Wake-Up Call: 3 Students Killed, 8 Wounded In Michigan Shooting

Daily Mail screenshot 12/1/21

Three students were killed and eight other people were wounded, some critically, in a shooting yesterday at a Michigan high school. A 15-year-old sophomore at Oxford High School in Oxford Township was taken into custody with minutes of police arriving, arrested as he walked out of a bathroom with the gun, which still had seven rounds of ammunition in it. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that investigators were still trying to determine a motive, saying, "The person that’s got the most insight and the motive is not talking." The parents of the suspect, who hasn't been named, told him not to speak to police and got him an attorney. Bouchard said the suspect's father had bought the gun used in the shooting on Friday, and the suspect had practiced shooting with it and, quote, "posted pictures of the target and the weapon." There had apparently been rumors circulating at the school about threats of a shooting, but Bouchard said they didn't know about them until after the attack. Those killed were: 16-year-old Tate Myre; 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana; and 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin.

A student from inside Oxford High School captured this footage of the possible shooter trying to get into the classroom by impersonating a sheriff

The students did not open the door and escaped through a windowhttps://t.co/DCKb6l555w pic.twitter.com/gQWOuJPAAL

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 30, 2021

➤ADMIN MOVING TO STRENGTHEN TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAVELERS TO U.S.: In light of the emergence of the new Covid-19 omicron variant, the administration is moving to strengthen testing requirement for foreign travelers to the U.S., including for people who are vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday that it's working toward requiring that all air travelers to the U.S. be tested for Covid within a day before their flight, closer than the current requirement of a test within three days for those who are fully vaccinated. The details are still being finalized, and other options are being looked at, including requirements for testing within days after arrival or even self-quarantining, before President Biden's speech Thursday on plans to control Covid during the upcoming winter. No cases of omicron have been identified yet in the U.S., and it still will be a few weeks before we know more about whether the variant is more contagious, if it can evade vaccine immunity, and if it makes people more sick.

FDA Panel Back Covid Drug: A Food and Drug Administration panel of advisers voted 13-10 yesterday that the benefits of a new Covid-19 pill from Merck outweighs its risks, including to pregnant women. That sets the stage for likely authorization of the first drug Americans could take at home to treat Covid. The vote backed the drug, called molnupiravir, for adults with mild-to-moderate Covid who face the greatest risks, including older people and those with conditions like obesity and asthma. Experts said it shouldn't be used in vaccinated people, who haven't been shown to benefit. Study data released by Merck Friday showed a modest effect, with molnupiravir reducing hospitalization and death by 30 percent compared to a placebo.

Mumps cases continue to circulate in the U.S., largely among vaccinated people, including children, CDC finds. https://t.co/qKzMIqvqkc

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 1, 2021

➤SUPREME COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS TODAY IN CASE THAT THREATENS ABORTION RIGHTS: The Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a case that presents a threat to abortion rights, nearly 50 years after the 1973 Roe v. Wade case granted the right nationally. At issue is a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks, which also challenges the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling that reaffirmed Roe. It goes up against the high court long not allowing abortion bans before fetal viability, which is around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

➤GHISLAINE MAXWELL ACCUSER SAYS SHE WAS IN ROOM DURING EPSTEIN SEX ENCOUNTERS: The first of four women who are key accusers against Ghislaine Maxwell, the late Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend, testified in her federal sex trafficking trial yesterday that Maxwell was often in the room when the witness, who was 14 at the time, had sexual interactions with Jeffrey Epstein. The woman, who's now in her early 40s, said the sexual encounters began in 1994 and continued through 1997, and that Maxwell was "very casual," throughout, adding, "Like it was no big deal." The witness said Maxwell instructed her on how to give Epstein sexual massages and sometimes joined in.

➤NYC OPENS SAFE INJECTION SITE FOR DRUGE USERS:  Two safe injection sites for drug users opened in New York City Tuesday, the first of their kind in the U.S., although such sites have been operating in Canada, Europe and Australia. The goal of the privately-run sites is prevent overdoses by providing a monitored place for IV drug users to inject themselves, where signs of overdosing can be looked for and an antidote given if needed. It's also hoped the centers can provide an avenue to try to persuade users to seek treatment, offering referrals to drug treatment and other services. Advocates also say it can help reduce drug use in public places. But those opposed see these sites as sanctioning drug use and creating locations for it. It is in fact banned under federal law to operate a place for taking illegal drugs, but AP said the Justice Department declined to comment on the two Manhattan centers. Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose second and final term will conclude at the end of the year, said, "I’m proud to show cities in this country that after decades of failure, a smarter approach is possible."

Mehmet Oz

➤DR. OZ ANNOUNCES RUNNING FOR SENATE: Dr. Mehmet Oz made it official yesterday, the heart surgeon host of TV's Dr. Oz Show announcing that he's running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania. The 61-year-old will be running as a Republican in the party's primary for the seat being vacated by Republican Senator Pat Toomey's decision not to run for reelection. Oz is a longtime New Jersey resident, but his campaign said he's lived and voted in Pennsylvania since last year. He announced the news in a brief video posted on social media in which he says, "As a heart surgeon, I know how precious life is. Pennsylvania needs a conservative who will put America first, one who can reignite our divine spark, bravely fight for freedom and tell it like it is." Oz rose to fame on Oprah Winfrey's former talk show before getting his on TV show. He has faced accusations of promoting and selling "quack" treatments and cures.

💲TRACKING FIRM SAYS US SHOPPERS SPENT ALMOST $11 BILLION ON CYBER MONDAY:  Americans spent a lot of cash on Cyber Monday. Adobe Analytics reports shoppers splashed out $10.7 billion on digital sales, a decrease of 1.4 percent from last year, and the first decline ever for a major shopping holiday. Despite this decline in sales, it was still the busiest e-commerce shopping day of 2021. The firm says between 11 p.m. and midnight Eastern time, shoppers spent about $12 million every minute. Adobe Digital Insights Director Taylor Schreiner said in a statement, “With early deals in October, consumers were not waiting around for discounts on big shopping days like Cyber Monday and Black Friday. This was further fueled by growing awareness of supply chain challenges and product availability. It spread out e-commerce spending across the months of October and November, putting us on track for a season that still will break online shopping records.” Some of the top sellers on Cyber Monday were toys like Hot Wheels, video games like Metroid Dreams, and electronics like Apple Watches and laptops.

➤STUDY..COFFEE MAY LOWER ODDS FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE:  Coffee may offer more than just a morning perk-up. Researchers from Australia found people who had no memory impairments and who consumed higher amounts of coffee had a lower risk of transitioning to mild cognitive impairment over a ten-year period. They say this stage often precedes Alzheimer’s disease, and that those participants also had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease during the study period. The study found that higher coffee intake seemed to be slowing the accumulation of a specific protein in the brain, and was also linked to positive results in the areas of executive function and attention. The scientists say drinking coffee could be an easy way to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, but that more research is needed.

😃STUDY..MEN AND WOMAN VIEW EMOJIS DIFFERENTLY: One of the problems with communicating via text or email is that the intention can sometimes get lost. A joke might be taken seriously, for instance, since you can't hear tone of voice or see someone's expression. Emojis can be used to help convey those missing emotions, but it turns out they're not perfect either, with a new study finding that people can use and perceive them differently, particularly men and women. In the study published in the journal, Computers in Human Behavior, all participants, who were ages 17 to 35, said they mainly use emoji to message friends, partners and relatives, and seldom with bosses or teachers. But woman tended to see emojis as showing more intense positive or negative emotions than men. Among the examples: a surprised face with eyebrows raised looked slightly positive to men and slightly negative to women; the neutral face with a line for a mouth looked neutral to men but negative to women; and when both men and woman agreed an emoji was positive, such as a smiley face, women saw it as more positive.

🚘STUDY..SOUND IMPROVES DETECTION OF ELECTRIC CARS FOR PEDESTRIANS:  Electric cars are very quiet, quiet enough to create a particular safety hazard for those who are visually impaired pedestrians, even with artificial sounds implemented. The Acoustical Society of America found artificial sounds added to the vehicles improved detection ranges, or the distances at which they could be heard—and all of those tested exceeded current National Highway Transportation Safety Administration minimum standards. Still, the research suggests that even after adding sound, electric vehicles are typically quieter than standard internal combustion engine vehicles. Researchers say additional studies are needed to investigate detection when all vehicles at an intersection are electric.

🏀SUNS BEST IN THE WEST: The Phoenix Suns downed the Golden State Warriors 104-96 last night for their 17th straight win, tying a franchise record. The Suns came out on top in the match-up between the two teams with the NBA's best records despite star guard Devin Booker leaving in the second quarter with a hamstring injury. Suns head coach Monty Williams didn't have an immediate update on Booker after the game.

🏀LEBRON IN COVID PROTOCOLS: LeBron James was put in the NBA's Covid-19 protocols yesterday, missing the L.A. Lakers' 117-92 win over the Sacramento Kings last night. That means that the Lakers superstar, who said in late September that he was vaccinated, either tested positive or had an inconclusive result. Teammate Anthony Davis' post-game remarks suggested James tested positive, telling reporters, "He said he's good. I think he's asymptomatic, which is a good sign . . . " If he did test positive, James would likely be out a minimum of 10 days, unless he has two negative tests in a 24-hour span.

⚾MLB ON TRACK FOR LOCKOUT: After two brief negotiating sessions between Major League Baseball and the players' union yesterday led to little progress, MLB appears to be headed to its first work stoppage in 26 years. Management is expected to impose a lockout after the collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET tonight. The last MLB work stoppage was in 1994-95.

⚾JAVIER BAEZ AGREES TO SIX-YEAR, $140 MILLION DEAL WITH TIGERS: Free-agent shortstop Javier Baez has agreed to a six-year, $140 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, according to media reports yesterday, in what would be the second-largest free agent deal in Tigers history. The two-time All-Star was with the Chicago Cubs since coming up in 2014, until being traded to the New York Mets this past July.

🏒NHL SUSPENDS LEMIEUX FOR FIVE GAMES FOR BITING TKACHUK: The NHL suspended the L.A. Kings' Brendan Lemieux for five games yesterday for biting the Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk during the Kings' 4-2 win last Saturday. The incident happened late in the third period, when Lemieux was down on the ice wrestling with Tkachuk and a linesman and he bit Tkachuk on his hand. After the game, a furious Tkachuk called it "the most gutless thing somebody could ever do."