At least 39 killed, millions without power from Hurricane Helene.
Helene ripped through Florida and Georgia Friday after reaching Florida's Gulf Coast Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane. By Friday morning, Helene downgraded to a tropical storm. Helene triggered floods across the Southeast and knocked out power for roughly 4.5 million people. See photos from the aftermath here.
Israel says it struck Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut.
At least six people were killed and at least 90 wounded, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly the target of Israel's airstrike, which was aimed at Hezbollah's central headquarters in Lebanon's capital, Beirut. It is unclear if Nasrallah was killed. The news of the attack came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly, vowing to continue fighting against Hezbollah.
New York Mayor Eric Adams (R) pleads not guilty to federal charges.
Adams entered the plea Friday in a Manhattan courtroom a day after prosecutors unsealed charges against him. Adams allegedly accepted illegal campaign donations and undisclosed gifts in exchange for favors for Turkey’s government and Turkish business owners. Adams is the first New York City mayor (of 110 total) to be charged with a federal crime while in office. See our previous write-up here.
FDA approves first novel schizophrenia drug in over 70 years.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Cobenfy, a twice-daily pill from Bristol Myers Squibb that influences dopamine levels in the brain by changing levels of another neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Schizophrenia affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves; symptoms include hallucinations and difficulty in organizing thoughts (watch overview). About 3.7 million US adults live with schizophrenia.
Kentucky sues Express Scripts for alleged role in fatal opioid crisis.
Kentucky accused the pharmacy benefits manager of contributing to the opioid epidemic by failing to properly monitor and report suspicious opioid prescriptions. Express Scripts allegedly placed opioids on preferred tiers and neglected to impose limits in exchange for rebates and other payments from opioid manufacturers. Visualize the opioid crisis here. Watch 1440's overview of opioids here.
Japan's ex-defense minister to become next PM after five tries.
Japan's governing group, the Liberal Democratic Party, elected 67-year-old Shigeru Ishiba to become the nation's next prime minister beginning next Tuesday. Ishiba defeated opposing candidate Sanae Takaichi by a party vote of 215 to 194. Ishiba will replace outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who announced last month he would step down amid record-low approval ratings.
Fed's key inflation gauge rises as expected in August.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which measures costs consumers pay across a wide swath of items, excluding food and energy, rose 2.7% year-over-year and 0.1% month-over-month. Both figures were mostly in line with analyst estimates. The index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure; the central bank targets 2% annual inflation. Learn more about the index here.
