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Thursday, February 15, 2024

2/15 WAKE-UP CALL: Radio DJ Dead, Many Wounded



Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory parade dissolved into chaos yesterday when a gunman opened fire near the city’s Union Station, killing one person and injuring at least 20 others, including 11 children. Many in the crowd of hundreds of thousands ran for cover when the gunshots started. 

Three people allegedly linked to the shooting were detained, according to the Kansas City police chief. They included one armed suspect who was wrestled to the ground by fans attending the celebration. Local news station KMBC said the Kansas City Chiefs players had left the stage and were on their buses at the time of the shooting, but some emerged to help comfort children caught in the melee.

A fearsome situation erupted Wednesday when gunshots rang out in a crowd near Kansas City's Union Station Wednesday afternoon, shortly after a Super Bowl victory parade for the Chiefs. At least one person was killed. a DJ for KKFI,  and 10 people were wounded, Kansas City officials said. Two armed people have been taken into custody, police said.

Areas that had been filled with crowds just moments before the shooting were empty after terrified fans ran for cover. Before the chaos unfolded, throngs of people had lined the route, with fans climbing trees or standing on rooftops for better views of the celebration. Players rolled through the crowd on double-decker buses, DJs and drummers heralding their arrival for the festivities to mark the Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.

➤FOUR D-C OFFICERS WOUNDED: At least four law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C., were injured, three by gunfire, when a suspect shot at them from inside a home Wednesday morning as they tried to serve a warrant for animal cruelty. DC police said shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday that authorities were negotiating with the suspect. "Sometimes he's up, sometimes he's down," Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said, indicating the person may be moving between floors. "But we're still in communication with the subject."

She said the department is investigating whether police officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect. Around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, the suspect fired at police who tried to enter the home and hit three officers. Police said the suspect had refused orders to come outside. A fourth officer was also injured at the scene, but not by gunfire, Glasgow said. All the officers' injuries are not life-threatening, though all four were taken to a local hospital for treatment, police said.

➤RUSSIA MAY BE GOING NUCLEAR IN SPACE: The U.S. has informed Congress it has new intelligence detailing Russia's desire to put a nuclear weapon in space, according to U.S. officials. The intelligence, confirmed by two officials not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, will be the subject of a meeting between President Joe Biden's top national security adviser and congressional leaders Thursday. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, warned of a "serious national security threat" in an ominously worded statement Wednesday ahead of the planned meeting. 


Turner asked Biden to "declassify all information relating to this threat so that Congress, the administration and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat.”

➤ISRAEL PULLS OUT OF NEGOTIATIONS: Israel pulled out its delegation from cease-fire talks in Cairo, blaming Hamas' "delusional demands'' and a lack of new proposals, Israeli media outlets reported Wednesday. The talks, aimed at pausing fighting in Gaza and freeing the more than 100 remaining hostages, did not yield a breakthrough Tuesday but were extended for three more days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opted to recall his negotiating team. "Israel did not receive in Cairo any new proposal of Hamas on the release of our hostages,'' Netanyahu's office said in a statement. "A change in Hamas' positions will allow the negotiations to advance,'' he said. Netanyahu also released a video statement saying "strong military pressure and firm negotiations” are the keys to getting the captives released, the Times of Israel reported.


➤ISRAEL MILITARY, MILITANTS ENGAGED IN STRIKES: Both sides have accused the other of increasing the scope of attacks in recent weeks, threatening to undermine monthslong negotiations to defuse tensions at the border. Gaza cease-fire and hostage-release talks between Israel and Hamas are in limbo after the former said it wouldn’t resume negotiations in Cairo until the militant group softened its demands. Separately, the U.S. State Department is investigating several Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that killed dozens of civilians and the country’s possible use of white phosphorus in Lebanon, U.S. officials told WSJ. Israel says that they have taken extraordinary steps to protect civilian lives and follow all international laws of war, and that Hamas embeds itself in civilian infrastructure and uses Gazans as human shields. Separately, the U.S. killed a Kataib Hezbollah leader in Iraq last week with a weapon that uses six long blades to shred its target and minimize civilian casualties, defense officials said.

➤UKRANIAN SOLDIERS SUDDENLY INTEREST IN U-S POLITICS: As they ration ammunition, they worry about a U.S. bill including about $60B of aid for Kyiv that is struggling to make its way through Congress. The funding plan that the Senate passed yesterday—with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell delivering 22 votes, surpassing his own expectations—is headed to the Republican-controlled House, where Ukraine skeptics and the influence of GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, who opposes sending more aid abroad, loom large. Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated the need for changes to the bill, such as potentially increased control at the southern U.S. border.

➤EV CONSUMERS ARE HESITANT: Car companies that invested big in EVs have realized over the past six months that car buyers were more discerning than expected. Now automakers are delaying or downsizing some projects. Many drivers have been reluctant to pay more for EVs that come with worries about battery range, charging times and repair costs, according to dealers and surveys. Plus, high interest rates meant heftier monthly payments on already pricey EVs. Government regulations, corporate climate goals, the rise of Chinese EV makers and Tesla’s high stock valuation had fueled the automakers’ optimism—until the wave of early adopters receded.


🏈ALL CHIEFS SAFE AND ACCOUNTED FOR: All Kansas City Chiefs "players, coaches and staff are accounted for" following the mass shooting at their Super Bowl parade on Valentine's Day, according to Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas who said during a news conference she spoke with the organization. “We went out today like everyone in Kansas City, looking to have a celebration,” Lucas said. “That celebration was marred by a shooting today. This is absolutely a tragedy the likes of which we would have never expected in Kansas City and the likes of which we remember for some time.” Lucas didn't answer when asked if any Chiefs players were in danger, but said "a number of us had to flee from a situation because we heard a sound of gunshots."

🏈CHRIS JONES SAYS HE’S STAYING WITH THE CHIEFS: We got a somewhat unorthodox contract announcement yesterday from Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones. Speaking during the team’s Super Bowl victory parade in Kansas City, Jones shouted: “For those who want Chris Jones gone, I ain’t going nowhere, baby! I will be here next year, the year after and the year after.” Jones will be a free agent next month after playing on a one-year deal this season. General manager Brett Veach has said that signing Jones and defensive back L’Jarius Sneed are top priorities.The Chiefs announced that they have signed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to a contract extension.

🏀OHIO STATE FIRES MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH: Ohio State has fired men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann after the Buckeyes lost their ninth game out of 11. Holtmann was in his seventh season with the team and has four more years left on his contract. According to ESPN, that adds up to more than $14 million in guaranteed salary. Associate head coach Jake Diebler will take over for the rest of the season.

➤THURSDAY'S WEATHER MAP:



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