SDC NEWS ONE

Thursday, September 5, 2019

President Trump showed a weather service map that was clearly altered

by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson

First Up

President Trump held up a map of Hurricane Dorian's projected path clearly altered to include Alabama.
Evan Vucci/AP

Here's what we're following today.

On Wednesday, President Trump showed a weather service map that was clearly altered to include the state after the National Weather Service had already issued a stern tweet saying Alabama was not in danger. Over the weekend, the president erroneously insisted that Alabama was in Hurricane Dorian’s path. 

Hurricane Dorian is edging close to the Southeastern coast. The storm has brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding to Charleston, S.C. More than 1 million people in the Southeast are under mandatory evacuation orders.

A top U.S. Department of the Interior official who urged expanded oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is taking a job with an oil company seeking to develop a major project in Alaska. Trump appointee Joe Balash was a vocal advocate for "energy dominance"; he left his job last week. 

The Energy Department is reversing energy-efficiency standards for lightbulbs that were set to take effect next year. The changes — intended to phase out halogen and incandescent bulbs — were first proposed during the George W. Bush administration.  

A federal court on Wednesday acquitted former Obama aide Greg Craig of making false statements to the Justice Department about work he did for the Ukrainian government. The case arose from the work of the former special counsel’s Russia probe.

Digging Deeper

Congress promised student borrowers a break. The Education Department rejected 99% of them.
Delphine Lee/NPR

Congress stepped in last year to create a fix for a student loan forgiveness program for public servants. But documents obtained by NPR reveal the fix for the troubled Public Service Loan Forgiveness program isn't working. A government watchdog says that out of 54,000 requests by nurses, teachers and other public servants, only 661 were approved, or about 1%. The PSLF was created by Congress in 2007 to reward 10 years of public service and on-time student loan payments with ultimate loan forgiveness. But complaints grew: Thousands of borrowers said they'd been given bad guidance — or none at all. Lawmakers have relaxed the program's rules to allow more borrowers to qualify. A year after those changes, the program is still rejecting nearly everybody. 
 
“I'm drowning”: Those hit hardest by student loan debt never finished college. 
The one thing that could help many college dropouts earn more money is earning a degree. But for many who are in default on their student loans, access to federal student aid that could help them finish school is often denied. It's a vicious cycle for millions of students who leave college with debt and without a degree.

Today's Listen

You think your kid’s backpack is heavy? See what’s going on in India!
A child leaves for school in a village in India. Last November, the Indian government announced new rules limiting the weight of school bags depending on a child's age. But the rules are not always enforced.
Punit Paranjpe /AFP/Getty Images

Last November, the Indian government announced new rules limiting the weight of school bags depending on a child's age. The reason: heavy school bags. One recent survey found that 88% of kids aged 7 to 13 in India were carrying backpacks nearly half their body weight. (Listening time, 3:39)
► LISTEN
The former Navy SEAL who is starting at Yale as a 52-year-old freshman.
Mary Louise Kelly talks to James Hatch, who is heading to college after more than a quarter-century in uniform. His military career ended after he was badly wounded serving in the mission to find Bowe Bergdahl, the Army sergeant who deserted his post in Afghanistan. (Listening time, 8:12)
► LISTEN

Today's Video

Walmart is discontinuing some ammo sales. Here’s why it matters. 
Credit: NPR

The debate over gun control often focuses on guns themselves, but ammunition has played a big role in making recent mass shootings more deadly. Not all bullets are created equal. This video compares the damage caused by different kinds of rounds.

The Picture Show

Hurricane Dorian’s devastating damage in the Bahamas.
A family is escorted to a safe zone after they were rescued as Hurricane Dorian continues to rain in Freeport, Bahamas.
Ramon Espinosa/AP

Hurricane Dorian battered the Bahamas with high winds and rain for more than two days. These images reveal the storm’s catastrophic impact on the islands. 

Throwback Thursday

How an iconic TV commercial fueled Ella Fitzgerald’s late-career renaissance.
An "Is it Ella or is it Memorex?" ad from 1973.
Memorex At 50

In the 1970s, Fitzgerald became the face (and glass-shattering voice) of Memorex tapes. It fueled a career revival that extended her relevance and positioned her to pass the torch to a new generation. 

Before You Go

The sounds of pleasant, relaxed bird chatter made eastern grey squirrels resume foraging more quickly after hearing the sounds of a predator, researchers found.
Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images
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