5 things you need to know Thursday
Trump to declare opioid emergency
President Trump will order his health secretary to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency Thursday — but will stop short of declaring a more sweeping state of national emergency, aides said. In an address from the White House, Trump will also try to rally the nation to a growing epidemic that claimed 64,000 American lives last year, and will advocate for a sustained national effort to end to the addiction crisis. Trump first promised to declare a national emergency to combat the crisis in August. His decision to go with a more measured response, a public health emergency demonstrates the complexity of an opioid crisis that's still growing through an ever-evolving cycle of addiction, from prescription pain pills to illegal heroin to the lethal fentanyl.
JFK assassination files to be released
Thousands of classified files on the JFK assassination, scheduled to be released Thursday, could reveal details of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's trip to Mexico City just two months before he fatally shot President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. The documents could be embarrassing to prominent Mexicans, who may have provided information to the CIA and other U.S. agencies in the days before and after the assassination, said Kennedy assassination expert and author Gerald Posner. The documents, contained in more than 3,000 files, were to be released automatically by Oct. 26 under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, barring presidential intervention. President Trump tweeted Saturday he'd allow the release.
Kenya holds rerun of contested presidential election
Kenya's repeat presidential election went ahead as planned Thursday amid uncertainty and fears of violence. Kenya's Supreme Court court shocked the nation last month when it nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta’s August re-election, citing irregularities. Opposition leader Raila Odinga had challenged Kenyatta’s victory, claiming hackers had infiltrated computer servers and manipulated the vote. But the court on Wednesday rejected a last-minute petition to postpone the vote, saying it didn't have a quorum of judges. Odinga has said he will boycott the new election.
New 'security interviews' may mean longer waits for international fliers
Travelers on international flights to the United States may face longer check-in and boarding queues Thursday as new U.S. security requirements take effect. Some airlines have already started doing new "security interviews" as part of an effort by the Department of Homeland Security to scrutinize electronics brought onboard commercial airliners. The changes follow a previous ban on carry-on laptops from certain airports in Turkey, the Middle East and Africa that was instituted in March but unwound in July. The new measures apply to 180 airlines flying to the USA from 280 airports in 105 countries.
House to vote on budget resolution
A House vote Thursday on a key budget resolution could have implications for President Trump and Republicans' plans to rewrite federal tax code before the end of the year.The resolution, which now includes a non-binding provision, could prevent Democrats from filibustering on a tax bill, meaning Senate Republicans need only 50 votes, rather than 60, to pass the legislation. However, not all Republicans may support the resolution up for Thursday's vote because the Senate's version — passed last week — says state and local tax deductions that some House Republicans support should be eliminated. In the past, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and House House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, have supported a full repeal of these deductions. Brady said Wednesday a deal to preserve part of them is in the works.
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