Nation and world news in brief for October 8

Taylor Swift, worth $1.6 billion, overtakes Rihanna as world’s richest female musician

(TNS) — Taylor Swift got that Eras tour money, and it has launched her to the top of Forbes’ 2024 list of wealthiest female musicians.

The “Fortnight” and “Anti-Hero” singer this year surpassed Rihanna on the outlet’s list of the richest female musicians, racking up an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion.

Forbes reported that Swift — who became a billionaire in October 2023 — snared the top spot because of her earnings from her blockbuster Eras tour and the value of her catalog. Notably, the 34-year-old is the first musician to become a billionaire primarily based on her songs and performances, the financial publication said.

Swift has reportedly amassed $600 million from royalties and touring. The parts of her catalog that she owns are also worth an estimated $600 million, Forbes said. In addition, she has about $125 million in real estate.

The 14-time Grammy winner now ranks No. 2 on the list of richest musicians, male or female, coming in one rung behind Jay-Z, who is reportedly worth an estimated $2.5 billion. She’s also No. 24 on America’s Self-Made Women list and No. 14 on the Celebrity Billionaires list (as of April).

Ukraine claims cyberattack that blocked Russian state TV online on Putin’s birthday

(TNS) — Ukrainian hackers carried out a cyberattack that took down online broadcasts of Russian state television and radio channels on Monday, according to an official in Kyiv with knowledge of the operation.

At least 20 Russian broadcasters were affected by the hack including the Rossiya 24 news service, the official said, asking not to be identified because the issue is sensitive. The claim couldn’t be independently verified by Bloomberg News.

The disruption to the broadcasts coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 72nd birthday.

White House slams SCOTUS failure to take up Texas abortion case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The White House on Monday criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to hear a bid by President Joe Biden’s administration to enforce in Texas federal guidance requiring hospitals to perform abortions in emergencies.

Women being denied care in emergency situations is “completely unacceptable,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a briefing.

“It is important to call this out. It is important to say how dangerous this is and how this is a freedom that has been taken away from women,” she said.

GOP loses bid to block Pennsylvania voters from ‘curing’ mail-in ballots

(Reuters) — Pennsylvania election officials will be able to notify voters of any mistakes in their mail-in ballots and let them make changes, the state’s top court ruled, in a blow to Republicans who sought to block the practice in a state crucial to determining who will be the next U.S. president.

In declining on Saturday to hear a lawsuit brought by the Republican National Committee and its state affiliate against so-called notice and cure procedures, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said the RNC filed the case too close to the Nov. 5 election, which pits Republican former President Donald Trump against Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris.

Pennsylvania is one of seven key battlegrounds likely to sway the state-by-state Electoral College outcome that determines the winner of U.S. presidential elections. Whichever candidate wins Pennsylvania will receive 19 electoral votes toward the total of 270 needed for victory.

US expecting foreign actors to question validity of election

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. adversaries are preparing to stoke uncertainty about the validity of the Nov. 5 presidential election results after polls close, anticipating a contested vote, a senior U.S. intelligence official said on Monday.

In a briefing to reporters on the election influence activities of Russia, China, Iran and Cuba, U.S. intelligence officials said “foreign influence actors” would likely work to sow doubt about the results.

Russia and Iran have already sought to sway U.S. voters during this year’s presidential campaign while China has sought to influence several down-ballot races, including congressional campaigns, according to U.S. intelligence agencies.

Foreign actors would likely seek to use the uncertainty of a contested election to undermine trust in the integrity of the election and election processes and exacerbate divisions among Americans, according to the U.S. intelligence official.

Marjorie Taylor Greene tells supporters to drink raw milk

(TNS) — Georgia congresswoman and conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene took a break from indicating “they” are weaponizing weather against Republicans to urge her supporters to drink raw milk.

“Raw Milk does a body good,” she posted Sunday on X. “Make America Healthy Again!”

Her message included a photo of a mason jar filled with a thick white liquid. Medical experts largely agree drinking raw milk is a bad idea.

“Symptoms of foodborne illness from raw milk can include diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting,” according to the Centers for Disease Control. “In some cases, more severe outcomes like Guillain-Barré syndrome or hemolytic uremic syndrome can occur, potentially leading to paralysis, kidney failure, stroke, or even death.”

The FDA warns that raw milk could expose consumers to E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella.

Cissy Houston, singer and mother of Whitney Houston, dies at 91

(TNS) — Cissy Houston, a two-time Grammy-winning gospel singer who was the mother of late pop titan Whitney Houston, died Monday. She was 91.

In a statement to The Times, the estate of Whitney Houston said that the matriarch, who performed with Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. She was surrounded by family.

NC changes election rules to help voters hit by Hurricane Helene

(Reuters) — Election officials in the battleground state of North Carolina approved changes on Monday that aim to make it easier for voters in areas devastated by Hurricane Helene to cast ballots in the Nov. 5 presidential election.

The changes approved unanimously by the North Carolina State Board of Elections will give flexibility to local election officials as they try to ensure that residents in the mountainous western part of the state will be able to vote, even as roads and communications networks remain disrupted.

The goal is to ensure that voters in all areas of the state will have the same voting options — either by mail, early in person starting on Oct. 17 or on Election Day, said Karen Brinson Bell, the board’s executive director.

North Carolina is one of seven states that are expected to determine whether Donald Trump or Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States.