Morning Must Reads: September 23

U.S., Allies Strike ISIS in Syria

U.S. and allied forces have launched airstrikes against Islamist militants in Syria for the first time, the Pentagon confirmed. The strikes were aimed at key targets of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria as well as a secretive al-Qaeda offshoot

The 50 Best Places to Live

MONEY ranks the best small cities in America, taking into account great jobs, strong economies, affordable homes, excellent schools and much more

U.S. Aims to Curb Firms Moving Overseas to Dodge Taxes

The Treasury Department said it will take steps to prevent companies from moving headquarters overseas by cutting tax benefits of those transactions

WHO Warns of Ebola ‘Catastrophe’

A new World Health Organization study warns that Ebola cases worldwide could triple to 20,000 by November if authorities fail to ramp up efforts to combat the deadly virus. About half of those cases would be found in Liberia, among the hardest-hit nations in West Africa

Israeli Military Shoots Down Syrian Fighter Jet

The Israeli military used the Patriot air defense system to shoot down a Syrian fighter jet that “infiltrated” its airspace over the Golan Heights on Tuesday morning, marking the first such downing in decades and heightening tensions in the volatile plateau

U.S. Pledges $15 Million to Help Cut Methane Emissions

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday pledged $15 million to back the World Bank’s initiative to cut methane emissions. “It is about time that world leaders come to the United Nations to recognize this threat in the way that it requires and demands,” he said

Pink Floyd Announces New Album

The album, named The Endless River, is the band’s first since 1994’s The Division Bell. The recording is completely instrumental, save for a track called “Louder Than Words,” and does not feature bassist and co-vocalist Roger Waters. Its release is set for Nov. 10

More Than 700 Babies Exposed to Tuberculosis at Texas Hospital

The El Paso, Texas, Department of Public Health said more than 700 babies and 40 health workers were exposed to tuberculosis in a city hospital. A Providence Memorial Hospital employee with TB entered the hospital and worked in close proximity with infants

Climate-Change Activists #FloodWallStreet

Activists staged a sit-down protest on Wall Street against the role of large corporations in global warming on Monday, a day after an estimated 400,000 people demonstrated at the People’s Climate March in New York City

Hollywood’s Gender Gap Is as Gaping as Ever

According to a new report by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, only 23% of the films distributed internationally from 2010 to 2013 featured female protagonists and only 31% of the speaking characters were women

Brazil Says No to Global Forest Plan

Despite its critical role in protecting the Amazon rainforest, Brazil will not endorse a global antideforestation initiative being announced at the U.N. climate summit, complaining it was left out of the consultation process. A U.N. official disputed that claim

Ballsy Study Finds Narwhal Tusk Size Correlates With Virility

In a study published in Marine Mammal Science, researchers suggested that a tusk’s length signals to female narwhals which males are the most fertile and would make the best mates, meaning that narwhal tusks aren’t unlike peacock feathers or antlers

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