Syria attack, Bill Cosby retrial and more: 5 things you need to know Monday
U.N. Security Council to meet after Syria chemical attack
The United Nations Security Council on Monday will hold an emergency meeting on Syria to discuss a suspected chemical attack by government forces on civilians. The meeting was called by the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and the Ivory Coast. The White Helmets, a civil defense force in rebel-held areas of Syria, claimed entire families were gassed to death Saturday night in Douma and Eastern Ghouta. The group, which put the death toll at more than 40, said many residents were hiding in cellars, suffocating from poison gas.
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Bill Cosby retrial: Opening statements start Monday
Opening statements in Bill Cosby's retrial on sexual assault charges get underway in suburban Philadelphia Monday in what all sides — defense, prosecution and especially the judge — hope will not be a rerun of the deadlocked jury failure that ended Cosby's first trial last June. This is the only criminal case made against Cosby, out of 60 accusations total, all of them too old to prosecute. A criminal conviction and prison for Cosby would most likely be a death sentence given his age and health. (Ohio State University revoked Cosby's honorary degree on Friday, too.)
A World Cup in Mexico? It could get violent, study finds
FIFA inspectors begin evaluating Mexico's suitability to stage World Cup matches in 2026 on Monday after a study commissioned for the North American bid highlighted concerns about violent attacks on female fans, human rights activists and reporters in the country. Mexico City is the first stop on a five-day trip by the FIFA task force, which also will visit Atlanta, Toronto and the New York metropolitan area, where the bid committee proposed the 2026 final be held at East Rutherford, New Jersey. The FIFA delegation will score the rival Moroccan bid the following week before delivering assessments.
What's the most expensive cost U.S. drivers faced last year?
Parking represents the largest-single expense for vehicle owners, according to results released Monday by INRIX, a transportation analytics company. The average U.S. driver faced $10,288 total driving costs in 2017, a mix of direct expenses such as buying or leasing amounts, maintenance and fuel plus indirect costs such as lost time, burned fuel and carbon emissions. Almost a third of the total cost, more than $3,000, came from parking fees and fines, looking for parking or paying for more parking than necessary, the study found.
Woman will push paralyzed boyfriend on Boston Marathon course
Her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. Steam rising with every breath. Kaitlyn Kiely recently pushed a racing wheelchair filled with three 50-pound bags of salt through the cold streets of Boston. On Monday, Kiely will run all 26 miles of the Boston Marathon course, fulfilling a pledge she made to her boyfriend Matt Wetherbee last year, after she ran the race for the first time. Kiely, 30, promised Wetherbee that the two would run the race together – no mean feat, considering Wetherbee is paralyzed.
Contributing: Associated Press