News N Things
The jury in the Rittenhouse trial start deliberation today; a shooting close to a high school in Colorado wounds 6; Biden and Xi conversation hailed in China as a success.
Top 3 Stories:
1) Rittenhouse Trial Day 10 - Jury Deliberation:
“A Wisconsin jury will begin deliberating the fate of Kyle Rittenhouse on Tuesday after hearing starkly different theories of the same evidence, with a prosecutor portraying the teenager as a trouble-seeking active shooter to counter defense claims he shot three men, two fatally, in self-defense. The Kenosha County Circuit Court jury was sent home for the night after hearing hours of closing arguments in the high-profile homicide trial and getting more than 30 pages of instructions from Judge Bruce Schroeder. Schroeder told the jury they will begin their deliberations Tuesday after 12 of the 18 panelists who heard evidence in the case are randomly selected to decide Rittenhouse's fate … Immediately following the jury instructions, prosecutor Thomas Binger began giving his summation by telling the jury, "This is a case in which a 17-year-old teenager killed two unarmed men and severely wounded a third person with an AR-15 that did not belong to him." … Rittenhouse's attorney, Mark Richards, started his closing argument by accusing the prosecution of lying and misrepresenting evidence in a case that he described as a "rush to judgment." He said Rittenhouse was arrested and hit with homicide charges within 48 hours of the shooting while investigators were still interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence.” (ABC NEWS)
2) Shooting at Colorado High School Leaves 6 Wounded:
“Six teenagers were wounded Monday in a shooting near a high school in Colorado, authorities said. Aurora police said there are likely multiple suspects responsible for the shooting, all of whom remain on the loose. The shooting occurred in Nome Park, which is across the street from Aurora Central High School, just before 1:00 p.m. local time, police said in a statement. Five students between the ages of 14 and 17 were found wounded at the scene, and an additional 18-year-old student self-transported to the hospital with "minor" injuries. Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson said initial evidence suggests that some suspects may have been on foot, while others were in a vehicle. She said there were multiple shell casings of different calibers at the scene."When I got the call, my heart dropped," Wilson said at a press conference on Monday afternoon. Wilson said she believes first responders "saved a life." In a statement late Monday night, police said first responders applied tourniquets to two of the victims to stem their bleeding.” (CBS NEWS)
3) Biden and Xi Talks Hailed as Success in China:
“China on Tuesday welcomed a virtual meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden as raising hopes for better relations, while the U.S. was more muted on the talks as the world’s two biggest powers sought to ratchet down more than a year of tensions. The leaders appeared to put aside the language of acrimony in their first formal meeting since Biden took office. Xi welcomed the U.S. leader as his “old friend,” and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the exchange was candid and constructive. “If China-U.S. relations cannot return to the past, they should face the future,” Zhao said, calling the meeting “conducive to increasing positive expectations for U.S.-China relations.” However, both sides held firm to their positions on the issues that divide Washington and Beijing, with Xi warning that the U.S. and Taiwan are playing with fire over the self-governing island that China claims.” (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Daily Verse:
Psalm 119:1-2 NIV Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
The President’s Schedule:
2:30 p.m. E.T. - The President delivers remarks on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law repairs and rebuilds the nation’s roads and bridges in Woodstock, New Hampshire.
This Day in History
“On November 16, 1532, Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish explorer and conquistador, springs a trap on the Incan emperor, Atahualpa. With fewer than 200 men against several thousand, Pizarro lures Atahualpa to a feast in the emperor’s honor and then opens fire on the unarmed Incans. Pizarro’s men massacre the Incans and capture Atahualpa, forcing him to convert to Christianity before eventually killing him.” (HISTORY)
Daily Quote:
“Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you.’” - Erich Fromm
Daily Joke:
When I get in to work I immediately hide. Good employees are hard to find.
Environment:
RECORD RAIN SWAMPS WASHINGTON: “Floodwaters in the Pacific Northwest have inundated homes, forced rescues and shuttered schools as a trio of deluges set rainfall records. Swollen rivers began to crest at record highs Monday. Photos showed downtown Sumas, Washington, a town along the Canadian border, inundated. Cars were stuck in the streets of Bellingham, Washington, city officials said. Two nearby landslides — most likely resulting from saturated soils — sent debris onto Interstate 5, forcing part of the state’s most important roadway to close overnight. Winds gusted at nearly 60 mph at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The severe weather led Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to issue an emergency proclamation for some areas, freeing up state resources to assist hard-hit areas. About 70,000 utility customers in Washington were without power early Tuesday, according to PowerOutage.Us, which tracks outages nationwide.” (NBC NEWS)
Culture:
RUSSIA FIRES A ROCKET INTO SPACE: “Russia conducted a strike against a Soviet-era satellite in space on Monday, creating more than 1,500 pieces of debris that U.S. officials said posed a reckless risk and showed Moscow’s insincerity when it says it doesn’t want to weaponize space. The test marked the first time that Russia has demonstrated an ability to strike a satellite using a missile launched from Earth. During a briefing, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the anti-satellite test had created more than 1,500 pieces of sizable debris that could damage other satellites or affect astronauts at the International Space Station. “Earlier today, the Russian Federation recklessly conducted a destructive … test of a direct ascent anti-satellite missile against one of its own satellites,” Price said. “The test has so far generated over 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris and hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris that now threaten the interests of all nations.”’ (WASHINGTON POST)
Sports:
DO YOU WANT TO OWN A SHARE OF THE GREEN BAY PACKERS? “You can own part of an NFL team—for just $300. The Green Bay Packers will hold a stock sale Tuesday, offering shares of “ownership” in the NFL franchise for the first time in nearly 10 years. Funds raised will be used for stadium improvements. An individual can buy a share of the Packers for $300, the sixth time the team has offered shares to fans in its history. The shares have no financial value and can’t be resold. Shareholders of the Green Bay franchise don’t get paid dividends. The stock doesn’t appreciate in value and isn’t transferable, except to family members by gift or in the event of death. Essentially, fans can get bragging rights for owning a piece of the team and a stock certificate commemorating the purchase. “We appreciate the interest that fans have expressed in our sixth stock offering,” said Packers president and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy. The team said: “Anyone considering the purchase of Packers stock should not purchase the stock to make a profit or to receive a dividend or tax deduction or any other economic benefits.” (WALL STREET JOURNAL)
Health:
PFIZER TO EXPORT THEIR PILL: “Pfizer said Tuesday it signed a licensing agreement to allow broader global access to its experimental Covid-19 pill. The agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations-backed public health organization, would allow generic manufacturers to make the pill widely available in 95 low- and middle-income countries covering 53% of the world's population, the company said. The pill, known as PF-07321332 or Paxlovid, is to be given in combination with an older antiviral drug called ritonavir. Earlier this month Pfizer announced topline results from its trial saying that an interim analysis -- done before the trial was scheduled to end -- showed an 89% reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death from Covid-19 among people given the drug within the first three days of symptom onset.” (CNN)