Wednesday, October 13 top stories
It is Wednesday, October 13. Here are today’s top stories.
The Social Security Administration announced that beneficiaries’ checks will go up by 5.9% in 2022. It is the largest cost-of-living adjustment in 40 years. The 5.9% increase means if you normally get a check of $1,000, in 2022, your check will go up to $1,059. CNBC said the increases will begin on December 30 for 8 million SSI recipients and in January for 64 million Social Security recipients. The increase in payments reflects the rising costs of goods and living in the U.S.
Actor William Shatner and three others went up into space and spent several minutes in zero gravity today on a Blue Origin rocket. Shatner became the oldest person ever in space at 90, and it is fitting because of his iconic role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek. The rocket they were on went up 62 miles above Earth.
Shatner was emotional when he returned to Earth in a capsule, saying he was shocked at how thin the blue atmosphere is and how quickly it changes from blue into the blackness of space. He said it was the most profound experience of his life.
An autopsy of Gabby Petito found that she died by strangulation. The Teton County, Wyoming coroner Dr. Brent Blue said he could not comment on how his team determined she died by strangulation and did not comment on who may be responsible for her death. There is still a manhunt in Florida for Gabby’s fiancé Brian Laundrie, who has a warrant for his arrest for unauthorized use of a credit card. He is a person of interest in Gabby’s death but has not been named as a murder suspect or received murder charges.
Walgreens announced it will close five more stores in San Francisco next month because of “organized retail theft.” Walgreens said their San Francisco stores are experiencing five times the amount of shoplifting compared with the national average. Last year Walgreens said they had to close a store because it was losing $1,000 a day to thefts.
There are some viral videos of shoplifters, who seem to have no fear as they enter stores, grab items, and leave on bicycles or scooters. Walgreens said they’ve tried to increase security but it’s not worked.
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Marine officer Stuart Scheller, who went viral in August after he posted a video in uniform criticizing his superiors for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, is expected to plead guilty at his court-martial this week. He is charged with disrespecting and willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer. CBS News said he was let go from his job at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and was held in a pre-trial confinement at a brig for a week. His lawyer said they hope to obtain a plea agreement to allow Scheller to receive an honorable discharge.
The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) said it is immoral and unfair that some countries are distributing Covid-19 booster vaccine shots while vaccines lag across African countries. The WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said we can’t stop the pandemic by ignoring a whole continent. Only 7% of people in African countries have received a dose. The WHO said it supports booster shots for those who are immunocompromised, but not its widespread use while other developing countries don’t have equal access to vaccines.
Sen. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo), who is on a House committee investigating the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, warned that if a Trump administration aide ignored a subpoena order, they would be charged with criminal contempt. News reports said that so far four members of the Trump administration have been subpoenaed to hand over evidence and give testimony about what they knew and did during the events of January 6. Donald Trump and his lawyers have told the aides to ignore the subpoenas because of executive privilege. Cheney said she expects two aides to talk with the committee this week and that she’ll see if they show up. A criminal contempt conviction can send someone to jail for a year and a fine of up to $100,000.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/gabby-petito-cause-of-death-strangulation/
https://sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Walgreens-closing-5-Sf-stores-crime-shoplifting-16527801.php
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/12/africa/vaccine-boosters-africa-intl/index.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/07/trump-jan-6-committees-subpoena-515593