Thursday, October 26, 2023

10/26 WAKE-UP CALL: 22 Dead In Maine Massacre


A gunman killed at least 22 people and wounded 50-60 others in three separate shootings across Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday night and is still on the loose, according to law enforcement sources and reports. The suspect is believed to have gunned down 22 victims and injured another 50 or more at multiple locations, including a bowling alley, Fox News reported. Police sources identified the possible suspect as Robert Card, 40.


Card, of Boutin, Maine, is a trained firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve stationed out of Saco, Maine, according to law enforcement sources in the state. He recently reported “hearing voices” and threatened to shoot up the National Guard Base where he was stationed, the sources said. Card, who should be considered “armed and dangerous,” was reportedly committed to a mental health facility over the summer and was released after a two-week stay, the sources added.

In a Wednesday night press conference, Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said that law enforcement is not confirming an exact number of victims since the situation remains "very fluid," but a law enforcement source told Heinrich that 22 people are dead. On Wednesday night, the Lewiston Police Department identified Robert R. Card, of Bowdoin, Maine, as a person of interest. According to law enforcement, Card is a firearms' instructor.


U-A-W REPORTS TENTATIVE AGREEMENT: Ford Motor Co. and the United Auto Workers said Wednesday night they have reached a "historic" tentative agreement to end a 41-day strike targeting selected plants at the Dearborn automaker. The agreement includes 25% in base wage increases through April 2028 and will raise the top wage, now $32.32 an hour by over 30% to more than $40 an hour, and raise the starting wage by 68%, to over $28 an hour over the life of the contract, the UAW said in a news release announcing the deal. Workers will receive an immediate 11% wage increase upon ratification. Also included are cost-of-living adjustments and a reduction in the time for new workers to reach the top wage scale from eight years to three years, the union said. The deal also includes improvements for current retirees, workers with pensions, and those who have 401(k) plans. It also includes a right to strike over plant closures, a first for the union.

Speaker Johnson
➤JOHNSON ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER: The House elected Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker, ending three weeks of GOP infighting. The Louisiana Republican is a Trump ally who is known for his conservative stances on social issues. Johnson received all 220 GOP lawmakers’ votes on the House floor, although about 20 Republican members were absent. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) got 209. Democrats called Johnson an extremist for his positions regarding cultural issues and the 2020 presidential election. With the House GOP’s fourth nominee for the post in place, the chamber can operate for the first time since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California was ousted. The work includes additional aid for Israel and Ukraine as well as a plan to avert a government shutdown when the current funding runs out next month.

➤TERRORISTS HUDDLE:  Senior Palestinian officials and the head of the foreign-operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attended strategy meeting, according to people familiar with intelligence related to the assault. Hamas fighters killed more than 1,400 people in Israel on Oct. 7 and kidnapped scores of others who are being held hostage in Gaza. Long before that, Iran and its allies smuggled weapons into the West Bank, using drones, secret airline flights and a land bridge that traverses hundreds of miles and at least four national borders. The smuggling operation is fueling fears of a new front in the war and poses a growing threat to Jordan, a staunch U.S. ally bordering Israel and the West Bank that has struggled to contain a growing flow of drugs and arms. More than 6,500 Palestinians were killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-led Health Ministry. The figure couldn’t be independently verified.

U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL UNDER FIRE:  Antonio Guterres on Wednesday defended comments he made before the Security Council the previous day that prompted Israel to call for his ouster. Guterres issued a statement saying he was "shocked by the misinterpretations" after Israeli officials accused him of justifying terrorism when he said the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians Oct. 7 “did not happen in a vacuum." 


Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan quickly called for Guterres’ resignation. Guterres had also "condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented" attack by Hamas, he said, and noted he specifically had said legitimate grievances of the Palestinians did not justify the attacks. “Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians − or the launching of rockets against civilian targets," he said. "I believe it was necessary to set the record straight – especially out of respect to the victims and to their families."

➤FTX FOUNDER EXPECTED TO TESTIFY: Sam Bankman-Fried will testify at his criminal trial, likely today and Friday. bMany legal observers see his defense team’s announcement as a Hail Mary attempt to persuade jurors that he never intended to defraud the crypto exchange’s customers out of billions of dollars. Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to seven criminal counts, including fraud and money laundering. Typically, criminal-defense attorneys advise clients not to take the stand to avoid cross examination. Over three weeks, witnesses painted a picture of Bankman-Fried as a dismissive, image-obsessed boss who doctored balance sheets and lied to the public.

➤JUDGE FINES TRUMP..AGAIN: Donald Trump has stormed out of his $250million fraud trial after a series of legal blows that saw him fined $10,000 and his request for a directed verdict denied.  In a dramatic courtroom outburst Wednesday afternoon, the former president threw his arms up in the air before getting up and leaving in a huff, sending Secret Service agents chasing after him.  The abrupt departure came shortly after he had been fined for a second time for violating a gag order and moments after one of his lawyers finished questioning fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen, who testified that Trump did not direct him to inflate the value of his properties. 

➤REP JAMAAL BOWMAN CHARGED WITH MISDEMEANOR: The September 30th incident took place in the Cannon House Office building. The charge was for 'willfully and knowingly [giving] a false alarm of fire, in violation of DC code' and the New York Democrat was ordered to appear in court for arraignment on Thursday. Bowman (right)  has said he will pay a $1,000 fine and issue a formal apology to Capitol Police to have the charge dropped. 'I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped,' he said in a statement. Capitol Police have now concluded their investigation into the September 30 incident that Bowman's office described as a mistake. 

➤CALIFORNIA PUTS BRAKES ON DRIVERLESS TAXIS: The California Department of Motor Vehicles has suspended permits for the operation of a driverless taxi service, citing pedestrian safety concerns. Two pedestrians were injured in separate accidents involving a robo-taxi during the three months that the service operated, according to CNBC.

➤ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK: About 545,000 New Yorkers left the city for other cities in 2022, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Far fewer, about 300,000, moved to New York from elsewhere. Most of the New Yorkers who left town relocated to Florida, New Jersey, or Connecticut. A study by Siena College suggests that a third of New Yorkers wish they lived elsewhere given the city’s high cost of living and rising crime rate.

⚾GAME ONE PITCHERS ARE SET: Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers will start off Game 1 of the World Series tomorrow (Friday) opposite Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen. It’s a first World Series start for both players.

 ⚾DUSTY BAKER EXPECTED TO RETIRE: Dusty Baker, one of the most successful managers in baseball history, informed Houston owner Jim Crane in a private meeting Tuesday afternoon that he is retiring as manager of the Astros.   A press conference has been scheduled for Thursday at noon ET at Minute Maid Park, where Baker is expected to publicly announce his decision.

🏀NBA SCORES:
  • Pacers 143 Wizards 120
  • Celtics 108 Knicks 104
  • Magic 116 Rockets 86
  • Hornets 116 Hawks 110
  • Heat 103 Pistons 102
  • Cavs 114 Nets 113
  • Raptors 97 Timerwolves 94
  • Thunders 1245 Bulls 104
  • Pelicans 111 Grizzlies 104
  • Kings 130 Jazz 114
  • Mavericks 126 Spurs 119
  • Clippers 123 Trail Blazers 111

🏀WEMBANYAMA MAKES HIS DEBUT: Victor Wembanyama made his much-anticipated NBA regular season debut last night when the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Dallas Mavericks. He spent much of the game on the bench but got back in the fourth quarter to tick off nine of the Spurs next 12 points, briefly tying the score. It wasn’t enough, though. The Mavericks won 126-119.

CHECK IT OUT: See Wembanyama’s first NBA basket in slo-mo.


🏈49ERS’ PURDY SIDELINED WITH CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has entered concussion protocol after showing symptoms of concussion on a flight back to the city after the 49ers’ 22-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. It is unlikely that he will be cleared in time for this Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. If not, Sam Darnold will start in his place.

🏈BROWNS’ WATSON OUT FOR WEEK 8: The Cleveland Browns announced that quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss this week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. P.J. Walker will start for him again. Watson’s appearances have been intermittent and short lately as he struggles with a shoulder strain.

🏈COACH TUCKER SEXUALLY ASSAULTED WOMAN: Former Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker has been found responsible for violating the school's sexual harassment policy – a huge victory for the woman who accused him, prominent rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy, and a permanent stain on the reputation of one of the nation’s highest-paid coaches. In a 73-page report issued Wednesday afternoon, a university hearing officer determined Tucker sexually harassed and exploited Tracy when he masturbated and made sexual comments without her consent during an April 2022 phone call, eight months after he hired her as a sexual violence prevention educator. The officer also found Tucker made unwanted sexual advances toward Tracy in the months before the call and engaged in quid pro quo sexual harassment after, when he subsequently ended their business relationship.

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