NEWS

In 2020, firearms overtook car accidents as the primary cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wonder database, firearms were responsible for almost 19% of childhood deaths (ages 1-18) in 2021, resulting in the tragic loss of nearly 3,600 young lives. This equates to approximately five children per 100,000 children in the United States. Remarkably, no other comparable country lists firearms among the top four causes of child mortality, as per an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on child and adolescent mortality, primarily due to fatal injuries, as indicated by a recent study published in JAMA. In 2020, firearms played a substantial role in the overall increase in mortality, accounting for nearly half of the surge. In this latest radio show segment, listen to a radical gun owner explain his outlandish claim that the more guns we have in this country, the more lives are saved.

Unbiased headline news for Wednesday March 20, 2024 – Unhappy news for Americans: The United States has fallen from the ranks of the 20 happiest nations globally, as per new data from Gallup and its collaborators. In the recently released 2024 World Happiness Report, the U.S. dropped out of the top 20 list for the first time in the report’s 12-year history. The U.S. now ranks at Number 23, compared to Number 15 last year. The researchers attribute this decline partly to a drop in life satisfaction among Americans under 30 years old. — Four individuals who accused a military doctor at the center of a massive sexual abuse prosecution claim they were “severely and irreparably harmed” by the Army and the Defense Department. The four accusers allege the military’s negligence failed to safeguard them from abuse, according to new federal civil complaints filed. The physician, Major Michael Stockin, faces charges from Army prosecutors who allege the misconduct occurred under the guise of treatment, based on accusations from 41 male patients. — Israeli Prime Minister told parliament that a planned ground operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip will proceed, amid pressure from the United States to exercise restraint. Net-in-yahoo informed members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that he acknowledges Israel and the United States “have a disagreement” about Israel’s “need to enter Rafah.” However, he added, there was no disagreement “about the need to eliminate Hamas.” — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a firing drill of “super-large multiple rocket launchers,” state media reported, an exercise that South Korea had described as a short-range ballistic missile launch a day earlier. The drill in the west of the country, was “aimed at proving the might and the real war capabilities of the weapon system through the sudden maneuvers and salvos of 600mm multiple rocket sub-units,” state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. — Former Rankin County, Mississippi, sheriff’s deputies Hunter Elward and Jeffrey Middleton were sentenced in federal court on Tuesday after pleading guilty, along with five additional former law enforcement officers, to a total of 16 charges related to the January 2023 torture of two Black men. Elward, who pleaded guilty to the most serious charge in the indictment — discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence — was sentenced to 241 months, or about 20 years, according to the Department of Justice. “I hate myself for it,” Elward said during the sentencing hearing. — Three individuals were stabbed and one person was shot after a fight erupted outside a funeral home in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, authorities said. Police received multiple reports around 1:30 p.m. MT of people injured downtown, according to Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Brent Weisberg. Officers found four people with injuries outside and near the funeral home, Weisberg said. — Congressional leaders and the White House have reached an agreement on how to fund the Department of Homeland Security, one of the last obstacles to prevent an approaching partial government shutdown deadline on Friday. Funding for DHS was the final major sticking point in negotiations for the six spending bills that need to pass to avert a shutdown. The details of the negotiation haven’t yet been released. — The UnitedHealth Group — one of the nation’s largest health care providers — said it is making headway in its recovery from one of the worst cyberattacks on a health care system in United States history, its CEO said earlier this week. On Feb. 21, UnitedHealth Group announced a hacking group called ALPHV — also known as “BlackCat” — breached its system. Its subsidiary Change Healthcare was hit hardest by the attack. “Change Healthcare can confirm we experienced a cybersecurity issue perpetrated by a cybercrime threat actor,” according to a statement.

Unbiased headline news for Tuesday March 19, 2024 – Gaza’s northern region potentially faces a dire famine situation, with recent data indicating alarming levels of household food insecurity and acute malnutrition. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification scale, between 677,000 and 1.1 million individuals, representing half of Gaza’s population, are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity. This troubling scenario risks engulfing the entire besieged enclave, plunging 2.2 million Palestinians into the world’s worst food crisis, as stated in the IPC’s special brief. In a rare public display of discontent in Cuba, protesters in Santiago voiced their concerns over the lack of food and electricity in daily life, joining demonstrations across the island. Hundreds of protesters in Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city located on its eastern coast, chanted “power and food” while protesting against repeated power outages, some lasting more than 14 hours a day on the island. Justice Samuel Alito has indefinitely extended the Supreme Court’s temporary hold on a Texas law that would authorize the detention and imprisonment of migrants who illegally cross the U.S. border. Alito extended a prior order that paused enforcement of a new Texas immigration law empowering state and local law enforcement to arrest those who illegally cross the southern border into Texas. His action came moments before a prior Supreme Court order halting the arrests was set to expire. Chief Justice John Roberts rejected an attempt by former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro to avoid serving a prison sentence. Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison in January. He appealed both his conviction and the trial judge’s decision to enforce his sentence as the appeal is further litigated. Navarro has long maintained that he believed he was bound by executive privilege when he refused to comply with the committee’s demands. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a woman in 1993 and demanding a sexual favor in exchange for his help advancing her career in the police department. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Manhattan, offered the first public details of a sexual assault claim brought against the mayor in November. Adams, a Democrat, has vehemently denied the allegations and said he does not remember ever meeting the woman. A sexual assault “absolutely did not happen,” the mayor told reporters last fall. Fabric and crafts retailer Joann has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as consumers continue to cut back on discretionary spending and some pandemic-era hobbies wane. In a Monday statement, the Hudson, Ohio-based company said that it expected to emerge from bankruptcy as early as the end of next month. Following this process, Joann will likely become privately-owned by certain lenders and industry parties, the company added — meaning its shares would no longer be publicly traded on stock exchanges. The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced a United States ban on the ongoing use of chrysotile asbestos — a carcinogen that the agency estimates is linked to more than 40,000 U.S. deaths each year. The announcement comes as part of President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, which is utilizing federal resources to make progress on cancer research and treatment. “While the use of asbestos in the United States has been declining for decades, the use of chrysotile asbestos has continued to this day,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a Monday press call. Easter is approaching, but the rising price of chocolate may leave a bitter taste for some people leading up to the sweet holiday. Two popular chocolate brands recently indicated they may raise prices on products again due to the increasing cost of cocoa, which has gone up following torrential rain in major cocoa-growing regions that affected production. Executives from Hershey and Cadbury each pointed to possible additional price hikes in recent earning calls, identifying rising cocoa costs as a main factor behind the increases.

Unbiased headline news for Monday March 18, 2024 – Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated an anticipated victory early Monday as preliminary election results showed him securing a resounding fifth term, despite facing only nominal challengers and suppressing opposition voices through harsh measures. As the polls closed on the final day of voting, crowds gathered outside polling stations, seemingly heeding calls from the opposition to express their discontent towards Putin. However, the Russian leader dismissed the potential impact of the apparent protest. — Representative Ro Khanna stated that the TikTok bill passed by the House of Representatives last week would not effectively safeguard Americans’ interests. The bill aims to compel China-based ByteDance to divest its ownership of the immensely popular app TikTok or face an outright ban in the United States. This move was prompted by concerns that ByteDance could share, or be coerced to share, Americans’ data with the Chinese government, allegations that the company vehemently denies while actively campaigning against the proposed legislation. — Israeli Police deployed water cannons to disperse tens of thousands of protesters who gathered on Saturday night in Tel Aviv to voice their opposition against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. “Tonight, as part of a legally sanctioned protest organized in an orderly manner, in line with agreed-upon conditions and without deviation, demonstrators assembled and staged a legitimate protest within the designated area, with the majority of the public dispersing at the conclusion of the event,” the Israeli Police stated. — Russia claims Ukraine launched far-reaching drone attacks on the final day of Russia’s presidential election. On Sunday, as Russians cast their ballots in the closing stages of the presidential vote expected to extend President Vladimir Putin’s rule for another six years, Ukraine initiated a new wave of attacks within Russian territory, resulting in at least two fatalities, including a teenager, according to local authorities. — Police have apprehended a suspect on murder charges in connection with a shooting inside an Indianapolis bar that claimed one life and left five others injured. The shooting occurred shortly after 1 a.m. on Saturday at an establishment along Broad Ripple Avenue, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Officers patrolling the area responded to the scene after hearing gunshots. — Ohio’s governor has declared a state of emergency across 11 counties in central Ohio that were impacted by severe weather last week. Gov. Mike DeWine also activated the Ohio National Guard to assist officials in Logan County, where three deaths were confirmed, with the cleanup of storm debris on public property. DeWine announced the emergency declaration on Sunday. — A fourth officer has resigned amid an investigation into alleged misconduct by officers assigned to a unit responsible for apprehending impaired drivers, according to the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico. According to documents obtained by the Albuquerque Journal, the federal probe commenced after an officer conducted a stop in August during which he allegedly instructed the driver to contact a specific attorney to ensure that no case would be filed. The investigation has partly focused on DWI criminal cases filed by certain officers that were later dismissed. — Burger King is facing a $15 million lawsuit filed by a concerned resident who alleges that the fast-food giant’s location on Fulton Street in New York City has become a hub for drug dealers. Kevin Kaufman, a resident of the Fulton Chambers pre-war condominium building at 102 Fulton Street in Manhattan’s Financial District, filed the complaint earlier this month with the New York Supreme Court against the burger chain’s restaurant at 106 Fulton Street, just a few doors away.

Unbiased headline news for Saturday March 16, 2024 – The nation’s highest court will be evaluating on Monday whether the government transgressed constitutional boundaries into censorship of lawful expression when it exerted pressure on social media platforms to remove content it deemed misleading. The case presents a significant examination of the First Amendment’s free speech protections in the digital era and stems from the Biden administration’s endeavors to compel social media platforms to eliminate content that it asserted disseminated falsehoods about the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election. — The U.S. government announced on Saturday that it is arranging a chartered flight from Haiti to the U.S. for those possessing valid passports. The flight will depart from the Cap-Haitien International Airport, which can only accommodate limited travel amid the violence plaguing the country. The State Department instructed citizens and eligible family members interested in traveling to the U.S. to complete an intake form. — A post-flight inspection of a United Airlines Boeing seven-thirty-seven-800 discovered a missing external panel on the underside of the aircraft after it landed at its destination in Oregon, airline officials state. No equipment failure was indicated during the flight of United Airlines Flight four-thirty-three after it departed San Francisco International Airport with 139 passengers and six crew members aboard on Friday. — Former Vice President Mike Pence stated on Friday that he will not be endorsing his former boss Donald Trump in the 2024 general election. Appearing on Fox News, Pence said he “cannot in good conscience” back Trump as there are “profound differences” between their views on various issues. Pence, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination, declined to reveal who he plans to vote for in November but he said he would “never” vote for President Joe Biden. — An “extremely dangerous” suspect accused of killing three people in a Philadelphia suburb in apparently targeted shootings was barricaded with hostages at a residence in New Jersey, police said. The suspect — identified as 26-year-old Andre Gordon — was reported barricaded inside a residence in Trenton at 12:22 p.m. local time, hours after the shootings unfolded at two separate locations in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, police said. — At least one person is deceased and five others have been injured after a shooting inside a bar in Indianapolis. “When officers arrived, they located a total of five adult male victims with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds,” Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said. “Those officers provided first aid to those victims on the scene. Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services arrived shortly after and transported those victims to area hospitals.” — One of three teenagers charged with starting a Denver house fire that killed five people — apparently out of revenge for a stolen cellphone that was mistakenly traced to the home — was sentenced Friday to 40 years in prison. Gavin Seymour, 19, pleaded guilty in January to one count of second-degree murder for his role in the Aug. 5, 2020, fire that killed five members of a Senegalese family. Denver District Court Judge Karen Brody sentenced him to the maximum possible term he faced, The Denver Post reported. — The cost of selling a home could soon decrease after the National Association of Realtors agreed to a historic settlement. The NAR agreed to stop requiring that sellers pay both their broker and a buyer’s broker. Housing experts say the longtime industry standard of a 6% commission is expected to fall 25% to 50%, according to TD Cowen Insights. That could mean significant savings for both buyers and sellers.

Unbiased headline news for Thursday March 15, 2024 – Israel’s Knesset endorsed a 2024 military funding plan in a divisive session Wednesday with a 62-55 vote. The war cabinet and National Unity Coalition could disband as the right-wing New Hope party withdraws. As per Ynet, Minister Gideon Sa’ar declared Tuesday night that he has chosen to terminate the partnership with Israel’s Blue and White Party to re-establish the right-wing New Hope faction independently because, he stated, the perspectives of the right are not being heeded in the current war cabinet. Russian President Vladimir Putin articulated Wednesday he would redeploy military forces along the border with Finland in response to the country joining the NATO alliance in April. Putin voiced the threat in an interview with state media in reaction to what he termed Finland and Sweden’s “utterly senseless move from the viewpoint of securing their own national interests.” He remarked, “It is up to them to decide. That’s what they decided. But we didn’t have troops there, now we will.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in five U.S. cities commenced wearing body cameras Wednesday as mandated by an executive order from President Joe Biden. ICE agents in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo and Detroit are sporting the cameras in the first deployment phase for the devices. The cameras are initially being donned by Homeland Security Investigations officers and Enforcement and Removal Operations agents. The judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s felony gun case in Delaware has tentatively set his trial for June 3 — just weeks before his Los Angeles-based tax trial is scheduled to begin on June 20. At a brief scheduling conference, Judge Maryellen Noreika proposed the parties request the California-based federal judge overseeing the tax case to consider rescheduling a June 3 pretrial hearing to accommodate the commencement of the Delaware case. The U.S. and Japanese militaries will resume flights of Osprey aircraft in Japan after completing necessary maintenance and training following a fatal crash in southern Japan last November, officials said. The Osprey aircraft, which can take off like a helicopter and then fly like an airplane, has had a troubled history, including numerous crashes. The entire U.S. Osprey fleet was grounded Dec. 6, a week after that crash. Japan’s military also grounded all of its 14 Ospreys. Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr. has confirmed that among his potential vice-presidential prospects is New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who in private conversations shared deranged conspiracy theories about the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting not being real. CNN knows of two people with whom Rodgers has enthusiastically shared these stories, including with Pamela Brown. Brown was covering the Kentucky Derby for CNN in 2013 when she was introduced to Rodgers, then with the Green Bay Packers, at a post-Derby party. A landslide reduced a Los Angeles house under renovation to a jumble of lumber, pulled the pool and deck away from a second home, and left the pool at a third residence on the edge of a huge fissure. The slide occurred just before 3 a.m. in Sherman Oaks, a neighborhood of expensive homes about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of downtown. An initial search found no victims, but several people were evacuated from one house, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement. Doors are closing for 1,000 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar locations after the discount variety store chain announced an unexpected surprise fourth-quarter loss in its earnings report Wednesday. Dollar Tree plans to shutter 600 Family Dollar stores in the first half of fiscal 2024. Over the next several years, the company intends to close 370 more Family Dollar locations, as well as 30 Dollar Tree stores. At the opening bell Wednesday on Wall Street, Dollar Tree shares fell 14% in value on the news.