Here are the headlines from Cheddar News that are Good 2 Know.
FREE TICKETS TO HONG KONG
Hong Kong is giving away 500,000 free tickets in a bid to revive the tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic put a serious dent in the city's economy. The "Hello Hong Kong" initiative, which launched last week, will dole out the tickets to the city's three major airlines, Cathay Pacific, HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines, and in three separate releases. The first release will be available to people living in Southeast Asia on March 1, then mainland China on April 1, and the rest of the world on May 1. The effort will cost Hong Kong $254.8 million in total.
TIKTOK'S SLEEPY NOISES
You've probably heard of white noise, but what about pink noise? Or green noise? TikTok creators have started sharing their favorite noises to help them fall asleep, and there is some science to back up the social media trend. Sleep experts say the low frequencies of what are called brown sounds can help ease tinnitus symptoms. So-called green noise, meanwhile, is a more natural background, and pink noise is the closest to white noise (a more neutral sound). Ultimately though, what sounds are best is pretty subjective, so check them out yourself.
The Justice Department has secured a $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over allegations that it avoided underwriting mortgages in predominately Black and Latino communities in Jacksonville, Florida, and discouraged people there from getting home loans.
Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Thursday, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country's defense minister told ground troops to “be ready” to invade, though he didn’t say when.
Addressing the nation from the Oval Office, President Joe Biden has made his case for major U.S. backing of Ukraine and Israel in a time of war.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that inflation remains too high and that bringing it down to the Fed's target level will likely require a slower-growing economy and job market.
According to a new survey from the Federal Reserve, income inequality grew during the pandemic.
Cheddar News checks in with your coast-to-coast weather forecast for Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
The suspect accused of orchestrating the killing of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur will be arraigned Thursday on a murder charge. Duane Davis is expected to plead not guilty to murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
Authorities say a U.S. marine was killed Wednesday night in an incident at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
A Russian-American journalist working for a U.S. government-funded media company has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a “foreign agent,” her employer said Thursday.
Lawyer Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to reduced charges Thursday over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Georgia, becoming the second defendant in the sprawling case to reach a deal with prosecutors.
