Mother of School Shooter Found Guilty In Trial
Boeing appears negligent in new report on Alaska incident; House chaos as impeachment vote fails
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Good morning,
Need a little inspiration for dinner tonight? Or not?!?
Well, the New York Times Cooking page suggests the most “foolproof” way to cook salmon from scratch is actually in the microwave: just add water and salt and cook for 3-4 minutes for “buttery flaky fillets, rich in flavor.”
Because of fish’s water content, the microwave (they say) is a great place to cook 🐟 because the electromagnetic waves target water molecules.
And, most people have microwaves: over 90% of American homes have one.
Over on the Mo News Instagram, people overwhelmingly disagreed. Of the 16,000 of you who voted in our poll, only 7% said “yum.”
The rest of you suggested an intervention, de-friending or calling the police on anyone who cooks fish via microwave!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
⚖️ MOTHER FOUND GUILTY OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER FOR SON’S SCHOOL SHOOTING
Jennifer Crumbley leaving the courtroom after being found guilty. Via: WSJ.
In the first case of its kind, a Michigan jury found Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of a school shooter who killed four students, guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Here’s a video from the courtroom.
Prosecutors argued she was “grossly negligent” for failing to secure guns and ignoring her son’s warning signs, thus failing to protect the victims. She testified that she “wouldn’t have” done anything differently.
THE CASE
Crumbley and her husband, James, were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter after their then-15-year-old son, Ethan, opened fire at Oxford High School in November 2021. Ethan pleaded guilty to 24 charges, which included first-degree murder, and is spending life in prison without parole.
THE EVIDENCE: In Ethan’s journal, he wrote, “I want help but my parents don’t listen to me,” and describe plans to “shoot up” his school.
School administrators contacted Crumbley and her husband — whose trial begins in March — about multiple concerning incidents: one when Ethan searched for ammunition in class and another, hours before the shooting, when Ethan drew a picture with a gun, a bleeding person, and the words, “The thoughts won't stop, help me.”
Crumbley’s parents chose not to pull Ethan from class despite the school recommending he get immediate help.
After that previous incident where Ethan was caught searching for ammunition on his phone, Jennifer later texted Ethan: "LOL, I'm not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.”
🚨 Days before the shooting, James purchased the gun used in the shooting for Ethan, and Jennifer took Ethan to the shooting range. Prosecutors say neither of them properly stored the gun.
During the trial, it was revealed Jennifer was having an affair at the time of the shooting — which prosecutors said occupied her attention, along with her horses. She texted the man she was having a romantic relationship with that the shooting “could have been prevented.”
The judge will sentence Jennifer on April 9. She faces up to 60 years in prison and will likely appeal the case.
PRESSURE ON PARENTS
It’s the first time a parent has been held accountable for their child’s school shooting. It is unclear how this might impact other future cases. The ruling could put additional pressure on parents to secure firearms, and intervene when they see warning signs from their kids.
📌 IMPEACHMENT FAILURE: 3 REPUBLICANS JOIN DEMOCRATS IN VOTING DOWN MEASURE
Mayorkas on Capitol Hill in December. Via: NY Times.
The House failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday over his role in the US-Mexico border crisis. In a boisterous scene on the House floor, 214 Republicans voted for impeachment, while four Republicans joined 212 Democrats in voting against it, making the final vote 214-216.
It’s a major setback for House Speaker Mike Johnson as he tries to move forward with other measures in a closely divided Congress.
BREAKAWAYS
Three Republican Reps., Mike Gallagher (Wis.), Tom McClintock (Calif.), and Ken Buck (Colo.) joined the Democrats. Realizing they didn’t have the votes, another Republican, Rep. Blake D. Moore (Utah) actually changed his "yes" vote to "no" for procedural reasons, so that Republicans can try to impeach Mayorkas at a later date (you can bring up a failed bill in the future if you vote on the winning side).
Several Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), surrounded Gallagher to try to persuade him to change his vote — to no avail
Speaker Johnson called the vote “an extreme measure,” but that “extreme times call for extreme measures.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Likely, another vote. Speaker Mike Johnson and House leadership are going back to the table to persuade one of the three "no" votes to change to a "yes."
Johnson could also wait until the return of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who missed Tuesday’s vote because he’s undergoing cancer treatments.
Even if it passes, impeachment is basically a slap on the wrist from the House. The Senate is where a trial and potential conviction would take place. And Democrats control the Senate right now, so Mayorkas will not be convicted.
Still, Mayorkas would be the first Cabinet official to be impeached since 1876.
AT ISSUE
The charges against Mayorkas say that he “willfully refused to enforce border laws and breached the public trust.” Mayorkas said the "false accusations do not rattle me."
✈️ NTSB REPORT FINDS BOEING PLANE DIDN’T HAVE KEY BOLTS
A panel that blew off an Alaska Airlines plan mid-flight last month appears to have been installed at a Boeing plant WITHOUT the four bolts required to keep it attached. That’s according to the preliminary findings from a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released Tuesday.
THE FINDINGS
Remember Bob? He found the door plug that fell 16,000 feet into his backyard outside of Portland, OR. Investigators say there was minimal damage around the area where the bolts were located, signaling that they weren’t actually there.
Spirit AeroSystems originally installed the door plug, which then went to Boeing's factory for assembly. The NTSB says that once at the Boeing plant, the door plug needed to be opened for some repairs on the plane, and afterward, the bolts were not reinstalled. It is unclear why.
A photograph from September shows the door plug, after it was reinstalled, missing three of the four bolts.
The report presents initial findings and doesn’t cast blame. The final report, could be more than a year away.
BOEING TAKING SOME RESPONSIBILITY
Following the January 5 incident, the FAA grounded Boeing’s 737 Max 9 jets for 19 days. Most planes have now been inspected, and are back in the sky.
Production of new jets is indefinitely halted, per FAA orders. And FAA’s top official told a House panel on Tuesday that the agency will step-up monitoring Boeing’s production.
Not the first time: Boeing and its 737 Max jets were involved in two crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019.
The issue with the bolts raises questions about whether Boeing made enough safety improvements following those crashes. Boeing’s CEO Dave Calhoun said the company “is accountable for what happened,” and wants to prevent another incident for ever taking place.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Senate Republicans knife bipartisan border security bill, declaring it dead (NBC NEWS)
📌 Rescues and destruction in California following massive storm (MO NEWS)
📌 Nevada held its presidential primaries without Trump on the ballot, GOP caucuses (that actually assign delegates) set for Thursday with his name (CNN)
📌 Maui police release 1st report after investigation into response to deadly blazes (ABC NEWS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Up to 50 of the 130+ remaining Israel hostages in Gaza may no longer be alive (WSJ )
📌 King Charles seen for first time since diagnosis as Prince Harry arrives in the UK (BBC)
📌 Tucker Carlson confirms interview with Putin (THE HILL)
📌 Hamas responds to Gaza truce deal, Blinken says agreement 'possible' (REUTERS)
📌 Former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera dies in a helicopter crash at 74 (NPR)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Ousted WeWork CEO Adam Neumann trying to buy company back (FOX BUSINESS)
📌 Recalled dairy products may be linked to listeria outbreak in 7 states, CDC warns (ABC NEWS)
📌 Viral video of Tesla driver wearing Apple Vision Pro headset raises safety concerns (CBS NEWS)
📌 Honda recalls 750,000 vehicles over airbag flaw (NPR)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Country music star Toby Keith dies at the age of 62 after battle with stomach cancer (MO NEWS)
📌 ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros. to launch sports streaming platform (ESPN)
📌 Taylor Swift released track list for new album, including Post Malone and Florence + Machine (VARIETY)
📌 Vanderpump Rules Season 11 premiere ratings knockout (THE WRAP)
📌 Sports betting and Swifties converge on the Super Bowl (AXIOS)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: FEBRUARY 7
1940: The animated film Pinocchio had its world premiere, and it became one of Disney's most beloved classics.
1964: The Beatles landed in New York City for the start of their first American tour. Two days later, they performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, with 73 million viewers tuning in.
1988: America's Most Wanted, hosted by John Walsh, premiered on Fox.
1992: White House staff and media receive letter from President George H.W. Bush demanding that they stop feeding his dog, Ranger. “He looks like a blimp. A nice, friendly, appealing blimp, but a blimp,” he wrote.