7 things to know now: Attack in Mali; new ISIS strategy; Adele album
What to know now:
1. Attack in Mali: Gunmen attacked a hotel in the African country of Mali Friday morning, firing weapons and reportedly taking 170 hostages. The hotel, the Radisson Blu, is in Bamako, Mali's capital, and is frequented by foreigners. "Very early in the morning there was gunfire," a security source told Reuters. "Apparently it's an attempt to take hostages. The police are there and are sealing off the area."
2. Loosening war rules: Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has signaled that the U.S. may be ready to change the rules of engagement when it comes to the fight against ISIS. Carter said in an interview Thursday that the United States had already changed some tactics, such as targeting ISIS fuel trucks. Previously, the fuel trucks were not targeted because killing the driver was consider killing a civilian.
Breaking News: The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to slap stringent — and difficult to implement — new screening procedures on refugees from Syria seeking resettlement.
Posted by The New York Times on Thursday, November 19, 2015
3. House vote on refugees: The U.S. House voted Thursday to tighten the process refugees from Syria and Iraq must go through to gain entry into the country. Nearly 50 Democrats joined the Republicans in passing the bill that would require that the FBI director, the director of national intelligence and the head of the Department of Homeland Security to confirm that each applicant from Syria and Iraq poses no threat to the United States. The president says he will veto the bill if it passes the Senate.
4. Out of Obamacare: UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest health care insurer, says it may pull out of the Obamacare exchanges because low enrollment and high usage has led to the loss of millions for the company. If UnitedHealth decides to opt out of the exchanges, more than half a million people will be left looking for coverage. The company's plan has been touted as one of the more reasonably priced under the Affordable Care Act.
5. Hello, it's today: Adele's new album, "25," will be released Friday, much to the delight of her fans and the music industry. A single from the album, "Hello," sold a record 1.1 million downloads after it's release earlier this month. Adele will be touring to promote the first album she has released in four years, but it will not be available for streaming on digital services such as Spotify and Apple Music.
And one more
If Frank Sinatra's crooning is more your musical style, here's a treat – a four-CD box set of the singer's music will go on sale Friday in advance of what would have been his 100th birthday on Dec. 12. The set, "Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air," is chiefly made up of previously unreleased recordings.
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