Tuesday, September 27 top stories
It is Tuesday, September 27. Here are today’s top stories.
NASA successfully crashes spacecraft into asteroid
On Monday night, NASA successfully crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid in an experiment to see if Earthlings can successfully change the course of an asteroid should a time come in the future when we are threatened by one.
The test was called DART, short for “Double Asteroid Redirection Test.” The DART spacecraft hit the asteroid, named Dimorphos, at 14,000 mph. The asteroid is about the same height as the Statue of Liberty and about the same width as the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Here is a short clip. There are new images every second before the impact.
[Video clip from NASA]
The red screen means a signal loss, indicating the spacecraft successfully collided with the asteroid.
Now NASA is watching the asteroid to see if it is moving in a different direction. News reports said it may take a few months to get a full analysis.
The DART spacecraft launched from California last November, so the perfect impact is an amazing showcase of perfect math and engineering.
Hurricane Ian expected to hit Tampa area
The Weather Channel reported that Hurricane Ian is now a major Category 3 hurricane and “poses a serious danger to the Florida Peninsula.” Forecast maps have the hurricane on track to hit the Tampa area beginning Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning.
The Tampa area is currently under an official hurricane warning. A major concern is the potential of a 5 to 10 feet storm surge if the hurricane hits during high tide.
Ian made landfall in western Cuba this early morning and lashed the area with 125 mph winds. News reports showed Cubans walking in waist-deep water and scenes of felled trees and debris strewn on city streets.
Trial begins for Oath Keepers leader
AP News said jury selection began today in the trial of the founder of the Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates charged with seditious conspiracy for their role in the Jan 6. attack on Congress at the Capitol.
A sedition charge means the suspects are accused of planning to overthrow or destroy the U.S. government, block the execution of any U.S. laws, or the seizing of any U.S. government property by force.
Prosecutors said the founder of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, spent weeks planning and mobilizing his followers to be prepared for battle to defend Trump. He allegedly stockpiled guns and organized “quick reaction force” teams on standby outside of D.C. to bring guns into the city quickly if needed.
The day before the Jan 6. attack, Rhodes met with the then-leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, in an underground parking garage. Tarrio is also charged with sedition and will stand trial in December.
The maximum penalty for seditious conspiracy is 20 years in prison.
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Italy elects conservative prime minister Giorgia Meloni
Italy elected Giorgia Meloni as their prime minister. She is the head of the far-right “Brothers of Italy” party. News reports said Italy now has its most conservative government since World War II.
Meloni said she would “defend God, country and family.” Her victory speech showed she opposed mass migration, LGBTQ+ rights, and giving too much power to the European Union. One of her campaign promises was to provide more support for disabled people, childcare, pensioners, and Italian women — and wants to see more Italians give birth and for the number of immigrant workers to come down.
Some news analysts expressed concern with Meloni’s party because it has ties with Italy’s fascist past from when Italy was an ally of Germany’s Nazi Party. But other news analysts said Meloni has distanced herself from that past. Some analysts said voters in Italy are frustrated with the Italian government’s chaotic turnover and want to see something different. So we’ll see what Italy looks like with their new leader, Meloni.
Attacks on multiple Russian military recruitment offices
News reports said multiple military recruitment centers in Russia have been attacked by Russian citizens in the days since Putin announced he would call upon hundreds of thousands of men to join the war on Ukraine.
On Monday, a 25-year-old gunman opened fire at a military draft office, seriously injuring a commanding officer. The shooter was upset that his close friend, who did not have military experience, was called to enter the army.
Also on Monday, in a different city, a man rammed a car into a military recruiting center and threw Molotov cocktails, setting the building on fire.
In another city, a man set his clothes on fire in protest because he did not want to go to war in Ukraine.
Axios said there have been at least 17 attacks on military recruitment centers and administrative buildings since Putin’s announcement.
There continue to be news reports of thousands of people rushing to leave Russia with long queues at borders. Almost 100,000 Russians entered Kazakhstan in the past week.
Nationwide network of EV charging stations coming
ABC News reported that all 50 states received final approval to begin construction on the first nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. There will be an EV charging station roughly every 50 miles along interstate highways. The Biden administration is investing $1.5 billion nationwide now and will invest another $3.5 billion over the next five years.
The goal is to install 500,000 EV chargers. Construction could begin by next spring.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63039191
https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/hurricane-ian/?id=90445860
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/hurricane-ian-live-updates-rcna49545
https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/26/23372818/nasa-dart-crash-asteroid-redirect
https://www.axios.com/2022/09/26/russia-draft-ukraine-recruitment-center-attack
https://thehill.com/policy/international/3662827-who-is-the-far-right-italian-leader-giorgia-meloni/
https://www.foxnews.com/world/italys-giorgia-meloni-poised-win-election-europe-exit-polls-show
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63042305
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/states-final-build-highway-ev-charging-network-90572466