| Numbers tell tragic tale of deadly California mudslides |
| • | Dead: 17 | | • | Missing: 8 | | • | Injured: 28 | | • | Homes destroyed: 65 | | • | Homes damaged: 400 | | • | Square miles effected: 30 | |
| These figures depict the tragedy in Montecito, Calif., a quaint coastal hamlet overwhelmed by walls of debris, mud and water. Rescuers continued the onerous search for survivors. Montecito resident Ellen DeGeneres fought back tears talking about the disaster on her Thursday show: "They're finding people and bodies ... (Montecito) is beyond recognizable." Residents had just returned to their homes after the largest fire ever recorded in the state when they were told to evacuate earlier this week. The last embers were barely extinguished when the rains came, triggering the mudslides. |
| Walmart: You're welcome |
| Walmart is raising its minimum wage to $11 an hour, a move CEO Doug McMillon credits to its corporate tax rate being cut from 35% to 21%. The starting wage also applies to Walmart's Sam's Club stores, although the company announced Thursday a number of them will close. Walmart will boost paid parental leave to 10 weeks at full pay for mothers and six weeks at full pay for fathers and non-birth mothers. And employees who've worked there 20 years will get $1,000 bonuses. Economists have argued, though, that one-time bonuses are not as meaningful as permanent wage increases. Critics also point to the widening gap between CEO and worker pay. McMillon's pay recently rose to $22.4 million, and that paled to Walmart e-commerce CEO Marc Lore's $244 million. |
| When the pin and alleged behavior don't match |
| Just days ago, actor James Franco wore a "Times Up" pin at the Golden Globes to show support for an initiative addressing men's abuse of power. Now, he's facing accusations of sexually exploitative behavior by five women. Sarah Tither-Kaplan, a former acting student at Franco's film school, told the Los Angeles Times the star's behavior became predatory during a sex scene in which he removed protective plastic guards covering their bodies while simulating oral sex. During another shoot, Franco reportedly asked actresses to volunteer to take off another actress' shirt. The Times report comes after some tweeted about the actor's alleged misconduct following his Globes win for his role in The Disaster Artist. Franco said Tuesday those accusations " are not accurate." |
| This applies to all children under 6 |
| Has your child had a lead test since 2014? Get the youngster re-tested, one expert warns. As many as 7 million lead tests, usually administered to infants and toddlers, may have been wrong, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead can seriously impair brain development in children and can come from many places — old paint, plastic toys, jewelry, car keys, dirt. Parents can help protect their children by keeping them away from old windows and paint and making sure they wash their hands, which is a good rule anyway (hello, flu season). |
 |
| The stupid new way teens are using laundry detergent |
| Here's the national Poison Control Center hotline: 800-222-1222. Keep it handy if a teen you know tries this dangerous online challenge. Eating Tide Pods (concentrated laundry detergent) is now a thing. It started as a joke, but videos of teens putting them in their mouths and even cooking with them are making the rounds. Side effects include diarrhea, vomiting and breathing difficulties. They pose more serious health risks for youngsters and can be lethal for adults with dementia. This isn't the first time thrill-seeking teens have eaten things for Internet notoriety (see: "cinnamon challenge"). |
| This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. |
| If you dig this news roundup, you should try the USA TODAY app. Download it here. |
No comments:
Post a Comment