We’re back and we’re reading – everything from the “New York Times” to the “Wall Street Journal.” We’re trying to help you keep up with the rapid pace of politics and policy. Today we’ve got gunfire in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, a sexual assault charge and comments from the President.
Man opens fire at his Wisconsin office
A man opened fire on his co-workers at his Wisconsin software company Wednesday.
The man wounded four people before being shot and killed by police officers.
The Middleton police chief said the man had a semi-automatic pistol in his possession along with extra ammunition.
The motive and if the victims were targeted by the gunman are still unclear at this time, according to the Associate Press.
Gunfire in the court
Four people were shot after a man opened fire near a judge’s office in Masontown, PA.
The suspect was expected to appear in court on Wednesday in regard to a domestic violence case. He entered the lobby and opened fire before walking into the courtroom.
Attorney Eric Rudolph said he heard a pop before people came into the courtroom yelling “Shooter!” Then, a man entered waving a gun around before pointing it at Rudolph. Rudolph put his face in his hands and when he looked up, the gunman was gone.
Officers shot and killed the gunman at the scene.
Where’s Wilson?
Law enforcement in Austin, Texas has a hard time locating Cody Wilson, the 3-D printed gun maker, who is now charged with sexual assault of a minor.
Wilson missed his flight to the U.S. from Taiwan, his last seen location, Wednesday. Law enforcement officials have a warrant out for his arrest and are working with national and international agencies to find Wilson.
He is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl at a hotel in Austin in August. The girl states they met through a “sugar daddy” website.
Wilson is known for his announcement to upload blueprints for 3-D printed guns to a website. He was blocked due to a lawsuit from 19 states and the nation’s capital itself.
Disgraced former police commander dead at 70
Jon Burge’s died Wednesday at the age of 70 in Florida.
Don’t know who Burge was? He was the disgraced police commander in Chicago who was known for his brutal and torturous misconduct.
The news media reported for years on an abundant amount of cases that Burge used various forms of torture to obtain confessions.
Most of this brutality took place in the ’70s and ’80s, but were a key part in the 2000 decision to vacate the Illinois death row.
In 2016, the city of Chicago paid Burge’s torture victims a total of $5.5 million.
No details of Burge’s death have been reported at this time as his family declined to speak to the media.
No cashier? No problem.
Amazon plans to open up 3,000 cashier-less stores by 2021.
These AmazonGo stores would rival many grab-and-go type businesses. Amazon hopes to target dense, urban areas with a young, affluent community. This makes it less of a threat to gas stations and more of a threat to popular places like Panera, Subway and Pret a Manger, all popular locations with fresh, healthy grab-and-go options.
AmazonGo stores have two locations: Seattle and Chicago. More stores plan to open soon according to The Seattle Times.
Shoppers use an app to enter the store. After collecting their necessary items, they walk out. Sensors and computer technology detect what shoppers leave with and bill them.
The challenge for Amazon’s 3,000 store plan is the cost. The Seattle location cost $1 million in hardware alone.
No attorney general for President Trump
“I don’t have an attorney general. It’s very sad.” These are the words of President Donald Trump in an interview with Hill.TV.
Trump has renewed his criticism of Jeff Sessions and Sessions’ decision to step aside and leave the Russian interference investigation.
According to BBC, the president also said he was unhappy with Session’s response to immigration and has received comments from many people about firing him.
These comments are just the latest in a brutal relationship that started in February 2016 when Sessions was the first Republican senator to endorse Trump.
New policies in place for Catholic bishops
Catholic bishops unveiled their plans to setup a hotline in response to the sexual misconduct amongst them.
This hotline will be run by third parties and allow complaints about sexual abuse or harassment. The hotline will receive complaints by phone and online.
According to The New York Times, this is just one of several steps the U.S. bishops have put into place in an attempt to protect their credibility and prevent further abuse.
All of these steps come in response to the former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick who represented the Catholic church around the world after settlements were paid to two men who accuse him of molestation.
That’s all we have for today. Check back tomorrow for more.
