promoearn: Could 9 people have survived?

Wednesday, August 25

Search and rescue team members dig through rubble where the Champlain Towers South stood in Surfside, Fla. on July 6, 2021.

As many as nine people might have survived the initial Surfside condo collapse. And Nirvana was sued for child pornography. It's Wednesday's news.

As many as nine victims of the Surfside condo collapse might have initially survived, but were not rescued, an investigation has found. At least 1,500 Americans are still in Afghanistan as evacuation efforts continue. And Nirvana has been sued for child porn by the baby who appeared on their album cover.

👋 Hey y'all, it's Laura. Don't hit snooze – read Wednesday's news!

But first, they're together forever. 💞 Archaeologists in China discovered two ancient skeletons with their arms wrapped around each other, estimated to be from the Northern Wei period – 1,500 years ago.

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At least 9 victims may have initially survived Surfside condo collapse

As many as nine of the 98 victims who died in the Surfside condo collapse might have survived the initial cave-in, but were not rescued, a USA TODAY investigation has found. Documents revealed one victim was still alive in the rubble for almost 10 hours. USA TODAY's investigation examined medical reports that listed injuries that would not, on their own, result in immediate death. Wounds included small cuts, "possible" fractures, and, in one case, the total absence of visible physical trauma. The investigation raises questions about whether any of the victims of the collapse could have been rescued, and how the building collapse has been investigated, including whether the site was a crime scene and whether autopsies were properly performed.

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Rescue personnel work at the remains of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida, on June 25, 2021.

Gerald Herbert, AP

At least 1,500 Americans are still in Afghanistan

About 1,500 Americans remain in Afghanistan, and the U.S. is in contact with 500 of them who want to leave, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, less than one week before the U.S. deadline to withdraw from the country. Blinken said the U.S. has evacuated 4,500 U.S. passport holders since Aug. 14, out of 6,000 Americans the State Department believes were in Afghanistan at that time. He said the department is "aggressively reaching out" to the other 1,000 Americans who might still be in Afghanistan. Approximately 82,300 people – a combination of Americans and Afghan allies – have safely departed Afghanistan, including 19,000 in the last 24 hours. More than 10,000 people are currently at the Kabul airport awaiting departure. President Joe Biden said the U.S. is on pace to meet its Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline, but said the State and Defense departments have backup plans in case the Taliban do not cooperate.

👉 Afghanistan news: World Bank cuts off funding for some programs; Pelosi admonishes Moulton, Meijer over Kabul trip. Catch up on the latest.

In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Air Force loadmasters and pilots assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, load people being evacuated from Afghanistan onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021.

MSgt. Donald R. Allen, U.S. Air Force via AP

What everyone's talking about

•	Tony Hawk's blood is being used in $500 limited-edition skateboards.
•	Florida doctor removed after offering $50 mask opt-out letters to parents.
•	Chilling airplane audio serves as FAA warning about unruly passengers.
•	ASU's Sparky the Sun Devil among the most offensive college mascots.

Pfizer wants FDA approval for its vaccine booster

Pfizer and German partner BioNTech plan to submit for approval their COVID-19 booster shot to the FDA this week for people over the age of 16, the companies said Wednesday. Phase 3 trial data show a third dose of their vaccine – called Comirnaty – produced more than three times the neutralizing antibodies against COVID-19 compared with a second dose, the companies said. A booster shot has not been authorized in the U.S. for broad use. The announcement comes just days after Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine became the first to earn FDA approval for people 16 and older, eight months after it received emergency use authorization.

Johnson & Johnson wants in on boosters, too: J&J said Wednesday that studies show a booster dose of its vaccine offered a ninefold increase in antibodies compared with the vaccine on its own. The company said it was working with federal officials on next steps to boost the effects of the vaccine and to ready a possible booster shot.

👉 COVID-19 news: Florida's COVID-19 wave leaves cities gasping; experts renew 'twindemic' warnings as the US enters flu season. Catch up on the latest.

•	COVID-19 vaccines for kids: When are they coming? What you need to know.
•	Demand for monoclonal antibodies: COVID-19 treatment skyrockets.

People wait in cars to get a COVID-19 test, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Miami. COVID-19 has strained some Florida hospitals so much that ambulance services and fire departments can no longer respond as usual to every call. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Marta Lavandier, AP

Gov. Kathy Hochul's first order of business

Gov. Kathy Hochul's first actions leading New York will include requiring all K-12 teachers and staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing, in an attempt to limit the delta variant's spread. Hochul will also require universal indoor masking for ages 2 and above in K-12 schools. Hochul was sworn in as governor at midnight Tuesday, replacing Andrew Cuomo, who resigned under the weight of sexual harassment allegations. "Priority No. 1: We get children back to school and protect the environment so they can learn and everyone is safe," she announced during an inaugural address.

•	Nine women, including Kathy Hochul, are now serving as governors.

Kathy Hochul is making history as the first female governor of New York after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo stepped down amid sexual harassment scandal.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Real quick

•	Tragedies, miracles in the rubble, 11 days after earthquake struck Haiti.
•	What Trump getting booed can teach us about this COVID-19 moment.
•	OnlyFans backs off policy change banning sexually explicit content.
•	Delta to charge workers who refuse COVID-19 vaccines $200 a month.
•	Smoke filled the sky over Lake Tahoe; crews fight to keep Caldor Fire at bay.

Nirvana baby sues the band for child porn

As a baby, Spencer Elden appeared on what became one of the most iconic album covers in music history. Now, a month before Nirvana's "Nevermind" turns 30, he's suing the band for child pornography. Elden, now 30, claimed in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court that he will "suffer lifelong damages" thanks to band members Dave Grohl, Chad Channing, Krist Novoselic and the late Kurt Cobain, whom Elden accuses of knowingly producing, possessing and advertising "commercial child pornography" when they put a nude photo of him as a baby with his genitals showing on the cover of their 1991 hit album, which catapulted them to stardom. Elden has previously re-created the cover to celebrate the 15th and 25th anniversaries of the album's release.

Members of the musical group Nirvana, circa 1991, Kurt Cobain, left, Chris Novoselic and Dave Grohl.

Michael Lavine

A break from the news

•	💤 Feeling tired at work? Ditch the caffeine and take a power nap.
•	🚘 *Did you know your car* could get hacked?** How to protect yourself.
•	💌 Humans have a long history of misunderstanding and misrepresenting female pleasure. What women need to know.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.