Good morning, and TGIF! Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. Doctor diagnosed with Ebola in NYC
An American doctor volunteering with Ebola patients in Guinea has been diagnosed with the deadly virus — the first such case in New York City. Dr. Craig Spencer, 33, reported a high fever Thursday and was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Three people who had contact with him since his return to New York on Oct. 17 have been isolated, including his fiancee, although none have shown symptoms, according to reports. While Spencer had used the subway and went to a Brooklyn bowling alley in prior days, city officials were adamant that the risk to others is extremely slim. Read more in HEALTH.
2. Canadian shooter was planning Syria trip
Gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, who fatally shot a Canadian soldier Wednesday, may have been motivated by a hold up of his passport, which he needed to travel to the Middle East, officials said Thursday. Zehaf-Bibeau was killed during the chaos at the country’s Parliament Hill, but had earlier planned to go to Syria until his passport problem. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were doing a background check of the gunman, who was known for his low-level criminal offenses but was not considered a high security risk. Read more in NEWS.
3. Mother of ISIS hostage makes new plea
Paula Kassig, whose son, Abdul Rahman Kassig, remains a captive under ISIS, reached out again to the terror network on Twitter. “We have tried to contact you directly to plea for the life of our only son, Abdul Rahman Kassig, and have not received any response,” Paula Kassig said in a post. Kassig, who was born Peter Kassig but changed his name after converting to Islam, was threatened with execution in an ISIS video released by the terror group Oct. 1. Read more in NEWS.
4. Yazidis say they are trapped again by ISIS
Some 500 to 600 families belonging to the persecuted religious minority known as the Yazidis are stranded on the same mountain they had been trapped on earlier this summer. “The situation is really bad, and it’s worsening by the minute,” one Yazidi fighter told Reuters from Mount Sinjar. While the U.S. conducted airstrikes to free the thousands of trapped Yazidis the last time, Kurdish forces failed to secure the mountain from the threat of ISIS. Read more in NEWS.
5. Man attacks NYPD cops with hatchet
A 32-year-old suspect used a hatchet on a group of rookie cops Thursday on a busy Queens, New York, street. One officer was struck in the head, and another was hit in the arm, although both survived. The suspect, who wasn’t immediately identified, was shot dead. While the NYPD said no motive was known for the random violence, police are looking into whether it was terrorism-related or if the attacker was a lone wolf. Read more in INVESTIGATIONS.
6. Hong Kong protesters vote whether to stay
Should they stay or should they go? The pro-democracy demonstrators who’ve protested on Hong Kong’s streets demanding more government autonomy from China could vote Sunday on whether to clear their camps. The mostly-student protesters and government leaders have held a series of talks since the demonstrations culminated with police unleashing pepper spray on the crowds. While the students may decide to decamp, they say they’re still unhappy with the government’s compromises. Read more in NEWS.
… What’s trending today?
Queen Elizabeth II tapped out her first tweet Friday from the British Monarchy’s official account. The Queen was at a new exhibit at London’s Science Museum when she decided to personally tweet from a tablet.