5 things you need to know Tuesday
Vegas shooting victims identified; investigators look for clues behind deadly attack
Law enforcement officials are still gathering information Tuesday about the gunman who opened fire at a country music festival in Las Vegas, killing at least 59 people and wounding 527 others. Authorities identified the shooter as Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, an avid gambler and resident of Mesquite, Nev., who authorities say had at least 23 weapons in his hotel room. City, religious and public safety leaders joined mourners at various vigils in Las Vegas to grieve for the lives cut short in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Though feeling angry, sad and scared in the wake of another mass tragedy is normal, you can find many ways to help.
President Trump to visit Puerto Rico
President Trump will visit Puerto Rico on Tuesday for the first time since Hurricane Maria devastated the island last month. Trump's visit comes amid growing tensions between the administration and local Puerto Rican officials, including San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, over the federal government's relief efforts. The war of words seems to have led to an uptick in donations to help the storm-battered region, though there is still much work to be done. As of Sunday more than half of the island's 3.4 million people did not have access to drinking water and only 5% of customers had power.
Supreme Court takes on far-reaching redistricting case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear arguments in a case challenging the time-honored tradition of drawing political districts for partisan advantage, also known as gerrymandering. Tuesday's case comes from Wisconsin, but about one-third of the districts drawn for Congress and state legislatures could be affected if the justices strike down the maps. In three previous landmark cases, the high court declined to define how much gerrymandering of districts is too much. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who could be the deciding vote, has indicated in the past that he is open to the idea of a judicial standard to help rein in redistricting.
Former Equifax boss in the hot seat over cyberbreach
The former chairman and CEO of Equifax is expected to be grilled by members of Congress on Tuesday when he testifies on the company's catastrophic cybersecurity breach. Richard Smith will appear before a panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on last month's breach, which resulted in the theft of credit data for an estimated 145.5 million Americans, or nearly half of the U.S. population. In his prepared testimony, Smith apologizes for the company's breakdown, but blames it on workers who failed to install a fix to a compromised web application back in March. (Here's how to freeze your credit if your data was stolen.)
MLB playoffs get underway
The Major League Baseball playoffs begin Tuesday, with the New York Yankees hosting the Minnesota Twins in the American League wild-card game. Luis Severino (14-6, 2.98 ERA) starts for the Yankees, while Ervin Santana (16-8, 3.28 ERA) goes for the Twins. The winner will face the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series. It’s been five years since the introduction of the wild-card game, which has produced some of the more memorable moments in recent history. First pitch is set for 8:00 pm E.T. on ESPN.
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