Extra, Extra
Again: “A teacher and a student are dead after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, police said. The suspect, who was a teenage student at the school, is also dead and multiple people are injured, according to authorities.” Here’s the latest from CNN. Related: Start-up putting ammo vending machines in grocery stores plans to grow.
+ Captagon Wrong: “Analysts estimated the Assad regime netted $5bn annually from the trade, a value many times larger than the official budget.” In addition to the mass murdering of his own citizens, Assad also ran a full-on narco state. Sacks of chemicals, plastic fruit … and millions of pills: inside a Damascus Captagon factory. Plus, “The illegally manufactured version is usually referred to as captagon (with a small c). It is sometimes called ‘chemical courage’ because it is thought to be used by soldiers in war-torn areas of the Middle East to help give them focus and energy.” What is the drug captagon and how is it linked to Syria’s fallen Assad regime?
+ Northern Exposure: The incoming US president is already having a big impact … in Canada. Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Resigns, in Blow to Trudeau’s Hold on Power. “Ms. Freeland had been playing a prominent role in formulating Canada’s response to the incoming Trump administration, leading a team of government officials preparing for the transition to a new president.” It’s not just North America. It’s tough being an incumbent these days. Germany’s Scholz loses a confidence vote, triggering new elections.
+ Cruise Control Some areas love the business that cruise ships bring. Other areas feel like they’ve been turned into giants bus stops. “The cruise ship industry is so powerful. But we’re going to eradicate them like any other invasive species.” In some port towns, it’s residents vs. cruises.
+ Softbank’s Hard Sell: “SoftBank is back in the Donald Trump flattery business, pledging to invest $100 billion into U.S. companies over the next four years.” There’s a good chance you saw that news today as the headlines were on just about every site I visited. What was less clear in those headlines is that Softbank had already raised this fund and planned to invest it in US companies over the next several years. The Trump announcement was pure PR. And, as per usual, it worked.
+ Hunter Gatherer: Colorado’s Travis Hunter wins 2024 Heisman Trophy in closest race since 2009. Hunter, who plays on both sides of the ball, had a historic year. Gretchen Walsh had a historic day. Gretchen Walsh finishes short course swim worlds with 11 world records, 7 gold medals.
