WASHINGTON
Record hot streak ends
Earth’s 16-month sizzling streak of record high temperatures is finally over, according to one group of federal meteorologists. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last month’s 60.6 degrees was merely the second hottest September on record for the globe. That’s ever so slightly cooler — a few hundredths of a degree — than the record set in 2015. But it was quite a bit warmer — 1.6 degrees — than the 20th century average.
1 in 5 drivers over age 65
The government says nearly 1 in 5 drivers in the U.S. is over 65 years old, thanks in part to the aging baby boomer generation and greater longevity overall. Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration also show there are more drivers today than ever before, an estimated 217 million. Drivers over 65 are one of the fastest-growing demographic groups among U.S. drivers, increasing 2 percent last year. That’s the biggest single-year percent increase on record for that population, and represents 4.4 million additional older drivers.
LANSING, Mich.
Health official investigated
Michigan’s top public health official is a target in the criminal investigation of Flint’s water crisis that has led to charges against nine government employees, his lawyer said Tuesday. Nick Lyon, director of the state Department of Health and Human Services and a member of Gov. Rick Snyder’s Cabinet, received a letter in early September from investigators indicating he is a focus, attorney Larry Willey said. Eight current or former state employees — including three from Lyon’s agency — and one Flint worker have been charged in Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s ongoing probe.
NEW YORK
Clinton statue causes stir
A statue of a topless, hoofed Hillary Clinton appeared outside a subway station Tuesday, prompting a tussle after one woman purposely knocked it down and sat on it to prevent others from picking it back up. The display marked the second time a life-size, exaggerated depiction of a naked presidential nominee has surfaced outside a Manhattan subway stop during the general election campaign. In August, an artist’s statue of an unclothed Donald Trump was eventually hauled away by city workers.
Compiled from wire reports