Monday Scoop: Tragedy in Pittsburgh
The big story…
The Country Mourns Those Murdered in Pittsburgh Synagogue
On Saturday morning a gunman opened fire during a Saturday service in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh killing 11 people and injuring 6 others. The perpetrator Robert Bowers, who was taken into custody after exchanging gunfire with the police, told a SWAT officer that he “wanted all Jews to die.” Bowers will make his first court appearance today, and Federal prosecutors have said that they are seeking the death penalty for this heinous crime.
The shooting has sparked a nationwide conversation about the prevalence of anti-semitism and the possible connection between the president’s rhetoric and this attack. This tragedy comes within the same week that a man in Kentucky shot two people at a Kroger grocery store and a would-be bomber sent suspicious packages to 12 prominent Democrats.
On Saturday night, thousands in the Pittsburgh community attended an interfaith candlelight vigil in remembrance of the victims of the massacre. Here are their names:
Joyce Feinberg, 75
Rich Gotfried, 65
Rose Malinger, 97
Jerry Rabinowitz, 66
Cecil Rosenthal, 59
David Rosenthal, 54 (brothers)
Bernice Simon, 84
Sylvan Simon, 86 (a married couple)
Daniel Stein, 71
Melvin Wax, 88
Irving Youngner, 69
In global news…
A Plane Crash in Jakarta Leaves No Survivors
A Lion Air passenger plane with 189 people on board crashed into the sea shortly after departing the airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. Although the main wreckage has yet to be found, rescuers say that there is no sign of survivors. The cause of the crash is unclear, although some speculate that the plane, a Boeing 737 Max which had only been in commission since August, may have had technical difficulties related to an issue on another flight that had reportedly been resolved.
In global politics:
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not be seeking re-election as chairwoman of her party, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.
- Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro was announced the winner of the Brazilian presidential election on Sunday.
- Princess Ayoko of Japan resigned her royal status to marry for love.
- Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena has fired the country’s prime minister over an alleged assassination plot.
- Ireland has voted to remove blasphemy as a punishable offense, revealing the weakening influence of the Catholic Church.
- Ethiopia has its first female president.
- There is still not a finalized Brexit deal, and there’s only 150 days to go until the U.K. is set to leave the European Union.
In business…
IBM to Buy Red Hat for $34 Billion
Computer manufacturing company IBM is set to buy the cloud software company Red Hat for $34 billion. IBM hopes that this merger will be a game-changer and the last piece of the puzzle in enabling companies to utilize the cloud in every day business.
In sports…
Red Sox Win the World Series
The Boston Red Sox clinched the World Series against the Los Angelos Dodgers in a winning streak of 5-1. This season, the Red Sox were unmatched with a total of 119 wins between the regular season and playoffs. The team was almost undefeated in the World Series except for Game 3 when the Dodgers won 3-2 in what was the longest World Series game ever.
Also in sports…
Simone Biles Dominates World Gymnastics Championship
Despite a visit to the hospital for a kidney stone a mere hours before the competition, Simone Biles qualified for the finals in the World Gymnastics Championship. Starting Tuesday, Biles will be competing in all final events including vault, balance beam, floor exercise, uneven bars, the all-around, and the team competition.
Trending today…
When Your Aunt Is Cardi B (Can’t Relate)
Last but not least…
The Trump White House Issues Economic Reports Against Socialism
Last week, the Trump administration released a 70-page report from the Council of Economic Advisors warning about the rise of socialism. The document details that progressive Democrats’ proposed policies could prove harmful to the U.S. economy, citing examples from countries such as Denmark and Sweden. This report comes over two weeks after President Trump published a much-criticized op-ed in USA Today disputing the efficiency of a single-payer universal health care system. Read more in Duane Paul Murphy’s report for CMN.
Monday’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Natalia Kolenko, Duane Paul Murphy, Britney Hoobraj, and the CMN Staff. Happy National Cat Day to all our feline-loving friends!
