News in :90 – Oct. 17, 2019

Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a sharecropper’s son who rose to become a civil rights champion and the powerful chairman of one of the U.S. House committees leading an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, died Thursday of complications from long standing health problems. He was 68.

Cummings was a formidable orator who advocated for the poor in his black-majority district , which encompasses a large portion of Baltimore and more well-to-do suburbs.

With the ever-popular Tommie-Johnnie football game coming up on Saturday, students are fighting for their chance to get a ticket to the game.

Because the matchup will be played at Allianz Field, there were limited tickets provided for students; 700 tickets released per class.

After the original online sale of the student tickets completed, a flurry of online selling began. Students are now selling their $10 student section ticket for a price ranging anywhere between 50 to over 100 dollars.

Minnesota health officials are reporting the state’s second and third deaths due to lung illnesses caused by vaping.

The Department of Health said Wednesday both deaths involved people over age 50 who died in September after complicated hospitalizations. One had vaped several products including THC, the compound that gives marijuana its high.

Minnesota has 73 people with confirmed or probable cases of lung illness due to vaping. Almost all had frequently vaped illegal cannabis products. Health officials have warned against vaping the products, which can be counterfeit.

St. Thomas celebrated Pride Week for the fourth year from October 7-11.

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Sarah McCarthy can be reached at mcca9221@stthomas.edu.