Editor’s Note: This listicle is part of a weekly series by The Ball State Daily News summarizing five stories from across the United States. All summaries are based on stories published by The Associated Press.
The first all-female spacewalk, updates on President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry, the Chicago teachers strike, the tornado which hit Dallas and the first federal trial on the opioid crisis make up this week’s five national stories.
In this photo provided by NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir exits the International Space Station on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. The world’s first female spacewalking team is making history high above Earth. This is the first time in a half-century of spacewalking that a woman floated out without a male crewmate. Their job is to fix a broken part of the station’s solar power network. (NASA via AP)
Female spacewalking duo uplifted by excitement below
The astronauts who took part in the first all-female spacewalk last week are still uplifted by the excitement down on Earth. Men have floated out the hatch on all 420 spacewalks conducted over the past half-century. Russia holds claim to the first spacewalk in 1965 and also the first spacewalk by a woman in 1984. The U.S. trailed by a few months in each instance. Prior to Friday’s spacewalk, men dominated the spacewalking field, 213 to 14.
In this file photo taken on July 27, 2019, US Ambassador in Ukraine William Taylor speaks during a briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine. William Taylor, the top American diplomat in Ukraine, is set to appear Tuesday before impeachment investigators in U.S. Congress, joining a parade of current and former diplomats testifying about Trump's dealings with Ukraine. (AP Photo/Inna Sokolovska)
US diplomat drawn into Trump’s Ukraine effort set to testify
William Taylor has emerged as an unlikely central player in the events that are at the heart of the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. The retired career civil servant was tapped to run the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine after the administration abruptly ousted the ambassador. He was then drawn into a Trump administration effort to leverage U.S. military aid for Ukraine, after which he grew alarmed about withholding security assistance for help with a political campaign.
Read more: Trump impeachment inquiry
Chicago Teachers Union members and their supporters march through the Near West Side after a rally in Union Park on day five of a Chicago Public Schools district-wide strike, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. Chicago Public Schools announced Sunday night that classes and after school activities are canceled Monday as the strike enters its first full week. The work stoppage began on Thursday. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
Affordable housing among striking Chicago teachers’ demands
Striking Chicago teachers who are seeking smaller class sizes and higher pay also are demanding the city to do more to lower housing costs and put more resources into helping homeless students. The demand for affordable housing citywide — for students and their financially-strapped families as well as for school employees — stands as a dramatic example of organized labor’s effort to expand bargaining beyond bread-and-butter issues.
Read more: Chicago Schools
Tornado slams Dallas; 4 killed in Arkansas, Oklahoma
A tornado tossed trees into homes, tore off storefronts and downed power lines but killed no one in a densely populated area of Dallas. Mayor Eric Johnson said the city was fortunate to be assessing only property damage. A meteorologist credited early alerts and said it was fortunate the tornado struck Sunday evening when many people were home. The late-night storms spawned tornadoes in several states, killing at least four people in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Read more: Storms
Attorney Mark Lanier gets a hug outside the U.S. Federal courthouse, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Cleveland. The nation's three dominant drug distributors and a big drugmaker have reached a $260 million deal to settle a lawsuit related to the opioid crisis just as the first federal trial over the crisis was due to begin Monday. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
$260 million deal averts 1st federal trial on opioid crisis
The nation’s three biggest drug distributors and a major drugmaker agreed to an 11th-hour, $260 million settlement over the toll taken by opioids in two Ohio counties, averting the first federal trial over the crisis. The trial was seen as a critical test case that could have gauged the strength of the opposing sides’ arguments and prodded the industry and its foes toward a nationwide resolution of nearly all lawsuits over opioids.
Read more: Opioids
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Ball State ends regular season on a loss, eyes next weekend’s MAC tournament
By Daniel Kehn / 6 hours agoBall State Women’s Volleyball (20-9, 15-5 MAC) was unbeaten in 10 matches — even winning 28 consecutive sets. Western Michigan (17-12, 13-5) ended both streaks at Worthen Arena.
Ball State women’s basketball defeats UNI on the road
By Staff Reports / 12 hours agoBall State defeated UNI 76-70 in Saturday's road contest.
Life without my father highlighted the importance of role models in my life
By Zach Carter / 13 hours agoI don’t know if my dad knows what I’m up to or if he knows where my life is going. I’m not going to hypothesize about what happens after death, but I hope he knows I miss him every day.
