| Trump's threats sound like he doesn't want to make Puerto Rico great again |
| President Trump wagged his twitter finger at Puerto Rico Thursday, telling the hurricane-devastated island: "We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!" The remark is in stark contrast to the messages received by victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas (where the Federal Emergency Management Agency has 50 Disaster Recovery Centers) and Hurricane Irma in Florida (where FEMA has 18). In some good news for the U.S. territory, the House of Representatives passed a $36.5 billion disaster aid bill to help with its recovery. |
| The strange tale of a family freed from Afghanistan |
| Caitlan Coleman and her husband Joshua Boyle were finally freed five years after they were kidnapped in Afghanistan and held captive by a Taliban-linked group. Here's what we know about the American woman and her Canadian husband: 1. Coleman, who was pregnant when the couple first went to Central Asia, gave birth while in captivity and had two more children while held hostage. 2. Coleman's mother said the couple had promised they wouldn't go to Afghanistan, but did anyway. 3. Boyle has a self-described intrigue with Islamic terrorism. More on that here. 4. The rescue was dramatic — all five kidnappers were killed and Boyle was injured with shrapnel. What does the family want now? Privacy. |
| One of Harvey Weinstein's biggest critics is temporarily muzzled |
| Actress Rose McGowan, who has been especially vocal about the Harvey Weinstein scandal, had her Twitter account restricted because the social media company said she broke its rules (Twitter later clarified the rule she broke was publishing a private phone number). McGowan has been tweeting up a storm about all the rules the Hollywood mogul broke during decades of alleged sexual misconduct. McGowan, who says she was among the women Weinstein abused, has called out other female actresses reticent to speak up, accused Weinstein's company of knowing what was happening and slammed Ben Affleck for what she said are lies about what he knew. Meanwhile, Kate Beckinsale is sharing her story, and Scotland Yard and the New York Police Department is reviewing cases involving Weinstein. |
| America is just not that into UNESCO |
| The United States is leaving the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The State Department announced the breakup with the international cultural organization Thursday , citing money problems and a need for UNESCO to make some changes. The biggest beef: UNESCO never got along with Israel, and UNESCO started major drama when it voted to include Palestine as a member in 2011 (a move that prompted then President Barack Obama to stop paying the bills). UNESCO will stay busy, running numerous educational programs and its World Heritage program, which protects historic and cultural sites. Despite the split, the U.S. has promised to "remain engaged." |
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| If you thought things couldn't get worse, now there's the possibly of volcanic winter |
| Yellowstone National Park is home to the super-predictable Old Faithful geyser. Less predictable is the supervolcano that lies underneath it, which scientists say may blow sooner than thought . Researchers from Arizona State University analyzed minerals in the area and found changes in temperature and composition signaling a swift geological transformation and pointing to an upcoming eruption. Until now, geologists had thought it would take centuries for the supervolcano to make the transition. So what would happen if it did explode? The event could blanket most of the United States in ash and possibly plunge the Earth into a volcanic winter. Sorry to end on that note. |
| This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. |
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