1 Trump Ordered Missile Strike That Killed Iranian General
A top Iranian military commander is dead after a predawn U.S. airstrike in Iraq this morning– and apparently, it was no accident. Qasem Soleimani was among several killed in the strike near Baghdad International Airport. Who’s that? Soleimani was the head of Iran's elite special operations unit of the Revolutionary Guard. President Trump directed the strike that reportedly killed leaders of Iran-backed militia groups. The Pentagon says Soleimani was behind a recent mob attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and claims he was planning more attacks on U.S. bases and service members. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called the incident an “assassination,” and says the U.S. will bear responsibility for "all consequences" of the attack. Iranian President Hassan Rouhanihas also spoken out. Tweeting just after 3am ET, Rouhani writes, "the fight against terrorism and extremism in the region will be raised, and the path of resistance to US excesses will continue. The great nation of Iran will take revenge for this heinous crime."
2 FDA Moves Aggressively To Curb E-Cig Use
The FDA says their latest move is about curbing the use of e-cigarettes by young people. Despite the recent move to federally raise the smoking age to 21, the FDA has now issued a new rule prohibiting sweet flavors for small, cartridge-based e-cigs. The reason? “Sweet flavors” such as fruit, candy, mint and desserts are most popular among teens. Of note, the flavor ban does not include liquids for larger vaping devices that are favored by adults and are sold in vape shops, where age restrictions are more strictly enforced. For that reason, a number of anti-vaping activistssay this move does nothing to combat the problem of teen vaping. Most vape liquids – called ‘juice’ – contains nicotine and is considered a tobacco product. In a statement, U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar said the U.S. has "never seen an epidemic of substance use arise as quickly as our current epidemic of youth use of e-cigarettes."
3 "Affluenza Teen" Arrested for Allegedly Violating Probation
Ethan Couch – aka the "Affluenza Teen" – has been arrested for allegedly violating his probation. To remind you, the now 22-year-old was given the nickname during his trial for killing four people in a drunk-driving accident back in 2013. Couch’s defense attorneys successfully argued that then-16-year-old Couch had "Affluenza" and he required rehabilitation instead of prison time because his rich parents never gave him any boundaries. Still, a probation violation in 2015 and an subsequent international manhunt landed him in the clink for 180 days for each of his victims – 720 in all. Once released in 2018, he was back on probation with several conditions, which included a GPS monitor, a curfew and regular alcohol and drug testing. And that’s what did him in this time. Couch allegedly tested positive for marijuana and he’s currently being held without bail.