Actress Amber Tamblyn wrote a much-talked about New York Times op-ed Saturday on Hollywood and sexual harassment. The op-ed followed a debate last week between Tamblyn and actor James Woods, during which Tamblyn accused Woods of trying to pick her up when she was a teenager. "I have been afraid of speaking out or asking things of men in positions of power for years," she admitted. "What I have experienced as an actress working in a business whose business is to objectify women is frightening. It is the deep end of a pool where I cannot swim. It is a famous man telling you that you are a liar for what you have remembered. For what you must have misremembered, unless you have proof."
Tide stays No. 1, but Tigers are on the prowl
Alabama closed the weekend still atop the Amway Coaches Poll, but the gap closed a bit following No. 2 Clemson’s impressive performance in Week 3. The Crimson Tide outlasted Colorado State, 41-23. But Clemson, the defending national champion, was far more impressive and showed they again are legit title contenders with a 47-21 performance against Louisville. Other Week 3 winners and losers: Oklahoma State put up 49 points in the first half en route to a 59-21 rout of Pittsburgh; Texas showed they're back — maybe — even though the Longhorns fell to USC in double OT; and Florida had the are-you-kidding-me play of the week with Feleipe Franks' Hail Mary to beat Tennessee.