FSU Campus Shooting: 2 Dead, Shooter ID'ed As Sheriff Deputy's Son
Plus: Trump floats firing the Fed Reserve Chair & Fyre festival failure
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Good afternoon,
Let’s begin with news that will surprise no one. Fyre Festival 2 is no longer happening as planned…again.
The organizers of the reboot of the infamous flop informed ticket-holders via text message this week that the music festival will not be happening at the agreed-upon location of Playa del Carmen, Mexico and is postponed until further notice. This is the second time the organizers have changed locations for this festival, which was set to occur next month.
Fyre Festival 2 was planned as a sequel to the infamous 2017 Fyre Festival, in which guests were promised a luxurious experience in the Bahamas — only to be met with nowhere to stay, lost luggage, and cold cheese sandwiches.
Billy McFarland, an organizer behind both iterations of the event, was arrested in 2017 for fraud in connection to the event and served six years in prison.
“We are vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon,” the organizers informed ticket-holders, who were refunded for this year’s festival.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… 🤦♂️
Sam
Associate Producer
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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING
Two People Dead, Suspect In Custody After Campus Shooting At Florida State University
Two people are dead, six are in the hospital with injuries, and a suspect is in custody after a shooting on the Florida State University (FSU) campus in Tallahassee on Thursday. Officials say they’ve identified the shooter as the 20-year-old son of a current Leon County sheriff’s deputy, who had access to one of the weapons his parent previously used.
Law enforcement received calls about shots inside the Student Union, in the heart of campus, around noon local time. Students describe the scene as chaotic — all staff and students were told to shelter in place while officers responded. Officers say the area is still an active crime scene, though students have been cleared to return to their residence halls and all activities have been canceled through Friday.
Neither of the two people who died were students.
MORE ON THE SHOOTER
Police identified the shooter as an FSU student named Phoenix Ikner. He was shot in a gunfire exchange with officers and is currently at the hospital being treated with injuries, where he revoked his right not to speak to law enforcement.
Leon County Sheriff Walt NcNeil said Ikner was involved in a youth program at the department. He said the college student was “steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family and engaged in a number of training programs that we have, so it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.”
McNeil said one of the weapons at the scene was a gun that the deputy — his parent — previously used. Officers say they believe he acted alone.
This isn’t the first shooting on FSU’s campus. In November 2014, a school alum shot three people in a campus library, before being killed by police.
🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING
Trump Says Fed Chair Firing Can’t Come “Soon Enough” After Powell Warns Of Higher Inflation
President Trump expressed a desire to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday, sparking debate over how much power Trump has to terminate governors of the Federal Reserve. The remarks come after Powell, who has been serving as Fed Chair since being appointed during Trump’s first term, said Wednesday that Trump’s plan to impose tariffs could result in both a rise in short-term inflation and slower economic growth.
On Truth Social, Trump said, “Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” He also criticized the Fed for not lowering interest rates. Trump has been pressuring Powell to cut interest rates since he returned to the White House, noting on Thursday that the European Central Bank cut interest rates this week. (Notably, they did it due to concerns about global economic growth.)
Powell did not advise against changing interest rates, instead saying the Reserve will “wait for greater clarity” on Trump’s policies before making policy changes.
MORE ON POWELL’S COMMENTS
Powell warned Wednesday that President Trump’s plans to impose “larger than anticipated” tariffs would most likely result in higher inflation, slower economic growth, and potentially increased unemployment.
Powell said that Trump’s tariffs went well beyond even the worst-case scenariothe Fed anticipated. At issue: the solution to rising inflation is increasing interest rates, while the solution to slower economic growth is lowering interest rates. Tariffs lead to both scenarios at once. What is a central bank to do?!
Powell cautioned against the Fed making any adjustments to their policy stances on interest rates yet. This means that interest rates will remain around 4.25% to 4.5%.
FIRING POWELL?
Later Thursday, Trump doubled down on firing Powell, saying “If I want him out, he’ll be out of there real fast. Believe me.” Many legal experts see Trump potentially move as an overreach of executive power.
The Federal Reserve Act, established in 1913, dictates that Fed governors – who are confirmed by the Senate and serve 14-year terms – can only be removed with cause and not because of policy disputes.
When asked about this on Wednesday, Powell emphasized the need for the Fed to operate independently. Powell’s term expires in May 2026, so has just about a year to go anyway.
Trump signed an executive order in February seeking to exert more controlover the Fed, but left decisions on interest rates up to the central bank.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 People with autism respond to RFK’s speech on seeking a cure to the condition (AXIOS)
📌 After a blackout, more than half of Puerto Rico remains without power (ABC)
📌 The US government imprisoned a Venezuelan asylum seeker after mistaking autism awareness symbol tattoo for a gang sign (NBC)
📌 Florida State University students react to campus shooting (FOX)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Ukraine destroys 29 Russian armored vehicles in south of country (NEWSWEEK)
📌 The U.K tests a new radio wave weapon to take down drones (CBS)
📌 A dog that disappeared on October 7 reunites with family in Israel after being found in Gaza (TIMES OF ISRAEL)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 New evidence suggests that Mars once had conditions that could have supported life (CBC)
📌 Judge finds that Google holds an illegal monopoly on advertising tech (REUTERS)
📌 American winemakers bemoan how tariffs damage the wine chain (NPR)
📌 A live colossal squid was discovered in the deep ocean for the first time (CNN)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Michelle Trachtenberg, Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress, likely died of Diabetes complications (PEOPLE)
📌 Netflix’s new Arctic comedy series North of North debuts with 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating (SCREENRANT)
📌 Michael B. Jordan delivers not one, but two start performances as a set of twins in supernatural thriller Sinners (SLATE)
📌 Drake attacks Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance in new lawsuit (REUTERS)
📌 Katy Perry on coming back to earth after Blue Origin trip backlash (NEW YORK POST)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it…Yesterday, we hosted a workshop for our Mo News Premium members on one of the most hotly debated topics in the U.S. right now: immigration.
Our guest was Syracuse University’s Dr. Austin Kocher, who helped us break down and explain the legal impacts of Trump’s immigration agenda, and connected recent headlines to the broader immigration picture.
We love doing these workshops with hundreds of our Mo News Premium friends. If you want to join the fun, become a member of Mo News Premium today! We’re currently running a 20% sale for all annual members with the code: GOODNEWS… so get the deal while you still can!