Boy critically injured in Texas megachurch shooting is son of suspect in attack

The young boy who was critically injured in a shooting at a Texas megachurch on Sunday was the son of the shooter, authorities said Monday.

Police identified the shooter as 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno, and said at a news conference that Moreno had a history of mental illness, including being placed under emergency detention in 2016.

The boy, who authorities described as a 7-year-old, remained in critical condition Monday with a gunshot wound to the head. He had been described as a 5-year-old on Sunday.

A motive for the attack that sent worshippers rushing for safety in between busy services at celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church remains unclear.

Moreno was killed after pointing the weapon at the security officers, authorities said.

In addition to the boy, a man in his 50s was also injured in the shooting, according to authorities.

Lakewood is regularly attended by 45,000 people weekly, making it the third-largest megachurch in the U.S., according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

Osteen said the violence could have been worse if the shooting had happened during the earlier and larger late Sunday morning service.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner at a news conference Sunday said the shooter wore a trenchcoat and backpack and was armed with a long rifle when they entered the church.

Moreno began shooting before being confronted by two off-duty officers — a Houston police officer and a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agent, who returned fire, Finner said.

Finner said the shooter told officers after being shot there was a bomb, but a search found no explosives. The declaration of a bomb was also noted in the search warrant affidavit, which said the shooter had a “yellow color rope and substances consistent with the manufacture of explosive devices.”

Finner and other authorities at the scene praised the officers, who have not been identified, for taking down the shooter.

Moreno “had a long gun, and it could have been worse,” Finner said. “But they stepped up and did their job.”

It was unclear how the boy, who was taken to a Houston children’s hospital, was struck by gunfire.

When asked whether the boy was shot by one of the off-duty officers returning fire on the suspect, Finner said he did not want to speculate but added: “That suspect put that baby in danger.”

Missing Marine Corps helicopter carrying 5 troops from Nevada to California has been located

A Marine Corps helicopter that had been missing with five troops aboard as an historic storm continued drenching California was found Wednesday morning in a mountainous area outside San Diego.

The aircraft was located just after 9 a.m. by civil authorities near the mountain community of Pine Valley, about a 45-mile (72-kilometer) drive from San Diego but rescue crews said snowy conditions were making access challenging on the ground.

They were “using ground and aviation assets to locate the aircrew in coordination with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and multiple federal state and local agencies,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.

The Marines were flying a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas, where they had been doing unit-level training and were returning home to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, defense officials said.

It was not immediately known what time the helicopter left Creech nor what time they were due to arrive. Waves of heavy downpours hit the area throughout the night and snow was forecast for San Diego County mountains.

The five U.S. Marines were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar, the Marine Corps said in a statement.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department was notified at 1 a.m. that the craft was overdue for arrival at Miramar and was last seen in the area of Pine Valley, a mountainous region near the Cleveland National Forest about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of downtown San Diego, Lt. Matthew Carpenter said.

The military was coordinating search and rescue efforts with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol, the Marine Corps said.

The National Weather Service in San Diego called for 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) of snow in the mountains above 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) and gusty winds late Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon a tornado warning was issued but quickly canceled with the weather service saying the storm was not capable of forming a twister.

About 99 feet (30 meters) long, the CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest and heaviest helicopter in the military. It can move troops and equipment over rugged terrain in bad weather, including at night, according to the Marine Corps website. It is also nicknamed the “hurricane maker” because of the amount of downwash generated from its three engines.

Two CH-53E helicopters were used in the civil war-torn capital of Mogadishu, Somalia, in January 1990 to rescue American and foreign allies from the U.S. embassy.

King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer

Recently-crowned King Charles the 3rd has officially been diagnosed with cancer. According to a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the 75-year-old king found out his diagnosis during a recent doctor’s visit. Due to his sickness, he will pause on public-facing duties, and continue to focus on his health. During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.” On Monday, Charles started “a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” the palace said, and during this time he’ll “continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.”

“The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure,” the palace continued. “He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

They did not specify what type of cancer he was diagnosed with or the type of treatment he would be receiving. Prayers up for Charles! 🙏🏾 Thoughts?

Parents of OnlyFans Model Accused of Killing BF Get Arrested for Alleged Evidence Tampering

In the case of the Onlyfans model charged with murdering her boyfriend, new developments involve the arrest of Courtney Clenny’s parents. Following the return of Clenney’s family’s apartment by the police, her father discovered potential evidence that was not immediately reported. Deborah Clenney (57) and Kim Clenney (60) were arrested in connection with the case for allegedly attempting to conceal evidence during the cleanup of their daughter’s apartment.

Kim Clenney reportedly found his daughter’s boyfriend’s laptop, Christian Obumseli, in the apartment, attempted to access it, and later handed it over to his attorneys. Clenney is accused of killing Obumseli in April 2022, with her parents now facing charges related to evidence concealment. Obumseli’s family claims a history of domestic abuse, while Clenney maintains she acted in self-defense.

The family attorney released the following statement amid the recent arrests: 

We’re extremely surprised and very concerned about the arrest of the Clenney family; this could be an example of prosecutorial overreach and misconduct. It appears excessive in that the family is now confined in jail awaiting an extradition hearing on what may be an attempt to manipulate media headlines and discredit them before Thursday’s scheduled hearing on a gag order in the case. The Clenneys have quite a story and it’s a story the State of Florida may does not want the public to hear.

We believe the Clenney family has been targeted with some trumped up charges to discredit them in the press and make their lives miserable. It stinks of a power play by prosecutors to control the narrative. This Thursday, the State is seeking a gag order in the case. Now they’ve gone after Courtney’s Mom and Dad in such a way that requires them to spend considerable time in jail without bond. Had they done this in Florida, the charge has a $5,000 bond, i.e., $500 to a bondsman, and that’s it. It appears the prosecutors are going for media mileage in this one with little or no evidence as we have yet to know what the true accusations are. It’s unnecessary and distasteful. All they had to do was a phone call and we would have been in court. It’s so inexcusable.

Mark Zuckerberg Apologizes to Families of Children Harmed Online During Senate Hearing

In a powerful moment during a hearing on Capitol Hill, Senator Josh Hawley questioned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the harmful effects of his platform on young users. Hawley specifically asked Zuckerberg about the alarming statistics that showed 37% of teenage girls between 13 and 15 were exposed to unwanted nudity on Instagram in a week. He demanded to know who had been fired and if any compensation had been provided to the victims.

Zuckerberg seemed reluctant to answer these questions, stating that he didn’t think it was appropriate to discuss internal decisions or compensation. Hawley continued to press him, highlighting the families of victims who were present at the hearing and deserved answers. He accused Zuckerberg of not taking any significant action to address these issues and failing to apologize to the victims. Hawley asked if Zuckerberg would take personal responsibility and set up a victims’ compensation fund using his own money, to which Zuckerberg provided evasive responses.

The hearing then shifted to a discussion about TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. Hawley accused TikTok of surveilling Americans and giving access to user data to the Chinese Communist Party. He demanded to know why the platform should not be banned in the United States.

Zuckerberg denied Hawley’s claims, stating that they were not accurate and that TikTok had made progress in protecting data. However, Hawley presented evidence from The Wall Street Journal that showed TikTok employees in China still had access to private information of American citizens, including birth dates and IP addresses.

Hawley concluded by asserting that TikTok should be banned in the United States due to concerns about the security of American citizens’ data being in the hands of a foreign government. The hearing was a poignant and impactful moment, with Senator Hawley holding Zuckerberg and ByteDance accountable for the harmful effects and potential security risks associated with their platforms.

Overall, this hearing shed light on the challenges and concerns surrounding social media platforms and the need for stricter regulations to protect users’ safety and privacy. It remains to be seen how the findings of this hearing will impact the future of Facebook, TikTok, and online platforms in general.

UPS is cutting 12K jobs amid disappointing sales outlook, company says

UPS fell short of Wall Street revenue estimates Tuesday, reporting drops in shipping volume, both internationally and domestically, in its fourth-quarter earnings report. The company also announced 12,000 layoffs as part of an effort to align resources in 2024.

The workforce reductions will save the company about $1 billion in costs, CEO Carol Tomé said on a company earnings call.

“2023 was a unique, and quite candidly, difficult and disappointing year. We experienced declines in volume, revenue and operating profits and all three of our business segments,” Tomé said.

Though the earnings report did not directly mention any financial impacts from negotiations with Teamsters in August over labor contracts, Tomé cited the negotiations and the macroeconomic environment more broadly as contributing to the “disappointing” year.

Impact Weather: Maryland now under winter storm warning

The outlook for accumulation is 1 to 4 inches for most of Central Maryland, which is, of course, subject to change based on refined storm track. Areas of higher elevation, particularly in northern Carroll County, for example, could see even more snow.

Tuesday’s snow totals were mostly around 4 to 5 inches on the higher end, with an average of about 2 to 3 inches elsewhere.

THEN, on Saturday afternoon for the Ravens playoffs game, it’s another Impact Weather Day for temperatures in the 20s coupled with winds 15-20 mph, gusting higher. Wind chill temperatures (what it will feel like) will be around 10 degrees.

Alert Days vs. Impact Days:

An Impact Day is when weather will likely disrupt your normal daily schedule or routine.

  • An Alert Day is when there’s a threat of extreme, severe and possibly life-threatening weather.

Potential power outages:

Baltimore Gas and Electric has scheduled 100 additional contractor crews to ensure resources are available for the duration of the predicted weather. Customers are encouraged to prepare ahead of time, and to report outages if they occur.

Storm conditions could cause outages by knocking down tree limbs onto power lines and other electric delivery equipment. BGE asks all customers to report their outage in any of the following ways:

The latest outage information, including total number and general locations, is available on the BGE.com outage map.

As a reminder, fallen overhead power lines should never be approached or touched even if the lines do not appear to be live or sparking. Call BGE at 877-778-2222 to report fallen electrical lines, power outages and gas odors.

Source: WBAL

Keefe D to Appear in Court, Seeking to Get on House Arrest Pending Trial

Previously, reports noted that Duane “Keefe D” Davis and his legal team requested bail but were shut down by prosecutors who claimed he was “too dangerous” to be released. 

However, Davis’ lawyers feel this shouldn’t stop him from being able to be put on house arrest. Keefe D’s team is expected to ask the judge in his case to allow him to be placed on house arrest pending his trial.

News of this comes after Davis’ lawyers said all of Keefe D’s 2Pac statements were for “entertainment.”

source: Law & Crime

Claudine Gay resigns as Harvard University president

Claudine Gay had faced mounting pressure to step down in recent weeks. In a letter announcing her resignation, she said it was in the “best interests” of the university for her to go. “It has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigour,” she said.

“This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words,” Dr Gay wrote, adding that her resignation would allow Harvard to “focus on the institution rather than any individual”.

The 53-year-old served as president for six months and was the first black person, and the second woman, to be appointed to lead the Ivy League university. Her tenure was the shortest in its 388-year history.

Harvard is one of several universities in the US accused of failing to protect its Jewish students following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October. Jewish groups have reported an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents in the US since the conflict began.

During a tense congressional hearing last month, Dr Gay said calls for the killing of Jews were abhorrent. She added, however, that it would depend on the context whether such comments would constitute a violation of Harvard’s code of conduct regarding bullying and harassment.

Thousands ring in new year at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

“I’m excited for the fireworks and the drones,” said Summer Gonzalez.

Baltimoreans and visitors of all ages were ready for New Year’s Eve at the Inner Harbor with live music and ice skating preceding the big fireworks show. And, new this year, there was a choreographed drone show.

“It’s kind of a modern way to do it. I think it’s a nice way to customize it and make it about Baltimore,” said Todd Yuhanick, interim CEO of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.

As the promenade filled up Sunday, all anyone could talk about was the major win at The Bank.

“I think this team’s different than 2019,” Ravens fan Nate Ritter said.

“It’s a beautiful game, and what a nice New Year’s present,” another fan said.

The same goes for Miami Dolphins fans, with the phrase “new year, new me” taking on a new meaning for the Gonzalez family.

“I’m tired of the Dolphins. My heart is broken. I’m born and raised in Miami, and they let me down too much, so I switched it up. Wherever there’s Florida players is where I represent, so Lamar Jackson is from Florida, and that’s what I represent today. Go Ravens,” Dolphins-turned-Ravens fan Chico Gonzalez said.

“I decided to take off that jersey, throw it away and put some Lamar Jackson on there,” Dolphins-turned-Ravens fan Chico Gonzalez Jr. said.

They’re just some of the many visitors choosing to ring in the new year in Baltimore.

“It was nice to travel for the holidays. It’s New Year’s Eve. We’re somewhere different. We’re together and that’s all that matters,” visitor Priscilla Gonzalez said.

This New Year’s Eve, the flock, including its newest members, is bringing in 2024 with one common call: “Happy New Year! Let’s go Ravens!” Chico Gonzalez said.