Korva Coleman

Dakota Meyer, the Marine sergeant who received the Medal of Honor this month from President Obama at the White House, has turned down an opportunity to apply to be a New York City firefighter. The city's application deadline expired on Sept. 19 and Meyer — who was honored at the White House on Sept. 15 — missed the deadline. His attorney asked whether New York could briefly re-open the application process and a federal judge agreed — but only if Meyer was the sole applicant.

That's why Meyer said no thanks.

Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, has died of cancer in a Nairobi hospital. She was 71. Maathai, of Kenya, became a Nobel laureate in 2004 for her work promoting environmental stewardship, empowering women and peaceful resistance to violence.

NASA has updated its news on the pending descent of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, and here's the headline: the satellite's re-entry has been pushed back. The UARS is now expected to plunge towards Earth late today or early Saturday, EDT.

The main drag on the satellite's speed - solar activity - is no longer the main reason why the spacecraft is slowing down. Its path, speed and spin are now so unpredictable that scientists say they cannot estimate when it will fall.

We know a little bit more about the fate of that falling weather satellite, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, which is close to its fiery end. NASA now predicts the UARS will plunge into Earth's lower atmosphere "sometime during the afternoon of Sept. 23, Eastern Daylight Time".