New Wrap: New England braces for impact of Hurricane Lee

Geoff Bennett:

In the day's other headlines: New England braced for a close encounter with Hurricane Lee. More than 400 miles of the region expects high winds and heavy rain in an area that's already seen flooding this week from an earlier system.

The hurricane is on track to make landfall tomorrow in Nova Scotia, Canada. Maine's coastline could see waves of 15 feet.

Tens of thousands of people worldwide have kicked off a weekend of protests against climate change. Demonstrators are calling for an end to the use of fossil fuels. Marchers in Germany closed down streets today and rallied at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

In the Philippines, activists demanded quick action by leaders there.

Aaron Pedrosa, Protest Leader:

Science has said that we only have seven years as a window for climate action, and we are not — and we are nowhere near the urgent solutions, the drastic solutions, the ambitious actions that are needed yesterday.

Geoff Bennett:

The protests are timed to coincide with the United Nations' climate summit. The U.N. warned last week that countries are far from meeting commitments they made in the Paris Agreement of 2015.

The U.S. Central Command says it will interview more troops about the Kabul Airport bombing two years ago. That's after a former Marine said he spotted two men behaving suspiciously, but never got orders to take action. The suicide bombers struck during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, as thousands of people tried to flee the country. The attack killed 170 Afghans and 13 American troops.

The original investigation said it was not preventable.

Chinese authorities are saying nothing tonight about the fate of the country's defense minister. Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for more than two weeks, and numerous reports today said he's being investigated for corruption.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken was asked about it in Washington.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: I don't know about the status of the defense minister. And, in any event, ultimately, these are issues for the Chinese government to decide.

We remain fully prepared, as we've been, to engage with the Chinese government, whoever happens to be holding the positions of responsibility at any given time.

Geoff Bennett:

Li's disappearance follows the ouster of China's foreign minister. He dropped from sight and was replaced in July, without explanation.

Federal prosecutors say former President Trump is trying to intimidate potential witnesses in his January 6 criminal case with threats and inflammatory statements. A court filing today said they're asking the presiding judge to impose limits on what he can say. Mr. Trump is accused in the case of illegally trying to overturn the 2020 election.

Birmingham, Alabama, marked 60 years today since the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church killed four young Black girls. They were getting ready for Sunday services when a powerful dynamite device exploded. The attack brought an outpouring of grief and shook the country's conscience.

Today's remembrance service at the church featured Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ketanji Brown Jackson, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice:

The theft of those souls and spirits shook and bent our own, but we did not break. Indeed, it was from the rubble of the bombing of this church that our nation renewed its commitment to justice and equality.

Geoff Bennett:

Three members of the KKK were eventually convicted in the bombing decades after it took place.

The first new treatment in 20 years may be available soon for military veterans and others suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. A new study finds the psychedelic drug MDMA can cause a significant reduction in symptoms such as nightmares and flashbacks. The FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration will have to approve it before the drug can be prescribed in the U.S.

And, on Wall Street, stocks slumped on the way into the weekend. The Dow Jones industrial average lost nearly 289 points to close at 34618. The Nasdaq fell 217. The S&P 500 dropped 54 points.

And a passing of note: Famed Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero died today in Monaco of pneumonia. He was known for sculptures and paintings of oversized figures. His work now decorates cities across Europe and Latin America. Fernando Botero was 91 years old.

And still to come on the "NewsHour": Iran tightens security ahead of the one-year anniversary Mahsa Amini's death that sparked protests around the world; and a sister's struggle, an Israeli researcher believed to be kidnapped by an Iraqi militia.