Georgia School Shooter Was On Law Enforcement Radar For A Year
Plus, Amazon's Alexa appears to back Harris over Trump; Record breaking heatwave could go into the fall
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Swing state voters in Michigan may have more incentive to show up to the polls this November. They could get one of the state’s new “I Voted” stickers designed by residents.
More than 480 designs were submitted and over 57,700 public votes were cast to choose the nine winners.
Goodbye to the oval “I Voted” sticker. Michigan clerks will be handing out the newly designed stickers— ranging from a werewolf tearing off his shirt to a simple “ope, I voted.”
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Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
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📌 NEW 🇺🇸 SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS WITH ANOTHER MASS SHOOTING
Just as a new school year begins, we sadly have another deadly school shooting to report. This time, at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia about an hour from Atlanta. Law enforcement officials say a 14-year-old male student shot and killed two students and two teachers on Wednesday.
The victims are Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irmie, both math teachers, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14.
At least nine other people were hospitalized.
It’s the deadliest school shooting in Georgia history, and a tragic reminder of the rise in gun violence across the county.
Initial data for 2023 appears to show even more shootings than 2022. Via: Washington Post.
THE TIMELINE
Authorities said the first report of an active shooter came in at 10:20 a.m. ET. Two school resource officers quickly confronted the gunman, who is a student at the school. "He gave up, got on the ground and was taken into custody,” Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said on Wednesday afternoon, noting the quick action of the officer prevented even more casualties.
There are reports that the high school received a phone call earlier on Wednesday, warning that the school would be the first of five schools to have a shooting that day. Officers do not know if the shooter was targeting anyone specifically or the motive for the shooting.
Officials said the 14-year-old shooter will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
He reportedly used an AR-15 style rifle, but it’s unclear how the suspect got his hands on the weapon.
WARNING SIGNS: The suspect had been on the radar of law enforcement for about a year before the shooting. The FBI and Sheriff’s office say he was questioned by law enforcement last year regarding “several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time.”
At the time, the County Sheriff’s Office interviewed the suspect and his father.
His father said he had hunting guns in the house but his son didn’t have access to them. The suspect denied making the threats.
But the county had alerted local schools to monitor him.
NOTABLE: In recent school shooting cases, parents have been charged too.
POLITICIANS WEIGH IN
President Biden said in a statement: "What should have been a joyous back-to-school season ... has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart."
Biden also used his statement to call on Congress to pass bans on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, as he has in the past.
In 2022, Biden signed into law the first major gun safety legislation passed by Congress in nearly 30 years. It closed a loophole to make it harder for domestic abusers to get guns and targeted individuals who have evaded registering as federally licensed firearms dealers despite selling guns.
Harris has regularly called for an assault weapons ban and universal background checks, while Trump has vowed to safeguard gun rights and suggested the solution is arming teachers and increasing school security.
🥵 100+ DAYS OF 100+ DEGREE HEAT IN ARIZONA— NO RELIEF IN SIGHT
Phoenix, Arizona broke a record of 100 straight days of temperatures at or above 100 degrees this week. Today will mark Day 102. The previous record was 76 days set in 1993.
The streak started on May 27. Temps have peaked at 118 degrees.
The average LOW over the 100 days was 87 degrees.
Phoenix is the "hottest large city in America’s" hottest summer on record— and meteorologists say "there's no end in sight."
HEATWAVE
Into next week, highs could top 110 degrees in Phoenix, and the city could see highs above 100 into October.
At least 177 deaths in Maricopa County, where the city is located, are being blamed on heat this year. Hundreds more are under investigation.
Heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the US. High temperatures at night are especially dangerous.
Bigger picture: Earth has been shattering heat records over the past year+. For 14 successive months, Earth clocked the warmest respective month on record. Preliminary data appears to show August will be the 15th.
In cities like Phoenix, scientists point to greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and vehicles burning fossil fuels as a driver of hotter temperatures.
El Niño, which leads to warmer temperatures, released its hold on the tropical Pacific in May 2024 after a year, according to NOAA. La Niña should bring some relief, but not soon enough!
📌 HEY ALEXA, WHY SHOULD I VOTE FOR TRUMP OR HARRIS? RESPONSE GOES VIRAL
Some users of Amazon’s Alexa are criticizing the product for appearing to favor Vice President Kamala Harris regarding the 2024 election. The virtual assistant gave a list of reasons why users, when asked, should vote for Harris. But when the same users asked why they should vote for former President Donald Trump, Alexa declined to answer.
Alexa’s answer supporting Harris included: “her career in politics has been characterized by a commitment to progressive ideals and a focus on helping disenfranchised communities,” that she promises a “tough on crime approach to battling the violent crime wave that has swept the nation in recent years,” and that as “a female of color” she has “a comprehensive plan to address racial injustice and inequality throughout the country.”
AMAZON’S RESPONSE: The company says it was an “error” that has been fixed, and now, Alexa should answer for both candidates a standard, “I cannot provide content that promotes a specific party or a specific candidate.”
According to the tech giant, it has dedicated teams in place to prevent similar situations in the future.
Still, a number of social media users have been expressing skepticism that this was just an innocent error.
Bottom line: It’s just another reminder that humans are programming technologies, and their bias will come through.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Trump, Harris agree to rules for Tuesday debate (NBC)
📌 Republicans pushing Christianity into public schools are hitting resistance — even in red states (POLITICO)
📌 Some Walz family members endorse Trump (AP)
📌 Barron Trump arrives at NYU for first day at college (NY POST)
📌 Indictment: Right-Wing Influencers Allegedly Spread Russian Disinformation (WIRED)
📌 Liz Cheney endorses Kamala Harris (FOX NEWS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Zelensky orders war's biggest reshuffle to give Ukraine 'new energy' (REUTERS)
📌 Israeli leader demands the country maintains control over Gaza-Egypt border (AP)
📌 Biden close to blocking Nippon Steel takeover of US Steel (REUTERS)
📌 "Tourist taxes" help hotspots in Europe cope with surges of visitors (AXIOS)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Meta’s Oversight Board rules ‘from the River to the Sea’ is not hate speech (CNN)
📌 Molson Coors pumps the brakes on DEI practices (CNBC)
📌 Biden set to block US Steel's sale to Japan's Nippon Steel (AXIOS)
📌 Southwest brings back buy-one, get-one-free Companion Pass promotion (CNN)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Ridley Scott rebuilds Rome for ‘Gladiator II’ (AP)
📌 Travis Kelce's team shuts down 'entirely false' Taylor Swift breakup 'plan' (NEWSWEEK)
📌 ‘Fake heiress’ Anna Sorokin will compete on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ amid deportation battle (AP)
📌 Kim Kardashian makes son Saint, 8, sign ‘extensive contract’ before starting YouTube channel (PAGE SIX)
📌 American Ezra Frech completes incredible Paralympic gold double (CNN)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: SEPTEMBER 5
1955: The first Waffle House opened in Avondale Estates, Georgia.
1972: Palestinian terrorists attacked the Olympic Village in Munich, West Germany, during the Summer Olympic Games, taking hostages and eventually killing 11 members of the Israeli team.
1975: Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, attempted to assassinate US President Gerald R. Ford. She was sentenced to life in prison, but was released in 2009.
1986: Paul Simon releases ‘You Can Call Me Al.’