Friday, October 27, 2023

10/27 WAKE-UP CALL: Maine Shooting Suspect Remains At-Large

Authorities were on the hunt for an armed and dangerous suspect wanted for murder after two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, that left at least 18 people dead and 13 injured. Maine State Police worked through the night alongside local officers and the FBI to find Robert Card, 40 years old, their sole named suspect. By midafternoon Thursday, shelter-in-place orders remained in effect. Card received inpatient psychiatric care this past summer after he started hearing voices, according to his sister-in-law. The massacre was the deadliest mass shooting of 2023 so far, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group.

Some patients injured in mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night that left 18 people dead and 13 injured are in critical condition, the CEO of Central Maine Healthcare said in a Thursday evening press conference.  Maine Representative Jared Golden, a Democrat, said during the press conference that the shootings have moved him to change his stance on an assault weapons ban. Republican Senator Susan Collins, who voted against expanding the assault weapons ban, said she has not changed her stance given the recent shooting in Lewiston.

➤U-S JETS STRIKE AT TARGETS IN SYRIA: Two U.S. fighter jets struck weapons and ammunition facilities in Syria on Friday in retaliation for attacks on U.S. forces by Iranian-backed militia as concerns grew that the Israel-Hamas conflict may spread in the Middle East. U.S. President Joe Biden ordered strikes on the two facilities used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and militia groups that it backs, the Pentagon said, warning the U.S. will take additional measures if attacks by Iran's proxies continue.

American forces in Iraq and Syria were attacked three times on Thursday, according to Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. "We're tracking that there were three attacks today, so it's now at 19 attacks, and again, we'll continue to update those numbers as new information comes in," Ryder said Thursday evening. Since Oct. 17, there have been 19 attacks against American personnel in Iraq and Syria, including the three on Thursday, by a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets, the Department of Defense said. Though specific groups responsible for the attacks were not named, Ryder said they "are affiliated with Iran." At least 21 service members have been injured in the attacks, but all have returned to duty, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. One U.S. civilian contractor died after experiencing a cardiac incident while sheltering from the attacks.

➤GROUND ATTACK CLOSER: Western allies urged caution as Israel moved closer to a ground invasion. The Israeli military on Thursday made its biggest incursion into Gaza during its war with Hamas. A spokesman for the IDF said the hourslong raid—which didn’t go farther than about a kilometer, or less than a mile into Gaza—was part of preparations for “the next stages of fighting.” Inside Israel, there is broad support for a full-scale invasion. Decision makers are grappling with how the timing of a ground assault could impact hostages, troop morale and the Israeli economy. U.S. and European officials are urging caution in an effort to minimize a prolonged urban war that could result in even more casualties and a turbulent future for Gaza, U.S. and foreign officials said. The United Nations has called for a cease-fire to allow for the delivery of aid to ease an escalating humanitarian crisis inside Gaza.


➤ISRAEL VS HAMAS: Israel is entering its third week of war against Hamas after the terrorist group infiltrated the country on October 7, firing thousands of rockets at residential areas and butchering civilians As many as 7,900 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 33 Americans. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims at least 6,546 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and more than 17,439 wounded. At least 10 Americans are feared to be among the 224 people held captive by Hamas Israel remains poised for a ground invasion of Gaza, but the order has yet to come down. Iran and its terrorist proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, have threatened to join the conflict.

➤ECONOMY SURGES: U.S. economic growth surged this summer at the fastest pace since 2021, as consumers spent at a blockbuster rate that will be difficult to sustain. Gross domestic product expanded at a 4.9% seasonally- and inflation-adjusted annual rate in the third quarter—more than double the second quarter pace—the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The acceleration won’t change the Federal Reserve’s plans to hold rates steady at their meeting next week. But there are warning signs underlying the eye-popping numbers. Americans saved less and their incomes, adjusted for inflation, fell over the summer. That could mean the pace of spending will ease in coming months. Business investment also stalled. Meanwhile, rising long-term interest rates, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the possibility of a partial government shutdown could cause economic cracks to emerge. 

➤NO APOLOGIES FROM NEW SPEAKER: Newly-elected Speaker Mike Johnson has defended his Bible-adhering 'worldview' while addressing a question about his past remarks regarding gay marriage. Johnson was elected to lead the House majority on Wednesday, earning all 220 votes from Republicans on the floor. The following evening, the 51-year-old lawmaker sat down with Sean Hannity for an interview at the Capitol. 'I genuinely love all people regardless of their lifestyle choices. This is not about the people themselves. I am a Bible-believing Christian,' Johnson said. 'Go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it - that's my worldview. That's what I believe and so I make no apologies for it.'

➤JUDGE SHREDS GEORGIA VOTING MAP: A federal judge in Atlanta has ruled that Republicans violated civil rights law in redrawing the state’s voting maps to dilute the power of Black voters. Judge Steve C. Jones ordered that new maps be drawn in time for the 2024 elections.


➤BIDEN APPROVAL AMONG DEMOCRATS SLIDES: President Joe Biden’s job approval rating among Democrats dropped 11 percentage points in the past month to 75 percent, according to the results of a new Gallup poll. That’s the lowest reading from Democrats of his presidency. Biden’s overall approval rating dropped four points to 37 percent, matching his previous low point.

➤WEST VIRGINIA MAN INDICTED IN COLD CASE: A special grand jury has indicted a West Virginia man on a murder charge in the disappearance of a 10-year-old girl in the year 2000. Natasha Carter and her mother, Susan Carter, were reportedly staying at suspect Larry Webb’s home in Raleigh County when they disappeared in August 2000. Webb, now in his 80s, says he has dementia and can’t remember what happened.

➤CRYPTO KID STRUGGLES:  On the stand, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried struggled to answer some of the prosecution’s most pointed questions. In a relatively rare move, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan sent the jury home for the day to conduct a hearing to see if some of Bankman-Fried’s planned testimony was admissible after federal prosecutors objected to parts of it, including about lawyers being present in some of the decision-making at the company. Bankman-Fried testified that FTX’s lawyers set up the bank account that routed customer deposits to sister firm Alameda Research—although he said he was “not sure” whose decision it was initially to do so—and drafted the promissory notes that were used to loan money from Alameda to him and other former executives. Bankman-Fried said he couldn’t recall key conversations with company lawyers and his top deputies. He is on trial facing several fraud charges for his role in the collapse of his crypto exchange. He has pleaded not 
guilty.

➤FORD SLOWS DOWN EV TRANSITION: Ford Motors is slowing down the timetable for its $12 billion electric vehicle production plan in the face of customer resistance. The company said many American customers have proved unwilling to pay a premium for an electric vehicle over the price for gas-powered or hybrid vehicles. Ford said it would postpone a second battery plant that it intends to build in Kentucky but plans for a manufacturing center in Tennessee will go ahead on schedule.

🏈TNF BILLS 24 BUCCANEERS 18:  Josh Allen threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Buffalo Bills held off a late comeback attempt to pick up a 24-18 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night in Orchard Park, N.Y. Buffalo (5-3) led by 14 when the Buccaneers took over on offense with 10:05 left in the game. Baker Mayfield led Tampa Bay (3-4) on a 17-play, 92-yard excursion, making it a six-point affair when he found Mike Evans for a 24-yard touchdown and connected with Cade Otton for the subsequent two-point conversion.



⚾THE WORLD SERIES IS ON! The 2023 World Series starts off tonight with the Texas Rangers hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks in Arlington, Texas. The series continues tomorrow night and will run at least through October 31st, stretching into November unless there’s a four-game sweep.





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