Maine mass shooting: A manhunt continued today for 40-year-old Robert Card, identified as a firearms instructor in the Army Reserve and who is believed to have killed 16 people and wounded dozens more in Lewiston, Maine, last night. Residents and businesses were advised to lock down by local authorities who warn that Card remains armed and dangerous. This past summer, Card was reported to have received treatment for a mental health issue that officials said included a threat to shoot people a military base.
Gaza incursion: Israel’s military went into the northern part of Gaza overnight and pulled out after conducting a series of assaults on several targets. An official said the attacks were designed to prepare the battlefield for a full-scale invasion to come later. Israeli airstrikes continued in the southern part of Gaza. In the U.N. Security Council, Russia and China both vetoed a U.S. resolution calling for the U.N. to negotiate a ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas conflict so that humanitarian aid can flow freely into Gaza.
Auto strike settlement: Ford and the United Auto Workers union have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. Union workers are returning to work at Ford while the voting on whether to ratify the contract is underway. The contract calls for a 25% salary hike over its four-year length with an immediate 11% raise for all union workers. Wages paid to temporary workers would increase by 150% during the term of the contract.
Justice Thomas’ loan: According to a report from the Senate Finance Committee, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife never fully paid off a loan of more than $267,000 that they received from a friend, Anthony Welters, to pay for the purchase of a motorhome. The report alleges that the Justice and Mrs. Thomas never paid taxes on the portion of the loan that was forgiven. Loans that are forgiven are treated as income for tax purposes. An attorney for Justice and Mrs. Thomas said they made all of the payments that were required, but didn’t provide details about the requirements of the loan agreement.
Economy grows: The U.S. economy grew slightly faster than expected in the third quarter according to government data released today. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 4.9% in the third quarter of 2023 according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. An increase of 4.7% had been forecast. In the second quarter of the year GDP had increased only 2.1%.
New speaker won’t say: The new Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, has declined to answer questions about whether he believes Joe Biden is legitimately the president. Johnson was deeply involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election and keep Donald Trump in the White House. Analysis in publications including The Guardian and The Washington Post raise concerns that Johnson may interfere with the 2024 election results. President Biden said during a news conference yesterday that he’s not worried Johnson would try to invalidate the 2024 election results.
