Good Morning! Today’s edition is 839 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Storm Boris Floods Central Europe

• Boar’s Head Shutters Dirty Plants

• College AP Football Poll

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Big Story

Europe Floods

Storm Boris has flooded Central and Eastern Europe.

• The storm has caused major damage to homes, roads, and power lines, leaving thousands without electricity. A firefighter in Austria died during rescue efforts, and five people have died in Romania. In Poland, one person drowned, and evacuations are underway. Czech authorities are searching for missing people, and some towns are completely cut off.

• Local governments are trying to manage the disaster, but the situation remains critical. In Austria, the region around Vienna has been declared a disaster zone. Poland's military has been deployed to help evacuate people trapped by floodwaters but a dam breach has worsened the situation.

• Storm Boris has brought record rainfall to many areas, with some places receiving three months’ worth of rain in just a few days. The slow-moving storm is trapped between pressure systems. This has caused prolonged rain, worsening the flooding. Predictions show more rain is expected.

Big Story

Second Trump Assassination Attempt

While Donald Trump was golfing in West Palm Beach, Florida, Secret Service agents stopped an assassination attempt.

• Agents saw a man hiding in the bushes with a rifle just a few hundred yards from Trump. They fired at him and the gunman dropped his weapon and fled but was later arrested by police.

• Police caught the suspect — identified as Ryan Wesley Routh — after he fled in his car. His social media accounts suggest he supported Ukraine’s fight against Russia and previously mocked Trump’s reelection bid. However, the accounts were taken down hours after his arrest. Authorities are still investigating his motives.

• Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July, where a bullet grazed his ear. A Secret Service sniper took down the shooter but not before several of his bullets injured or killed rally attendees standing behind Trump. The Secret Service director resigned shortly after the incident because of the security failures.

Big Story

Boar’s Head Shutters Plant

Boar’s Head has permanently shut down its Virginia deli meat plant.

• The closure is in response to a deadly outbreak linked to their discontinued liverwurst product. It killed nine people and hospitalized 57. The contamination was traced to a specific production process at the Jarratt plant, which has been closed since July 2024. Boar’s Head apologized to affected families and employees and recalled 7 million pounds of meat.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 79 violations at the Jarratt plant, including dirty equipment, insects, and mold. From August 2023 to August 2024, inspectors found issues like meat buildup on machinery, flies near food vats, and puddles of blood on the floor.

• Boar’s Head is working with government agencies and food safety experts to improve. The company is appointing a new chief food safety officer, launching a food safety council, and creating a better quality assurance program. They aim to prevent future problems and regain consumer trust.

Little Stories

• A few years ago, many big companies and universities would speak out on social justice issues. Now, some of them are deciding it's not worth the risk because it often makes people on all sides upset. Recently, several colleges, like Penn, Stanford, and Barnard, decided to stay neutral and no longer make statements about politics or world events. Harvard and the University of Texas made similar decisions earlier this year. (More)

• Texas is ranked No. 1 in the AP college football poll for the first time in 16 years, replacing Georgia. Texas moved up from No. 2, getting 35 first-place votes, while Georgia got 23 and dropped to No. 2 after barely beating Kentucky. Ohio State stayed at No. 3, with Alabama and Mississippi keeping their No. 4 and No. 5 spots. Tennessee moved up to No. 6, swapping places with Missouri. (More)

• The Polaris Dawn mission has returned to Earth. After making history with the first private spacewalk, the SpaceX astronaut crew safely landed in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida early on Sept. 15. (More)

• The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards took place Sunday, honoring the best in TV. Big winners included "Shōgun" for best drama series, "Hacks" for best comedy, and "Baby Reindeer" for best limited series. "Shōgun" won the most awards, with 18 total, followed by "The Bear" with 11. (More)

• Houthi rebels from Yemen fired a long-range missile at central Israel on Sunday. The missile traveled over 1,200 miles and was aimed at Jaffa, near Tel Aviv. Israel's defense system didn't stop the projectile before it entered Israeli airspace, and it exploded in the sky, scattering debris. The missile didn’t hurt anyone but it’s the longest-range attack to ever reach Israel. (More)

Extra Credit

🍕 A guide to the best pizza in the world. 

🌎️ Switzerland (again) is the world’s best country.

🌽 Mapping where America’s crops grow.

🥶 Watch: The finger of death freezes everything it touches.