The assault rifle used to kill 10 at a Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo on Saturday is the same model that was used to kill 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut a decade ago and that was used to kill 10 in sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C., area in 2002. And so we begin the insane cycle again; mass murder followed by calls for a renewed assault weapons ban followed by ineffectual compromise followed by the sale of weapons of war used to perpetrate more domestic carnage. “This is my Bushmaster XM-15,” Payton Gendron , the 18-year-old suspect in the Buffalo massacre apparently wrote below a photo of the gun in a pre-attack manifesto. “That’s right, I used the dread military grade assault rifle as my main firearm for this attack.” The killer in Buffalo further echoed the Sandy Hook horror by writing in his manifesto of taping together two magazines for fast reloading. Taped magazines from the school shooting scene were crucial … [Read more...] about How Many More Mass Murderers Will Use This Assault Rifle?
Christmas block of the month
Pennsylvania governor’s race could have outsize impact on abortion access
One day after the draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe vs. Wade leaked, Pennsylvania Democrat Josh Shapiro declared that his bid to become governor was the only thing preventing Republicans from restricting abortion access in the state. “The next governor is going to have a bill on their desk that will restrict or outlaw abortion rights, and they will have a decision as to whether to sign it or veto it,” he told reporters this month. “I will, of course, veto it. My opponents would sign it.” If the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision guaranteeing protection of abortion rights is overturned, abortion policy will be set by states, where Republicans hold the majority of legislatures and governorships. But in a handful of states, particularly Pennsylvania and Kansas, the winner of the November gubernatorial races could have a significant impact, vetoing or signing into law abortion legislation that would affect millions of people of reproductive age both in their … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania governor’s race could have outsize impact on abortion access
Remember California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2019 warning for PG&E? Here’s what he’s done since then.
In the fall of 2019, amid widespread PG&E power shutoffs because of fears that wind events could prompt a repeat of the 2017 North Bay fires or the 2018 Camp Fire, California Gov. Gavin Newsom went on a series of public tirades against the utility. “As it relates to PG&E, it’s about dog-eats-dog capitalism meeting climate change,” he said at one point. “It’s about corporate greed meeting climate change. It’s about decades of mismanagement. It’s about focusing on shareholders and dividends over you and members of the public.” “PG&E’s lapse in planning to provide adequate, accurate, and accessible information to its customers and the public was inexcusable,” he said at another appearance. “In the same vein, PG&E’s communications with local and tribal governments lacked even the most basic elements of emergency management organization.” Newsom vowed that things would change at PG&E — which was in the process of filing for bankruptcy at the time — before … [Read more...] about Remember California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2019 warning for PG&E? Here’s what he’s done since then.
Maryland teen charged in murder of missing high school classmate who turned up stabbed to death in creek
close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for May 17 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! A 17-year-old in Maryland has been charged with murder months after his high school classmate was reported missing and turned up dead in a shallow creek days later with multiple stab wounds. Ta’Quawn Deon Henderson, 17, of Germantown, Maryland, was charged through an arrest warrant issued on May 12 with first-degree murder and turned himself in three days later at the Montgomery County Police 1st District Station late Sunday. He is being charged as an adult in the gruesome stabbing death of his fellow classmate at Northwest High School, 17-year-old Jailyn Jones. Jones’ body was found on Jan. 24 in a small creek in the 18900 block of Grotto Lane in Germantown with multiple stab wounds to his head and torso, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones told reporters … [Read more...] about Maryland teen charged in murder of missing high school classmate who turned up stabbed to death in creek
Is Putin dead? Pay attention when Russia starts broadcasting “Swan Lake”
Vladimir Putin's enemies are keeping a close eye on a bird in pointe shoes, because a broadcast of "Swan Lake" may reveal his demise. The ballet—a more-than-century-old staple of our own highbrow culture—is one of Russia's most famous contributions to the arts. It is a work that contains all the pathos and depth of the modern Russian nation, a dark story with a tragic ending. (Or a happy one, if one delves deeper in the ballet's evolution.) It's also a secret key to the state of things in the Kremlin. Swan Lake has all the elements of a modern-day binge-able series: young, scantily dressed women, a winged sorcerer, an evil stepmother, a handsome prince, a double suicide. On March 3rd, Swan Lake played a role in the Ukraine war, when State authorities in Moscow shut down Russia's youth-focused, independent and often Kremlin-critical TV Rain. The staff walked off the set and asserted their power to have the last word through Tchaikovsky's dramatic music and the disciplined dancing of … [Read more...] about Is Putin dead? Pay attention when Russia starts broadcasting “Swan Lake”
Fact Check: Did Congress spend more on Ukraine than U.S. roads and bridges?
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has claimed on Twitter the federal government has spent more on Ukraine in the past six months than it has on road infrastructure annually. Massie was one of 57 members of the House of Representatives who voted against the package, which was later blocked in the Senate by one dissenting vote from Senator Rand Paul . It is still widely expected to pass later this week. The member for Kentucky took to Twitter to justify the grounds for his vote by comparing the U.S.' recent aid spend on Ukraine against its annual commitment to domestic infrastructure. The Claim House Rep Thomas Massie (R-KY) tweeted about his reasoning for voting against the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine on Tuesday, May 10. In the tweet, Massie claimed that Congress had spent more on Ukraine in the past six months than it spends on U.S. road and bridges infrastructure annually. In an emailed response to Newsweek , Massie clarified the tweet: "The … [Read more...] about Fact Check: Did Congress spend more on Ukraine than U.S. roads and bridges?
Synthetic track at ANU next summer
Soon Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) will wear a new look with the laying of the 400-metre synthetic track, the first in new Andhra Pradesh, according to varsity Physical Director Y. Kishore, here on Friday. The long-cherished dream of athletes from Krishna and Guntur is all set to be realised as the survey to lay the track will be completed in a couple of weeks and in the next five months the all-weather track will be ready for the athletes to dash off the starting-blocks. “The track will be laid by National Building Construction Corporation Limited (NBCCL), an empanelled outfit of the Government of India, with an estimated cost of Rs. 6.86 crore. The Ministry of Sports has sanctioned Rs. 5.5 crore and the rest is funded by the varsity,” says Mr. Kishore, from the sidelines of the Central Zone Inter-State Badminton Tournament held at the varsity indoor stadium. The track, once laid, will attract many premier events, both national and international, as the varsity is centrally … [Read more...] about Synthetic track at ANU next summer
U.K. threatens to break Brexit deal, raising stakes in E.U. feud over Northern Ireland
LONDON — The British government dramatically escalated a fight with the European Union on Tuesday by saying it will pass a law to scrap parts of the trade treaty signed by the two sides less than two years ago. Britain says its move to singlehandedly change the legally binding treaty — an apparent breach of international law — is an insurance policy in case it can’t reach agreement with the bloc to end a long-running dispute over post-Brexit trade rules . “Our preference is to reach a negotiated outcome with the E.U.,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. The announcement drew a sharp response from the E.U., which has long accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of trying to wriggle out of a deal that his government negotiated and signed as part of the U.K.’s exit in 2020. The spat raises the chances of a trade war between Britain and the 27-nation bloc that is — even after Brexit — its major economic partner. “Unilateral actions contradicting an international agreement are … [Read more...] about U.K. threatens to break Brexit deal, raising stakes in E.U. feud over Northern Ireland
Little girl mysteriously shot to death inside Iowa home
A 4-year-old girl has died after being shot in her Iowa home. Details about the incident were scarce, and it remains unclear who pulled the trigger, but police are investigating the shooting, which happened on Monday. Officers were called at 11:26 a.m. to a home in the 900 block of Northeast 5th Street near Delaware Avenue in the city of Ankeny. First responders began working on the child to try to treat her at the scene before she was rushed to the hospital. However, medics were unable to save her and she later died from her injuries. Ankeny police are still working to establish how the child was shot, but in a statement to local news channel KCCI a spokesperson said that it was important for families to practice gun safety if they kept weapons inside the home. Parents should ensure there are trigger locks on each firearm, which should always be stored in a locked safe, the spokesperson added. Speaking in the very early stages of the investigation, when officers were still … [Read more...] about Little girl mysteriously shot to death inside Iowa home
Sri Lanka: Hundreds Flee Colombo as Crisis Persists
Many Sri Lankans thronged buses in the main city Colombo on Thursday to return to their hometowns during a brief relaxation in curfew, imposed after the prime minister quit and went into hiding and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned of anarchy. The island nation off India's southern tip, which overlooks shipping routes between Europe and Asia, is battling its worst economic crisis since independence. Violence erupted on Monday after supporters of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president's elder brother, attacked an anti-government protest camp in Colombo. Days of violent reprisals against government figures aligned to the powerful Rajapaksa clan followed. The army was called out to patrol the streets and police said 9 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the clashes. Security forces have been ordered to shoot to prevent violence and looting. Hundreds of people thronged the main bus station in Colombo after authorities lifted an indefinite curfew at 7 … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka: Hundreds Flee Colombo as Crisis Persists