A manhunt for a mass killing suspect
Communities around Lewiston, Maine, were on edge as officials searched for a mass killing suspect. At least 27 people were killed after Hurricane Otis slammed Mexico. And pharmacy chains ignored pleas to fix a broken system. Now it's in revolt.
👋 Hello! It’s Laura Davis. Let’s get caught up on Thursday’s news.
But first: "Get well Tony!" 🚌 A man fighting cancer in Ohio received a heartwarming surprise from 38 children in a yellow school bus.
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18 die in Maine shooting rampage
Hundreds of law enforcement agents were urgently scouring communities around Lewiston, Maine, on Thursday for an "armed and dangerous" suspect in two deadly shootings at a bowling alley and a restaurant as terrified residents huddled in their homes. Eighteen people were killed and 13 were injured in the Wednesday night rampage, Maine Gov. Janet Mills said Thursday morning. School districts canceled classes and authorities warned residents in and around Lewiston to stay inside and lock their doors as investigators launched a massive search for the suspect, a 40-year-old firearms instructor and Army reservist. 👉 Here's everything we know about the shooting.
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Protests for Palestinians, Israel in the virtual universe
When the real world gets tough, what do you do? Turn on a movie, scroll through Instagram? Fire up a video game? In times of trouble, many people look to screens for an escape. A change. A place to express themselves without consequence. That may explain why pro-Palestinian marches and pro-Israel demonstrations are taking place in the virtual universe Roblox. Like in the real world, these virtual reactions range from peaceful demonstrations to some disturbing imagery of flag stomping and jeering. Experts say joining online communities in times of crises can certainly bolster mental health, but not everyone will feel comforted in these spaces – especially when marches or other political actions go against their beliefs or turn offensive or derogatory. 💬 Here's a look at the double-edged sword of online anonymity.
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What everyone's talking about
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Mexico grapples with devastating aftermath of Hurricane Otis
A day after disastrous Hurricane Otis made landfall on Mexico's southern coast as a Category 5 storm, authorities have released the first causality toll. Thursday morning, officials reported 27 confirmed deaths and at least four people still missing, as well as tens of thousands of residents left without power or clean water in Acapulco. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Thursday that the government is working to restore electricity and begin the cleanup of the destruction left in the storm's path. Roughly 10,000 military troops and hundreds of trucks tasked with restoring power have arrived in Acapulco the past two days, but seemed ill-equipped to actually handle the severity of the damage, The Associated Press reported. In the southern state of Guerrero, flooded streets, downed powerlines and debris from partially collapsed buildings strewn in the roads posed a communication barrier that López Obrador acknowledged impacted government response times. 👉 Here's the latest on the recovery efforts.
Burnout, deadly errors: A prescription for disaster
Pharmacists with the nation’s largest retail pharmacy chain are feeling dangerously burned out. The situation was bad before the pandemic, but COVID-19 made it worse – and it's only gone downhill since then. Frustrations boiled over this autumn in a series of high-profile walkouts that left a string of CVS and Walgreens pharmacies shuttered or short-staffed, and catching customers off guard. But inside the troubled industry, it was the clarion call of a beleaguered workforce pushed to the brink. Pharmacists said it’s nearly impossible to meet all the demands without cutting corners, and when corners get cut, patients can get hurt. 🔎 Here's a closer look at the problems.
A break from the news
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Laura L. Davis is an audience editor at Paste BN. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to Paste BN here.