Texas vs. US Border Battle Escalates

Written By Guest User

Michigan school shooter’s mother on trial & the Stanley cup craze

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Good morning,

As you sip a warm beverage this AM, do you use good old fashioned cow’s milk or an alternative?

Well, Dunkin’ is facing a new lawsuit from lactose intolerant customers who claim they were discriminated against for having to pay extra for non-dairy milks like soy, almond or oat.

  • 💰Plaintiffs say it cost them anywhere from 50 cents to $2.15 extra for the alternatives. They claim that because milk allergies are considered disabilities, Dunkin's conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.

  • We compared the retail prices of different types of milk at Walmart and found non dairy milk DOES cost more (see above). While chains like Dunkin’ buy in bulk, plant-based milks still cost more.

Even so, the plaintiffs claim the ADA bans Dunkin’ from imposing a surcharge for the cost of accommodating anyone with a disability.

Enjoy the weekend—regardless of which milk is in your coffee!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

🔐 TEXAS FINDS LOOPHOLE IN SUPREME COURT RULING ON RAZOR WIRE

 
 

Texas keeps rolling out contested razor-wire fencing on the US-Mexico border, despite a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Biden administration this week. It comes as the White House continues to fight the state over border measures federal authorities say are illegal.

CLIP CLIP
In a 5-4 emergency ruling, the Supreme Court sided with the federal government on Monday, affirming the right for US Customs and Border Protection to temporarily remove razor-wire installed by Texas along the Rio Grande river.

  • 🚦However, Texas has interpreted the court’s ruling to mean they can still continue to put up additional fencing— even as the feds take it down.

  • A lower court—the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals—is still set to hear the larger case regarding the legality of the barrier next month. So, the issue may return to the Supreme Court.

LONE STAR PUSHBACK
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is arguing the Constitution gives states the right to defend themselves in the face of an "invasion,” which Abbott considers the surge of migrants at the border.

  • In a statement, Abbott said: "President Biden has violated his oath to faithfully execute immigration laws enacted by Congress… Instead of prosecuting immigrants for the federal crime of illegal entry, President Biden has sent his lawyers into federal courts to sue Texas for taking action to secure the border.”

  • The White House calls the Texas move a “stunt,” that makes its job on the border harder and more dangerous.

UP NEXT
The state continues to face federal push-back over its attempt to control the border under Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star.”

  • The Biden administration has sued Texas about a new law that lets local officials arrest undocumented migrants. The feds say the have control over immigration and border security.

  • The administration also told Texas’s Attorney General to give Border Patrol agents full access to a public riverfront park that Texas National Guard troops have blocked.

DEAL OR NO DEAL IN CONGRESS?
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told Republican lawmakers privately this week that Trump has complicated a bipartisan border deal in the works.

  • The deal includes concessions by President Biden on the border in exchange for passing his Ukraine aid package. McConnell has previously backed the proposal.

  • Trump recently told congressional Republicans to say no to the deal. He doesn’t want to give Biden a win during election season, and has promised a better deal if he returns to office next year.

  • McConnell reportedly said they’re now in a “quandary” and the deal is slowly dying.

Even if it goes through the Senate: Speaker Mike Johnson said he may not even bring the bill to the floor in the House, where hard right lawmakers loyal to Trump are against it.

⚖️ MOTHER ON TRIAL AFTER SON’S MASS SHOOTING

Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford, MI shooter. Via: NY Times.

The parents of a teenage school shooter face involuntary manslaughter charges. The trial for the mother, Jennifer Crumbley, began yesterday with prosecutors saying she willfully failed to stop her son's 2021 rampage that killed four students and injured seven others— the worst school shooting in Michigan’s history. The case aims to hold parents accountable for the violence committed by their children.

THE CASE
Prosecutors say Jennifer and her husband, James, provided their then-15-year-old son, Ethan, with access to the firearm used in the shooting, and refused to acknowledge warning signs — even on the day of the tragedy.

  • Timeline: Days before the shooting, Oxford High School administrators contacted Jennifer and James after a teacher found Ethan looking-up ammunition in class. Jennifer didn’t respond to the school, but texted her son, "lol, I'm not mad at you, you have to learn not to get caught.”

  • 🚨 Hours before the shooting, a teacher found a drawing of a gun, a bleeding person, and the words: “The thoughts won't stop, help me.” The Crumbleys were called to the school but did not take their son home.

Ethan was sentenced last month to life in prison without parole. He pleaded guilty to charges that included first-degree murder.

PUSH TO PROSECUTE
Parents across the country have increasingly been taken to court over gun violence perpetrated by their children.

🥤THE STANLEY CUP CRAZE & CONCERNS ABOUT LEAD POISONING

CA police found 65 stolen Stanley cups valued at $2,500. Via: CNN.

Stanley cups are all the rage— and we’re not talking hockey. So much so, a California women allegedly stole $2,500 worth of them.

But now some customers are concerned the cups could cause lead poisoning— accusations the brand is pushing back on.

FIRST, WHY ARE THESE CUPS SO COVETED?
Short answer: social media. A younger generation has taken to the 111-year-old brand, whose cups cost anywhere from $20 to $50.

  • Specifically, the “Quencher” cup, which took off on social media and has helped bring Stanley’s annual sales to $750 million in 2023 — that’s up 10X from about $73 million just four years ago.

    • Part of the appeal: Stanley’s vacuum seal keeps drinks hot or cold for hours.

  • What helped the company: They say, a rebrand in 2020 with more colors, collaborations (one with Starbucks and at Target now is getting massive attention), and designs.

LEAD FEARS
But now some online videos are getting traction over claims that the cups contain lead. Before you throw away these coveted Stanleys, here’s the deal:

  • Stanley says a pellet containing lead sits at the bottom of the cup to make the vacuum seal, which keeps drinks cold/warm — and doesn’t come in contact with liquids.

  • Unless the stainless steel barrier that covers the pellet comes off, which is “rare,” the company says there is no risk of lead exposure. If that steel does come off, go get yourself a new cup….legally.

 

⏳ SPEED READ

 

🚨NATION

📌 Biden returns to a bridge in Wisconsin for an election-year pitch on policy achievements (AP)

📌 Alabama executes inmate using nitrogen gas, first time it has been used (AL.COM)

📌 Trump testified for less than five minutes in E. Jean Carroll defamation trial (CBS NEWS)

📌 RNC looking to name Trump “presumptive nominee” after winning first two states (THE DISPATCH)

📌 Several TED fellows resign over naming of Bill Ackman, Bari Weiss TED main stage speakers (MO NEWS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 US warned Iran of terrorist threat before Jan. 3 attack (REUTERS)

📌 Parrots dropping curse words become stars at a British zoo ($#@%!) (NPR)

📌 South Korea warns against social media trend of eating fried toothpicks (REUTERS)

📌 CIA Director expected to meet with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari negotiators to push for hostage deal (CNN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Some Robitussin cold and flu cough syrups recalled due to potential contamination (ABC NEWS)

📌 FTC opens inquiry into Big Tech AI investments (AXIOS)

📌 Probe into GM’s Cruise finds poor leadership, culture issues at center of accident response (CNBC)

📌 JPMorgan shuffles top bosses as Wall Street focuses on Dimon succession (REUTERS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Taylor Swift nude AI images go viral, sparking outrage (NBC)

📌 Justin Timberlake releases brand new single. Watch music video (PEOPLE)

📌 Falcons pass on Bill Belichick, hire Rams coach instead (ESPN)

📌 Bobby Berk confirms Tan France feud, reveals why he really left ‘Queer Eye’ (PAGE SIX)

📌 Sofia Richie is pregnant, expecting first baby with husband Elliot Grainge (PEOPLE)

 

🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN’ WKND

Guest User
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