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Thousands in NYC Participate in Climate Strike and Puerto Rico Day of Action
Thousands of people in New York City are expected to join worldwide demonstrations on Friday ahead of a U.N. climate summit, and the public schools are allowing students to skip class to go fight climate change. With their parents' approval, NYC public school students will get excused absences. Young people and other climate activists are expected to assemble at Foley Square at noon on Friday and then they would march to Battery Park for a rally. Swedish activist 16-year-old Greta Thunberg and two of the 21 young plaintiffs who filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the U.S. government are expected to speak.
NYC's Flagship Apple Store to Reopen
Apple's Fifth Avenue flagship store is officially reopening on Friday, the same day as the new iPhone 11 launch. The revamped store is now twice the size of the previous version, which closed for renovcations two years ago, with higher ceilings and dozens of "sky lights" to bring in natural light into the glass cube architecture. Above the store, there's a new plaza area with trees, fountains and benches for the public to sit and presumably scroll through their phones. Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to make an appearance when the doors open at 8 a.m.
Nevada Town Sees Surge of 'Storm Area 51' Visitors
Hundreds have arrived in a Nevada desert after a Facebook post inviting people to "see them aliens" at Area 51 got widespread attention and gave rise to festivals this week. George Harris, owner of the Alien Research Center souvenir store in Hiko, said Friday and Saturday's "Area 51 Basecamp" will focus on music, movies and talks about extraterrestrial lore. Lincoln County Sheriff Kerry Lee said had drawn perhaps 1,500 people to two tiny desert towns. Lee said late Thursday that more than 150 people also made the rugged trip on washboard dirt roads to get within selfie distance of two gates to the Area 51 U.S. Air Force installation that has long fueled speculation about government studies of space aliens and UFOs.
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Ride-Share Drivers in New Jersey to Protest Against Work Conditions
Hundreds of Uber and Lyft drivers in New Jersey are expected to protest against their work conditions Friday and they plan to cause a major traffic jam while doing so. A caravan will leave from Newark Airport around 8 a.m. and slowly make its way to Uber's offices around 10 a.m. The protesters want medical insurance as well as the removal of "Uber Pool" from the state. The protest comes after ride-share drivers brought traffic to a crawl on the Brooklyn Bridge during the morning rush.
