ELISHA VALLADARES-CORMIER
CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST
National
Shooting at YouTube HQ leaves 4 dead
Four people were shot April 3 after a woman opened fire on YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California. According to law enforcement, Nasim Najafi Aghdam walked into the complex around 12:45 p.m. and opened fire in one of the building’s courtyards. Aghdam emptied one magazine before reloading and turning the gun on herself, dying of a bullet to the head. Four people were hospitalized with injuries related to the shooting, none with life-threatening injuries. According to the shooter’s family, Aghdam, who ran several YouTube channels, hated YouTube because she felt that the company was suppressing her videos from receiving views. Leading up to the shooting, her family had reported her missing and told police that they were worried she would try to attack YouTube in some way. Police were then able to locate Aghdam but did not feel like she posed a significant threat to YouTube, law enforcement said.
https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/YouTube-shooting-ATF-interviews-family-of-Nasim-12804945.php
National Guard prepares to defend US-Mexican border
President Donald Trump called for greater security along the country’s southern border following reports last week of a massive migrant caravan working its way north through Mexico. On Friday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis responded and authorized the potential of up to 4,000 National Guardsmen to be put on the border through September. According to ABC News, the migrant caravan includes people fleeing violence and poverty in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala and is planning on stopping after reaching Mexico City. However, the Trump administration reacted by warning that if the migrants attempt to cross over into the US, funding to NAFTA and foreign aid to the migrants’ countries would be affected.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/migrant-caravan-mexico-draws-trumps-ire/story?id=54229335
EPA chief faces calls for resignation amidst questionable spending
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is facing increased scrutiny after reports came to light last week of questionable governmental expenses by Pruitt. On Sunday, CNN reported that Pruitt’s security team includes 19 agents and 19 vehicles and is on duty 24/7, an unprecedented security detail for the head of the country’s environmental agency. The cost for this round-the-clock care would be in the millions, CNN said. Pruitt also reportedly wanted to purchase a bulletproof SUV and a bulletproof desk for his office but was stopped from doing so when his aides objected. President Donald Trump has maintained his support for Pruitt despite calls to fire him from Democrats and Republicans, saying in a tweet that Pruitt is doing a fine job despite allegedly receiving death threats for his work.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/07/politics/epa-pruitt-security-detail/index.html
International
Canadian junior hockey team devastated by bus crash
A bus carrying a Canadian junior hockey team collided with a tractor-trailer, resulting in 15 deaths. The Humboldt Broncos, a part of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, were traveling in the bus when it crashed, resulting in 15 deaths on the bus, including the team’s head coach. Fourteen other people were left injured. The Broncos, with players aged 16 to 21, were a central part of the Canadian town of Humboldt and were often seen serving and participating in several community events. Having won two national championships, the team is an established part of Humboldt and hundreds gathered in the town’s sports complex to pay their respects to the players. According to the local police, the driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. Police have not released details of the collision but did say that an investigation into what caused the collision is ongoing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/world/humboldt-hockey-team-bus-crash.html
German trucker drives into crowd, killing 2
Two are dead and 20 more were injured after a man in Munster, Germany drove his truck into a crowd of people on Saturday. The driver then killed himself while in the cab of the truck immediately after crashing, police said, and there is no clear reason for what led to the attack. The man allegedly had a history of psychological problems, according to several German media reports that cited unnamed sources. However, police were quick to tell people not to speculate about the crash’s circumstances, saying that it was too soon to make any definite judgment. The police did disclose that they were investigating a “suspicious item” found in the cab of the truck but did not give any more details.
https://www.ft.com/content/4ff47178-3a7b-11e8-b7e0-52972418fec4
Brazilian ex-president surrenders to police, will serve 12 years in jail
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva surrendered to law enforcement on Saturday to begin serving a 12-year jail term, effectively ending his campaign for a third presidential term. He had been convicted on charges of corruption, a ruling that was appealed and then upheld in January, but had avoided turning himself in to the police. With the election just months away, da Silva had been the clear favorite for president, according to recent polls. He left in office 2011 with a high approval rating, according to the New York Times, and had his handpicked successor, Dilma Rouseff, replace him. Rouseff, however, was impeached in 2016, leading to the election of current President Michel Temer, who da Silva had vowed to defeat. Da Silva remains a defendant in at least seven other cases as he begins serving his sentence.