Monday, May 16th, 2022
Supermarket Massacre, Nationwide Protests & Netflix Live?
All the news you need in about 10 min:
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Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to review the latest happenings...
NY Supermarket Shooting
A gunman opened fire inside a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, shooting and killing ten people and hurting three more. Nearly all of them were Black. Authorities arrested the suspect, an 18-year-old white man. Soon after he was taken into custody, his manifesto emerged online. It was full of racist, anti-immigrant views. The victims included a man who was picking up a cake for his grandson, an 86-year-old woman who had just visited her husband in a nursing home, a deacon in a nearby church, and many more. The FBI is now investigating the shooting as a hate crime and a case of racially-motivated violent extremism.
Read More: NY Times, AP, CNN, WSJ
CA Church Shooting
Another shooting happened at a southern California church. A man opened fire during a Sunday reception in an Orange County suburb. One person was killed, and several others were critically hurt. Officials say before the gunman could do more damage, the gunman was stopped by an act of “exceptional heroism and bravery.” Members of the congregation detained the man by hogtying him with an extension cord and taking away his guns before authorities arrived. When sheriff’s officials got there, they took the suspect into custody.
Read More: LA Times, ABC News, NBC News, AP
Downtown Milwaukee Shootings
On Friday night, 21 people were hurt in three separate shootings in downtown Milwaukee. They happened near the arena where thousands of people had been watching the NBA playoffs. Fans were sent running through the entertainment district just as the basketball game ended. Police haven’t said whether the shootings were connected, but several people were taken into custody. So far, authorities haven’t said what might have motivated them.
Read More: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ESPN, NY Times
Senate Republicans Visit Ukraine
More top American officials made a surprise trip to Ukraine in the middle of its war against Russia. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell visited the capital of Kyiv with three other Republican Senators. Ukrainian President Zelensky hailed what he said was a powerful signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine. After the visit, McConnell called on President Biden to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. He also expressed his support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
Read More: Reuters, WaPo, AP, Fox News
Finland, Sweden Closer to NATO Membership
Finland’s leaders announced they’re trying to join NATO, and over the weekend, Sweden’s governing party endorsed becoming an alliance member, too. If accepted, they would get a lot more support if they were to come under attack. There are also strong advantages for NATO since both Sweden and Finland have strong military alliances. They could get accepted within weeks.
Read More: AP, WSJ, CNBC, Politico
Russia’s Ground Losses
Russia seems to be facing more setbacks in its invasion of Ukraine. Military intelligence out of the UK says Russia has lost about a third of the ground forces it sent into Ukraine. The same intelligence says Russia’s mission in eastern Ukraine has “lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule.” Still, the Russian government insists it is achieving its goals in the war.
Read More: Newsweek, The Hill, CNN, UK Defense Ministry
Weekend Abortion Rights Protests
Thousands of Americans around the country rallied in support of Roe v. Wade. That’s the landmark Supreme Court decision that has protected a woman’s right to an abortion for nearly a half-century. A draft opinion shows the current Supreme Court could overturn it soon. Over the weekend, hundreds of events were held in several cities. They were full of people expressing outrage, including some elected officials and celebrities. There were also groups of people who turned out with the opposite message, saying they are against abortion. A final Supreme Court decision on the case is expected this summer.
Read More: AP, NY Times, Reuters, WSJ, Today
Southern Heat Wave Worsening
Meteorologists say this is looking like the start of another record-breaking week for the southern U.S. The heatwave looks to be especially extreme from California to Texas, where temperatures are expected to be in the triple digits. That’s about 10 to 20 degrees above average for this time of year. In parts of the southwest, this week’s weather will be right for wildfires to get out of control. In Texas, this prolonged heatwave caused six power plants to go offline. Most of them are back online now, but Texans are still being asked to conserve as much power as they can.
Read More: CNN, Fox Weather, Weather Channel, Texas Tribune, NWS, NWS on Twitter
Saudi Aramco Record Profits
Saudi Arabia’s national oil company posted a record profit, making it the most valuable company in the world. Saudi Aramco said its profit went up more than 80% in the first three months of this year, reaching $39.5 billion. So, it seems the state-run oil giant is benefiting from the rise in oil prices that was sped up by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Western countries banned exports of Russian oil because of the war, and when supply goes down, prices go up. Saudi Aramco points to a boost in both prices and increased production for its record-high profit so far this year.
Read More: CNBC, BBC, WSJ, Reuters, Aramco
Musk’s Twitter Purchase on Hold
The richest man in the world’s $44 billion Twitter takeover is now on hold. Elon Musk says he is still committed to the deal, but he first needs more details about how many accounts on the platform are fake or spam. Twitter has said bots make up fewer than 5% of Twitter’s users, but Musk wants his own data. So far, Twitter’s CEO hasn’t said much other than the fact that he still expects the deal to close. In the meantime, the company’s shares fell Friday.
Read More: NPR, WaPo, WSJ, MarketWatch, Fox Business, Elon Musk
Report: Netflix Exploring Live Streaming
Netflix is reportedly planning to have live shows for the first time. As Deadline reports, the streaming platform will roll out live streaming for stand-up specials and other unscripted shows. It could allow options like live-voting for series with competitions, too. The timeline for live shows is not clear. Deadline cites sources who say Netflix is still in the early days of the new plan. Meanwhile, Netflix is also considering a cheaper, ad-supported option.
Read More: Deadline, The Verge, Engadget
Billboard Music Awards Recap
At last night’s Billboard Music Awards, two artists made their return to the stage following controversies. This was country star Morgan Wallen’s first major award show performance since last year when he was caught on camera using a racial slur. Also, last night was the first televised performance for rapper Travis Scott since a tragedy six months ago. That’s when people died during a crowd surge at a Scott performance. Neither Wallen nor Scott addressed the incidents. Also last night, Mary J. Blige was awarded the Icon Award. Overall, Olivia Rodrigo and Ye took home the most awards.
Read More: AP, CNN, NY Daily News, Billboard
Money Monday: Manhattan Rents Hit Record
Manhattan rents hit record highs for the third straight month. A new report found the median cost of a rental there is about $3,900 a month on newly-signed leases. That’s up nearly 40% from this time last year. Even though the trend is especially extreme in New York City, that’s not the only place where rents are going up. Real estate brokerage Redfin also put out a report recently that found rental prices have climbed to record highs nationwide. Around the country, the median monthly asking price for a lease is about $2,000. That’s up 17% as compared to a year ago.
Read More: Bloomberg, CNN, WSJ, Fox Business, Redfin