U.S. and world news for Sept. 16

Possible assassin: Ryan Wesley Routh, the man suspected of planning to assassinate Donald Trump as Trump played golf at the Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach yesterday at one time was a supporter of Trump. Routh subsequently changed his mind and came out against Trump, calling him an idiot, buffoon and fool. Routh was apprehended on Interstate 95 as he tried to drive away from West Palm Beach after he and what appeared to be his sniper’s nest having been discovered at the golf course by a Secret Service agent.  

In vitro: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York says that he will bring up for a Senate vote a bill that would guarantee the availability of in vitro fertilization treatments in the U.S. Republicans had refused to support the bill when Schumer brought it up in June. Schumer said that Republicans can’t claim to be pro-family and at the same time oppose legislation that would ensure that couples who have fertility problems can obtain treatments that might result in their being able to have children.  

Emmy Awards: The series “Shogun” seen in FX won a record 18 Emmy Awards at last night’s awards ceremony. “Hacks” won the award for best comedy series. The Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” won the award for best limited series. Actress Jody Foster won an Emmy for her appearance in the limited series “True Detective: Night Country.” This was the 76th Emmy Awards. The awards program was carried by ABC.

TikTok: A three-judge panel at a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. this morning was scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case TikTok brought to try to overturn a U.S. law. The social media giant wants to overturn a law signed by President Biden that requires TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the company or face being banned in the U.S. TikTok and ByteDance claim the law is unconstitutional and violates their First Amendment rights.  

Israel-Hamas: Palestinians said today that new Israeli attacks on homes and a hospital in Gaza have killed 16 people including four children. The Palestinians said that 10 of the deaths occurred when a bomb hit a refugee camp. Israel accused Hamas of having its militants operate from within refugee camps and hospitals and says it only goes after targets of military significance. The U.N. reports that after a case of polio cropped up in Gaza, it has successfully given vaccinations against polio to 640,000 children in Gaza, about 90% of the child population.

Tito Jackson: Tito Jackson, who was one of the brothers who performed in the Jackson Five, has died at age 70. While his brother Michael and sister Janet achieved stardom outside of the Jackson Five, Tito preferred to remain a background singer and guitarist in the group. Tito said he thought he never would become used to performing without Michael Jackson after Michael’s death in 2009.