Thursday morning news: August 15, 2024

Columbia University president resigns » The president of Columbia University is stepping down.

Minouche Shafik’s resignation comes months after pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli demonstrations rocked the university. Shafik faced criticism for her handling of those, including her inability to get an encampment of protesters off the university’s lawn.

At one point demonstrators broke into a campus building and barricaded themselves inside. It took the help of the NYPD to remove them.

CNN is reporting it’s obtained Shafik’s letter of resignation in which she touts what she characterizes as progress during her tenure. But she also admits it was a time of turmoil.

The school’s website lists Katrina Armstrong as the new interim president.

Cease-fire talks moving forward without Hamas » Negotiations resume today in Doha, Qatar for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. But Hamas is threatening to not show up.

A top Hamas official tells the Associated Press Israel hasn’t been negotiating in good faith, and he doesn’t think the U.S. will apply pressure on Israel to seal a deal.

But State Department spokesman Vedant Patel says the Biden Administration is eager to resolve the conflict.

PATEL: It is far time for the remaining hostages to be released, which of course include American citizens, and bring relief to the people of Gaza.

Israel has denied sabotaging the talks, and claims it’s Hamas blocking a deal.

Even if Hamas isn’t there, mediators could use today’s talks to carve out a plan for settling remaining issues.

This all comes as Israel faces the imminent threat of an attack from Iran, which would be in retaliation for the recent killing of a top Hamas leader. According to Reuters, senior Iranian officials are saying only a ceasefire deal in Gaza would prevent that attack.

Monkeypox declared global health emergency » The World Health Organization, or WHO, has declared mpox outbreaks in Congo and other African countries a global public health emergency. The virus is spreading fast with more than 14,000 cases and at least 500 deaths, mostly in Congo.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus…

GHEBREYESUS: Its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported Mpox and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying.

Africa’s CDC says cases are surging 160% compared to last year, and deaths are up 19% over this same period a year ago.

The vast majority of infections in Congo are in children younger than 15, who also make up the majority of deaths.

Africa’s CDC is asking for international help, and WHO leaders agree there’s an urgent need for global resources to contain the virus and prevent further spread.

Ernesto leaves path of destruction » Tropical storm Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane, pounding Puerto Rico and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

SOUND: [Rain and wind]

It also bore down on the U-S and British Virgin Islands, bringing strong winds and rain. People in St. John and St. Croix reported island-wide blackouts.

Virgin Island Director of Emergency Management Daryl Jaschen is warning people to expect between 6 and 8 inches of rain by this evening.

JASCHEN: So that’s a lot of rain happening over that period of time. So please, part of being prepared is watching out for those flood-prone areas.

Forecasters expect Ernesto to strengthen over the next few days as it travels over open water, possibly achieving major hurricane status, before reaching Bermuda by the weekend.

Bermuda’s national security minister is encouraging people on that island to start preparing now.

Montana Supreme Court minors & abortion ruling » Montana’s Supreme Court just made it easier for minors to kill their unborn babies. WORLD’s Travis Kircher has more.

TRAVIS KIRCHER: The state’s highest court ruled yesterday that girls under the age of 18 do not need their parents permission to get an abortion in the state.

Justice Laurie McKinnon wrote the unanimous opinion, which declared that minors have a fundamental right to privacy, as well as what she called “procreative autonomy.”

She went on to say that Montana’s parental consent law violates the privacy clause of the state’s constitution.

But proponents of the law say it protects minors from sexual exploitation as well as rash decision making. They also say parents should bear the primary responsibility of managing the health care of their children.

For WORLD, I’m Travis Kircher.

Arizona ballot pamphlet: Fetus can be called ‘unborn human being’ » Arizona's Supreme Court has ruled voter information pamphlets for upcoming ballot measures can refer to a fetus as an unborn human being.

In November, voters there will be deciding whether to pass a constitutional amendment allowing abortions up to around 24 weeks.

When a legislative panel came together last month to determine the pamphlet’s language, there was a heated moment between Republican House Speaker Ben Toma and Democrat Stephanie Stahl Hamilton.

BEN TOMA: We’re using both words and we’re using both phrases in this particular case, which again makes my point, which is that this is fair and balanced.

STEPHANIE STAHL HAMILTON: But Mr. Speaker, you can support the medically accurate term, yes?

TOMA: I’m not a doctor, Representative Stahl Hamilton. I don’t care what the medical accurate term is.

That audio from KSAZ. The phrase ‘unborn human being’ will not appear in the title or main description of the ballot measure in the pamphlet or on the ballot itself.

Abortion advocates opposed the phrase, saying it is neither impartial nor objective. Republicans supported including it.

I’m Mark Mellinger.

Straight ahead: Ukraine’s operation to take the war to Russia. Plus, recovering from wildfires on Maui.

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