World News: May the (Space) Force be with us

Tuesday, August 20

In this file photo taken on August 9, 2018 US Vice President Mike Pence speaks about the creation of a new branch of the military, Space Force, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

The curious timing of Jeffrey Epstein's will and the launch of U.S. Space Command: Tuesday's news

The Space Force is getting closer to launch, and a colleague of mine tried 'shroom coffee in the office.

It's Ashley. Here's the news you need to know from Tuesday.

But first, it's too quiet: If you think it's been an unusually quiet hurricane season, you're right. Could this be the calm before the storm? History says yes.

Space Force, asseeemble!

The newest branch of the military – officially called, and I'm not joking, SPACE FORCE – is getting closer to launch. Though it's not actually written in all caps, I feel like it should be. Tuesday at a National Space Council meeting (yes, this, too, is a thing), Vice President Mike Pence and Pentagon officials announced that the U.S. Space Command (not to be confused with Buzz Lightyear's Star Command) that will launch the Space Force will be established next week. For years, Pentagon officials have scoffed at the Space Force idea, but the concept gradually won converts over the years – including President Donald Trump who signed a directive in February creating the Space Force. Potential threats from China and Russia are part of the reasoning behind creating the force, Trump said, though officially establishing said Space Force requires congressional approval, a step Pence said would happen soon.

Epstein signed a will, then died two days later

Accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein signed a will two days before he died by suicide in a New York jail, court records show, leaving behind an estate valued at more than $577 million, including more than $56 million in cash. Epstein signed the 21-page document Aug. 8. The will lists no details of beneficiaries, according to the New York Post. Epstein put all of his holdings in a trust, called the 1953 Trust. Why? A law expert told The New York Times it may have been an attempt to keep his financial dealings from public scrutiny. Less than two days after signing the will, Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell. He was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges tied to underage girls.

Planned Parenthood exits Title X over abortion rule

Planned Parenthood announced this week that it's withdrawing from a federal family planning program , known as Title X, that will ban those receiving funds through it from referring women to abortion providers. The decision marks a major turning point in Planned Parenthood's fight for reproductive rights as Republican lawmakers push to ban abortion. The organization says it plans to continue operating its health centers and find ways to make up for the loss of federal funding. Here's what this means for women who want an abortion.

What everyone's talking about

•	Mushroom coffee is trending, and my colleague Carly Mallenbaum tried to get me to drink it at work.
•	A beach, sans sand: A French couple could face six years in jail after police say they stole sand from an Italian beach.
•	Important cat video: This angry cat with "horns" is just a lovable ball of fluff.
•	Are you a parent? Having kids does make you happier, according to a new study. But only after they leave the nest.
•	People are hot and bothered by Heidi Klum's latest steamy Instagram photos.
•	Sharks have multiplied off the Massachusetts coast, and they're putting swimmers on edge.

Thousands live on the streets in LA, and it's getting costly

Los Angeles is trying to cope with thousands of people living on its streets without permanent shelter. The city is doing so by building a small section of apartments, which cost nearly $700,000 per unit . The city says it's doing what it can to keep costs low, but advocates for the homeless say the city's approach is extravagant – and not reaching as many of those at risk as it could. Is $700,000 in tax dollars for an apartment worth it to try to solve a homeless crisis? "Obviously, the city would very much like to see projects produced at a lower price point," one city official said.

Belongings of the homeless crowd a downtown Los Angeles sidewalk in Skid Row on May 30, 2019.

FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP/Getty Images

Real quick

•	A possible "armed intruder" was reported at Louisiana State University, and the school tweeted a warning to "run, hide or fight."
•	A beloved California teacher was shot to death in front of her 5-year-old son.
•	Tennessee State quarterback Demry Croft was charged with rape and sexual battery.
•	Trump is looking at a temporary reduction in payroll taxes and other proposals to lift the economy.
•	Not all heroes wear capes: He was feeding the hungry. Then he rescued a woman from a burning building.

Trump and Hillary, at it again

After Trump claimed Google "manipulated from 2.6 million to 16 million votes" for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, the former Democratic presidential nominee responded that the study Trump referred to had been "debunked." Clinton said on Twitter Monday that the study was actually "based on 21 undecided voters." She wrote, "For context that's about half the number of people associated with your campaign who have been indicted." Trump said on Twitter that "Google must be sued" and that his electoral victory should have been larger. PolitiFact, a nonpartisan fact-checking website, rated Trump's claim as "false."

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