Downton Abbey's pooch has a problem — with her name

Isis, the dog

Downton Abbey has a dog problem.

The popular British TV show, which airs on PBS in the United States, has two labrador dogs who are featured in many of the episodes. They are named Pharaoh and Isis. And for some people, that's a problem.

Isis shares its name with the terrorist organization ISIS. Now, a movement has started to change the dog's name. And it turns out that Downton Abbey isn't alone in its Isis problem. The Guardian looks at businesses, a river and even another TV show that have suddenly found that Isis — the name of an Egyptian goddess — isn't nearly as charming as it once seemed.

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Did Apple kill Finland's economy?

Around the turn of the century, Finland was riding high, with an economy running on two major industries: paper and mobile phones. On its face, those industries seemed pretty diversified. As paper declined, cell phones would grow. Then Apple came along.

Nokia, a Finnish company, was once a leading manufacturer of cell phones. Prime Minister Alexander Stubb told CNBC that Apple's iPhone killed Nokia's cell phone business and Apple's iPad killed the paper industry. Now Finland's economy is suffering and, apparently, Apple is to blame. According to The Verge, though, Stubb remains bullish on the country's future prospects.

Even after retiring, the military is making life tough for this transgender person

Jennifer served 30 years in the US Army as an infantryman named Edward. Shortly before retiring, Edward began taking hormones to transition into a new identity as a woman. As far as the Army is concerned, though, Jennifer doesn't exist, so Edward's retirement papers — critically important to receiving veterans services and benefits — are all in Edward's name.

The US military won't change her name on the form, even though Jennifer legally changed her name.

PRI's The World talked to Jennifer about her experience transitioning her gender while still serving in the military, and what it has been like lobbying the military to change its policy. 

Don't expect to see this hit French movie on American screens

Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu, which translates somewhat inelegantly to Serial (Bad) Weddings, is all the talk of the French film industry. In France, more than 12 million people have seen it. And, with that sort of reception, you might expect those in the American independent film community to be talking about importing it. But no.

The film's production company say they have no intention of bringing the film to English-speaking audiences.  Why? Because, well, we just wouldn't understand or appreciate it.

Serial (Bad) Weddings tells the story of a French family with four daughters. The first three have chosen to marry an Arab Muslim, a north African Jew, and a Chinese man — and the family just wants their fourth daughter to marry a nice French boy. But the film uses what English language critics call heavy-handed and xenophobic language to make that fourth try happen. So the producers decided the English-language world wasn't ready for the film, despite its generally good reviews in France. The Telegraph has the story.

What holiday did you celebrate today?

If you're Native American, it may seem a little odd — if not downright offensive — to celebrate a day dedicated to the man who helped usher in the decline of your people. So some activists have urged cities and states to rename Columbus Day and use the holiday to acknowledge native nations instead. And some places have. PRI's The Takeaway talked to Native Americans in Minneapolis, which joined the renaming ranks this year and celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day along with Seattle, Portland and other places.

Of course, that may sound unfair to Italian Americans who see Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage. The Italian ambassador to the US even wrote a letter to the mayor of Seattle, urging him to reconsider the decision to rename the holiday. But for now, the number of places joining Minneapolis and Seattle seems on the rise.

What we're seeing on social

Weather around the world

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are being battered by the Atlantic Ocean's latest major storm, Hurricane Gonzalo, and the Bahamas and especially Bermuda may be next in its path. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm had maximum winds of 75 mph, barely enough for hurricane status, though it is expected to intensify into a "major hurricane" by Wednesday as it moves over the open Atlantic. 

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