It’s the end of the week, but the news never stops. Here’s a quick look at the top stories everyone will be talking about:
1. Despicable
Yesterday the U.S. House passed a bill that would make it much more difficult for refugees to enter the country. The legislation would require that each individual refugee be vetted by the director of the FBI, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the director of national intelligence. The bill passed 289-137, with 50 Democrats voting in favor. Next, it heads to the Senate, so we can see if they’re as Ebenezer Scrooge-like as the House. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has said he would “absolutely” make all Muslims register with a national database so they can be tracked, kind of like Jewish people during WWII. Things are looking very, very ugly in the U.S. right now. — The New York Times
More: Amazing couple cancels their wedding to help Syrian refugees
2. Emergency in progress
This morning there’s an ongoing hostage situation in Mali. Two gunmen with AK-47s arrived around 7:00 a.m. local time and initially held 170 people in the Radisson Blu Hotel. The latest update says 80 of them have been set free and three people have been killed. So far, no one has stepped forward to take responsibility for the attack and officials are unsure of what motivated it. Facebook has activated safe check-in and people are tweeting with #PrayForMali. Hopefully the rest of the hotel patrons are able to get out safely. — CNN
3. Throw away the key
Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for child pornography and sex crimes against children. Fogle’s lawyers tried to get his sentenced reduced to only five years after claiming the spokesman’s life had already been ruined and he’ll live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. Luckily, their tactics didn’t work. He will serve his time concurrently and won’t be eligible for parole for 13 years. He’ll also have to register as a sex offender, wear monitored devices and pay a fine of $175,000. — NBC News
More:Subway finally gives in to demands, will ditch antibiotics in all meat
4. Bad blood
United Healthcare is threatening to leave the Obamacare marketplace. The insurance provider has been losing money through the program, due partly to consumers going in and out of the system trying to find the lowest rate. The Obama administration has promised things will level out but many providers aren’t convinced. United is one of the largest health care providers in the U.S. and their departure would be a huge blow to the future of Obamacare. — The Hill
5. Foot in mouth
The head of Apple music, Jimmy Iovine, is under fire for some sexist comments he made yesterday on CBS This Morning. While discussing the new female-centric commercials for Apple’s streaming service, Iovine said he came up with the idea because “women find it very difficult to find music.” He then elaborated, saying, “Girls are sitting around talking about boys, right? Or complaining about boys because they’ve had their heart broken, and they need music for that.” Oh, Jimmy. We love the ads. We do not love what you just said. — BuzzFeed
More: Bruce Willis suing Apple for the right to give music to his kids?
6. Never forget
Today is the 17th Transgender Day of Remembrance, intended to honor the lives of those lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. The tradition began in 1999, after transgender activist Rita Hester was stabbed 20 times. The day is for remembrance, but also for awareness and activism that increases the visibility of transgender issues. Several cities across the country are holding events to honor people we’ve lost this year. — USA Today
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