Month: March 2018

Officer who Shot Alton Sterling is Fired

By Nick Baum

FRIDAY – 3/30/18

News came out that officer Blane Salamoni had finally been fired after a 2016 incident involving the killing of black citizen Alton Sterling. The shooting occurred in Baton Rouge in the spring of 2016 and sparked new Black Lives Matter protests across the nation.

The killing was recorded with a police body camera, which depicted officer Salamoni yelling profanities at Sterling at a convenience store, then firing six shots, killing Sterling dead at the scene.

Charges have finally been brought against Salamoni, and officer Howley Lake II whom was also at the scene has been suspended from the force for three days. The disciplinary actions against the two officers have been decided by chief Murphy Paul after Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry didn’t charge the officers and the Department of Justice refused to investigate in May.

Sources: CNN, The New York Times

OPINION: What we Know from the Stormy Daniels Interview

By Nick Baum

TUESDAY

On a Sunday night, adult film actress known as her stage name Stormy Daniels, finally broke her silence about her alleged affair with Trump. She said some things that were unbelievable, and some believable. Also featured on the 60 minutes interview was Stormy Daniels’s lawyer, David Schwartz, appearing furious about the incident.

While details about their alleged affair are graphic and will not be shared, it is still evident none the less that stormy is embellishing it. It really makes sense, trust me. First off, Stephanie Clifford, (Daniels’s real name) accused Trump of holding her silent about their affair with their contract.

She details about she uprose against Trump, forcing him to believe that she is a powerful woman, which is definitely what she wants. It could only make easy sense that Clifford would report on national television, let alone to the highest ratings of the show, that she rose against Trump and made herself powerful. After Micheal Cohen, Trump’s leading lawyer in the case denied it, Ms. Clifford decided to bring him to court, too.

While not denying that this case ever happened, it is still apparent that Clifford just want attention, and will do anything to get it. To put it simple, she is embellishing the story to make it seem like she is the victim by far, and putting the blame on Trump.

Sources: CBS, The Wall Street Journal

 

March for Our Lives Protests Occur Nationwide

By Nick Baum

SUNDAY

Yesterday, protests across the nationwide were started in efforts for better gun control, and less school shootings. The March for our Lives campaign was started after 17 students were killed when Nikolas Cruz opened fire in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The march itself, organized by student survivors of the shooting, drew in large numbers across the nation, with the largest being in Washington D.C. There was also a rally and concert in Parkland, and was in memoriam for the 17 students whom were killed in the massacre.

The marches themselves also met little to no opposition, despite there being a few counter protests in Washington DC, supporting the second amendment. Speakers at the Washington event included survivors of the shooting, and Martin Luther King’s granddaughter, whom also used his famous “I have a dream” speech to promote more gun control.

Sources: CBS, NJ 12 News

Trump Considers Veto of Government Funding Bill

By Nick Baum

FRIDAY

This past Thursday, a bipartisan bill for government funding passed through both the house and senate, with both Democratic and Republican leaders putting their differences aside. The government funding bill, which 1.3 Trillion dollars, would include funding on infrastructure, oil drilling, and more.

The bill itself swiftly passed through the house but was briefly held back by two Republican Senators in the senate. However, the bill still passed. The bill is 2,232 pages long, and despite this, and the fact that is was passed within 24 hours of the deadline, President Trump might be considering not to sign it.

This is reasoned because of the lack of immigration policy and enforcement in the bill, including not enough detailed funding for that area. While Trump is still expected to sign it by Republican leaders, some Democratic leaders resisted the effort, stating how there is no funding for DACA, ending the program after it was originally supposed to be cut short two years prior.

Sources: CNN, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal

Austin Package Bomber Identified

By Nick Baum

WEDNESDAY

After a little more than a week of search, the suspect of bombs going off in packages in and around Austin has been identified as Mark Anthony Conditt, according to a primary source at the scene.

Conditt, a 23 year old white male, blew himself up in his car as police came in in the early hours of Wednesday, according to local authorities. Five different bombs went off in the past week, and a sixth one at a FedEx center didn’t go off.

Of the bombs that did go off, four of which were around the Austin area and blew up residential homes and neighborhoods. The fifth was in a FedEx shipping facility in San Antonio, an hour away from Austin. The sixth bomb didn’t explode, and was found inside a package. Finally, the suspect blew himself up as police drew nearer in a car in Round Rock, a suburb of Austin.

The identity of the man was found from receipts at local stores, as the bombs were thought to be home made.

Sources: CNN, The New York Times

Deputy FBI Director McCabe Fired

By Nick Baum

SATURDAY

Yesterday Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe was fired yesterday by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. A representative of McCabe learned last night from a press release about the firing, reports have concluded.

This decision has came less than two days before his expected retirement, where he was expected to retire on Sunday, on his 50th birthday. This decision also came after the firing of James Comey, director of the FBI before President Trump asked for his resignation in early May.

President Trump had always viewed negatively of McCabe, despite interviewing him for the role of FBI Director shortly after Comey was fired. Despite the interview, Trump had disapproved of McCabe’s leadership and decision making, even taunting Jeff Sessions for not firing him yet.

Sources- FBI, CNN, Politico

Pedestrian Bridge Collapses in Miami

By Nick Baum

THURSDAY

A pedestrian bridge at the University of Miami has collapsed, trapping eight cars and causing six people to go to the hospital, according to the mayor of Miami-Dade. The bridge, which is for people only crashed on to a six lane highway below.

News came out from the Miami Fire Department that there are also several injuries, including at least one dead. The fatality has not been identified yet, but fire and rescue officers are at the scene of the bridge to help out.

“There are eight vehicles that are trapped underneath as far as we know and we are going to try and get to them as quickly as we can,” said Gimenez, mayor of Miami-Dade. It is estimated that there might be multiple fatalities, but as of now they are not confirmed.

Sources- CNN, BBC, Miami-Dade