Wednesday, October 16, 2024
It is Wednesday, October 16, 2024. Here are today’s top stories.
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Walgreens to close 1,200 stores
Walgreens’s CEO said they would close 1,200 stores during the next three years due to low drug reimbursement rates and slower consumer spending.
Walgreens has about 8,600 stores nationwide so these closures account for about 15% of its stores. The CEO said workers at closing stores will be “redeployed.”
CBS explained that during the pandemic, millions more people had health insurance through Medicaid because a government policy required continuous enrollment. In 2023, that policy ended so millions of people don’t have Medicaid and it made a negative ripple effect for pharmacy businesses.
CBS News said other pharmacy businesses are struggling as well, with Rite Aid recently making a bankruptcy filing and CVS Health planning to cut 2,900 jobs.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walgreens-store-closings/
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Georgia judge blocks rule requiring hand-counting of ballots
A judge in Georgia blocked a new state rule that would have required each polling place to hand-count ballots on Nov. 5 or 6.
The judge, Robert McBurney, said the rule may cause uncertainty and disorder to the electoral process. The judge said there are too many requirements and it’s too late to implement them.
Former President Donald Trump supported the new rule while Democratic leaders opposed the rule. So it’s a blow for Trump and a victory for Democrats.
In separate news, yesterday’s first day of early voting in Georgia had a record turnout of over 328,000 votes.
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/16/georgia-ballot-hand-count-rule-judge-block
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Lufthansa fined $4M for prohibiting 128 Jewish passengers in 2022
Axios said the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) fined German airline Lufthansa $4 million for discriminating against Jewish passengers during an incident in May 2022 in New York City.
What happened? As people were boarding a plane headed to Europe, the captain alerted security that some passengers were not following instructions such as wearing a face mask or not gathering in the aisles. On that flight, there were many Orthodox Jewish men who were wearing traditional clothing and they were attending an event, but they did not necessarily know each other. The captain’s alert caused over 100 Jewish passengers’ tickets to be put on hold. The passengers felt like they were treated as a single group responsible for the actions of a few individuals.
The DOT said this is an example of discrimination and the fine is a clear message that they will investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil rights are violated.
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/16/lufthansa-fine-jewish-passengers-discrimination
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Israeli airstrike kills mayor in Lebanon
Reuters reported that an Israeli airstrike hit a government building in a major town in south Lebanon and killed sixteen people, including the mayor. Lebanese leaders said it shows that Israel is shifting from focusing its war on Hezbollah to now targeting the Lebanese state.
Reuters explained that Israel previously issued an evacuation notice for the town, Nabatieh, and that the mayor said he refused to leave. Israel said its airstrikes targeted areas where Hezbollah fighters are using.
https://x.com/QudsNen/status/1846469684654121050
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Tom Brady part-owner of Las Vegas Raiders
Tom Brady is now a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. He owns 5% of the team and it was recently approved in a meeting of NFL owners. Brady said he is “incredibly humbled and excited.”
Brady, of course, is a seven-time NFL champion and is currently a broadcaster for Fox.
Brady’s purchase agreement prohibits him from returning to the NFL as a player unless he sells his share of the Raiders first. It is doubtful that he will do this because he’s retired and 47 years old.
Reports say Brady is also prohibited from attending other teams’ practices or pre-game interviews with coaches and players due to his status as a Raiders owner. He also cannot publicly criticize officials or other teams. Basically, he can only comment on games from his studio. It’s a lot of rules for him.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/15/sport/tom-brady-las-vegas-raiders-ownership-spt-intl/index.html
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That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.