Fires Military-Style Rifle During Sunday Services; Victims Range from Age 5 to 72
Church shooting. At least 26 people were killed and more than two dozen injured in a shooting during services at a rural Texas church, the deadliest mass killing at a house of worship in modern U.S. history.
The shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, is the 307th mass shooting of the year in our country. The victims’ ages range from 5 to 72.
Frank Pomeroy, the pastor, believes his 14-year-old daughter was one of the victims. The shooting comes about a month after a mass shooting in Las Vegas in which 58 people were killed and more than 500 wounded.
“I am praying that our lawmakers find the courage to face our nation’s gun violence problem,” tweeted former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. “This must stop.”
Ross investments. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross retained investments in a shipping firm he once controlled that has significant business ties to a Russian oligarch subject to American sanctions and President Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law.
The firm, Navigator Holdings, earns millions of dollars a year transporting gas for the Russian energy company Sibur whose owners include the oligarch and Putin’s son-in-law. Ross’s stake in Navigator has been held by a chain of companies in the Cayman Islands, a tax haven.
The ethics agreement Ross filed in January listed the partnerships he intended to keep but not the investments they held.
Scrapped satellite. Congress ordered that a satellite meant to study the melting of the Arctic ice cap be destroyed before it could be launched. The probe, which was being stored by the U.S. Air Force, was supposed to replace an aging satellite that has broken down. Our planet’s sea ice has shrunk as rising emissions of greenhouse gases have warmed the planet. The decline in sea ice means less solar energy is reflected into space which further increases global temperatures. “This is like throwing away the medical records of a sick patient,” said David Gallaher of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo.
Injured. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suffered five fractured ribs after he was assaulted by a neighbor at his Bowling Green home. Paul’s absence could make it more difficult for Republicans to pass bills in the Senate where the party controls just 52 votes. Paul’s neighbor, Rene Boucher, allegedly tackled Paul from behind on Friday. Officials have not disclosed a reason for the altercation. It’s unclear when Paul will be able to return to Washington. “The pain is considerable as is the difficulty in getting around, including flying,” said Paul’s chief political strategist.