Iranians clash at the World Cup as the U.S. gets ready to kick off against England, and a rail strike with potential to cripple America’s supply chain looms. These stories and more highlight the midday update for Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.

Iran supporters harass protesters at World Cup

Iranians clashed at the World Cup today as their team beat Wales 2-0. Iranian government supporters heckled and harassed those protesting against the government over deadly unrest in the country.
“I have friends who have been shot in the past two months. I have a friend who has been lost, we haven’t heard of her,” said Vanya, a 21-year-old student studying in Qatar.

The UN Human Rights Council voted Thursday to investigate alleged abuses by Iran’s government over two months of protests. Investigators said 14,000 people have been arrested, including children, while forces have reportedly used live ammunition, metal pellets, tear gas and batons on the crowds.

“According to reliable sources, a conservative estimate of the death toll so far stands at over 300, including at least 40 children. This is unacceptable,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Potential rail strike two weeks away

The U.S is two weeks away from a possible rail strike that could cripple the domestic supply chain and cost the American economy as much as $2 billion per day.

Unions and the railroads have been fighting over contracts for months. The sticking points focus on policies regarding attendance and sick leave. The unions have asked for 15 paid sick days and the railroads have so far ponied up one personal day.

Several groups are calling on President Biden and Congress to intervene. Congress can force workers to call off a strike.

“I have not directly engaged yet because they’re still talking,” President Biden said.

He said his team is in those negotiating rooms but refused to comment on how those negotiations are going.

Ford and Tesla recall thousands of cars

Ford is recalling 634,000 SUVs worldwide over fire risks, more than 500,000 of which are in the U.S. The recall involves Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs from 2020 to 2023. 

Ford urged owners to bring in their cars, saying a fuel injector crack could cause liquid to leak onto hot surfaces and spark a fire under the hood. Though they say the risk is low and they have not told drivers to stop using the vehicle before it’s fixed.

Tesla is recalling 80,000 cars in China because of software and seat belt issues, according to state regulators.

Model S and Model X vehicles reportedly have a software issue that can cause the car to stop on its own, while around 13,000 Model 3s are dealing with a potentially faulty seatbelt. China did not say if any accidents occurred over the malfunctions.

Kari Lake sues Maricopa County over midterms

Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is suing Maricopa County, accusing it of breaking election laws. Lake’s camp is looking for information about printer problems that occurred at various locations on Election Day.

The race was called in favor of her opponent, Democrat Katie Hobbs, nearly two weeks ago. Hobbs has 17,000 more votes than Lake, but Lake has yet to concede.

“This is not our main case. When our main case drops, they will hear it. Trust me, they will hear it,” Lake said.

The state’s current Republican governor, Doug Ducey, congratulated Hobbs on her victory.

Scientists testing universal flu vaccine

Scientists are experimenting with a potentially groundbreaking universal flu vaccine that could protect against all 20 known subtypes of the flu.

To put that in perspective, the current seasonal flu vaccines can only protect against up to four strains, with scientists selecting which ones they think will be in circulation each year.

This new shot, being developed at the University of Pennsylvania, uses the same MRNA technology found in the COVID-19 vaccines. 

According to a just-published paper, scientists have said they’re observing promising results in mice and ferrets.

Scientists have been working toward a universal flu vaccine for more than a decade, but this latest development could be a game changer in the fight against the annual flu. The CDC estimates between 12,000 and 52,000 people in the U.S. die from the flu each year.