5 things to know for September 28: Covid-19, Afghanistan, Congress, China, R. Kelly

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1. Coronavirus

2. Afghanistan

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, and Leader of U.S. Central Command Gen Frank McKenzie will testify before a Senate committee today. Officials will no doubt ask difficult questions about the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and are likely expected to provide more information about the Biden administration’s plans to keep Afghanistan from being a safe haven for terrorists. Milley’s testimony will be of particular interest as it could include reports from his final months in the Trump administration. Some Republicans have urged Milley to face the consequences of evading then-President Trump to reassure China that Trump would not attack him.

3rd Congress

Senate Republicans yesterday blocked a bill passed by the House of Representatives to suspend the debt ceiling and avert government shutdown. Now there is no clear plan among lawmakers to prevent government funds from running out at the end of the month. The Democrats combined the two measures in hopes of forcing Republicans to vote to suspend or raise the debt ceiling – something GOP leaders refuse to do, despite the potentially disastrous consequences. Republicans cite the Democrats’ latest spending bills as the reason for raising the debt ceiling and do not want to be part of it. It is possible that Democratic leaders will now remove the debt ceiling provision from the funding bill to meet the more immediate deadline of keeping the government open last Thursday.

4. Canada & China

Canada and China got into a heated argument in the closing hours of the UN General Assembly over allegations of hostage diplomacy following the release of Huawei manager Meng Wanzhou. Canada’s Foreign Minister suggested that Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig had been detained by the Chinese government in retaliation for Canada’s detention of Meng. A representative of the Chinese delegation later accused the US and Canada of holding Meng under house arrest without “legal reasons”. Although Meng, Spavor and Kovrig’s release should mark the regression of a three-year tension point between Canada and China, the conditions for their release – and the reasons for their detention – are still a sore point.

5. R. Kelly

R&B singer R. Kelly has been convicted of extortion and sex trafficking. Kelly faced nine charges in this federal case: one of extortion with 14 underlying acts including child sexual exploitation, kidnapping, bribery, and sex trafficking, and eight violations of the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law. He will be sentenced in May and face decades of imprisonment. The trial, which began in August, included testimony from several alleged victims who said they were cared for, sexually abused and exploited by the singer. Some victims were minors at the time of the alleged abuse. Kelly also faces other criminal charges of child pornography, disability, and serious sexual abuse in Illinois; and in Minnesota for two cases of prostitution involving a minor. He has pleaded not guilty on all charges and denies any wrongdoing.

BROWSE BREAKFAST

Nestlé recalls over 27,000 pounds of frozen DiGiorno pepperoni pizza

Check your freezer so you don’t get stuck for the next movie night.

A German hamster named Mr. Goxx is doing crypto picks on his hamster wheel and he’s doing really well

“This hamster has a strong crypto portfolio” is definitely a phrase from an alternate timeline.

The brand behind Silk and So Delicious wants to make a milk alternative that tastes like, well, milk

We are approaching the dairy-free singularity.

There are now more than 1 billion monthly active users, according to TikTok

And everyone dance better than you.

The earliest human-raised bird was perhaps what is now dubbed the world’s most dangerous bird

Let people see an animal with pearl eyes and razor sharp claws and think, “Hey, I’m going to love this thing!”

TODAY NUMBER

$ 18 million

This is how much the games company Activision pays Blizzard to settle a lawsuit filed by a US agency for alleged harassment and discrimination. The company is behind big titles like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush.

THE TODAY QUOTE

“If he hadn’t tried to kill the president, he would have been released unconditionally a long, long, long time ago.”

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedmann, who said he would agree to a deal that would free John Hinckley Jr. from the harsh release conditions he has lived under since his release from a mental hospital in 2016. Hinckley attempted to assassinate President Reagan in 1981, found not guilty of insanity, and spent nearly 30 years in a mental health facility.

THE WEATHER OF TODAY

Check your local forecast here >>>

AND FINALLY

Hello, this is bird

Oh, that all of our business calls were to such an adorable correspondent. (Click here to watch.)

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/28/5-things-to-know-for-september-28-covid-19-afghanistan-congress-china-r-kelly/