PoliticsDylan StablefordHere’s what people are betting on for the big debateWill Donald Trump call Hillary Clinton “crooked”? Will the Republican nominee invoke former President Bill Clinton’s sex scandals? Will moderator Lester Holt ask Trump about his evolution on the “birther” conspiracy? Will the NBC News anchor ask Clinton
- ScienceThe DriveSpaceX's New Raptor Rocket Engine Shoots Massive Flames, As It Should
For the first time, SpaceX has fired the Raptor rocket engine Elon Musk and his company intend to use to send people to the Red Planet. SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted photos of the Raptor rocket engine churning out streams of fiery exhaust Monday morning. In a tweet, Musk stated that "SpaceX propulsion just achieved first firing of the Raptor interplanetary transport engine." The announcement of the first successful firing comes a day before a speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Mexico where Musk will be discuss his plans for sending humans to other planets in our solar system.
- WorldReutersSyria rebels say peace talks futile while Russia backs Aleppo bombing
Syria's mainstream rebel groups said on Sunday the escalating Russian-backed bombing of besieged Aleppo had rendered any peace process futile unless there was an immediate halt to fighting and aid deliveries under United Nations auspices. In a statement signed by more than 30 rebel groups including the biggest faction backed by Turkey, Gulf states and the West, they said the bombing campaign that has killed dozens in the past few days was "unprecedented" and rendered futile the U.N.-backed political process Washington and Moscow seek to revive. The statement also said rebels could not accept "Russia as a sponsor because it was a partner with the regime in its crimes against our people," saying Russian-backed Syrian forces were using napalm and chemical weapons without censure by the international community.
- BusinessThe DriveUber Is Researching Flying Taxis
In order to better handle the transportation needs of urban dwellers, Uber is looking into vehicles that could take off and land vertically. In a discussion at the Nantucket Conference yesterday, Uber products head Jeff Holden said the company has been looking into offering short flights around cities “so we can someday offer our customers as many options as possible to move around,” according to Recode. The Uber product boss did not specify whether the vertical-takeoff-and-landing craft, or VTOL, would be piloted like traditional aircraft, remote-controlled, fully autonomous, or some combination thereof, like Airvinci's helicopter drones (pictured above).
WorldAFPAnti-govt protest in Jordan over murder of writerProtesters called on Monday for Jordan's government to resign over its failure to prevent the murder of Christian writer Nahed Hattar, as the killing was condemned internationally. Carrying his portrait, they called for the resignation of both Prime Minister Hani al-Malki and Interior Minister Salama Hammad. "We handed over 200 names (of people who had threatened the writer) to the governor (of Amman), including that of the assassin, and demanded protection," said Khaled Hattar, one of the victim's brothers.
WorldAssociated PressAP PHOTOS: Editor selections from the past week in AsiaPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte said last week that he will invite the U.N. chief and European Union officials to investigate his bloody anti-drug crackdown, but only if he can question them in public afterward to prove their human rights concerns are baseless. Duterte disclosed the offer in a speech in which he again lashed out at critics of his crackdown, including President Barack Obama and European countries. More than 3,000 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed since July and more than 600,000 others have surrendered for fear of being killed in Duterte's crackdown.
- WorldChristian Science MonitorOnce again, despite death reports, Boko Haram leader reappears
Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, made an appearance in a video released by the militant group on Sunday. In the video, he mocked the Nigerian military and spoke about the Chibok girls, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in April, 2014. The Nigerian military reported that they had fatally wounded Shekau in August.
- U.S.Inside EditionUniversity of Dakota Investigates Two Separate, Racist Photos Posted Online Within 48-hours
The University of North Dakota is investigating two racially charged photos that were reportedly taken by students and posted online in a 48-hour period. The president of the university, Mark Kennedy, said in a statement that he’s appalled at the messages posted to social media. Etonde Maloke, a student at the university, shared what happened on her Facebook page.
- BusinessU.S.News & World ReportIs 4 Percent Still the Safest Retirement Amount?
Back in 1994, William Bergman, a now-retired California financial planner, published a report in the Journal of Financial Planning that pegged 4 percent as the "safest" withdrawal number that would hike the odds of retirees not outliving their money. By and large, Bergman's 4 percent rule was meant to cover 30 years worth of retirement savings. Thus, if a newly-minted 65-year-old retiree could manage to limit annual withdrawals to 4 percent of savings, he or she would still have retirement fund cash available to them by his or her 95th birthday.
PoliticsDylan StablefordHead of Commission on Presidential Debates: It’s not the moderator’s job to fact-checkHostra University students playing the roles of the candidates and moderator go through a rehearsal for the first presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., on Sunday. On the eve of the first presidential debate of the 2016 election, Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, said on Sunday that she doesn’t believe moderators should fact-check the candidates. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get the moderator into essentially serving as the Encyclopedia Britannica,” Janet Brown, executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates, said in an interview with CNN’s “Reliable Sources” from Hofstra University, where Monday’s debate, moderated by NBC’s Lester Holt, will be held.
WorldABC News VideosKatrina Vanden Heuvel Says This is a 'Rewrite the Rules Election'The Powerhouse Roundtable preview the upcoming presidential debate.
- WorldReutersRussia guilty of prolonging war in Syria: UK foreign minister
Russia is guilty of prolonging the war in Syria and may have committed war crimes by targeting an aid convoy, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in an interview aired on Sunday. "(Russia) are guilty of protracting this war and making it far more hideous," Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.
- BusinessThe DriveMercy, the Nissan GT-R Has Gotten Expensive
The R35 Nissan GT-R, the first generation sold in America, arrived at the L.A. Auto Show nine years ago. The spec (478 hp, 434 lb-ft.) put it squarely in period supercar territory. And the price, under $70,000, had everybody in fits. When the first GT
WorldAFPDrug lord Guzman 'serene' as extradition ruling loomsA Mexican judge held a hearing on Monday on whether Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman can be extradited to the United States, although the drug kingpin could have to wait anything from a day to weeks to know his fate. One of Guzman's lawyers, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said the Sinaloa drug cartel leader was "very serene" as he waits for the decision but that he has "lost a lot of hair" while enduring prison treatment amounting to torture. The foreign ministry gave the green light to Guzman's extradition in May, but the former most wanted man won a temporary injunction in June, which the judge must decide whether to make permanent or strike down.
WorldAssociated PressJournalist's exile shows concern over Nepal's press freedomA prominent local journalist who helped organize a gathering in Nepal of investigative reporters from throughout Asia was notably absent from the event, exiled to avoid possible arrest. Journalist and publisher Kunda Dixit, who founded the Nepal Center for Investigative Journalism, is under investigation by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. Global Investigative Journalism Network executive director David Kaplan, who worked with Dixit for more than a year to bring more than 350 journalists from 50 countries to Nepal this weekend, said Dixit is being targeted for prosecution and detention by Nepali officials, underscoring broader concerns about press freedom.
U.S.ReutersObama avoids pipeline comment but urges tribal sovereigntyBy Valerie Volcovici and Julia Harte WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday avoided direct mention of a pipeline that has provoked high-profile protests from Native Americans but urged tribal leaders to use the spotlight to continue pushing for recognition even after he leaves office. Obama spoke at his eighth and final Tribal Nations Conference, which he created during his first year in office. Leaders of more than 560 Native American tribes gathered for the Washington event as one of the largest Native American protests in decades continues in North Dakota.
- SportsYahoo News PhotoGrieving the death of José Fernández
Jose Fernandez escaped from Cuba by boat on his fourth try as a teenager, and when his mother fell into the Yucatan Channel during the journey, he jumped in and pulled her out.Fernandez’s heroic backstory made his death early Sunday that much more heart
SportsThe DriveBMW Drivers Had a Really, Really Bad Day at the NürburgringOn Saturday, the Nürburgring hosted the ADAC Barbarossapreis race, the eighth event on the VLN Endurance Championship calendar. The Germs dominated on home turf, handily sweeping the Nordschleife podium. The No. 8 HARBIO Mercedes-AMG GT3 took the overall
PoliticsAssociated PressThe Latest: Trump campaign manager expresses confidenceDonald Trump's campaign manager says she's confident he'll do well in his debate with Hillary Clinton, saying the "natural connective tissue he has with people" will be on display. Kellyanne Conway also says she expects Trump to say more about his plan to defeat the Islamic State group. Speaking Monday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe, Conway said "people are just amazed" that Clinton outlined her strategy against IS on her website.
- WorldPopular MechanicsNorth Korean Air Show Shows Off Flight Skills, New Airport
North Korea opened an air festival featuring sky diving, air force demonstrations and lots of beer Saturday to promote a newly renovated and upgraded airport in the coastal city of Wonsan, an area where it hopes to draw more foreign tourists. The two-day International Friendship Air Festival has been touted for months by the North as part of its ongoing effort to draw more tourists. Japanese visits dropped off abruptly as political relations deteriorated over revelations that North Korea had abducted more than a dozen Japanese people in the 1970s and 80s and then over its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programs.
- TechnologyTech Media Network (Tom's Guide)The Latest Hint That Apple's Gearing Up to Make Cars
Last Friday (Sept. 23), many in the media were shocked to find out that Chris Ziegler, a founding member and deputy editor of The Verge had been working for Apple for two months while still employed by the technology website. This story is bigger than clandestine work hours, though, as it could be the latest smoke-signal from Apple that the company is working on an automobile project. Ziegler's title at The Verge may have been deputy editor, but anyone familiar with his years of work covering the car industry for the website (his last piece covered a partnership between BMW and Intel) can read between the lines.
WorldAFPTwo Philippine airliners abort flights due to problemsA Philippine passenger jet heading to Japan was forced to turn back Monday after smoke was detected in the aircraft, while the wheel of a second plane caught fire after it aborted taking off from a separate airport, an aviation official said. The first incident involved a Philippine Airlines flight to Haneda which had just taken off from Manila, said Eric Apolonio, spokesman for the civil aviation authority. PAL said there was no panic and the passengers all disembarked safely and would travel to Japan on another aircraft.
- TechnologyABC News VideosSnapchat Now Offering Camera-Equipped Sunglasses
Called "Spectacles," the eyewear records 10 seconds of video at a time. In today's tech bytes now snapped Chet has its own eyeglasses their call spectacles they record ten seconds of video at a time. Just by touching a button. They come in three colors
WorldAssociated PressJordanian writer gunned down outside courthouseA prominent and outspoken Jordanian writer on Sunday was shot dead in front of the courthouse where he had been on trial for posting a cartoon deemed offensive to Islam on social media. A Jordanian security official said the shooter was a former imam, or prayer leader, at a local mosque, and said the man had been motivated by his anger over the cartoon posted to Facebook by writer Nahed Hattar. The shooting was the latest in a string of deadly security lapses in Jordan.
- EntertainmentReutersTaiwan braces for arrival of Typhoon Megi on Tuesday
Flights and trains in Taiwan were disrupted by the approach of the third typhoon this month and most cities planned work and school closures for Tuesday. The island's financial markets will also be shut, financial regulators said. Typhoon Megi is expected to make landfall on the island's eastern coast on Tuesday afternoon.
