For the second time in three days, a mass shooting has taken place in California resulting in the death of seven people. Continue reading “7 Dead In Another Mass Shooting In California”
Club Q Shooter Charged On 305 Counts Including 1st Degree Murder
Anderson Lee Aldrich (mugshot via Colorado Springs Police Dept)Anderson Lee Aldrich, the 22-year-old accused of killing five and injuring more than 17 others at the deadly mass shooting at Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs last month, was formally charged today.
Aldrich faces 305 counts including multiple charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, assault and hate crimes. Continue reading “Club Q Shooter Charged On 305 Counts Including 1st Degree Murder”
Slovakia Gay Bar Terrorist Inspired By Buffalo Shooter + More News
Juraj Krajcik (via Twitter)Some news items of interest:
• The Advocate: Police in Slovakia have recategorized the deadly shooting at a gay bar in Bratislava that left two dead as a terrorist attack. Investigators say the killer cited the Buffalo supermarket shooter as his inspiration for committing terrorist acts. Continue reading “Slovakia Gay Bar Terrorist Inspired By Buffalo Shooter + More News”
Mass Shooting In Illinois – At Least 6 Dead, Dozens Injured
Thoughts and prayers are on their way to Highland Park, Illinois, today following a mass shooting at a 4th of July Parade that left at least 6 dead and dozens injured. Continue reading “Mass Shooting In Illinois – At Least 6 Dead, Dozens Injured”
Pride Events Cancelled After Mass Shooting At Oslo Gay Bar
(screen capture via CBS Mornings)Norway’s first Pride festival in years has been cut short after an early-morning mass shooting left two people dead and at least 10 others seriously wounded outside a popular gay club in downtown Oslo. Police are reportedly viewing the attack as an act of terrorism. Continue reading “Pride Events Cancelled After Mass Shooting At Oslo Gay Bar”
TX Official: Police Response To Uvalde Shooting ‘An Abject Failure’
Uvalde Elementary School (screen capture via WFAA)Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told state lawmakers that the response by law enforcement officials to the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting was “an abject failure and antithetical to everything we’ve learned over the last two decades since the Columbine massacre.” Continue reading “TX Official: Police Response To Uvalde Shooting ‘An Abject Failure’”
White House Acting Chief Of Staff: Trump Rhetoric ‘Not To Blame’ For White Nationalist Shootings
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told ABC News reporter Jon Karl that Donald Trump’s heated racial rhetoric is not to blame for the rash of recent mass shootings by white nationalist terrorists.
“This is a serious problem … but they are sick, sick people and the president knows that … I don’t think it’s fair to try and lay this at the feet of the president.”
“This is a serious problem … but they are sick, sick people and the president knows that … I don’t think it’s fair to try and lay this at the feet of the president,” Mick Mulvaney says when asked why Trump downplayed the threat of white nationalism. https://t.co/6OolEGh96x pic.twitter.com/wex0S7AV3F— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 4, 2019
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney says President Trump is “sad” and “angry” about the mass shootings.“The first call he made yesterday was to the attorney general to find out what we could do to prevent this type of thing from happening” https://t.co/6OolEGh96x pic.twitter.com/PtGxq5qs61
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 4, 2019
Mulvaney’s title is ‘Acting’ Chief of Staff for a reason. He’s merely an actor in Trump’s reality show, saying the lines he’s given.
WATCH: Eddie Glaude Jr. says White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney can’t “acknowledge” that shootings in El Paso and Dayton are domestic terrorism because of the shooters’ race. @esglaude: “I can give less than a damn what Mick Mulvaeny thinks about what I say.” pic.twitter.com/YItQ4zPSnM— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 4, 2019
Buttigieg: U.S. Is “Under Attack From Homegrown White Nationalist Terrorism”
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| Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaking in Las Vegas, NV |
Mayor Pete Buttigieg told attendees at a labor union forum in Las Vegas Saturday that the United States is “under attack” by white nationalists carrying out deadly mass shootings across the country, and those white nationalists have become emboldened by Donald Trump.
Buttigieg was speaking at a forum in Las Vegas sponsored by the public-sector labor union AFSCME.
News of the recent mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart broke during the event.
Eschewing his prepared introductory remarks, Buttigieg addressed the tragedy head-on.
“America is under attack from homegrown white nationalist terrorism,” Buttigieg said in his opening remarks. “White nationalism is evil. And it is inspiring people to commit murder, and it is being condoned at the highest levels of the American government, and that has to end.”
When asked his thoughts on Trump’s position on white nationalists, Buttigieg said the president “at best condones and encourages white nationalism.”
Buttigieg also called for stricter gun control laws across the country.
“We are the only country in the world with more guns than people,” said the 37-year-old White House contender. “It has not made us safer. We can respect the Second Amendment (on gun rights), and not allow it to be a death sentence for thousands of Americans.”
Among several policies he shared that would help stem the tide of gun violence were:
• Implementing universal background checks for firearm purchases
• Banning the sale of high capacity magazines
• Allowing the Centers for Disease Control to research gun violence
• Passing “red flag” laws that remove firearms from at-risk people, such as those convicted of domestic violence
Buttigieg also said there should be stricter regulations for military-style firearms often used in mass shootings.
“Weapons of war have no place in American neighborhoods,” said the Afghanistan war veteran.
Buttigieg addressed the lack of leadership on gun violence by the president today.
“Will the President of the United States leave his golf resort, go back to Washington, address the nation, condemn—in no uncertain terms—white nationalism, and call for the Senate to convene tomorrow to enact at least the most basic gun safety reforms that most Americans want?”
Will the President of the United States leave his golf resort, go back to Washington, address the nation, condemn—in no uncertain terms—white nationalism, and call for the Senate to convene tomorrow to enact at least the most basic gun safety reforms that most Americans want? pic.twitter.com/GEVLkLuWei— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) August 4, 2019
News Round-Up: June 13, 2019
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| Opening night of ‘Potted Potter’ in Las Vegas |
Some news items you might have missed:
• I attended the opening night of the hit two-man play Potted Potter at Ballys Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last night. The show, which parodies all 7 books of the Harry Potter series in 70 minutes, has been running for years in the UK. The original stars opened the show here and I was thrilled to take my uber-handsome god son, Josh, to the performance.
• During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, John Cena talked about getting ‘accidental boners’ during wrestling matches.
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) somehow ‘straight-washed’ his proclamation observing the 3rd anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. DeSantis blamed the missing mention of the LGBTQ community on staffers. It was later added to the proclamation.
• A mother in South Carolina was arrested after walking into an elementary school and confronting her son’s bullies.
• The Australian man accused of killing 51 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand in March pleaded not guilty to all charges in a court on Friday.
• The 20 Democratic presidential candidates who qualified for the first Dem debates have been announced:
BREAKING: DNC announces the names of the candidates who will appear in the first Democratic Debates on June 26 & 27 from Miami. @chucktodd: “After months of campaigning and polling, the stage is now set.” pic.twitter.com/fQbafzHr26— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 13, 2019
Florida Lawmakers Propose Declaring Pulse Nightclub A Federal Landmark
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| The temporary memorial at Pulse Nightclub |
As the nation remembers the tragedy of the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, three years ago today, Florida lawmakers in Congress have begun plans to have the nightclub declared a national monument.
CNN reports that during a memorial ceremony on Monday, Reps. Stephanie Murphy, Val Demings and Darren Soto shared their plans to sponsor landmark legislation, H.R. 3094. Soto said he would like to see the legislation pass by June 2020.
Our efforts to designate #Pulse a National Memorial honors lives of 49 victims, survivors, and their loved ones. It’ll serve as a reminder of us coming together to heal and overcome hate. #PulseMemorial will be a symbol of hope, love, and light for our #OrlandoStrong community. pic.twitter.com/lnUrmOnKxG— US Rep. Darren Soto (@RepDarrenSoto) June 10, 2019
The local non-profit OnePulse Foundation would retain control of the design and construction, but the designation would make the monument eligible for federal funds as part of the National Park System.
If passed, work to build a permanent memorial would begin by 2021.
Nearly three years after the @pulseorlando tragedy, our local congressional representatives are seeking to make this hallowed ground a National Memorial. Despite that act of hate, this is a place of tremendous love. @onePULSEorg #WeWillNotLetHateWin pic.twitter.com/mYoOYAHE9y— Orange County Sheriff’s Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) June 10, 2019
In the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, lone gunman Omar Mateen entered Pulse Nightclub and opened fire killing 49 people and injuring more than 50 more. During the crisis, Mateen told police he considered himself a soldier of ISIS.
At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Two years later, a temporary memorial in front of the nightclub.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Tuesday commemorating June 12 as Pulse Remembrance Day, and directed all state flags in the state to be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday.
Here’s part of the memorial service and announcement held on Monday: