Morning Must Reads: September 24

3 minute read

Fresh Air Strikes Hit ISIS in Syria

Military aircraft carried out raids against ISIS in northern Syria on Tuesday night, according to a monitoring group. Reports say planes hit Sunni militants near Kobani, where thousands of civilians are fleeing. Since Friday, almost 140,000 refugees have crossed the border into Turkey

College: Pricier Than You Think

Nearly 9 out of 10 freshmen think they’ll earn their bachelor’s degrees within four years, according to a nationwide survey. In reality, fewer than half will

Coke, Pepsi Pledge Calorie Cuts

The U.S.’s three largest soda companies promised on Tuesday to reduce the calories in sugary drinks by 20% over the next decade

A Quarter of Millennials Will Never Get Married

The number of Americans who have always been single and will never marry is at a historic high, according to a new Pew Research report, partly because they don’t have jobs and partly because marriage is becoming less highly regarded

Man Charged With Abduction in Case of Missing Student

The man believed to be the last person seen with missing University of Virginia sophomore Hannah Graham is wanted on charges of abducting her, as police continue to search for both him and Graham. The suspect has not been seen since Sept. 20

Iraq’s New Premier Is ‘Happy’ With Anti-ISIS Coalition

Iraq’s newly appointed Prime Minister Haider al-abaci said in an interview on Tuesday he was “happy” that the U.S. and Arab coalition had joined the fight against ISIS. Al-Abadi says ISIS controls at least a quarter of Iraq and is very close to Baghdad

Fear of Job Loss Can Increase Asthma Risk, Study Says

A study found that for every 25% increase in job security that a worker felt, the likelihood of developing asthma increased by 24%. For people who told researchers it was more likely than not that they would lose their job, the risk of developing asthma climbed 60%

Kansas Makes October Its ‘Zombie Preparedness Month’

Kansas has named October “Zombie Preparedness Month,” urging locals to stock up on canned food and batteries. But there’s a serious purpose behind the wacky move — namely an attempt to encourage residents to think about disaster preparedness in general

Vince Vaughn Joins Season 2 of HBO’s True Detective

HBO announced that Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn will serve as the leads in the second season of the network’s hit drama, ending what feels like years of speculation. Justin Lin (The Fast & The Furious, Community) will direct the first two episodes

Texas’ Plan for Booze at Gun Shows Gets Shot Down

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission withdrew a proposal to allow sales of alcohol at some gun shows after receiving a barrage of public comments against the plan. Many critics, including gun show operators, felt that mixing the weapons and alcohol was “unwise”

University of Baltimore to Offer Course on Marvel Movies

The course, offered in the spring, will focus on how films like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy shed insight on modern culture. The class will analyze how the history of adventure has translated into Marvel’s franchises

Indian Spacecraft’s Orbit Means Mars Mission Is Successful

Indian spacecraft Mangalyaan entered Mars orbit on Wednesday, making India the first Asian country to accomplish the feat. The South Asian nation is the only country to enjoy success on a maiden Mars mission, which at $67 million is also the cheapest ever

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