NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
_1 Bridge name: The mayor and council of Savannah, Ga., want the name of a segregationist ex-governor stripped from the suspension bridge that dominates its riverside skyline. The Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge is named for the populist Democrat who ruled state government in the 1930s and ’40s. Talmadge won a dedicated following among rural whites with blunt declarations that a black man’s place was “at the back door with his hat in his hand.” Mayor Eddie DeLoach and Savannah’s City Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday calling to remove Talmadge’s name from the bridge, but Georgia law says only state lawmakers can actually rename the bridge.
_2 Whoops: A Republican candidate for an Oklahoma state House seat says a campaign staffer’s mistake led to the title of a bondage porn video being included on his campaign finance report. Jason Reese of Oklahoma City said Thursday an accountant he hired as his campaign treasurer inadvertently pasted the video’s title, “Hot Wife Chloe Needs to Be Punished,” into a report and filed it July 31 with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Reese said no campaign money was spent on pornography. The campaign didn’t explain further how the mistake happened. Reese said the accountant resigned from his campaign Thursday.
_3 Flu concerns: It’s flu shot time, and health officials are bracing for a potentially miserable fall and winter. The Southern Hemisphere, especially Australia, was hit hard over the past few months with a flu strain that’s notorious for causing severe illness, especially in seniors. And in the U.S., small clusters of that H3N2 flu already are popping up. The government urged Americans on Thursday to make sure they get a flu shot before influenza starts spreading widely. Last year, only about 47 percent of the population was vaccinated. _4 Actress’ illness: Julia Louis-Dreyfus says she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The star of “Veep” and “Seinfeld” posted word of her illness Thursday on social media. A spokeswoman for Louis-Dreyfus confirmed the posts are authentic. Louis-Dreyfus won her sixth Emmy Award on Sept. 17 for her portrayal of Selina Meyer in HBO’s “Veep.” “Veep” writers will continue working on scripts, and production for the seventh and final season will be adjusted as needed, HBO said. _5 Breaking and cremating: Police say a trespasser at an Ohio burial vault business tried unsuccessfully to cremate a corpse. Police say the break-in at Akron Burial Vault happened late Tuesday or early Wednesday. A body that had been in a cardboard cremation container was found on the floor. Business owner Martin Ebie told WKYC-TV the body toppled out of the container after someone tried to push it into the oven. An employee called police after discovering the disturbance Wednesday. The company makes concrete burial vaults and also has a crematory.