Getty GM
General Motors has recalled millions of SUVs and pickup trucks because of problems with the brakes. Find out if your vehicle is impacted below.
NASA has made an extraordinary discovery outside of our solar system. Read on for the details of why it could mean life beyond Earth is possible.
And “Storm Area 51” is back in the headlines after a YouTube star tries to get a little too close with a drone.
Here’s what you need to know in the daily roundup.
TOP STORY: GM Recalls More Than 3.4 Million SUVs & Pickup Trucks
If you drive a vehicle from General Motors, you may need to take it in to have the brakes fixed. GM has recalled more than 3.4 million pickup trucks and SUVs in the United States following a nearly year-long investigation.
Simply put, the automaker says impacted vehicles may not stop in time to prevent a crash. The issue has been linked to at least 113 crashes and more than a dozen injuries, according to GM. You can read a full description of the brake problem and details of the specific fix via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration here.
The recall includes:
- 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade
- 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2014-2018 GMC Sierra
- 2015-2018 GMC Yukon
- 2015-2018 Chevrolet Tahoe
Dealers were notified of the recall on September 6. Unclear if your specific vehicle is included in the recall? Find out here.
WHAT’S BUZZING THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING: NASA Found Water Vapor On Another Planet
Did NASA just find another habitable planet? It may be too soon to know if humans could live there, but scientists say they did uncover evidence of water on a planet outside of our solar system. It’s the first time NASA has made such a discovery on a planet located within a “habitable zone.”
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope found water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet called K2-18b. Researchers say the evidence suggests there may also be hydrogen and helium there. The planet is located about 110 light-years away from Earth and has a mass at least eight times greater. It rotates around its own sun, and its proximity to this star suggests temperatures on the planet could support life.
NASA, however, does caution, “Given the high level of activity of its red dwarf star, K2-18b may be more hostile to life as we know it than Earth, as it is likely to be exposed to more high-energy radiation.”
OFF-BEAT: A YouTube Star Was Arrested at Area 51
YouTubeTies Granzier
The satirical plan to Storm Area 51 and “see them aliens” has essentially been canceled, with people encouraged to attend a celebration event in downtown Las Vegas on September 19 instead. But that hasn’t stopped others from trying to get close to the Air Force base in the Nevada desert.
YouTube star Ties Granzier and his friend Jacob Sweep, both from the Netherlands, were arrested on Tuesday near Area 51. They were found parked about three miles onto the Nevada National Security Site. They had a drone and cameras in the car. Granzier and Sweep told police they had seen the “No Trespassing” signs but chose to ignore them.
Their arrest happened on the same day it was announced that an “Alienstock” festival planned for Rachel, Nevada, had been canceled in favor of the Las Vegas celebration. Matty Roberts, the person who started all of this by launching the Storm Area 51 Facebook page, said in a statement, “Due to lack of infrastructure, poor planning, risk management and blatant disregard for the safety of the expected 10,000+ AlienStock attendees, we decided to pull the plug on the festival.”
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
Petara Cordero, the 26-year-old girlfriend of Cleveland Browns defensive end Chris Smith, has died in a car crash. She gave birth to their first child two weeks ago:
- Cleveland Browns defensive end Chris Smith’s girlfriend, Petara Cordero, was struck and killed by a drunk driver just two weeks after welcoming their baby girl.
- Married murder suspects Blane and Susan Barksdale were arrested Wednesday night after more than two weeks on the run.
- Roma gypsy Sherry Tina Uwanawich of South Florida, accused of defrauding a woman out of $1.6 million to remove a curse, was sentenced to federal prison.
- New wildfires are being reported in California on a near-daily basis. Track them with interactive maps here.
- The Trump administration is taking steps to ban flavored e-cigarettes.
- The third Democratic primary debate is tonight from 8-11 p.m. on ABC.
UPDATE TO A STORY WE BROUGHT YOU LAST WEEK
GettyLeBron James
Remember when LeBron James made headlines because he wanted to own the phrase “Taco Tuesday” and filed a request for a trademark? Well, it’s not going to happen.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has denied his request. The agency decided that the NBA star couldn’t claim ownership of such a “commonplace term.”
James frequently posts about enjoying “Taco Tuesday” with his family. A spokesperson for James told ESPN that the purpose of the trademark filing was to ensure that James could never face legal repercussions for using the term on social media. The spokesperson explained, “Finding ‘Taco Tuesday’ as commonplace achieves precisely what the intended outcome was, which was getting the U.S. government to recognize that someone cannot be sued for its use.”
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