Dispatches

Nov. 14

For the first time in history, orthodox Muslim imams were invited to lead an Islamic prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. The iconic Episcopal church is known for holding inaugural presidential prayer services, presidential funerals, and several major inter-faith services. This midday service was the first Muslim-led prayer, which organizers call a “powerful symbolic gesture.” The tricky part, however, was the mandatory recitation of Quran verses that include outright and underlying jabs at Judaism and Christianity. The imam made do by omitting some inflammatory phrases. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, criticized the decision on Facebook and quoted John 14:6, and one woman had to be escorted out of the service for loudly protesting, “Why can’t you worship in your mosque, and leave our churches alone?”

Ferguson verdict

Nov. 24

Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the United States following the Nov. 24 grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. “Black lives matter,” shouted protesters who marched across New York City, as demonstrators also took to the streets in Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities. In Ferguson, where the unarmed black teenager was killed in August, protesters defied the presence of National Guard troops—throwing rocks, setting buildings on fire, and looting stores. At least 80 were arrested overnight. The decision of the grand jury, whose deliberations are kept secret, means at least nine of 12 grand jurors found no “probable cause” that a crime had been committed on a range of possible charges from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter. It doesn’t bar further charges, but prosecutors say they’re unlikely. A U.S. Justice Department criminal investigation into whether police violated civil rights laws continues.

Jerusalem attack

Nov. 18

In one of Israel’s worst attacks in years, two Palestinians charged into a Jewish synagogue’s morning service and attacked worshippers with guns, knives, and meat cleavers, shouting “God is great” in Arabic. Police shot dead the attackers, cousins Odai and Ghasan Abu Jamal of East Jerusalem. Three rabbis and one worshipper died on the scene, while a fifth victim, a police officer, died of his injuries that same night. Eight others were injured. Three of those killed were dual U.S. and Israeli citizens. Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the home of at least one of the attackers destroyed, amid ongoing tension.

Unseasonable fall

Nov. 18

Autumn isn’t over, but already one of the most vicious winter storms has hit. All 50 states recorded temperatures below freezing, but Buffalo, N.Y., bore the brunt with up to 7 feet of snowfall. The heavy winter precipitation is due to cold, dry air from the north clashing with the warm moisture of the Great Lakes. At least 13 people died as a result of the weather—from cardiac issues, a car crash, and one 46-year-old man who was trapped in his car beneath 15 feet of snow. Snow was still falling as sleepless state troopers and rescue crews worked to help more than 100 stranded vehicles, while on social media residents tweeted breathtaking photos of their transformed towns.

Oil-state brinkmanship

Nov. 19

The Senate defeated 59-41 a bill that would have approved construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The legislation languished in the chamber for six years, until Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unexpectedly allowed the vote in a last-minute effort to help Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu win a tight runoff election slated for Dec. 6. Landrieu begged her colleagues to vote in favor of the pipeline, despite Obama administration opposition, and the energy-state lawmaker came just one vote short. Keystone will likely reappear during the next session of Congress when the Republicans hold the Senate majority—but Landrieu may not.

Comet contact

Nov. 12

A two-second audio recording—some brief rustle and a clunk—signaled history in the making when the Philae lander touched down on Comet 67P on Nov. 12 after a 10-year journey. The European Space Agency craft plunged through a soft layer of “dust” and then hit a hard, perhaps icy layer, thus confirming mankind’s first-ever comet landing. The fridge-sized probe beamed about 80 percent of the data it’s supposed to gather before batteries ran out, which will allow scientists to study the properties of this comet and learn more about the early history of our solar system. Scientists confirmed detection of organic molecules on the comet’s surface.

Ebola, continued

Nov. 17

Martin Salia, who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone and was being treated at a Nebraska hospital, died on Nov. 17. He was the 10th patient in the U.S. to receive treatment for Ebola, and the second to die of it on American soil. Salia, a member of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and a Sierra Leone citizen, was treating Ebola patients as a surgeon at the Kissy United Methodist Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone (see “There and back again,” in this issue).