5 Things You Need to Know Friday, Oct. 14
- Top Republican donors expressed their disapproval for Donald Trump and called on the party to cut ties with candidate — or risk fracturing the party completely. One donor told the New York Times, "Even for loyalists, there is a line beyond which the obvious moral failings of a candidate are impossible to disregard." The donors warned that aligning with Trump could cause the demise of the Republican party.
- For the first time ever, the Justice Department said it will start a pilot program for tracking police officers' use of force. The department has faced intense scrutiny for not tracking police shootings before, particularly as they relate to the slayings of unarmed black men. While this database is a step in the right direction, it still requires officers and local police departments to voluntarily submit data.
- Following the lift of the trade embargo on Cuba, President Obama also lifted restrictions on Cuban cigars and rum. The order allows American tourists to purchase an unlimited amount of rum and cigars as long as they are for personal consumption.
- According to a new theory, researchers posit that dinosaurs didn't roar. In fact, scientists at the University of Texas at Austin claim that dinosaurs actually quacked after discovering a syrinx inside an ancient bird which would have lived during the Tyrannosaurus' time. The organ is what gives modern birds the ability to squawk.
- The actress who plays Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot in the upcoming DC film announced that the superhero was a United Nations ambassador on Twitter. Gadot tweeted that Wonder Woman would be an Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls.