Vox: All Posts by Stavros Agorakishttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52517/voxv.png2019-09-25T20:00:00-04:00https://www.vox.com/authors/stavros-agorakis/rss2019-09-25T20:00:00-04:002019-09-25T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: Call and response
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<figcaption>Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="QRVbPZ">The White House “transcript” of the Trump-Zelensky call is released; a mountain glacier in Italy is on the verge of collapse. </p>
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<h3 id="3uw4RH"><strong>A quid pro quo?</strong></h3>
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<cite>Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</cite>
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<li id="3t9SuP">As President Trump promised on Twitter yesterday, the White House released a transcript — well, sort of — of the president’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/transcript-of-trumps-call-with-ukrainian-president-shows-him-offering-us-assistance-for-biden-investigation/2019/09/25/16aa36ca-df0f-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html">Washington Post / Devlin Barrett, Matt Zapotosky, Carol D. Leonnig, and Josh Dawsey</a>] </li>
<li id="teCU9R">The five-page document was assembled by “notetakers” from the National Security Council and contains a disclaimer that it is not a word-for-word version of the conversation. [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/8f96294c8bc44ad485d74a7a0b0a0e00">AP / Darlene Superville</a>]</li>
<li id="t93pOz">It shows that Zelensky asked Trump for an increase in military aid. Trump responded that he wanted Zelensky to do him a “favor”: investigate a theory about the Ukrainians and a Democratic email server, and investigate the Biden family’s dealings with a Ukrainian prosecutor. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/25/20883420/full-transcript-trump-ukraine-zelensky-white-house">Vox / Zack Beauchamp</a>] </li>
<li id="pflTRA">Zelensky claimed that he did not feel pressured to look into Biden during the call in a joint press conference with Trump this afternoon at the UN General Assembly. [<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2019-09-25/ukraines-zelenskiy-on-trump-political-drama-i-dont-want-to-be-involved">US News / Paul D. Shinkman</a>]</li>
<li id="Usn5MN">But Democrats see evidence in the transcripts of Trump abusing his executive privilege to solicit foreign aid in winning the 2020 presidential election. [<a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-09-25/trump-impeachment-ukraine-scandal">LA Times / Chris Megerian</a>]</li>
<li id="QbVaT7">Trump’s plan to quiet voices calling for articles of impeachment with the release of this transcript may have backfired — instead providing a strong piece of evidence against him. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/25/20883420/full-transcript-trump-ukraine-zelensky-white-house">Vox / Zack Beauchamp</a>]</li>
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<h3 id="VRODlx"><strong>Climate threat on Europe’s highest mountain</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="vVXBa4">A huge Mont Blanc glacier on the French-Italian border is on the verge of collapse, prompting authorities to close roads and evacuate towns near the mountain. [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-glacier/mont-blanc-glacier-at-risk-of-collapse-pm-calls-for-climate-action-idUSKBN1WA1AF">Reuters / Elisa Anzolin and Francesca Piscioneri</a>]</li>
<li id="UIutj1">The glacier, formed with some 250,000 cubic meters of ice — or 100 times the size of an Olympic-size swimming pool — is shifting at a record rate of 50-60 centimeters (16-23 inches) a day. [<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/25/roads-closed-northern-italy-experts-warn-giant-glacier-mont/">Telegraph / Nick Squires</a>]</li>
<li id="phwfzW">Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, warned of the perils of climate change, saying, “It’s an alarm that cannot leave us indifferent. It must shake us all and mobilize us.” [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/mont-blanc-glacier-collapse-intl-scli/index.html">CNN / Gianluca Mezzofiore</a>]</li>
<li id="uI3t7c">The Mont Blanc news comes amid some of the biggest climate protests taking place around the world, and mere days after the conclusion of the UN Climate Action Summit. Here are those events in photos. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/23/20880297/greta-thunberg-un-climate-summit-dc-protesters-photos">Vox / Brian Resnick and Danielle Scruggs</a>]</li>
<li id="myjHgV">Alpine glaciers are melting and polar ice sheets are increasingly retreating as a result of global warming. National Geographic has dubbed this trend “the big thaw.” [<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/big-thaw/">National Geographic / Daniel Glick</a>]</li>
</ul>
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<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="3kd70v">Phoebe Waller-Bridge, fresh off her Emmy wins for the comedy hit <em>Fleabag</em>, signed a $20 million deal a year with Amazon to create and produce more television content. [<a href="https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/phoebe-waller-bridge-amazon-deal-1203347221/">Variety / Will Thorne</a>]</li>
<li id="Izpwya">“Alexa, find me a job.” McDonald’s announced Wednesday it’s launching a new initiative called “Apply Thru,” allowing owners of Alexa and Google Assistant devices to find job postings and begin filling out their applications for the fast food chain. [<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/25/20883007/mcdonalds-apply-thru-amazon-alexa-google-assistant-job-applications-ai-automation"><strong>The Verge / Nick Statt</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="RTiQdQ">Twenty-six creators, thinkers, and scholars were named the new MacArthur fellows, earning a $625,000 stipend in recognition of their creativity and academic or professional potential. Meet them here. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/25/763748204/macarthur-genius-grant-winners-attest-to-power-of-individual-creativity"><strong>NPR / Colin Dwyer</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="CpG0qt">A submarine — dubbed a “narco sub” — carrying 12,000 pounds of cocaine worth more than $165 million was captured by the US Coast Guard, authorities said. Four suspected drug smugglers who were on board were also apprehended. [<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/submarine-carrying-165-million-in-cocaine-captured-by-coast-guard-drug-bust-2019-09-24/"><strong>CBS News / Sophie Lewis</strong></a>]</li>
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<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="af4k34">“Your fridge will beep for more cheese.” [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/b576f0f185774b01b8008a91b2b8cdc5">British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, failed to mention Brexit but offered a spirited speech on future tech / AP</a>]</p>
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<h3 id="onJEoH">Watch this: How to impeach a president</h3>
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<p id="hDw0X4">What we can learn from Reconstruction, Watergate, and the Clinton saga. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRtJXnsUYBc"><strong>YouTube / Liz Scheltens, Carlos Waters, and Nicholas Garbaty</strong></a>]</p>
<p id="4rm2pJ">We want to bring you more videos and ambitious series with the hosts you love. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXo7UDZvByw2ixzpQCufnA/join"><strong>Join the Vox Video Lab</strong></a> today to support our work on YouTube.</p>
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<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="xgiJaE"><a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/9/25/20881595/ipcc-report-ocean-cryosphere-2019">Scientists: humans are rapidly turning oceans into warm, acidifying basins hostile to life</a></p>
<p id="IHhVxa"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/18/20849139/meat-beyond-impossible-burger-vegetarian-plant-based-green-new-deal-politics">The burger brawl</a></p>
<p id="9olc91"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/18/20862468/heritage-african-american-ancestry-23-and-me-dna-testing">“Heritage travel” is surging in the era of DNA testing. It has a special significance for black Americans.</a></p>
<p id="1eA4gQ"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/17/20863016/anxiety-app-phone-gamification">Can you lessen anxiety by playing a game on your phone?</a></p>
<p id="ChRsx7"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/25/20869361/dtc-health-care-instagram-advertising-hims-cove">Startups are selling you pills through Instagram. Why don’t they say which ones?</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/25/20884353/vox-sentences-trump-ukraine-call-transcriptStavros AgorakisHannah Brown2019-09-24T20:00:00-04:002019-09-24T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: The dam breaks on impeachment
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<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="UVURvu">House Democrats start an impeachment inquiry; Puerto Rico prepares for another tropical storm after avoiding an earthquake. </p>
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<h3 id="me17AX"><strong>“No one is above the law”</strong></h3>
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<li id="rnUCdq">Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump on Tuesday evening — a watershed event that might not ultimately lead to the president’s impeachment, but starts a process that could end up there. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/us/politics/democrats-impeachment-trump.html">NYT / Nicholas Fandos</a>]</li>
<li id="6nOG1L">Pelosi’s announcement is the result of a shift on impeachment that happened gradually, then all at once. Here’s how. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/24/20881634/impeachment-pelosi-trump-democrats-ukraine">Vox / Andrew Prokop</a>]</li>
<li id="suQW4v">”This flagrant disregard for the law cannot stand,” seven first-term members of Congress from swing districts wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post on Monday night, later adding: “If these allegations are true, we believe these actions represent an impeachable offense.” [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/24/seven-freshman-democrats-these-allegations-are-threat-all-we-have-sworn-protect/">Washington Post</a>]</li>
<li id="uUWrRE">The latest fight is over how much information will be released about the complaint. Trump said he’d release the transcript of his call with Ukranian leader. House Democrats are demanding to see the full whistleblower complaint. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/24/763872059/trump-vows-to-release-ukraine-transcript-amid-impeachment-crescendo-in-d-c">NPR / Tamara Keith</a>]</li>
<li id="HEKB8Z">The Judiciary Committee was already working on an impeachment investigation, but it wasn’t a formal impeachment inquiry. The distinction matters! [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/8/6/20751576/impeachment-inquiry-trump-nadler-democrats">Vox / Andrew Prokop</a>] </li>
<li id="scv9P9">Expect much more reporting over the coming days about what changed Democrats’ minds — but Vox’s Zack Beauchamp, explaining why he abandoned his own skepticism of the strategy, put it this way: “There is now an obvious and immediate pragmatic upside to impeachment: stopping an ongoing abuse of presidential power that could undermine the integrity of the 2020 election.” [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/24/20879909/trump-ukraine-impeachment-mueller-russia">Vox / Zack Beauchamp</a>]</li>
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<h3 id="4ke3V9"><strong>Rumble and storm</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="S7R7Zm">An earthquake of 6.0 magnitude struck some 49 miles off the northwest coast of Puerto Rico late Monday, leaving no immediate damage to the island or threat of a tsunami. No casualties were reported. [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/582e45144a0c4f09a87f303eefceb542">AP / Dánica Coto</a>]</li>
<li id="fGzcwX">Authorities in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are on alert as they brace for Karen, now a tropical storm. It’s expected to hit the islands on Tuesday. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/24/763750825/tropical-storm-karen-bears-down-on-puerto-rico-virgin-islands">NPR / Paolo Zialcita</a>]</li>
<li id="MNxgZi">According to the New York Times, up to 30,000 residents who survived Hurricane Maria two years ago still live under leaky tarps. With Karen looming and life-threatening mudslides possible, many people’s lives may be in danger. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/us/tropical-storm-karen-puerto-rico.html">NYT / Amy Harmon and Patricia Mazzei</a>]</li>
<li id="F3IGrd">The devastation from Maria likely caused around $90 billion of damages on the island. The Trump administration recently announced the reallocation of $3.6 billion toward construction of the border wall, $400 million of which came from Puerto Rico’s recovery fund. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/5/20850955/trump-border-wall-military-pentagon">Vox / Alex Ward</a>]</li>
</ul>
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<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="ry0VAn">Antonio Brown, the former Patriots wide receiver who has been accused of rape and sexual assault by his former trainer, has reenrolled at Central Michigan University, where he studied before being drafted. [<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27685104/back-school-ab-reenrolls-central-michigan">ESPN</a>]</li>
<li id="5nWASL">Six months around the world ... on a gyrocopter. A British man became the first person to circumnavigate the globe — narrowly escaping a lightning strike during the last leg of his trip — in the miniature aircraft, which has a cockpit exposed to the elements. [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/james-ketchell-gyrocopter-flight-scli-gbr-intl/index.html">CNN / Rob Picheta</a>]</li>
<li id="11fScB">Activists in Washington, DC, who blocked traffic and protested lawmakers’ inaction against climate change Monday — as the United Nations Climate Action Summit ended in New York — will take to the streets again on Friday. [<a href="https://www.washingtonian.com/2019/09/23/shut-down-dc-wants-to-act-again-this-friday/">Washingtonian / Jane Recker</a>]</li>
<li id="tnwqt6">Boiling an egg is the first step on any amateur cook’s road toward culinary success. This chef says he has the perfect recipe. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/23/dining/how-to-hard-boil-eggs.html?module=inline">NYT / J. Kenji López-Alt</a>]</li>
</ul>
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<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="oZ7KjB">“If you see an officer delivering your packages say hello!” [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/30f8dbb5c72145b483a00337f68aeb55">After a groundskeeper discovered a bunch of Amazon packages at a cemetery, police authorities took on the task of delivering them / AP</a>]</p>
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<h3 id="onJEoH">Listen to this: Pelosi calls for impeachment inquiry</h3>
<div id="RRtVFO"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/1NPdovn5kIfECX1nqkbG26" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="rPl52K">On <em>Today, Explained</em>, Vox’s Andrew Prokop tells us how everything changed on the impeachment question in 24 hours. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1NPdovn5kIfECX1nqkbG26">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://applepodcasts.com/todayexplained">Apple Podcasts</a></p>
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<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="c6IgmI"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/24/20879735/hunter-biden-trump-corruption-outsider">To beat Trump, try running an outsider</a></p>
<p id="y6Vhdr"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/24/20880416/un-climate-action-summit-2019-greta-thunberg-trump-china-india">The UN Climate Action Summit was a disappointment</a> </p>
<p id="FNUcGV"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/24/20879909/trump-ukraine-impeachment-mueller-russia">The Ukraine scandal makes a stronger case for impeachment than the Mueller probe did</a></p>
<p id="4T8UqB"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/24/20872336/body-focused-repetitive-behavior-technique">The best $1.50 I ever spent: a kneadable eraser</a> </p>
<p id="xZivKx"><a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/9/24/20879854/air-pollution-soot-particles-placenta-fetus-pregnancy">Scientists have found air pollution particles in pregnant women’s placentas</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/24/20882064/vox-sentences-scotus-impeach-trump-house-pelosiStavros AgorakisLibby Nelson2019-09-23T20:00:00-04:002019-09-23T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: Move over, Russia?
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<figcaption>Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="67w9yj">Trump admits to talking to Ukraine about the dealings of Joe Biden’s son; the world’s oldest travel company leaves thousands stranded.</p>
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<h3 id="d5cvBS"><strong>Whistles from the Oval Office</strong></h3>
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<cite>Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images</cite>
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<ul>
<li id="Q0m2Xi">President Trump admitted to discussing the family of former Vice President Joe Biden during a July phone call with Ukraine’s president, an incident believed to be at the center of a whistleblower’s complaint about alleged abuse of power within the White House. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/22/20878702/donald-trump-ukraine-whistleblower-joe-hunter-biden-military-aid-corruption">Vox / Anya van Wagtendonk</a>]</li>
<li id="LZj1cn">The complaint reportedly involved Trump attempting eight times to pressure Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation into Biden’s son, Hunter, and his business activities in the eastern European nation. Intelligence community Inspector General Michael Atkinson determined the complaint to be credible — meaning there is corroboration beyond the one source — and labeled it a matter of “urgent concern.” [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/20/questions-about-trump-whistleblower-answered/">Washington Post / Aaron Blake</a>]</li>
<li id="0SuEHw">Trump’s alleged pressure campaign has prompted scrutiny of US and Ukraine ties. Some say the delayed release of $250 million in foreign aid to Ukraine was mobilized by mounting White House efforts to instigate a probe into the Bidens. A separate investigation into the matter is being conducted in Washington. [<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-defends-conversation-with-ukraine-leader-11568993176">WSJ / Alan Cullison, Rebecca Ballhaus, and Dustin Volz</a>]</li>
<li id="vLSfzQ">Republicans have stood by Trump as new details emerge, calling for an actual inquiry into Biden and his 2016 request to Ukraine to dismiss a prosecutor who had investigated a gas company linked to his son. Democrats, on the other hand, are once again pushing for Trump’s impeachment. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/22/20878702/donald-trump-ukraine-whistleblower-joe-hunter-biden-military-aid-corruption">Vox / Anya van Wagtendonk</a>]</li>
<li id="e70h3D">There’s no evidence Joe Biden acted in his son’s interest in the 2016 request or in dealing with Ukraine as vice president. Biden criticized Trump for seeming to cross the line himself, and urged him to release a transcript of his call with Zelensky. [<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/462413-biden-blasts-trump-calls-on-him-to-release-transcript-of-call-with-foreign">The Hill / Jesse Byrnes]</a>
</li>
<li id="fmJf48">Biden continues to lead the polls in the run-up to the 2020 primaries, and is largely considered to be one of few Democratic candidates who can match up against the sitting president in next fall’s elections. [<a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_democratic_presidential_nomination-6730.html">RealClearPolitics</a>]</li>
<li id="Zh0YU4">Whatever the resolution of the event, it’s an early predictor of how dirty the US elections will get. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/23/the-trump-ukraine-scandal-is-a-taste-of-how-dirty-will-the-us-elections-get">Guardian / Richard Wolffe</a>]</li>
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<h3 id="VEY5AQ"><strong>150,000 travelers stranded abroad</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="IUoNqn">The financial collapse of Thomas Cook — the oldest travel company in the world — in the early hours of Monday has left hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded in their holiday destinations, further affecting the daily operations of booking websites, credit card companies and other travel firms. [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thomas-cook-grp-investment/british-travel-firm-thomas-cook-collapses-stranding-hundreds-of-thousands-idUSKBN1W801E?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter">Reuters / Kate Holton</a>]</li>
<li id="DHqdWt">British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had said the UK government would not intervene to save Thomas Cook through a bailout package, though he pledged Monday to help travelers return home in the nation’s biggest ever peacetime repatriation operation. Most vacation packages sold by British companies have government protections. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/23/travel/thomas-cook-airline-collapse.html">NYT / Michael Wolgelenter</a>]</li>
<li id="MtJoxw">The firm, which has operated since 1841, has further put some 21,000 jobs at risk. [<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/18c6356f-d806-3fef-9ff7-29fb80a343c7">FT / Philip Georgiadis, Myles McCormick, and Adam Samson</a>]</li>
<li id="yfwOR3">Thomas Cook CEO Peter Fankhauser issued a statement saying that the collapse is a matter of profound regret. He cited insurmountable challenges in the final weeks of negotiations with creditors. [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/uk/live-news/thomas-cook-dle-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN / Bianca Britton, Jessie Yeung, and Sherisse Pham</a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wqxW0m">
<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="mTN4TX">Chanel Miller, the woman who was sexually assaulted while unconscious by Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, speaks out for the first time on CBS’s <em>60 Minutes</em>. [<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chanel-miller-woman-sexually-assaulted-brock-turner-speaks-out-first-n1057491">NBC News / Yuliya Talmazan</a>]</li>
<li id="vU30ef">The Television Academy bid farewell to some record-breaking drama and comedy series on Sunday night, with awards show favorites like Game of Thrones and Veep having their last run at the Emmys. See who won big at the ceremony. [<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/emmys-2019-winners-fleabag-game-of-thrones-888596/"><strong>Vox / Emily Todd VanDerWerff and Alissa Wilkinson</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="Bsw5GP">A runway model protested Gucci’s use of straightjackets and other outfits alluding to mental health patients during the fashion house’s show at Milan Fashion Week, calling the decision “vulgar, unimaginative and offensive.” [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/gucci-protest-milan-intl-scli/index.html"><strong>CNN / Amy Woodyatt</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="y3mDG3">Cats may not be as aloof as you think. A new study suggests felines form attachment styles to their caregivers similar to human babies and dogs. [<a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pa735v/your-cat-thinks-of-you-like-a-parent-study-suggests"><strong>Vice / Jordan Pearson</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="cTq1RV">
<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="PTVFGD">“I want people to realize you’re never too broken to be fixed.” [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/style/jonathan-van-ness-hiv-memoir.html">Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness opens up about past sexual abuse and his HIV status in a New York Times profile</a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="KOZ3Sq">
<h3 id="onJEoH">Watch this: Glad You Asked</h3>
<div id="37XDWB">
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Glad You Asked | Official Trailer | YouTube Originals|73040" data-volume-uuid="df4e44f93" data-volume-id="73040" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" data-volume-autoplay="false" id="volume-placement-597" class="volume-video" data-volume-player-choice="youtube"></div>
</div>
<p id="o4APIx">Ever wonder what “the cloud,” a.k.a. the internet, actually looks like? Or why memes look the way they do? The first season of Glad You Asked premieres October 8. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VJ2ltCN4eo"><strong>Youtube</strong></a>]</p>
<p id="jDQiSu">We want to bring you more videos and ambitious series with the hosts you love. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXo7UDZvByw2ixzpQCufnA/join"><strong>Join the Vox Video Lab</strong></a> today to support our work on YouTube.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="6UQ0Wz">
<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="StuEvw"><a href="https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/9/23/20872713/native-american-indian-treaties">6 Native leaders on what it would look like if the US kept its promises</a> </p>
<p id="cbwsar"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/23/20875380/south-korea-north-korea-usa-nuclear-negotiations-moon-unga">US-North Korea nuclear talks are sputtering. South Korea is furious.</a></p>
<p id="SkBd3x"><a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/9/23/20870762/money-can-buy-happiness-lottery">It turns out money can kind of buy happiness after all</a></p>
<p id="i31mlX"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/23/20880192/obamacare-health-insurance-auto-enrollment-voxcare">The bare minimum America could do to expand health coverage</a> </p>
<p id="ChRsx7"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/23/20875725/campaign-2020-polling-democrats-biden-trump">Democrats are stuck in a doom loop of premature polling</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/23/20880477/vox-sentences-ukraine-trump-biden-complaintStavros Agorakis2019-09-20T20:00:00-04:002019-09-20T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: There’s no planet B
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6Uee4dkmzEZeOTwki4si_BdPigc=/75x0:526x338/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65290202/greta1.172035.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="6gAGGQ">Youth strikes calling for action against the climate crisis are happening simultaneously around the world; an American pilot is detained in China.</p>
<p id="tg5yOS"></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="QQqYkQ">
<h3 id="8xm5PG"><strong>To skip school and strike</strong></h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DGBDUGiHugoho-UyDcOsUYzgdT4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19218944/greta1.172035.jpg">
<cite>Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="5rR9M9">Adults often don’t get it right. So students — many of them teens — around the world are taking to the streets Friday on a global strike against climate change, skipping roll call to hold their elected officials accountable for the ongoing threat of global warming. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/20/761916356/global-youth-climate-strike-expected-to-draw-large-crowds">NPR / Jeff Brady</a>]</li>
<li id="o3BLfK">The worldwide event has mobilized hundreds of thousands of protesters, many holding signs with messages ranging from angry to playful, like “there’s no Planet B” and “this planet is getting hotter than my imaginary boyfriend.” [<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/planet-thousands-join-global-climate-strike-asia-190920040636503.html">Al Jazeera</a>]</li>
<li id="GsuPKF">China, the world’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions threatening the planet’s wellbeing, did not authorize strikes. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/climate/global-climate-strike.html">NYT / Somini Sengupta</a>]</li>
<li id="IbqjP2">Chief among the teen protesters is Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish climate activist who is leading the cause in 150 countries this September. The Friday strikes will culminate in New York, where Thunberg is leading the city’s march. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/17/20864740/greta-thunberg-youth-climate-strike-fridays-future">Vox / Umair Irfan</a> and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/planet-thousands-join-global-climate-strike-asia-190920040636503.html">Al Jazeera</a>]</li>
<li id="1aghOa">The two planned marches — on September 20 and 27 — were timed to coincide with the United Nations Climate Action Summit on Monday, during which leaders are supposed to ramp up their ambitions to curb greenhouse gases under the 2015 Paris climate agreement. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/09/20/millions-youth-around-world-are-striking-friday-climate-action/">Washington Post / Brady Dennis and Sarah Kaplan</a>]</li>
<li id="ZJxVNW">UN Secretary General António Guterres acknowledged the leadership of the young activists, calling for governments to take more immediate action against the climate “emergency.” He is optimistic that the European Union will announce Monday it will achieve a “carbon-neutral” status by 2050, as the Paris agreement mandates. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/18/un-secretary-general-climate-crisis-trump">Guardian / Mark Hertsgaard</a>]</li>
<li id="DF1PBg">CNN and the Guardian are reporting live on many of the youth strikes taking place around the world. Follow their updates here. [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/global-climate-strike-2019/index.html">CNN / Rob Picheta, Jessie Yeung and Meg Wagner</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2019/sep/20/climate-strike-global-change-protest-sydney-melbourne-london-new-york-nyc-school-student-protest-greta-thunberg-rally-live-news-latest-updates">Guardian / Haroon Siddique, Sarah Marsh and Naaman Zhou</a>]</li>
<li id="4TD48i">Still not convinced the climate crisis is an urgent matter? Watch how the climate could change in these US cities by 2050. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/11/30/18117953/climate-change-maps-cities-2050">Vox / Umair Irfan and Kavya Sukumar</a>]</li>
</ul>
<aside id="LoWfz1"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"vox_sentences"}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="G0sGCN">
<h3 id="0sG4GF"><strong>China detains former US Air Force pilot</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="e0Dx6m">A former US Air Force colonel who now works as a FedEx pilot was detained by Chinese authorities for carrying nonmetallic pellets used in low-power replica air guns in his checked luggage. [<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fedex-pilot-detained-by-police-in-southern-china-sources-11568906801">WSJ / John Lyons and Wenxin Fan</a>]</li>
<li id="Gp55ih">A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the pilot, Todd A. Hohn, was detained on suspicions of illegally smuggling weapons and ammunition. He’s since been released on bail, pending trial, and cannot leave China until the investigation is over. [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/19/business/fedex-pilot-detained-china/index.html">CNN / Clare Duffy</a>]</li>
<li id="bDHm5I">The incident comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over the 15-month trade war, with a partial truce being negotiated. The detention is sure to add fuel to the fire, since China has been probing into FedEx in recent weeks for illegally shipping weapons, including knives, to Hong Kong. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-confirms-detention-of-american-fedex-pilot-suspected-of-smuggling-ammunition/2019/09/20/27ed16fe-db82-11e9-a1a5-162b8a9c9ca2_story.html">Washington Post / Gerry Shih</a>]</li>
<li id="QiLFLR">China has strict laws against the possession of ammunition and weapons. Nationalists have called for the delivery company to be included in a list of “unreliable entities,” while airport security measures have also drastically increased, with authorities paying particular attention to travelers flying into or out of Hong Kong. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/business/fedex-china-pilot-detained.html">NYT / Keith Bradsher and Emily Flitter</a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wqxW0m">
<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="MNhDxG">The Food and Drug Administration has launched a criminal probe on the recent string of vape-related illnesses, as more than 530 people in 38 states have become sick from e-cigarettes. [Washington Post / Lena H. Sun]</li>
<li id="eQFX9P">Friends, the hit TV show that’s defined comedy for several generations, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Google and Ralph Lauren help you honor the series with Easter eggs and a Rachel-inspired clothing collection. [<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/20/20875364/google-friends-25-year-anniversary-easter-eggs"><strong>The Verge / Tom Warren</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/fashion/a29102462/ralph-lauren-rachel-green-collection/?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=socialflowFBMAR&utm_medium=social-media"><strong>Marie Claire / Amy De Klerk</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="Zl9mjG">Airbnb is the latest business profiting off a robust gig economy, as it now plans to go public in 2020. [<a href="https://www.engadget.com/2019/09/19/airbnb-plans-to-go-public-in-2020/"><strong>Engadget / Amrita Khalid</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="WqMy36">The 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards will air this Sunday night. Have you made your predictions yet? [<a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2019/06/2019-emmy-predictions-71-primetime-emmys-nominations-winners-1202048893/"><strong>Indiewire / Ben Travers</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="cTq1RV">
<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="JG6DZa">“I said to him, ‘Prove that you’re serious … sell WhatsApp, and sell Instagram.’ I think it’s safe to say that he was not receptive to those suggestions.” [<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/zuckerberg-spars-with-senators-at-private-d-c-dinner-11568912538">Sen. Josh Hawley comments on a meeting with Mark Zuckerberg. The Silicon Valley figure also met with President Trump in the Oval Office. / WSJ</a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="KOZ3Sq">
<h3 id="onJEoH">Watch this: How these rocks became a Western movie cliché</h3>
<div id="NbPDZC">
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="How Monument Valley became a symbol of the West|72549" data-volume-uuid="fd8be62ca" data-volume-id="72549" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" data-volume-autoplay="false" id="volume-placement-802" class="volume-video" data-volume-player-choice="youtube"></div>
</div>
<p id="NotBWM">That stereotypical Western backdrop isn’t typical of the West. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTFBQcae4KA"><strong>YouTube / Coleman Lowndes</strong></a>]</p>
<p id="fYS4T7">We want to bring you more videos and ambitious series with the hosts you love. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXo7UDZvByw2ixzpQCufnA/join"><strong>Join the Vox Video Lab</strong></a> today to support our work on YouTube.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="6UQ0Wz">
<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="ZfDZg2"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/20/20875221/whistleblower-ukraine-trump-biden-military-aid">The latest news about the whistleblower complaint over Trump and Ukraine, explained</a> </p>
<p id="5vejC2"><a href="https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/9/20/20874414/ramirez-kavanaugh-college-class">I’m a Latina who went to an elite institution. Kavanaugh culture dominates.</a></p>
<p id="8nQJ6m"><a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/9/20/20873208/game-of-thrones-emmys-2019-predictions-record">Game of Thrones is poised to smash its own Emmy record</a></p>
<p id="CZUDlz"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/13/20864342/drake-justin-bieber-usher-rob-thomas-young-jeezy-mama-jan">How Mama Jan, the vocal coach behind Justin Bieber and Drake, creates superstars</a></p>
<p id="ChRsx7"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/13/20802579/reese-witherspoon-reeses-book-club-oprah">How Reese Witherspoon became the new high priestess of book clubs</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/20/20876496/global-youth-climate-strikeStavros Agorakis2019-09-19T20:10:00-04:002019-09-19T20:10:00-04:00Vox Sentences: A terrestrial invasion
<figure>
<img alt="US-MILITARY-SPACE-ALIENS-OFFBEAT" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zru0G5KmWbgjwif24qJQ9ABy3fQ=/252x0:4249x2998/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65283295/1167948299.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>BRIDGET BENNETT/AFP/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="6gAGGQ">“Storm Area 51” is — maybe — happening tomorrow, so here’s all you need to know ahead of the event; tensions between the US and Iran over the attack against a Saudi oil plant escalate.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="QQqYkQ">
<h3 id="jffJm0">Brace for E.T.?</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="US-MILITARY-SPACE-ALIENS-OFFBEAT" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9K7H43Cjo6y8XjSUDFWcw6RSJ0k=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19215944/1167948299.jpg.jpg">
<cite>BRIDGET BENNETT/AFP/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="UyYYo7">It all started with a Facebook event, as things do. [<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/448435052621047/"><strong>Facebook / Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="Z9VcET">Three months later, more than 2 million people have RSVP’d as “going” to Area 51 — a highly classified United States Air Force facility — in a remote Nevada desert this Friday, theoretically willing to storm past guards and security in hopes of uncovering the secrets to extraterrestrial life, UFOs, and space conspiracy theories. [<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/storm-area-51-events-timeline-1850918/"><strong>Las Vegas Review-Journal</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="arH5Cu">What probably started as a joke has now attracted visitors from all over the world — from nearby Idaho all the way to Scotland and Australia — with locals worrying about visitors trespassing their property, overwhelming the cell service, or, frankly, arriving unprepared to face the cold nightly temperatures and desert creatures (like snakes and scorpions). [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/cea7683b09fa478baf071040fa3806eb"><strong>AP / Ken Ritter</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="L3zzuG">Both businesses and government officials have taken the pledge seriously. Two rural Nevada counties have drafted emergency declarations, with local police patrolling the nearby area over the three-day event. The Federal Aviation Administration has issued flight restrictions in the air space around Area 51. [<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/science/storm-area-51-nevada-desert-towns-on-edge"><strong>Fox News / Travis Fedschun</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="k5GIr3">More than one dozen first responder agencies — around 350 medics and EMTs — have also set up camp in Lincoln County, which took $250,000 out of scarce funds to cover costs associated with handling anticipated crowds. [<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/first-responders-set-up-command-post-in-advance-of-storm-area-51-1851386/"><strong>Las Vegas Review-Journal / Mick Akers</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="cRDaZI">Of course, no alien-sighting event is complete without an accompanying music festival. Two competing Area-51-focused lineups are taking place the same weekend (starting Thursday night), each hoping to earn the title “Alienstock” and some playing for their biggest crowds yet. [<a href="https://time.com/5679274/alienstock-bands/"><strong>Time / Raisa Brauner</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="1g8Zjg">If you’re interested in reading more about the myth, the meme and the strange reality of Area 51, head on over to Vox for an explainer on the locale’s history and association with aliens. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/19/20857221/storm-area-51-aliens-ufos-meme-myth-lore-history-bob-lazar-explained"><strong>Vox / Alex Ward and Aja Romano</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<aside id="LoWfz1"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"vox_sentences"}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="G0sGCN">
<h3 id="Myn4Ni"><strong>An “act of war”</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="IZSRbg">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo weighed in on last weekend’s drone strikes against Saudi Arabia, calling Iran’s alleged behavior an “act of war,” the strongest yet condemnation of the oil plant attack from an American official. [<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pompeo-heads-saudi-arabia-middle-east-tensions-grow-n1055206"><strong>NBC News / Yuliya Talmazan, Ali Arouzi, Daniel Arkin and Saphora Smith</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="nDkv6K">Though Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for the strike, the Trump administration has vehemently blamed Iran for the vast decline in the daily global oil supply, with the president tweeting that “we are ... locked and loaded” in case the identity of the culprit matches his suspicions. [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/269744b35e16422fa746b0c1504ceb4f"><strong>AP / Jon Gambrell and Zeke Miller</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="PcIh7g">On Wednesday, however, President Trump walked back on his proposed retaliation against the Middle Eastern nation, balacing between “the ultimate option” of a strike against Iran and entering negotiations. He is expected to announce a new set of sanctions in the next two days. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/18/us/politics/robert-obrien-security-adviser.html?module=inline"><strong>NYT / Peter Baker and Eric Schmitt</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="jfu1Tp">According to CNN, Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, has threatened with “all-out war” in the event of US or Saudi military strikes against his country, adding that Iran is willing to talk the dispute out with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/19/middleeast/iran-zarif-saudi-intl/index.html"><strong>CNN / Nick Paton Walsh</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wqxW0m">
<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="yFdVNs">Amid growing protests in Hong Kong against the administration, the Jockey Club and the government have canceled the city’s weekly horse races and the October 1 fireworks, citing fear over the safety of the people and animals. [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests/hong-kong-horse-races-fireworks-abandoned-amid-protest-threat-idUSKBN1W30SR">Reuters / Danny Kwok and Twinnie Siu</a>]</li>
<li id="uov40O">Thousands in Hawaii were on alert Wednesday night after emergency sirens went off warning for an impending tsunami. Within minutes of the alarm going off, authorities tried to ease the unrest, saying it was a police exercise. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/762215269/false-tsunami-warning-in-hawaii-triggered-by-police-exercise"><strong>NPR / Scott Neuman</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="7uO2Jy">One lucky Stephen King fan now has the opportunity of a lifetime: Dish, a US satellite TV company, announced it’s looking for a participant to watch all 13 King book-to-film adaptations in a row and document the experience, earning a cool $1,300 at the end. [<a href="https://movieweb.com/stephen-king-movies-halloween-horror-binge-dish-network/"><strong>Movieweb / Ryan Scott</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="jQeHU9">A 19-year-old woman in Lincoln, Nebraska, accidentally set fire to her apartment by burning love letters she had received from her ex. She now has been cited for negligent burning. [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/19587b6bfbc34b8cbd011487d82859d5"><strong>AP</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="cTq1RV">
<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="mRHzhb">“I hope there is an age limit. ... If I were just 80 years old, if I were 15 years younger, I don’t believe I could undertake the duties that I experienced when I was president.” [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/18/politics/jimmy-carter-presidency-age-limit/index.html">Former President Jimmy Carter jokes there should be an age limit to people who can run for president / CNN</a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="KOZ3Sq">
<h3 id="onJEoH">Listen to this: The 51st state?</h3>
<div id="Md0O3g"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/0M5hQISZKAx11hMOlTBFJF" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="2wDLv3">In <em>Today, Explained</em>’s 400th episode: Residents in the District of Columbia have been living with “taxation without representation” from Day 1. Thursday, they took their call for statehood to Congress. [<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0M5hQISZKAx11hMOlTBFJF"><strong>Spotify</strong></a> | <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYXJ0MTkuY29tL3RvZGF5LWV4cGxhaW5lZA%3D%3D&episode=Z2lkOi8vYXJ0MTktZXBpc29kZS1sb2NhdG9yL1YwL3RVX0s0THBDd0JZTU9TMXZrQUN6bmpHQW9zcERBUkx6TS1qcm5pWEdZZzg%3D"><strong>Google Podcasts</strong></a>] </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="6UQ0Wz">
<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="UJrlRS"><a href="https://www.vox.com/world/2019/9/18/20873153/justin-trudeau-brownface-blackface-photo-yearbook-party-canada-election">Justin Trudeau faces backlash after photo and video are uncovered showing him in brownface</a></p>
<p id="KSlL0e"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/19/20868302/home-care-workers-care-opportunity-act">Home care workers have a lousy job. A new Congressional bill aims to change that.</a></p>
<p id="pq1TFh"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/19/20872718/elizabeth-warren-2020-selfie-line">Why selfie lines are crucial to Elizabeth Warren’s campaign</a> </p>
<p id="Dstlwc"><a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/9/19/20872366/global-pandemic-prevention-who-world-bank-report">The next global pandemic could kill millions of us. Experts say we’re really not prepared.</a></p>
<p id="AlGe3e"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/19/20870373/sean-spicer-dancing-with-the-stars-controversy">How Sean Spicer’s Dancing With the Stars debut became a culture war</a></p>
<p id="iiKPDs"> </p>
<p id="DSJl6B"></p>
<p id="04LS0t"></p>
<p id="DlA4Gm"></p>
<p id="EcqUp4"></p>
<p id="ChRsx7"></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/19/20874944/vox-sentences-area-51Stavros Agorakis2019-09-18T20:00:00-04:002019-09-18T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: Regulation rollback on car emissions
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_h5NVl-EDTfcz5vip-HUCISlqsI=/34x0:567x400/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65275585/cars1.174420.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bill Pugliano/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="PBu9qm">The EPA is set to announce a repeal of a California rule that helps produce more fuel-efficient cars; a deadly blaze in Liberia kills dozens of students.</p>
<p id="ITlx96"></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="QQqYkQ">
<h3 id="kXHdFC"><strong>A proposed rollback on auto fuel efficiency rules</strong></h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vf6jQ6pPGnrIrynbkAurJy6LKTg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19211617/cars1.174420.jpg">
<cite>Bill Pugliano/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="bHRjFx">President Donald Trump and the Environmental Protection Agency are expected to announce Wednesday the repeal of a decades-old rule that allows California to set stricter car emission standards than those required federally, a move that could restructure the domestic auto industry and America’s response to the climate crisis. [<a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-09-17/trump-revokes-california-environmental-authority-auto-deal">Los Angeles Times / Anna M. Phillips</a>]</li>
<li id="0C2htM">The rollback will derail a global trend to produce more fuel-efficient cars and is widely seen as part of the Trump administration’s effort to weaken regulations that address global warming. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/18/761815991/white-house-to-revoke-waiver-allowing-california-to-set-its-own-emissions-standa">NPR / Scott Neuman</a>]</li>
<li id="YSEbwv">The move affects not only California, but 13 other states and the District of Columbia that follow its emission regulations. Collectively, they make up roughly a third of the country’s auto sales, and interestingly, only one state — Pennsylvania — supported Trump in 2016. [<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/17/epa-california-obama-waiver-1500336">Politico / Alex Guillén</a>]</li>
<li id="hbWcNf">California has promised to fight back against the proposed rollback, intent on taking the dispute all the way to the Supreme Court. Xavier Becerra, the state’s attorney general, has already said he wants to strike back with a lawsuit. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/climate/trump-california-emissions-waiver.html?module=inline">NYT / Coral Davenport</a>]</li>
<li id="uJTJJF">The Justice Department has already taken up the fight against automakers. It recently launched an antitrust probe against Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen, firms who have all forged a deal with California on vehicle-emissions standards. [<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-launches-antitrust-probe-into-four-auto-makers-11567778958">WSJ / Timothy Puko and Ben Foldy</a>]</li>
<li id="1QqpZJ">This is not the first time in the last 30 days that the administration threatens progress on climate change. In late August, the EPA sought to eliminate federal requirements that oil and gas companies control their methane emissions — a powerful greenhouse gas — by inspecting and repairing leaks from across the supply chain. [<a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/08/trump-epa-methane-emissions-rollback-regulations-oil-gas-industry.html">Slate / Elliot Hannon</a>]</li>
<li id="Qi6eKo">President Trump has famously called climate change a “hoax,” but the topic has taken center stage in the runup to the 2020 presidential election. From Greenland’s ice melts to forest fires burning everywhere from California to the Amazon and major floods devastating farmlands across the US, this has been a year of record for many environmental disasters. [<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/29/trump-to-roll-back-methane-climate-change-regulations.html">CNBC / Emma Newburger</a>]</li>
<li id="e7mSzg">These events are unrolling as the auto industry is facing another crisis of its own — this time in regard to pay disputes. The General Motors strikes are going into Day 3, with the company and the union coming no closer to an agreement. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/17/20868936/gm-workers-strike-uaw-trump">Vox / Alexia Fernández Campbell</a>]</li>
</ul>
<aside id="LoWfz1"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"vox_sentences"}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="G0sGCN">
<h3 id="E86FKV"><strong>Fire in Liberia kills dozens of students</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="qITb8v">A fire that broke out late Tuesday at a religious school in Liberia has killed at least 27 students aged between 10 and 20 years old, according to several news reports. [<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49743937">BBC</a>]</li>
<li id="EdkWLa">The blaze was likely incited by faulty electrics, a common issue in big cities in Liberia that often cause tall structures to collapse, said police spokesperson Moses Carter. Carter added only the imam, two students and their teacher managed to escape. [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-liberia-fire/fire-in-liberia-school-kills-at-least-27-children-idUSKBN1W31JO">Reuters / Alphonso Toweh</a> and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/fire-liberia-religious-school-kills-dozens-children-190918121243870.html">Al Jazeera</a>]</li>
<li id="rSuiVT">Liberian President George Weah tweeted Wednesday offering his condolensces to the bereaved, wishing for God to strengthen families and the entire Islamic community and “give them the courage to persevere.” He’s expected to attend planned funeral services later today. [<a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeWeahOff/status/1174262960249851914?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Enews%7Ctwgr%5Etweet">Twitter / George Weah</a>]</li>
<li id="BLo4qN">Pastor Emmanuel Herbert of a nearby church told the Associated Press that his congregation woke up to sounds of the fire. “When I turned around to look, the entire place was red. When I looked through the window, I saw the whole place blazing with fire,” he said. [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/f77ad68ce3174479accfb618f62896eb">AP / Jonathan Paye-Layleh</a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wqxW0m">
<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="Wke6qa">Downton Abbey is opening its doors. The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon have posted their residence of Highclere Castle in Hampshire — where the hit TV show was filmed — on Airbnb, inviting two guests to spend a single night and be “treated like royalty.” [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/sep/17/live-like-a-lord-and-lady-downton-abbey-is-listed-on-airbnb">Guardian / Frances Perraudin</a>]</li>
<li id="vLi6dw">Having trouble putting your kids to sleep? Maybe Spiderman can help. The House of Mouse is reintroducing the Disney Bedtime Hotline, a toll-free service with special messages from characters like Mickey Mouse, Woody from Toy Story, Anna and Elsa from Frozen, and more. [<a href="https://www.wsaw.com/content/news/Kids-can-get-goodnight-phone-calls-from-Mickey-Jasmine-Yoda-and-other-Disney-favorites-560580951.html">WSAW TV</a>]</li>
<li id="bpD3hT">Times Square is one among several locations worldwide to host a “sleep out” in December in an effort to raise awareness and funds to combat homelessness. Celebrities like Will Smith and Dame Helen Mirren are expected to participate in New York and London, respectively. [<a href="https://nypost.com/2019/09/17/times-square-to-host-sleep-out-for-homelessness/">New York Post / Jackie Salo</a>]</li>
<li id="OvQItv">If you’re craving late dinner, maybe Thrillist can help you score a free burger on National Cheeseburger Day this Wednesday. [<a href="https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/national-cheeseburger-day-2019-deals-near-me">Thrillist / Dustin Nelson</a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="cTq1RV">
<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="APosrW">“There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one.” [<a href="https://twitter.com/Cary_Elwes/status/1174124906327330816?cid=eml_mrd_20190918&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning%20Rundown%20Sept%2018">Princess Bride star Cary Elwes dismisses a remake of the 1987 cult classic after the Sony Pictures CEO floated the idea in an interview / Twitter</a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="KOZ3Sq">
<h3 id="onJEoH">Listen to this: Out of sight, out of mind</h3>
<div id="n3MhX3"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/5XaPJurJEYblmsYclO5dkC" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="RRtVFO">Dara, Jane, and Matt explore how Trump “fixed” the asylum crisis. [<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XaPJurJEYblmsYclO5dkC"><strong>Spotify</strong></a> | <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-sight-out-of-mind/id1042433083?i=1000450129469"><strong>Apple Podcasts</strong></a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="6UQ0Wz">
<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="y5n6u8"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/18/20872089/trump-robert-obrien-national-security-advisor-bolton">Trump picks his top hostage negotiator to serve as national security adviser</a> </p>
<p id="vdBbe8"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/17/20871094/corey-lewandowski-testimony-mueller-trump">Corey Lewandowski’s chaotic congressional testimony, explained</a></p>
<p id="DApVug"><a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/9/17/20869679/donald-trump-silicon-valley-fundraiser-2020">Silicon Valley is throwing Trump a fundraiser. They’d just rather not talk about it.</a></p>
<p id="VUffk3"><a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/9/17/20827011/teen-depression-anxiety-treatment-single-session">These scientists want to make psychotherapy sessions much, much shorter</a> </p>
<p id="ChRsx7"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/18/20868891/msnbc-climate-town-hall-2020-president">MSNBC’s Ali Velshi on why cable news is suddenly talking so much about climate change</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/18/20872456/vox-sentences-california-car-emissions-liberia-fireStavros Agorakis2019-09-17T20:00:00-04:002019-09-17T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: Picket lines round the US
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QNUOuD5nNtg0682dYGokAhg-hMg=/34x0:567x400/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65267424/gm1.180228.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bill Pugliano/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="bnKHBr">Union Auto Worker strikes against General Motors continue into Day 2; Israeli voters head to the polls for the second time in five months. </p>
<p id="tg5yOS"></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="QQqYkQ">
<h3 id="YG8jtD"><strong>Thousands on the street for better pay</strong></h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_YM5lRPP5-qjLOfI9weOp3-Y-bU=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19209559/gm1.180228.jpg">
<cite>Bill Pugliano/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="9T26pI">Nearly 50,000 United Auto Workers continued striking against General Motors on Tuesday, bringing 55 manufacturing plants and distribution warehouses to a standstill as the two sides clash over a new four-year contract for the employees. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPefdo4cWlA"><strong>YouTube / ABC News</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="9MFJ29">Better pay is at the top of UAW’s concerns. The union is primarily seeking pay raises for GM’s entry-level workers — who now earn less than $20 an hour — and a better profit sharing plan. The dispute also revolves around two iconic assembly lines that are slated to close. [<a href="https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/gm-workers-strike-uaw-negotiations/index.html"><strong>CNN Business</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="L2a36W">GM had responded ahead of the strike with an offer to invest $7 billion in eight US plants and create more than 5,400 jobs, most of them aimed at new hires. UAW rejected the offer. [<a href="https://time.com/5678191/gm-strike/"><strong>Bloomberg and Time / David Welch and Keith Naughton</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="Lndeas">The walkouts crossed the 24-hour mark as GM and the UAW union entered talks over the possible resolution of the latter’s demands. The last strike by UAW in 2007 had little impact on the company, though. [<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-auto-workers-uaw-general-motors-gm-workers-strike-today-2019-09-16/"><strong>CBS News</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="RQ6Gzn">According to the AP, a union spokesperson said the warring sides have only agreed on 2 percent of the contract as of Monday night. [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/c54f47d7569c44d382995a3c3992eb53"><strong>AP / Tom Krisher and Mike Householder</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="xwoLe5">GM is vying for a quick end to the dispute, as stalled production could cost the company between $50 million and $100 million daily. The firm reported $35 billion in earnings in North America over the last three years, despite having laid off some 3,300 employees. [<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/with-no-vehicles-being-made-uaw-strike-could-cost-gm-100-million-a-day-11568653935"><strong>WSJ / Mike Colias</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="GpzAqd">Depending on their duration, the strikes could create a massive snowballing effect to suppliers and potentially harm thousands of businesses. GM has a large enough inventory to satisfy consumer needs for another 70 days, though shortages may begin showing up around the US. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/business/gm-strike-uaw.html"><strong>NYT / David Yaffe-Bellany</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<aside id="LoWfz1"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"vox_sentences"}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="G0sGCN">
<h3 id="qxZssg"><strong>2 elections in 5 months</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="olmtsX">Tuesday’s election marked the second time in five months Netanyahu had to face voters after failing to form a governing coalition. In April, both his right-wing Likud party and the opposing Blue and White party came away with 35 seats each in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel’s parliament. [<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49714279"><strong>BBC</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="VUhK5W">It’s a tight race this time, too. Exit polls show a deadlock between the two parties, but this may not reflect the final results. Both parties initially declared victory in the last election based on varying exit polls. [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/17/middleeast/israel-election-exit-polls-intl/index.html">CNN</a>]</li>
<li id="WBKny5">Netanyahu’s campaign has been bogged down by multiple corruption cases involving fraud, bribery and breach of trust, threatening his tenure as the longest-running Israeli prime minister. It’s widely believed he called for an election in part to be able to pass a law granting him immunity for crimes he committed in office if reelected. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/17/761476149/israelis-go-to-polls-as-netanyahu-aims-to-hold-power-amid-corruption-scandals">NPR / Scott Neuman</a>]</li>
<li id="Q8c2cH">But Netanyahu fought till the last gasp. He took to Twitter to urge voters against supporting a “left-wing government with Arab parties” on Tuesday, as candidates were prohibited from appearing on mainstream media, while last week he announced a plan to annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank to attract more right-wing supporters. [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-election/israels-netanyahu-fights-for-record-fifth-term-idUSKBN1W12UY">Reuters / Dan Williams</a>]</li>
<li id="IcFJ1o">The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the key issue in regional elections, and likely affected the outcome on Tuesday, too. Israeli politics are highly tribal, so here’s a guide for voters’ allegiances based on ethnic groups, religious factions and ideologies. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/world/middleeast/israel-photos-communities-elections.html?module=inline">NYT / David M. Halbfinger and Sergey Ponomarev</a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wqxW0m">
<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="61sIih">Cornell University’s medical school announced it will give loan-free full scholarships to all students it admits who qualify for financial aid, starting this fall. [<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/17/us/cornell-scholarship-financial-aid-trnd/index.html">CNN / Christina Maxouris</a>]</li>
<li id="lmf6tH">With the unrolling of new content subscription services from Apple, Disney and more, an unlikely competitor is breaking into the market: Tinder. The company behind the popular dating app has just wrapped filming of its first scripted television series, with a spokesperson confirming it’s part of a larger strategy. [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tinder-television-exclusive/exclusive-tinder-breaks-into-scripted-original-content-wraps-filming-first-video-series-sources-idUSKBN1W12CT"><strong>Reuters / David Alire Garcia and Angela Moon</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="NphOQ0">The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has unveiled a $51.5 billion plan — the largest in the agency’s history — to improve New York’s transit system by 2024, with a focus on the modernization of six subway lines. [<a href="https://ny.curbed.com/2019/9/16/20869063/mta-capital-plan-nyc-subway-improvements"><strong>Curbed / Valeria Ricciulli</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="RW14oM">Best laid plans: A Chicago politician was interviewed about clean-up efforts while near a train stop nicknamed the “pidgeon poop station,” and, well, he had the same luck as other pedestrians. [<a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/09/16/jaime-andrade-pigeon-poop-station/"><strong>CBS 2 / Lauren Victory</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="cTq1RV">
<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="umqjC5">“Of course I wanted an opportunity to prove myself at SNL, but I understand it would be too much of a distraction. I respect the decision they made. I’m honestly grateful for the opportunity. I was always a mad tv guy anyway.” [<a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/snl-shane-gillis-fired.html?utm_campaign=vulture&utm_medium=s1&utm_source=tw&__twitter_impression=true">Saturday Night Live has dropped comedian Shane Gillis from its new hires list following controversy surrounding his recent racist and homophobic remarks / Vulture</a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="KOZ3Sq">
<h3 id="Q2DnFh">Listen to this: The “Baby Shark” Phenomenon</h3>
<div id="9HJSTF"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/63jc44dzg4xiCleePvGROs" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="RRtVFO">For most parents, “Baby Shark” is the nightmare that will not end. So what makes this song so catchy and irresistible to children? And how do the rest of us cope with the unavoidable hit while keeping our sanity? [<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/63jc44dzg4xiCleePvGROs"><strong>Spotify</strong></a> | <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-baby-shark-phenomenon-with-andrea-silenz/id934552872?i=1000450080629"><strong>Apple Podcasts</strong></a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="6UQ0Wz">
<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="HqxAep"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/10/20847401/sunrise-movement-climate-change-activist-millennials-global-warming">The new face of climate activism is young, angry — and effective</a></p>
<p id="EyMooN"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/16/20869187/brexit-news-boris-johnson-luxembourg-bettel-hulk">Boris Johnson had a really bad day in Luxembourg. The Incredible Hulk was involved.</a></p>
<p id="cy0GZE"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/17/20868790/republicans-lose-popular-vote-win-electoral-college">The astounding advantage the Electoral College gives to Republicans, in one chart</a></p>
<p id="K3VToQ"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/17/20858931/student-loans-debt-living-with-your-parents">Money Talks: She moved home to save money — and her mom never wants her to leave</a> </p>
<p id="ChRsx7"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/16/20864206/thirdlove-bra-company-women-employees-quit-ceo">ThirdLove says it’s by women, for women. But women who’ve worked there disagree.</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/17/20871240/vox-sentences-gm-strikes-israel-electionsStavros Agorakis2019-09-16T20:00:00-04:002019-09-16T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: The latest twist in the Kavanaugh saga
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZvN1ljox8EWHM5QyajZrOYMNaqQ=/34x0:567x400/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65259750/kavanaugh1.223317.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="F8tHcf"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what's happening in the world, curated by Ella Nilsen. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="RzaG01">A New York Times report surfaces new sexual misconduct allegations against Justice Kavanaugh; a drone strike on a Saudi oil plant is felt around the world.</p>
<p id="h3OGbL">Some lighter news! Vox now has <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/16/20861003/free-online-crossword-vox">crossword puzzles</a>: Each one is designed to teach you about the world, exercise your brain, and hopefully relieve a little stress. New puzzles come out Monday through Saturday. <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/16/20861003/free-online-crossword-vox">Go ahead and nerd out.</a></p>
<p id="TJ3emI"><em>Tonight’s Sentences was written by Stavros Agorakis.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="FOEJE8">
<h3 id="g1IhTo"><strong>Deborah Ramirez’s story</strong></h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5sLmXNgKi-VfZ3jLK5sbCZT3r9k=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19205893/kavanaugh1.223317.jpg">
<cite>Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="piPwN9">Nearly a year after Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court, a New York Times report published Saturday corroborated allegations from Deborah Ramirez, who was the second woman to come forward with allegations against Kavanaugh after Christine Blasey Ford. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/sunday-review/brett-kavanaugh-deborah-ramirez-yale.html?module=inline">NYT / Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly</a>]</li>
<li id="bRXWWX">The article also includes a paragraph detailing another incident from Kavanaugh’s time in Yale, “where friends pushed his penis into the hand of a female student” while his pants were down at a drunken dorm party. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/sunday-review/brett-kavanaugh-deborah-ramirez-yale.html?module=inline">NYT / Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly</a>]</li>
<li id="joZSNg">The FBI investigated the allegations against Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford. But they did not interview many witnesses who could have corroborated Ramirez’s allegations. [<a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-09-16/fbi-investigation-brett-kavanaugh-confirmation">LA Times / Jackie Calmes</a>]</li>
<li id="MxAeU7">President Trump took to Twitter to support the second judge he nominated to America’s highest court during office, writing Kavanaugh is “an innocent man who has been treated HORRIBLY” and he “should start suing people for libel.” [<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1173216300287635456">Twitter / Donald J. Trump</a>] </li>
<li id="lzlDrA">Democratic presidential hopefuls have taken a fierce opposing stance on the matter, calling for Kavanaugh’s impeachment. Notably, Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted that Kavanaugh “was put on the Court through a sham process and his place on the Court is an insult to the pursuit of truth and justice.” [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/15/20866930/kamala-harris-julian-castro-brett-kavanaugh-impeachment">Vox / Li Zhou</a>]</li>
<li id="CVG004">The report also puts Sen. Susan Collins under more scrutiny. Collins’s support was key to confirming Kavanaugh, and she is up for reelection next year. [<a href="https://beta.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/sen-susan-collins-faces-fresh-fire-after-emergence-of-new-kavanaugh-allegation/2019/09/16/1c72af82-d894-11e9-ac63-3016711543fe_story.html">Washington Post / Mike DeBonis</a>]</li>
<li id="ujuR2u">If you’re wondering whether a Supreme Court justice can be removed from office, the answer is yes. Here’s how it could happen. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/16/20867558/remove-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-no-impeachment">Vox / Ian Millhiser</a>]</li>
</ul>
<aside id="3NgOYn"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"vox_sentences"}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ujqER5">
<h3 id="mRs0G3"><strong>“Locked and loaded”</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="SZoH5m">Following a weekend drone attack on the world’s largest oil plant in Saudi Arabia, the repercussions have been felt across the globe. From crude prices skyrocketing to the kingdom’s oil production dropping to half its output, the regional crisis has risen to the international level, even stirring bad blood in foreign affairs among nations. [<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-prices-soar-after-saudi-attack-11568585160">WSJ / Amrith Ramkumar and Joseph Wallace</a> and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-09-14/saudi-arabia-drone-attack-is-a-strike-at-oil-s-future">Bloomberg / Liam Denning</a>]</li>
<li id="CJ7eMy">Though Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for the attack, Trump and his secretary of state have blamed Iran for the vast decline in the daily global oil supply (which surpasses 5 percent), the former tweeting that “we are ... locked and loaded” in case the identity of the culprit matches the president’s suspicions. [<a href="https://www.apnews.com/269744b35e16422fa746b0c1504ceb4f">AP / Jon Gambrell and Zeke Miller</a>]</li>
<li id="wUZ4Jq">According to CNN sources, the United States have informed at least one ally in the Middle East that the attack originated from Iran, too. Iran has repeatedly denied it was involved in the drone strike. [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/saudi-oil-attack-dle-intl/index.html">CNN / Sheena McKenzie, Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes</a>]</li>
<li id="N8K25m">The strike came amid talks of Aramco — the oil giant whose plant was attacked — gearing up to become the world’s largest IPO. [<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-15/attacks-may-impact-saudi-aramco-ipo-valuation-eurasia-says">Bloomberg / Shaji Mathew, Filipe Pacheco, and Sarah Algethami</a>] </li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="78KQhl">
<h3 id="H5cA8w">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="tW8q8f">Famed whistleblower Edward Snowden is asking for President Emmanuel Macron to grant him political asylum in France, saying “welcoming someone like me is not an attack on the United States.” [<a href="https://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN1W10VW-OCATP">Reuters / Benoit Van Overstraeten and Marine Pennetier</a>]</li>
<li id="6GW9mY">New York is set to be the next state — after Michigan — to ban flavored e-cigarettes following numerous reports warning of their threat to people’s health. President Trump has also called for a federal prohibition against some vaping products. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/16/761098173/new-york-set-to-join-michigan-in-banning-e-cigarettes"><strong>NPR / Scott Neuman</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="qeetz6">A solid gold, 18-karat toilet worth some $5 million and titled “America” was stolen from an art exhibit in the UK this weekend. No, it’s not a prank. [<a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/a-gold-toilet-worth-millions-of-dollars-was-stolen-from-an"><strong>Buzzfeed News / Claudia Koerner</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="R85uGb">Very black is the new black. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have produced the blackest black that’s ever been (10 times more than the previously reported darkest black), able to capture more than 99.99 percent of light. [<a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/a-gold-toilet-worth-millions-of-dollars-was-stolen-from-an"><strong>Newsweek / Hannah Osborne</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="1898zn">
<h3 id="ygJKDh">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="MsyUTX">“Leo and I were having this conversation the other day. I hit this point in the late ‘90s or early 2000s, where I realized I was chasing these interesting [roles], yet I was failing to live as interesting a life as I thought I could.” [<a href="https://www.gq.com/story/brad-pitt-cover-profile-october-2019?mbid=synd_yahoo_rss">Brad Pitt is the cover star of the GQ October issue</a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="Fdphi6">
<h3 id="3J5Ger">Watch this: Why this creepy melody is in so many movies</h3>
<div id="sm6bLq">
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Why this creepy melody is in so many movies|72547" data-volume-uuid="94b7b2b76" data-volume-id="72547" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" data-volume-autoplay="false" id="volume-placement-334" class="volume-video" data-volume-player-choice="youtube"></div>
</div>
<p id="cYBoYT">This deathly 13th-century song shows up everywhere. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-bVRYRnSM"><strong>YouTube / Bridgett Henwood</strong></a>]</p>
<p id="WbLDeU">We want to bring you more videos and ambitious series with the hosts you love. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXo7UDZvByw2ixzpQCufnA/join"><strong>Join the Vox Video Lab</strong></a> today to support our work on YouTube.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="JX9yPn">
<h3 id="74J46k">Read more</h3>
<p id="VGQcjH"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/16/20863343/joe-biden-barack-obama-2020-democratic-presidential-primary">Joe Biden is not Barack Obama</a></p>
<p id="Xgya6q"><a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/9/16/20868514/amazon-sponsored-content-ads-growing-jumpshot-antitrust">More of the products you view on Amazon are coming from ads</a> </p>
<p id="hbGilh"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/16/20864066/cancer-studies-fail">Most cancer drugs fail in testing. This might be a big reason why.</a></p>
<p id="T2y04g"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/9/20746436/raising-kids-in-the-city">The case for raising kids in the city</a></p>
<p id="tcAGdM"><a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/9/16/20868916/uber-ab5-argument-legal-experts-california">Uber’s baffling claim that its drivers aren’t core to its business, explained</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/16/20869404/vox-sentences-kavanaugh-saudi-oil-strikeStavros Agorakis2019-09-13T20:00:00-04:002019-09-13T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: Humberto trails Dorian
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cjBYRCIi_IRQLiepuLgO_nNflBQ=/75x0:526x338/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65243527/demdebate1.174213.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>AFP/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="tg5yOS">Read what Vox staffers took away from the third Democratic debate Thursday night; another hurricane threatens the Bahamas.</p>
<p id="NKSpAs"></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="QQqYkQ">
<h3 id="XjGj47"><strong>Biden and Warren face off onstage for the first time</strong></h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Sw-4DCiaMTqERGobHsjqrf7EL9I=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19198151/demdebate1.174213.jpg">
<cite>AFP/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="GZnKiM">Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren finally faced each other in a Democratic debate, walking away with the most speaking time Thursday night — but nonetheless not bringing up their long-standing feud over bankruptcy. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/2019/9/12/20863540/joe-biden-elizabeth-warren-democratic-debate">Vox / Li Zhou</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/12/20863546/democratic-debate-warren-biden-bankruptcy">Vox / Andrew Prokop</a>]</li>
<li id="fVB9CK">Matt Yglesias writes that, despite a shaky performance, Biden remains the clear frontrunner in clutching the nomination, with none of the other candidates making a convincing attempt to take him down. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/12/20863660/democratic-debate-september-2019-biden-winner">Vox / Matt Yglesias</a>]</li>
<li id="yvSxOD">The only candidate who made an effort to halt the former vice president was Julián Castro, who surfaced a growing narrative around Biden’s age when the latter slipped up in his response on health care — once again the leading topic on the debate stage — and when he provided a rambling answer that started on education and ended on Venezuela. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/2019/9/12/20863592/biden-castro-health-care-forgetting-democrat-debate">Vox / Tara Golshan</a>]</li>
<li id="w0Gwg3">On to the issues themselves. Thursday was a big night for education policy, as several Democrats proposed raising teachers’ salaries and rushed to defend public education in their reform plans. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/2019/9/12/20863700/third-democratic-debate-education-teacher-salaries">Vox / Ella Nilsen</a>]</li>
<li id="5En0NH">Immigration, which President Trump has capitalized on fears of in the runup to the primaries, also received a fair amount of attention, though the issue was largely upstaged by Biden’s inability to answer for Obama’s immigration record. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/12/20863665/joe-biden-immigration-obama-democratic-debate">Vox / Nicole Narea</a>]</li>
<li id="DMjmo7">Despite abortion rights being a key matter for Democratic voters in 2020, the moderators didn’t ask a single question on reproductive health to the candidates. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/2019/9/13/20863699/september-2019-democratic-debate-abortion-reproductive-health">Vox / Anna North</a>]</li>
<li id="nv1AjV">P.R. Lockhart writes that the debate included an early discussion of racism “that seemed poised to be substantive but didn’t fully pan out,” saying the candidates are overall getting better at talking about race issues, but are struggling to show it onstage. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/9/13/20863726/democratic-debate-race-racism-criminal-justice-inequality">Vox / P.R. Lockhart</a>]</li>
<li id="AHkIpj">In brief, here are the best and most substantive answers of the night. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/2019/9/13/20863634/democratic-debate-winners-best-answers-andrew-yang-buttigieg">Vox / Emily Stewart</a>]</li>
<li id="6OansM">While the top Democrats were fighting it out on the debate stage in Texas, Trump gave a speech to a House Republican retreat in Baltimore, talking about fake middle-class tax cuts. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/2019/9/12/20863669/trump-baltimore-speech-house-gop-dem-debate">Vox / Aaron Rupar</a>]</li>
<li id="eEUxRp">The night had a share of lighter moments, too, including Andrew Yang presenting a giveaway live on television, promising to hand out $1,000 a month for one year to 10 randomly selected families — as part of a pilot program for his universal basic income proposal — which has, of course, taken the internet by storm. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/12/20863107/andrew-yang-september-2019-democratic-debate-universal-basic-income-pilot-1000-month">Vox / Sean Collins</a>]</li>
</ul>
<aside id="LoWfz1"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"vox_sentences"}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="G0sGCN">
<h3 id="laIEem"><strong>The Bahamas brace for a second hit</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li id="m8THn7">Some 10 days after Hurricane Dorian swept the Bahamas in a deadly brush with the archipelago, the islands are again under tropical storm warning as of Friday afternoon, with a cyclone traveling 140 miles southeast of Great Abaco. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/09/13/developing-tropical-storm-humberto-prompts-watches-warnings-bahamas-florida/">Washington Post / Matthew Cappucci and Andrew Freedman</a>]</li>
<li id="nybL97">Potential Hurricane Humberto may make landing as soon as Saturday night, and may even pose a threat to Florida and other parts of the southern US. [<a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/weather/hurricane/os-ne-tropical-storm-humbeto-hitting-bahamas-florida-saturday-20190913-hvnywhptfvdnrc5tisurbdcjba-story.html">Orlando Sentinel / Joe Mario Pedersen and Richard Tribou</a>]</li>
<li id="goHff9">The news comes just as Bahamians are recovering from Dorian. The death toll has risen to more than 50, while 2,500 people remain unaccounted for. [<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49666942">BBC</a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wqxW0m">
<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li id="rEdEn4">Google announced Thursday it has adjusted its algorithms to promote original reporting in search results, an update driven by increasing pressure to elevate quality news ahead of the 2020 election. [<a href="https://www.axios.com/google-news-algorithm-original-reporting-search-results-publishers-7a0314ed-1132-4535-a158-eac1aa8f008d.html">Axios / Sara Fischer</a>]</li>
<li id="iyjiJB">A new <em>Saturday Night Live</em> cast member is facing backlash after clips from a comedy podcast he co-hosted found him making a series of homophobic and racist remarks over the years. [<a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/snl-shane-gillis-racist-homophobic-remarks.html"><strong>Vulture / Megh Wright</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="sxUK9Z">Missing <em>Thrones</em>? A Deadline report finds HBO is close to ordering a pilot from <em>A Song of Ice and Fire</em> author George R.R. Martin and Colony co-creator Ryan Condal, set 300 years before the events in Game of Thrones and focusing on House Targaryen. [<a href="https://deadline.com/2019/09/house-targaryen-prequel-game-of-thrones-series-ryan-condal-george-rr-martin-hbo-1202732221/"><strong>Deadline / Nellie Andreeva</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="6hgQLD">Gucci is going carbon neutral in what appears to be an increasing trend by the fashion industry to address its role in the climate crisis. [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/12/gucci-carbon-neutral-climate-crisis"><strong>Guardian / Scarlett Conlon</strong></a>]</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="cTq1RV">
<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="w9EuT3">“We haven’t told him anything but ‘don’t vape, don’t vape.’” [<a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/12/trump-tells-son-dont-vape-after-moving-ban-flavored-e-cigarettes/2305670001/">After proposing a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, President Trump responds to reporters on a question regarding his 13-year-old son Barron’s vaping habits / USA Today</a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="KOZ3Sq">
<h3 id="onJEoH">Listen to this: ABCDebate</h3>
<div id="8IbNpj"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/3pXx5SXzXwJxnf4A5pWN2A" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="RRtVFO">After Vox’s Tara Golshan reviews the third Democratic debate, Matthew Yglesias explains how Joe Biden wins even when he loses. [<a href="https://art19.com/shows/a577e0b8-52d8-4a46-a590-956d604092ea/embed?theme=dark-custom&primary_color=%23fdea4f&playlist_type=latest"><strong>Art19</strong></a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xptU2HO5KrPNXV8v3OwE2"><strong>Spotify</strong></a> | <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/50-shades-of-green-new-deal/id1042433083?i=1000449614454"><strong>Apple Podcasts</strong></a>]</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="6UQ0Wz">
<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="qrVtxA"><a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/9/13/20860604/climate-change-jonathan-franzen-hurricane-wildfire-heat-wave">These are the climate catastrophes knocking on America’s door</a></p>
<p id="SQewwy"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/13/20864043/new-faces-pac-cambodian-genocide-aoc">A shocking debate ad compared AOC’s policies to a brutal genocide</a></p>
<p id="nVescA"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/13/20862607/economics-inequality-deregulation-wealth-taxes-policy">A generation of economists helped get us into this mess. A new generation can get us out.</a></p>
<p id="gtMIDR"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/6/20851575/uber-lyft-drivers-austin-regulation-rideshare">How Austin’s failed attempt to regulate Uber and Lyft foreshadowed today’s ride-hailing controversies</a> </p>
<p id="ChRsx7"><a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/9/12/20857196/fracking-ban-case-democrats-2020-president">The best case for and against a fracking ban</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/13/20865049/vox-sentences-humberto-trails-dorianStavros Agorakis2019-09-12T20:00:00-04:002019-09-12T20:00:00-04:00Vox Sentences: Another hurdle for asylum seekers
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vix2vtKndC4uS4-QzdgDd9jerbI=/0x0:600x450/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65236396/asylum1.200923.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Omar Martinez/Picture Alliance via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="jPkWrb"> </h3>
<p id="8VDtdj"><em>Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/newsletters"><em><strong>Vox Sentences newsletter</strong></em></a><em>, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the </em><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/18/7000531/vox-sentences"><em><strong>Vox Sentences archive</strong></em></a><em> for past editions.</em></p>
<p id="3dXSVU">Central American asylum seekers face another barrier in crossing the border to the US; Israel-planted spy devices were unearthed around the White House and in Washington. </p>
<p id="H4DFaA">Plus: Our Netflix show, <em>Explained</em>, is <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81098586"><strong>back for a new miniseries on the mind!</strong></a> Don’t miss it.</p>
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<h3 id="VHNMOT"><strong>Another hurdle for asylum seekers</strong></h3>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x4BUIu1vKSCl8YGJ8iN834XZ9zY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19194567/asylum1.200923.jpg">
<cite>Omar Martinez/Picture Alliance via Getty Images</cite>
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<li id="9TGPoO">The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration another victory on immigration issues this year, this time by allowing the administration to close the US southern border to most Central Americans who are seeking asylum. [<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/11/20861644/supreme-court-trump-border-migrants">Vox / Ian Millhiser</a>]</li>
<li id="kXPsAK">The administration plans to require migrants — except for in extraordinary cases, like for “severe” trafficking victims — to first seek asylum in countries they’ve traveled through to the border. The rule excludes Mexicans who have no intervening nations to go through before they reach the southern US border, but applies to Hondurans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and others. [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-asylum/supreme-court-allows-trump-to-deny-asylum-to-many-central-americans-idUSKCN1VW2U4">Reuters / Lawrence Hurley and Daniel Trotta</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-asylum.html">NYT / Adam Liptak</a>]</li>
<li id="eI55Un">The ruling ends a weeks-long legal battle among US lower courts but is nevertheless temporary, meaning that the rule’s legality will need to be determined by trial, most likely sometime next year. [<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e1692646-d532-11e9-8367-807ebd53ab77">Financial Times / Michael Stott and Jude Webber</a>]</li>
<li id="iKDcW8">Though no majority opinion was published, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a pointed dissent, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In it, she said: “the Court ... allow[s] the Government to implement a rule that bypassed the ordinary rulemaking process. Unfortunately, it appears the Government has treated this exceptional mechanism as a new normal. Historically, the Government has made this kind of request rarely; now it does so reflexively.” [<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/justice-sotomayor-dissent-asylum-rule_n_5d79a596e4b0fc715341d629">Huffington Post / Nick Visser</a>]</li>
<li id="usQF0S">Others joined Sotomayor in challenging the ruling. Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union called the ban “a blatant end-run” around the law and noted that Wednesday’s order remains a temporary decision which can be overturned. [<a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-09-11/supreme-court-rules-for-trump-on-asylum-ban-at-southern-border">Los Angeles Times / David G. Savage</a>]</li>
<li id="aVKpBm">Since the Supreme Court tipped to the conservative side in the fall of 2018, the Court has been more amenable to limiting immigration, illegal or not. In July, it reallocated $2.5 billion of Pentagon money toward the construction of the US-Mexico border. Last year, it applied travel restrictions from eight predominantly Muslim nations into the US. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-asylum.html">NYT / Adam Liptak</a>]</li>
<li id="vinEZu">The Supreme Court’s decision may prove key in Trump’s reelection bid as he has been capitalizing on a hardline immigration agenda to win over more conservative and moderate voters in 2020. Immigration, after all, is an urgent issue, with a June survey finding that nearly a quarter of adults consider it the most pressing matter in the US, the highest percentage since Gallup began asking the question 30 years ago. [<a href="https://www.usnews.com/elections/immigration-2020">US News / Claire Hansen</a>]</li>
<li id="fiAppV">Most Democratic candidates in the presidential runup, though, are in favor of increasing legal immigration levels and decriminalizing illegal border crossings. For all 2020 Democrats’ views on the issue, head on over to NPR. [<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/12/759442642/immigration-where-2020-democratic-candidates-stand-on-border-crossings-and-more">NPR / Danielle Kurtzleben, Lexie Schapitl, and Alyson Hurt</a>]</li>
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<h3 id="jWFRAJ"><strong>Unearthed surveillance devices in Washington</strong></h3>
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<li id="WwFHuX">Three former senior US officials said the American government and the FBI concluded that Israel planted cellphone surveillance devices near the White House and other Washington locations in the past two years, aiming to gain intelligence on President Trump and his top aides, according to an exclusive Politico report. [<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/12/israel-white-house-spying-devices-1491351"><strong>Politico / Daniel Lippman</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="gWFg4T">The officials noted there were no repercussions on the Israeli government’s behavior. Last year, Politico reported the president’s personal cell — used for friends and confidants — was insufficiently secured, while the New York Times wrote that China often listens to Trump’s phone calls, an allegation the president immediately said was false. [<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/21/trump-phone-security-risk-hackers-601903"><strong>Politico / Eliana Johnson, Emily Stephenson and Daniel Lippman</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/24/us/politics/trump-phone-security.html"><strong>NYT / Matthew Rosenberg and Maggie Haberman</strong></a>] </li>
<li id="klgkZ9">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly denied the report, calling it a “complete fabrication” and “blatant lie.” However, it’s left Israeli officials wondering why the story did not break earlier. [<a href="https://www.axios.com/israel-spying-trump-white-house-benjamin-netanyahu-denial-67c82dde-594b-4959-b7cd-d0a0beb4247d.html"><strong>Axios / Barak Ravid</strong></a>]</li>
<li id="IshUc2">Netanyahu is up for reelection next week, and his strong ties with Trump are important in increasing his chances to hold onto his seat. [<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49678034"><strong>BBC</strong></a>]</li>
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<h3 id="vwWv7j">Miscellaneous</h3>
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<li id="pCbJrz">Following Walmart’s lead, 145 CEOs of major firms like Twitter, Uber, Gap, and Levi Strauss signed a letter to Senate leaders demanding action on gun reform. This is to date the most-concerted business effort to enter the firearms debate. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/business/dealbook/gun-background-checks-business.html">NYT / Andrew Ross Sorkin</a>]</li>
<li id="IEhMyV">Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, launched a fashion collection in London on Thursday in support of her patronage of Smart Works, a charity that provides women with free clothes and coaching tips for job interviews. This event marked Markle’s first outing since giving birth to her son, Archie. [<a href="https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-launches-smart-works-capsule-collection/">People / Erin Hill</a>]</li>
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<em>Harry Potter</em> author J.K. Rowling has donated almost $20 million to support neurology research at a clinic in Edinburgh in honor of her late mother. The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic was set up by Rowling herself in 2010 after a $12 million donation. [<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/harry-potter-author-jk-rowling-donates-20-million/story?id=65557713">ABC News / Owen Jones</a>]</li>
<li id="5yd6tQ">Popeyes is taking BYOB to a new level. Following its chicken sandwich shortage just two weeks after the product’s introduction, the company announced customers can order the chicken tenders off the menu, bring their own buns, and create their own sandwiches. [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/12/business/popeyes-chicken-sandwiches-buns-trnd/index.html">CNN / Kendall Trammell</a>]</li>
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<h3 id="5mIMOj">Verbatim</h3>
<p id="NsehRX">“We just had Waffles out for a walk, and Hemingway gets a little bit worked up. When Waffles is brought back into the barn, the first thing he does is drop in the hay and roll around, and they just seem more relaxed and happy.” [<a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/waffles-hemingway-adopted-horse-goose-bucks-county-20190911.html">A miniature horse and goose who are “inseparable” friends were adopted by a Philadelphia-area woman who works at a vet office / Philadelphia Inquirer</a>]</p>
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<h3 id="onJEoH">Watch this: Memory, explained</h3>
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<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Memory, explained | from Vox + Netflix's The Mind, Explained|72844" data-volume-uuid="ef39eedc4" data-volume-id="72844" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" data-volume-autoplay="false" id="volume-placement-165" class="volume-video" data-volume-player-choice="youtube"></div>
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<p id="gyNgfm">Our minds often feel like a black box, but scientists have figured out so much more than you might realize. In our new miniseries, The Mind, Explained, narrator Emma Stone takes you on an adventure through the human brain — exploring the science behind memory, dreams, anxiety, mindfulness, and more.</p>
<p id="7ltrK8"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d95dOH-7GHM"><strong>Watch part one on YouTube</strong></a>, or stream the entire 5-part miniseries on <a href="http://netflix.com/mindexplained"><strong>Netflix</strong></a> right now.</p>
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<h3 id="OzTdJg">Read more</h3>
<p id="cXGbmM"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/12/20860571/2020-presidential-election-polls-trump-vs-biden">What Trump’s horrific polling actually tells us — and what it doesn’t — about 2020</a></p>
<p id="ORWshl"><a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/8/21/20814153/facial-recognition-ban-bernie-sanders-elizabeth-warren-kamala-harris-julian-castro-cory-booker">Facial recognition tech is a problem. Here’s how the Democratic candidates plan to tackle it.</a> </p>
<p id="9kBW2h"><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/5/20825636/church-jesus-christianity-sexuality">The long shadow of “hot Jesus”</a> </p>
<p id="dL40HS"><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/12/20859585/democratic-debate-marianne-williamson-candidates-tulsi-gabbard">From watch parties to doing their mayoral duties, here’s what the candidates who didn’t make the debates are up to</a> </p>
<p id="ChRsx7"><a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/9/12/20861449/peak-tech-company-wework-peloton-uber-slack">Have we hit peak “tech” company?</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/9/12/20863285/vox-sentences-asylum-supreme-court-immigrationStavros Agorakis