The Morning Sixpack - December 17, 2024
Wisconsin school shooting, Cash App verdict, Pig kidney transplant, Scholz loses vote, Germany economic crisis, Syrian mass grave.
Wisconsin School Shooting Leaves Community Reeling; Motive Remains Unknown
In a tragic and shocking incident, a 15-year-old student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, killing a teacher and a fellow student in a classroom filled with multiple grade-level students. The suspect, Natalie Rupnow, who also went by Samantha, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before police arrived. The shooting left two students critically injured, while three others and a teacher sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities are investigating the motive behind the attack that has devastated the close-knit community.
“I was in the hallway… then I heard the shooting and screams,” a second-grader told ABC Chicago station WLS, highlighting the sheer terror felt by those on campus. Remarkably, another second-grade student placed the 911 call that alerted authorities. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes emphasized, “Let that soak in for a minute. A second-grade student called 911 at 10:57 a.m. to report a shooting at school.” The parents of the shooter are cooperating with the investigation, with police questioning the father and noting the mother was out of town at the time.
President Joe Biden called the shooting “shocking and unconscionable,” urging Congress to pass stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers echoed the heartbreak, saying, “It is unthinkable that a kid or an educator might wake up and go to school one morning and never come home.” As the investigation unfolds, the tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing challenges in protecting schools and communities from gun violence.
Editor: I’m tired. A lot of us are tired about hearing of yet another mass- or school shooting. We’re tired of hearing this is “shocking and unconsionable.”
No, it’s not. It’s neither. It’s NORMAL now.
This quote is attributed to Einstein (he never said or wrote it): "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This is EXACTLY what we’re doing with gun violence.
I have an idea: Kids should NEVER have access to firearms. The parents who are negligent (and all of them are) whose kids get hold of their loaded guns should be prosecuted as—at least—accessories to murder.
I could go a step further: Not everybody should have a gun. And I have an easy solution to the 2A people: The government will not infringe on your right to keep and bear arms, but we the people will infringe on your privilege of acquiring ammunition.
Verdict Reached in High-Profile Killing of Cash App Founder Bob Lee
A San Francisco jury has reached a verdict in the murder trial of Nima Momeni, the man accused of fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee in April 2023. The decision, which comes after weeks of deliberation, will be read on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in San Francisco Superior Court. Momeni, a self-described tech entrepreneur, faces 26 years to life in prison if found guilty. The case has drawn national attention due to its shocking details and conflicting narratives between the prosecution and defense.
Prosecutors allege that Momeni planned the attack after accusing Lee of introducing Momeni's sister to drugs, leading to a tense confrontation. According to the prosecution, Momeni lured Lee to a secluded area near the Bay Bridge, stabbing him multiple times with a knife taken from his sister's kitchen. “Lee’s blood was found on the blade, and Momeni’s DNA was on the handle,” prosecutors said, emphasizing premeditation. In contrast, Momeni’s defense claims the stabbing was an act of self-defense during an altercation sparked by a “bad joke” and Lee’s alleged drug-fueled aggression.
Momeni testified that Lee "blew up" after the joke, saying, “I made a bad joke. I said if it was my last night in town, I’d go hang out with my family instead of f------ around in strip clubs. It set him off. He went from zero to one hundred.” The defense further argued that Lee’s multi-day cocaine and alcohol binge fueled the conflict. Surveillance footage showing the two men leaving Momeni’s sister’s condo and heading to the scene of the stabbing has been central to both sides' cases. The verdict will finally determine Momeni’s fate in this high-stakes trial.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/jury-cash-app-founders-death-reaches-verdict
Editor: With friends like this…
Alabama Woman Receives Nation’s Third Pig Kidney Transplant, Offering Hope for Organ Shortage
In a groundbreaking medical milestone, 53-year-old Towana Looney of Gadsden, Alabama, became the third American to receive a kidney transplant from a genetically modified pig. The procedure, performed at NYU Langone Health just before Thanksgiving, comes after Looney waited eight years for a human organ donor. Since the transplant, Looney has been off dialysis, and her blood pressure, uncontrolled for decades, has stabilized. Doctors are hopeful her success will pave the way for clinical trials, accelerating solutions to the critical organ shortage in the U.S.
Looney, who had developed severe kidney failure due to pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, embraced the opportunity for this experimental xenotransplant. “I’ve never felt better,” she shared, adding that tasks once exhausting while on dialysis are now easy to manage. Looney’s case was particularly complex due to high antibody levels, which made finding a compatible human kidney nearly impossible. The genetically modified pig kidney, created by Revivicor, featured 10 genetic edits to prevent immune rejection.
The surgery highlights the growing potential of xenotransplants to save lives, as over 90,000 Americans currently await a kidney. Looney, determined and optimistic, viewed the procedure as her only path forward. “It’s going to be the best Christmas present you ever got,” her surgeon, Dr. Jayme Locke, told her. Looney agreed without hesitation, recognizing the significance of her role in pioneering a new era of organ transplantation.
Source: http://nytimes.com/2024/12/17/health/pig-kidney-transplant-looney.html
Germany Heads to Snap Elections After Scholz Loses Confidence Vote
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a parliamentary confidence vote on Monday, opening the door for snap elections in February 2025. The move comes after the collapse of his governing coalition, a political crisis that has shaken Germany's leadership and sparked uncertainty about its future direction. Scholz himself called for the vote, signaling his desire for a renewed public mandate to address mounting challenges.
The failed vote marks a significant turning point for Germany's political landscape as the country grapples with economic headwinds and coalition fractures. Scholz's coalition—made up of the Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats—had struggled to maintain unity amid growing disagreements. By calling for a confidence vote, Scholz sought to reset the political stage, but the Bundestag's rejection now sets the course for early elections.
The snap elections, expected in February, will serve as a referendum on Scholz's leadership and policies. As Germany's major parties prepare for a high-stakes campaign, the outcome will determine the country's leadership and strategy in addressing both domestic challenges and its role in Europe.
Speaking of Germany…
Germany’s Political Crisis Rooted in Economic Stagnation
Germany’s economy, once the engine of Europe, has stalled, and the resulting frustration has led to the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government. On Monday, Scholz lost a confidence vote, paving the way for snap elections in February. While the U.S. economy grew 12% over the past five years, Germany’s economy has remained stagnant, plagued by industrial decline, high energy costs, and weak global demand for its exports. Scholz’s failure to reignite growth has fueled dissatisfaction, empowering both conservative and far-right parties ahead of the elections.
“We need more growth,” Scholz argued during his final appeals, calling for massive infrastructure investments and incentives to support emerging industries like AI and biotechnology. However, his calls for increased borrowing clashed with Germany’s strict budgetary constraints. Leading the charge to replace Scholz is Friedrich Merz of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, who blames the chancellor for “one of the biggest economic crises in postwar history.” Merz’s proposals include tax cuts, pushing people back into the workforce, and rolling back benefits.
The elections are set to revolve around competing economic visions. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is gaining ground by opposing green-energy policies and advocating for lower taxes, while Scholz’s center-left allies warn that the AfD’s anti-immigrant stance threatens Germany’s workforce. “The AfD poses the greatest threat to the economy in Germany, to competitiveness and to growth,” said Economy Minister Robert Habeck. As candidates battle for solutions, Germany’s stagnating economy remains at the heart of its political turmoil, with the outcome likely to reshape the nation’s role in Europe.
Source: http://nytimes.com/2024/12/17/world/europe/germany-government-collapse-economy.html
Editor: We here in the US are about to feel this economic pressure, too. Trump’s tariffs will kill our economy. Prices are not going down, people. You were duped. AGAIN.
Syrian Mass Grave May Contain 100,000 Bodies, Advocacy Group Claims
A mass grave near Al Qutayfah, just 25 miles north of Damascus, may contain the bodies of at least 100,000 people killed under the now-overthrown regime of Bashar al-Assad, according to Mouaz Moustafa, head of the U.S.-based Syrian Emergency Task Force. Speaking to Reuters, Moustafa described the figure as “a very, very extremely, almost unfairly conservative estimate” and revealed this site is one of five mass graves identified so far. Evidence, he said, comes from the testimonies of workers who escaped Syria’s brutal prison system.
The victims are believed to include not only Syrians but also U.S., British, and other foreign nationals. While Reuters could not independently verify the claims, the findings, if confirmed, underscore the immense human toll of Assad’s rule, which saw extrajudicial killings and torture escalate during Syria’s devastating civil war. Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad, have long been accused of systemic human rights abuses, though the former regime repeatedly denied these allegations, dismissing critics as extremists.
Moustafa’s revelations come in the wake of the collapse of Assad’s government, which ended the family’s more than 50-year rule following a lightning offensive by rebels. As global attention turns to the full scale of atrocities, the discovery of such mass graves could reshape Syria’s path to justice and accountability.
Editor: The ICC should extradite Assad from Russia. I don’t know if they have that power, but they should. Harboring a fucking criminal is criminal.